Homo-Harlem: A Film Retrospective at the Maysles Cinema

June 19th - June 27th

With arguments often eerily reminiscent of old rationales for black oppression, gays and lesbians remain openly, legally and even, 'righteously', discriminated against.

For lgbt people of all races, knowing ourselves, making our extraordinary history known to others, much as with blacks, becomes a key component to liberation. If lgbt heritage remains often obscured and belittled, achievements of African American lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people, are less well known still.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Stonewall Rebellion, the film festival, Homo-Harlem: A Film Retrospective, Friday, June 19th-Saturday, June 27th, co-sponsored by the Maysles Cinema at 343 Malcolm X Boulevard with Men of All Colors Together, Queer Black Cinema and Harlem One Stop, seeks to help to remedy this lack of recognition.

Through a series of coordinated screenings, critical discussions and walking tours, Homo-Harlem for the first time officially brings Stonewall observations uptown to focus on and honor, figures as diverse as poets Audre Lorde and Langston Hughes, social justice activist Bayard Rustin, composer Billy Strayhorn, photographer Marvin Smith and living legend Storme DeLarverie, whose courageous stand at the Stonewall Bar, 40 years ago, literally helped set in motion the entire Gay Pride Movement.

We lgbt people have always been busy making Harlem better, as one resident reported in 1928, "Never no wells of loneliness in Harlem..." Space is limited for this exhilarating experience, so be sure to make a reservation in advance and get ready to be enlightened, to be amazed and to party hard!

-  Homo-Harlem Curator and Author Michael Henry Adams

(Complete remaining festival schedule below)

- The Maysles Cinema: The Best Spot for Film Geeks

"For a small suggested donation per screening, you can catch rarely seen documentaries, often followed by discussions and/or appearances by the filmmakers.What it lacks in stadium seating and surround sound, it makes up in sheer character and inventive programming."
- New York Magazine (2009 Best of New York)

Please direct all press and requests for reservations to [email protected]

Homo-Harlem: A Film Retrospective Curated by Michael Henry Adams Co-Sponsored by Men of All Colors Together, Queer Black Cinema and Harlem One Stop Photo artist and documentary filmmaker Lisa DuBois is exhibiting fine art photographs "Timeless Harlem" and "Transgender in the nineties" in our lower lounge throughout Homo-Harlem. All the photographers are for sale. $10 Suggested Donation For All Screenings Wednesday, June 24 7:00pm Brother Outsider, The Life of Bayard Rustin Nancy Kates and Bennett Singer, 2002, 83 min. This meditation on the parallels between racism and homophobia illuminates the life and work of Bayard Rustin, a visionary activist and strategist who has been called the "unknown hero" of the civil rights movement. Daring to live as an openly gay man during the fiercely homophobic 1940s, 50s and 60s, Brother Outsider reveals the price that Rustin paid for his openness, chronicling both the triumphs and setback of his remarkable 60-year career. Panel: Dir. Bennett Singer Walter Naegle, Rustin's partner until his passing in 1987 at 75 Ernest Green, The Little Rock Nine Adam Green, Historian, Author  of "Selling the Race: Culture, Community, and Black Chicago, 1940-1955" Shiera Chandler, The Gay, Lesbian and Staight Alliance Education Network Moderator: Michael Henry Adams Thursday, June 25 5:30pm Walking Tour* 7:30pm How Do I Look (Preview, 5 min.) Wolfgang Busch, 2007 A brief preview of a follow up of sorts to Paris is Burning. Couture Shock (Preview, 5 min.) Lisa DuBois, work-in-progress Couture Shock is an honest expose on the complications and secrets in the lives of transgendered individuals. Paris is Burning Jennie Livingston, 1990, 78 min. Many consider Paris Is Burning to be an invaluable document of the end of the "Golden Age" of New York City drag balls, as well as a thoughtful exploration of race, class, and gender in America. 9:30pm Dinner & Afterparty at Billie's Black* *Complete package (walking tour, screening and after party) cost is $50.00 Contact- [email protected] 60 person limit on tickets so get them while you can! Tickets for the screening only can be purchased at the Maysles Cinema the night of. Friday, June 26 5:30pm Walking Tour* 7:30pm Looking for Langston Isaac Julien, 1988, 45 min. A black and white, fantasy-like recreation of high-society gay men during the Harlem Renaissance, with archival footage and photographs intercut with a story. The text is rarely explicit, but the freedom of gay Black men in the 1920s in Harlem is suggested and celebrated visually. James Baldwin: Witness Angie Corcetti, 2003, 60 min. A minister's son from Harlem, James Baldwin moved to Greenwich Village and began writing essays for left-wing journals. With the success of his first novel, Go Tell It on the Mountain, and dozens of non-fiction works, Baldwin became an international voice on American Black life in the 1950s and 60s. A look at this Black American Gay icon's life. 9:30pm Dinner at Miss Maude's Spoonbread Too* *Complete package (walking tour, screening and dinner) cost is $50.00 Contact- [email protected] Saturday, June 27 11:30am Brunch at Chez Lucien* 1:00pm Walking Tour* 3:00pm M&M SMITH: For Posterity's Sake Heather Lyons, 1996, 57 min Morgan and Marvin Smith, twin brothers and prolific African American artists, boldly moved from Kentucky to New York in 1933 to pursue artistic careers. By 1937 they had opened a photo studio next door to Harlem's renowned Apollo Theatre. Thus began 50-year-long careers as still and motion picture photographers, painters and sound recordists. This story is richly visualized through the Smiths' photos, films and paintings and poignantly told by Morgan and Marvin Smith and friends such as Eartha Kitt. Clip of Short Conversation with Marvin Smith (20 min) 5:00pm Blueprint Kirk Shannon-Butts, 2008 73 min. Harlem shot and set, Blueprint is the story of Keith and Nathan, two New York City college freshmen trying to make a connection. Hosted by Dir. Kirk Shannon-Butts, Singer Nhojj and star of Blueprint Damion Lee (Finding Forrester) *Complete package (walking tour, screening and brunch) cost is $45.00 Contact- [email protected]