Estradiol Illusions

Young Hearts

Today we are joined by Sarah and Zachary Ray Sherman, directors of the film Young Hearts. One of Ian's favorites from Slamdance 2020, the film follows two teens developing their first romantic relationship, learning the messy nature of love in a high school setting. Sarah and Zachary talk about their experiences making the film and its unique place amidst high school narratives.
Ian's review of the film (originally titled Thunderbolt in Mine Eye): https://ianthomasmalone.com/2020/01/slamdance-review-thunderbolt-in-mine-eye/
Young Hearts is now available to rent via VOD from all major services including Amazon, Google, and Apple. 
Film poster courtesy of Blue Fox Entertainment

Slamdance Series: Workhorse Queen

Slamdance 2021 coverage continues! We are thrilled to welcome Angela Washko and Mrs. Kasha Davis, director and star of the new documentary Workhorse Queen. The film follows Mrs. Kasha Davis' journey from small-town drag queen all the way to Ru Paul's Drag Race, where she competed in season seven. Angela & Mrs. Kasha Davis (Ed Popil) talk about the evolution of drag, their experiences making the film, and what mainstream visibility means for the LGBTQ community. 
 
Ian's review of the film: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2021/02/slamdance-series-workhorse-queen/
 
Slamdance tickets are on sale now for $10, which you can purchase here: https://slamdance.com/festival-passes/
Poster and still courtesy of Situated Productions
 
 

Slamdance Series: The Little Broomstick Rider

Our Slamdance 2021 coverage continues with a delightful entry in the Episodes section. The Little Broomstick Rider is a loose adaptation of Ludwig Bechstein's The Little Pitchfork Rider, the series follows 9 year old Linhard, accused of witchcraft in 17th century Bavaria.
Director Matteo Bernardini shares some insights into his creative process. Made entirely using paper, pens, scissors, and glue, The Little Broomstick Rider is a crowning achievement of quarantine-inspired filmmaking. 
Slamdance tickets are on sale now for $10, which you can purchase here: https://slamdance.com/festival-passes/
 
 
Poster and still courtesy of Matteo Bernardini

Slamdance Series: Chef Giants

Our Slamdance 2021 coverage kicks off! Delighted to welcome Ethan Dirks and Troy DeWinne to talk about their indie fantasy animation Chef Giants, which is premiering as part of the episodes block on February 12th. Chef Giants is the proof-of-concept for their full series Gobble, a delightfully strange musical odyssey that follows two goblins who want to be pop stars.
 
Troy and Ethan also illustrated all 145 Slamdance filmmakers for an animated virtual party, which you can check out here: https://chefgiants.com/party
 
Troy & Ethan talk about their creative process, the marginalization of goblins in popular culture,   and the importance of giving virtual festivals a sense of connective tissue. Ian really appreciates the way that Chef Giants helps emphasize the vital role of community in the filmmaking experience.
Slamdance tickets are on sale now for $10, which you can purchase here: https://slamdance.com/festival-passes/
You can follow Ethan on Instagram, @ethan_dirks, and Troy, @dewinnethepooh
Images courtesy of Ethan Dirks and Troy DeWinne.

Constantine Venetopoulos, director of Draw With Me

Today we welcome Constantine Venetopoulos to the show to talk about his new short documentary, Draw With Me. The film follows the coming out journey of nonbinary teen Brendon Scholl, with appearances by Brendon's aunt Jennifer Lopez and President Joe Biden. Draw With Me was featured at the first ever panel on transgender health at the United Nations and is an Official Oscar Entry for the Documentary Short category.
Draw With Me is an excellent resource especially for parents looking for resources to support their trans children. Constantine & Ian discuss the complicated family dynamics that can surface after coming out and the contrasts between America's growing acceptance of LGBTQ people against the backdrop of the Trump administration.
You can view the trailer for Draw With Me here: https://vimeo.com/450714908
 
 
 
Film poster courtesy of Ithaka Films. Headshot courtesy of Constantine Venetopoulos
 
 

Sundance Series: Son of Monarchs

We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Alejandro Mejía, cinematographer for Son of Monarchs, to the show. While the cinematography is always vital to the success of a film, Alejandro carried additional obligations to convey protagonist Mendel's passions to the audience, something the film does quite well. Alejandro shares some insights into his creative process and what it was likely to film in the butterfly forests of Mexico, beautiful scenery typically only depicted in documentaries.
Ian's review of the film: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2021/01/sundance-review-son-of-monarchs/
 
Photo caption: Kaarlo Isaacs appears in Son of Monarchs by Alexis Gambis, an official selection of the NEXT section at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Sundance Series: Hive

Our Sundance coverage rolls along with a film from with World Cinema Dramatic Competiton. Hive is the story of Fahrije, who is struggling to provide for her family after her husband's disappearance in the war in Kosovo. We are delighted to welcome director Blerta Basholli to discuss her work, based on a true story. Hive is a powerful narrative of perseverance in the wake of incredible hardship.
Poster image of Hive by Blerta Basholli, an official selection of the World Cinema Dramatic Competition at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.
 

Sundance Series: Weirdo Night

Continuing our Sundance coverage with a film from the New Frontiers program. Weirdo Night is a cinematic presentation of the iconic LA comedy show of the same name. We are delighted to welcome director Mariah Garnett and star Jibz Cameron, also known as Dynasty Handbag, to talk about their work.
Weirdo Night is available throughout the festival to Explorer pass holders. Mariah and Jibz will be hosting a virtual party at 8:00 pm PST on January 31st. Please follow @dynastyhandbag on Twitter for more information.
Poster image of Weirdo Night by Jibz Cameron and Mariah Garnett, an official selection of the New Frontier program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Sundance Series: The Fourfold

As our Sundance coverage rolls along, we are excited to welcome Alisi Telegnut to the show to talk about her short film The Fourfold. Alisi talks about her technique that combines under camera filming with stop-motion animation, all in breathtaking detail. This is one short you won't want to miss!
You can learn more about Alisi on her website http://cargocollective.com/AlisiTelengut/
Alisi's Instagram also features some fascinating behind-the-scenes photos of her process @alisitelegnut
 
Poster image of The Fourfold by Alisi Telengut, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Sundance Series: GNT

Our Sundance coverage continues with another film from the Shorts Program. GNT is a hilarious film all about thrush, aka yeast infections! Filmmakers Sara Hirner and Rosemary Vasquez-Brown chat with Ian all the way from Australia about their process making the short. The color palette and writing is top-notch. Ian highly recommends checking out the film!
 
Poster image of GNT by Sara Hirner and Rosemary Vasquez-Brown, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Sundance Series: Doublespeak

We are delighted to kick off our Sundance coverage with Hazel McKibbin and Angela Wong Carbone, director and star of the film Doublespeak from the Shorts Program. Doublespeak follows Emma (Carbone) as she deals with the aftermath of a sexual discrimination case in her workplace.
The film, which premiered today at Sundance, is available on Vimeo for everyone to watch (highly recommended before listening to this episode): https://vimeo.com/439062018
You can learn more about Hazel and the film on her website: https://hazelmckibbin.com/  and on Instagram @hazelmckibbin
You can learn more about Angela on her website: Angelawongcarbone.com and on Instagram @labellacarbone 
Poster image of Doublespeak by Hazel McKibbin, an official selection of the Shorts Program at the 2021 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute.

Zackary Drucker, director of The Lady and the Dale

We are so excited to welcome trans icon Zackary Drucker to the show to talk about her fascinating new HBO documentary series The Lady the Dale. The series dives into the complicated life of G. Elizabeth Carmichael, a trans woman whose Twentieth Century Motor Car Corporation created the three wheel car known as the Dale. Zackary & Ian discuss Liz's life and legacy and the ways the world responded to her gender identity at the time.
The Lady and the Dale premieres on HBO on January 31st.
Ian's review of the series: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2021/01/the-lady-and-the-dale-provides-a-riveting-perspective-of-a-trans-pioneer/
 
Film poster courtesy of HBO. Headshot courtesy of Zackary Drucker.       
 
 

Nomi Ruiz, star of Haymaker

We are delighted to welcome Nomi Ruiz, star & producer of the new film Haymaker. Nomi talks about her experiences making the film, incorporating her music background as a singer into the narrative, and the importance of authentic transgender storytelling both behind the scenes and on screen. 
 
Haymaker is in theaters, VOD, and Digital on January 29th. 
 
Ian's review of the film: https://ianthomasmalone.com/2021/01/haymaker-is-a-worthy-entry-into-the-trans-film-canon/
         

Menstruation, From Moment to Movement

We are delighted to welcome Inga T. Winkler & A.J. Lowik to the show to talk about their work in the field of menstruation education. Inga is lecturer at Columbia University’s Institute for the Study of Human Rights and the Director of its Working Group on Menstrual Health & Gender Justice. A.J. is a non-binary trans PhD candidate and researcher at the University of British Columbia with a focus on trans people's lives and health.
Inga & A.J. discuss their work and the ways to combat menstruation stigma, the challenge of moving the ball forward past "visibility," and the ways to speak about menstruation in an inclusive manner for trans and non-binary menstruators.
Inga recently co-edited the Palgrave Handbook of Critical Menstruation Studies, which is open-access and wonderfully formatted for online browsing. You can access the book here, https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007%2F978-981-15-0614-7
A.J. has written an article on trans & non-binary menstruators for the International Journal of Transgender Health, which can be accessed here: https://ianthomasmalone.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Lowik-Just-because-I-dont-bleed-doesnt-mean-I-dont-go-through-it-Expanding-knowledge-on-trans-and-non-binary-menstruators-2.pdf 
You can learn more about Inga at her website: https://www.ingawinkler.com/ and on Twitter @inga_winkler
You can learn more about A.J. on their website www.ajlowik.com and on Instagram @thegenderoffender
Palgrave Handbook cover image courtesy of Palgrave Macmillan.      
 

Disneyland AP Cancellation Analysis

Disneyland has cancelled the Annual Passholder Program, leading to many disappointed superfans clinging to their AP popcorn buckets and Halloween AP magnets for relief. Ian is pretty sad. She also thinks that the media is being ridiculous in criticizing APs for being Karens, hogging the park, and being too obsessed among other things. Ian offers some analysis on the current situation and why she thinks the AP program will be back pretty soon after the pandemic.
 
For more Disneyland fun, check out our other episodes including the three park ranking of every ride in Disneyland and our Galaxy's Edge analysis.

TTTE & Chill: Thomas and the Magic Railroad

Grab your gold-dust and your conductor's whistle, because we're going to Shining Time Station to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Thomas and the Magic Railroad. The Shout! Factory blu-ray set contains a number of wonderful bonus features, including numerous deleted scenes from the storylines that didn't make it into the film. Ian & Tara talk about the legacy of the film and its place within Thomas lore.
Film poster courtesy of Shout! Factory