The transgender feature film “Lexie Cannes” is on DVD!

Brand new “Lexie Cannes” DVDs are looking for a home!

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — Yes, this is a rare plug for our award-winning trans-themed film. Our stock was getting low, so we just rolled out another batch of DVDs, packaged them up and now they’re ready to fly out the door.

Remember, every DVD comes with a CD of music from the film and a highly coveted Lexie Cannes bumper sticker.

Here’s what film critics were saying about Lexie Cannes:

“. . . a uniquely written and photographed film that almost taunts the audience with a dizzying array of imagery, emotions, dialogue . . .”

–The Independent Critic

“. . . Lexie Cannes looks amazing . . . very real and very compelling . . .”

–Brian Morton, Rogue Cinema

“. . . very daring, very ambitious . . .”

–Monika DeLeeuw-Taylor, Microfilmmaker Magazine

“. . . a powerful and moving experience . . .”

–Paul Prichard, Pulpmovies Reviews

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There are a number of ways to get this film:

Amazon.com ($8.99 to $12.99): http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0963781332

PayPal ($9.00): http://www.lexiecannes.com/id13.html

Support transgender film making and THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT by getting your copy of Lexie Cannes right now!

Get your copy of Lexie Cannes right now!

 

Cover of the Lexie Cannes DVD

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Filed under: Lexie Cannes (the movie), Media, Positive PR, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, dvd, film, Lexie Cannes, movie

Courtney O’Donnell: In Transit — “Austin Unbound” documentary

Austin Richey, Eliza Greenwood

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — The filmed-in-Portland transgender documentary Austin Unbound premiered last November at Portland’s Hollywood theater. the film documents trans man Austin Richey’s choice to undergo sex reassignment surgery (SRS) — in this case upper surgery. Austin now identifies as a straight male. he is also deaf, giving the film the status of encompassing two different cultures.

[I wrote this for "Just Out". The entire article can be read on their website: http://www.justout.com/columns/voices/in-transit/in-transit-austin-unbound ]

Since its premiere, Austin Unbound has been a hit on the film festival and college lecture circuit. Both Austin and the filmmaker, Eliza Greenwood, were able to attend a number of these showings. I recently caught up with Eliza and fired off these questions:

Courtney O’Donnell: In your role as a doc filmmaker, what things did you learn about trans people that you hadn’t known prior to starting the project?

Eliza Greenwood: Before I met Austin I came from a place of judgment, assuming that people should own and accept the bodies they were born with. You see, body image and ownership of my gender and sexuality had come so easily to me. Austin’s insistence that he is a straight male totally challenged my beliefs, but it resonated with me. I was inspired to ask if we could make this documentary because I wanted others to be able to meet him, too.

CO’D: Are there aspects of trans people (or being trans) that ought to be more widely known about in the LGBTQ community?

EG: The community should be aware that there is an inclination in the media to tell surgery stories about trans people, and that leads to harmful assumptions that, “all people who are trans want surgery.” I admit Austin Unbound is a “surgery” film.

CO’D: Did you face any resistance from the LGB or T communities in trying to get the film made?

EG: Our community really embraced this project as many people already knew and were inspired by Austin’s story. We were pleased to realize that the LGBT community had more sources for grants and private donors than our deaf community offered. We were awarded grants from the Pride Foundation, the Equity Foundation, and the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence to help get the film made, for example.

CO’D: Did the filmmaking-friendly, LGBT-friendly town of Portland work to your advantage?

EG: Portland not only has a strong LGBTQ culture, but also a thriving film community. I’ve found both to be helpful and engaging.

Eliza tells me that on October 18 there will be another screening of Austin Unbound at Portland’s Clinton Street Theatre (2522 SE Clinton). It will be a fundraiser to help provide SRS for a community member.

It has been a long journey for Austin Unbound. The years spent in post-production are now paying off handsomely for the filmmakers. My congrats to them. As for Austin, he continues to live in Portland, still the quite cool guy we met in the film.

austinunbound.org

via In Transit: Austin Unbound.

Austin Richey, Eliza Greenwood

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Filed under: Disabilities, Hearing Impaired, Deaf, ASL, American Sign Language, Deaf Education, Lexie Cannes (the movie), Media, Positive PR, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, austin richey, austin unbound, documentary, eliza greenwood, sex reassignment surgery

Indie filmmakers of transgender film say: “We’re toast. We’re done.”

Not me. Erica Hayes and Madisun Leigh shouldn’t be either.

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — I believe I know a thing or two about the film business — it’s brutal. If “competition” causes one to throw up their hands and exclaim “we’re toast, we’re done,” then perhaps they’re not cut out for the film business anyway.

I’m referring, of course, to indie filmmakers Erica Hayes and Madisun Leigh who are working on “iTran”, a documentary about the transgender experience. After Hayes and Leigh learned singer Janet Jackson signed on to produce a transgender doc titled “Truth,” they whined about their quote “little bitty effort” unquote being overshadowed by Jackson’s money and fame.

Hayes and Leigh, I’ve got news for you — nobody in the film business has a monopoly on topics. Likewise, if you think your film is a “little bitty effort”, perhaps it shouldn’t get made at all.

Films have to stand on their own. It does not matter how much is spent making the documentary — only the contents matter. You cannot BUY good content, you have to earn it. Therefore Hayes and Leigh, you’ve an equally good chance of coming up with an excellent film as Jackson has. True, money makes things easier to cover up the lack of compelling contents with show and flash, but if you two have what it takes to be filmmakers, you’ll pull it off.

Besides, high dollar productions have a good chance of falling apart before completed. An additional bonus: multi-million dollar turkeys are the NORM in the business. Odds are Jackson’s film will be less than satisfactory.

From the viewers point of view, we’ve two chances at seeing one hit in a medium where no-hit innings are the norm. The other thing to think about — there are likely other trans films already in production.

My advice to you two, Hayes and Leigh, forget Janet Jackson and make your damn film. And make sure you add closed captioning if you want to get a thumbs up from me.

PrideSource – Janet Jackson’s Trans Film Called Into Question.

Not me. Erica Hayes and Madisun Leigh shouldn’t be either.

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Filed under: Lexie Cannes (the movie), Other Health, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, documentary, Erica Hayes, filmmaker, itran, janet jackson, Madisun Leigh, truth

Transgender ‘The Matrix’ director debuts by saying: “Hi, I’m Lana!” in a movie trailer for new Tom Hanks film

Lana Wachowski

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — I know, I know, I’m seemingly taking the low road here by dropping the names of celebrities to attract attention to the transgender cause in general and this article particular, but you know what, it works to our advantage! Lately, attaching celebrities to trans causes usually brings an overwhelming amount of positive PR — the kind we couldn’t even buy. So, as long as trans people have an uneven playing field, we need to milk the attention whenever the celebrity spotlight is on us.

While the news the director of The Matrix series of films, then known as Larry Wachowski, underwent SRS and is now Lana, has been out for a while, recently however, she has presented herself as Lana for the first time in a movie trailer. “Hi, I’m Lana” she said. Simple and cool.

I’m sure many people are going back to watch Lana’s older films for early signs of Lana’s emergence, because after all, films are often deeply personal. I’m not exactly sure what people will find, but one I’ve seen, Bound might be a bit revealing as it has some LGBT elements — two of the stars, Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly, portrays lesbian characters in the film. The film is noted for their realistic portrayal of a lesbian relationship. I just now took the DVD off the shelf and put it on the TV for a replay.

Lana’s new, Cloud Atlas which stars Tom Hanks, is due out soon. No firm news if there are trans-related elements to it, but if anyone has the inside scoop, feel free to share it with us!

Lana Wachowski

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Filed under: Lexie Cannes (the movie), Media, Positive PR, Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, bound, celebrity, Cloud Atlas, Gina Gershon, jennifer tilly, Lana Wachowski, Larry Wachowski, positive pr, the matrix, tom hanks

Courtney O’Donnell: Federal Judge Slams Netflix’s Motion to Dismiss Closed Captioning Case

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — [I wrote this for The Huffington Post.] U.S. District Court Judge Michael A. Ponsor last month blocked Netflix’s attempt to circumvent the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to avoid providing closed captioning on programming streamed on the internet.

[You can also read this article at the HuffPost site here: Courtney O'Donnell: Federal Judge Slams Netflix's Motion to Dismiss Closed Captioning Case.]

Last year the National Association of the Deaf sued Netflix for dodging their responsibility under the ADA to provide equal access for deaf and hard of hearing Americans.

Netflix is arguing that streaming programming via the Internet is not covered by the ADA because websites (for instance, Netflix’s) are not “physical locations.” However, according to a document provided by the Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund:

Judge Ponsor denied the motion, stating that it would be “irrational to conclude” that: “places of public accommodation are limited to actual physical structures… In a society in which business is increasingly conducted online, excluding businesses that sell services through the Internet from the ADA would run afoul of the purposes of the ADA and would severely frustrate Congress’s intent that individuals with disabilities fully enjoy the goods, services, privileges and advantages, available indiscriminately to other members of the general public.”

Judge Ponsor also stated it is clear that Congress intended for the ADA to adapt to technical changes. The Internet did not exists as it does today when the ADA was enacted.

The Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund’s Directing Attorney, Arlene Mayerson:

“By recognizing that web-sites are covered by the ADA, the court has ensured that the ADA stays relevant as much of our society moves from Main Street to the Internet. Netflix’s argument that the neighborhood video store is covered by the ADA, but it, with its over 20 million subscribers, is not, was soundly rejected by the Court.”

Following Judge Ponsor’s refusual to dismiss the case,insiders are now expecting the case to go to mediation rather than to trial.

The vast majority of programming viewed over the internet is not closed captioned at this time and the Netflix case ruling is a major step towards reversing these conditions as this is the first court to hold that the ADA also applies to website-only businesses.

For more information on this case:

District Court of Massachusetts, Disability Civil Rights Case, National Association of the Deaf, et al. v. Netflix, Case No. 3:11-cv-30168, http://www.dredf.org/captioning, call the toll-free number 1-800-348-4232 (V), or email Shane Feldman at netflixlawsuit@nad.org or Charlotte Lanvers at clanvers@dredf.org.

via Courtney O’Donnell: Federal Judge Slams Netflix’s Motion to Dismiss Closed Captioning Case.

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Filed under: Disabilities, Hearing Impaired, Deaf, ASL, American Sign Language, Deaf Education, Lexie Cannes (the movie), 3:11-Cv-30168, Closed Captioning, Disability Rights Education And Defense Fund, Entertainment News, Judge Michael A. Ponsor, Nad, National Association Of The Deaf, netflix, Streaming, Subtitles

Pulpmovies Film Review: “Lexie Cannes.” 4 Stars (out of 5)

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — The following is a film review of “Lexie Cannes” by Paul Pritchard of Pulpmovies:

April 14, 2010, By Paul Pritchard

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.

A woman who cannot hear is stalked.

Country: USA, Released: 2009 Running Time: 71 minutes Drama, Thriller

The synopsis I saw for Lexie Cannes presents the film as a thriller in which the eponymous heroine finds herself stalked by two men, one relatively harmless, the other much less so. This description is accurate as far as it goes, but it does undersell a film that has a much broader scope than this.

More a drama than a thriller, the film is primarily a study of the character of Lexie Cannes herself, and what a character she is. Lexie is a deaf, transsexual woman building a life for herself as a photographer in Oregon. She has some relationship problems, a broadening circle of friends, a desire to put her past behind her and a strong urge to help when she encounters people in trouble. There are many layers to her personality but what shines through most strongly is Lexie’s essential humanity. While her specific circumstances will be unfamiliar to most, the core tale of someone coming to terms with their past so they can build a future is one with which anyone can empathise.

It is to the credit of writer/director, Tom Bertling that he has managed to develop a character that faces such a specific set of circumstances in a manner that feels almost familiar to a general audience. Lexie Cannes is a complex, fascinating and very well rounded character and she is superbly brought to life by Courtney O’Donnell who, in the title role, does a great job of capturing the complexity of the character.

While the plot can feel a bit episodic in places, this is more than made up for by both the strength of the performances and the atmosphere the film achieves. Logically, for a film about a deaf person, there is no natural sound. What we have instead is a soundtrack that plays for the entirety of the film and which does an incredibly good job of capturing the mood of both the characters and the events in which they find themselves. Although there is some (signed) dialogue, this is essentially a silent film and one that demonstrates just how powerful this type of film can be.

Visually, the film is something unique. Much of it is shot at night and often viewed through a camera or camcorder lens and giving the film a grainy feel that effectively adds an air of uncertainty to otherwise familiar settings. This is especially effective when dealing with the stalker part of the plot.

Lexie Cannes is a very real and very compelling portrait of a woman determined to surmount the obstacles she finds before her and build a life with which she can be both comfortable and happy. The performances are strong throughout and these, combined with a strongly atmospheric soundtrack and visual style, make for a film that is a powerful and moving experience.”

via Lexie Cannes | Pulpmovies.

Next film festival showing, March 31, 2012: http://lexiecannes.wordpress.com/2012/02/27/transgenderlesbiandeaf-film-lexie-cannes-to-show-in-seattle-march-31st-at-500-pm/

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http://www.LexieCannes.com

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Filed under: Lexie Cannes (the movie), Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, american sign language, ASL, asl film, deaf, deaf director, deaf film, film, film review, Lexie Cannes, movie, paul pritchard, pulpmovies, transsexual

University of Washington Perspectives: Seattle Deaf Film Festival Comes to UW

Faces behind the Seattle Deaf Film Festival: UW's Rob Roth and Lance Forshay (photo: UW)

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — I found this article in a UW publication. It gives more insight into what’s going on behind the scene with the newly created Seattle Deaf Film Festival and its connection with the University of Washington. Here are a few excerpts:

UW’s ASL and Deaf Studies Program’s Lance Forshay: “Our program aims to create awareness of deaf culture, this festival is an opportunity to do that . . .

Audiences can expect to see films created by, for, or about the deaf community, in genres ranging from documentary to drama to comedy to animation.”

UW’s Computer Science and Engineering staffer Rob Roth is on the film selection committee: “We’re considering the deaf culture aspect of the film—the use of deaf actors, a deaf storyline—but also looking at technical aspects and the quality of the script, taking into account what would interest audiences.”

More from Perspectives: Newsletter of the College of Arts & Sciences: http://www.artsci.washington.edu/newsletter/Jan12/DeafFilmFest.asp

The feature film “Lexie Cannes” is scheduled to show during the festival on March 31st at 5PM at Kane Hall 120 on the UW campus in Seattle.

Tickets here: http://www.deafspotlight.com/sdff#!__sdfftixandschedule

Faces behind the Seattle Deaf Film Festival: UW's Rob Roth and Lance Forshay (Photo: UW)

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Filed under: Disabilities, Hearing Impaired, Deaf, ASL, American Sign Language, Deaf Education, Lexie Cannes (the movie), ASL, ASL and Deaf Studies Program, deaf, deaf director, deaf films, deaf studies program, Lance Forshay, Rob Roth, seattle deaf film festival, University of Washington

Transgender/lesbian/deaf film “Lexie Cannes” to show in Seattle, March 31st at 5:00 PM

Lexie Cannes in Seattle, March 31st.

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — I hinted about this earlier but the official date/time wasn’t decided until recently. It’s part of the SEATTLE DEAF FILM FESTIVAL which will be taking place at the University of Washington. If you’re in the Seattle area and know of people who’d be interested in either the transgender, lesbian or deaf aspect of this film, feel free to pass the word along.

As an additional bonus, the transgender/deaf documentary “Austin Unbound” will be shown along with “Lexie Cannes” — two films for the price of one. Trans man Austin Richey, the subject of the documentary has a role in “Lexie Cannes” as well.

Tickets will go on sale early in March and can be purchased via the Seattle Deaf Film Festival website:

http://deafspotlight.com/SDFF/tickets

Seattle Deaf Film Festival Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/seattledeaffilmfestival

More about the documentary “Austin Unbound”: http://austinunbound.org/

And, of course, the “Lexie Cannes” website: http://www.LexieCannes.com

Lexie Cannes and Austin Unbound to show in Seattle on March 31st.

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Filed under: Lexie Cannes (the movie), Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, austin richey, austin unbound, deaf documentary, Lexie Cannes, seattle deaf film festival, trans man, transsexual, University of Washington

The feature film “Lexie Cannes” selected for the Seattle Deaf Film Festival

Seattle Deaf Film Festival - March 30th through April 1st, 2012

THE GUERRILLA ANGEL REPORT — The award-winning transgender/lesbian/ASL feature film “Lexie Cannes” will be shown during the festival March 30 – April 1.  Full schedule details coming soon.

The festival will be held at the University of Washington, Kane Hall 120, in Seattle, Washington. Ticket pricing and schedule not available at this time. I will update the webpage www.LexieCannes.com when it becomes available and I’ll also do another post as we get closer to the date of the festival! Be there!

Seattle Deaf Film Festival website: http://deafspotlight.com/SDFF/

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Filed under: Lexie Cannes (the movie), Transgender, Transsexual, Trans, american sign language, ASL, award winning, deaf, film, Kane Hall 120, Lexie Cannes, movie, seattle deaf film festival, transsexual, University of Washington

Photo Gallery of actress Dawn Stoyanoff, co-star in feature film LEXIE CANNES

Actress Dawn Stoyanoff co-stars as “Elizabeth,” in the feature film LEXIE CANNES. Dawn portrays “Lexie’s” childhood friend who re-enters her life with hopes of rekindling a long lost romance!

Check out Dawn’s website: http://www.DawnStage.com

Actress Dawn Stoyanoff

Filed under: Lexie Cannes (the movie), ASL, Dawn Stoyanoff, deaf actress, Lexie Cannes (the movie)