Beth Accomando – ALLIANCE OF WOMEN FILM JOURNALISTS

PLAYLAND (Tribeca 2023) – Review by Beth Accomando

June 14, 2023June 18, 2023 Beth Accomando Danielle Cooper, Georden West, José Lapaz-Rodriguez, Miranda Quinn, Playland, Playland Café, queer fantasy, The Lady Bunny

This documentary is a love letter to the people, the place, and the transgressive sense of rebellion that defined Playland. Georden West understands that such a love letter needs to be as subversive as the object of its desire. If you try to identify a narrative or a historical timeline from the film you will be frustrated and disappointed, but if you succumb to its sumptuous visual design and sense of ephemeral memory then you will be richly rewarded.

Festivals Reviews

Q (Tribeca 2023) – Review by Beth Accomando

June 13, 2023June 14, 2023 Beth Accomando documentary, Jude Chehab, lebanese films, Q, Qubaisiat, Tribeca 2023

The documentary is a delicately structured portrait of three generations of woman in filmmaker Jude Chehab’s family. Chehab is subtle and respectful but also persistent in seeking to know family history that has been kept secret. She pushes for information from her mother, grandmother and father but always from a place of love. There is nothing that feels hurtful or accusatory in her tone but we do feel a yearning on her part to hear her family open up about the past. Q is a graceful, assured, and affectingly personal first feature from Jude Chehab.

Festivals Reviews

CHASING CHASING AMY (Tribeca 2023) – Review by Beth Accomando

June 12, 2023June 12, 2023 Beth Accomando ben affleck, Chasing Chasing Amy, guinevere turner, Joey Lauren Adams, Kevin Smith, lgbtq, Sav Rodgers, Tribeca 2023

Twelve-year-old Sav Rodgers watched Kevin Smith’s 1997 film Chasing Amy and fell in love with it. The experience became the topic of a TED Talk in which Rodgers recalled being gay-bashed: “See, it sucks when everyone else knows you’re queer before you do. Because then you don’t have anything to protect yourself with.” But Rodgers found comfort in Smith’s film, which had an appealing pop culture backdrop and served up an unconventional romance in which a heterosexual man is rejected by a lesbian. This documentary is about Rodgers’ obsession with something that changed his life, an analysis of the film, an exploration of why many in the LGBTQ+ community do not like it, Rodgers’ own coming to terms with his queerness, a general consideration of what makes for good representation, and ultimately a coming-of-age story for Rodgers as a transgender filmmaker.

Festivals Reviews

IT’S BASIC (Tribeca 2023) – Review by Beth Accomando

June 11, 2023September 4, 2023 Beth Accomando documentaries, Guaranteed Basic Income, It’s Basic, Marc Levin, Michael Tubbs

It’s Basic is a documentary with an argument to make and a point it wants to prove. At its core, it simply wants to know if Americans are ready to consider current economic issues from a different point of view. The film explores the idea of a Guaranteed Basic Income (GBI) and how it can impact people’s lives. Director Marc Levin examines a number of pilot programs in U.S. cities that wanted to give people $500 to $1,000 a month — with no strings attached— and then checks in with actual families to see what they did with the money and how it changed their lives. No matter what side of the political spectrum you are on, you should at least check out this documentary to hear the economic arguments and then open your hearts to the human success stories.

Festivals Reviews

AGAINST ALL ENEMIES (Tribeca 2023) – Review by Beth Accomando

June 9, 2023June 10, 2023 Beth Accomando Against All Enemies, Charlie Sadoff, documentary, Human Rights First, January 6. 2021, Kristopher Goldsmith, Michael Breen, Task Force Butler Institute

Producer Charlie Sadoff’s documentary looks at how military veterans can be targeted for radicalization by extreme right groups. The title is taken from the military oath that states: “I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” For anyone who watched the events of January 6, 2021 unfold and experienced feelings ranging from disbelief to terror to anger and outrage, this documentary helps to wade through those emotions to gain insights but not complete answers into what happened, how it happened, and why. Against All Enemies is not a comforting documentary but then it does not want to be.

Festivals Reviews

AMERICAN SIKH (Tribeca 2023) – Review by Beth Accomando

June 9, 2023June 11, 2023 Beth Accomando American Sikh, Animated Shorts, Ryan Westra, Sikh Captain America, Tribeca 2023, Vishavjit Singh

This short animated (with brief home video footage) film is a clever, provocative, and poignant exploration of identity. Vishavjit Singh (voicing the main character) recounts his personal story of being an American-born, turban-wearing Sikh who has had to deal with prejudice his entire life, and how he saw that prejudice turn violent after the events of 9/11. He tries removing his turban to try to fit in better but ultimately he takes the inspired and sort of crazy idea of dressing up as a superhero. But one of his own creation – Sikh Captain America!

Interviews

Alice Birch and Rachel Weisz on DEAD RINGERS and the Female Flip – Beth Accomando interviews

April 13, 2023 Beth Accomando Alice Birsh, amazon prime, David Cronenberg, Dead Ringers, rachel weisz

The new Dead Ringers series was created, written, and executive produced by Alice Birch who credits actress Rachel Weisz for getting the ball rolling on this reimagining of David Cronenberg’s film. Weisz, a fan of Cronenberg’s classic, looked at the material – a story of twin brother obstetricians – and thought it was ripe for a gender flip. And it was that delicious challenge that attracted the actress.– and the producer. They discuss the evolution of the project with Beth Accommando.

Reviews

ALIVE – Review by Beth Accomando

January 23, 2023January 23, 2023 Beth Accomando alive, Annie Rachel Hillman, David Marantz, Neil Sheffield, zombies

The film marks the feature debut of writer-director David Marantz and producer-editor Annie Rachel Hillman. They are working with an obviously limited budget. Much if not all of the sound seems looped or replaced with foley work, and the effects are erratic. Making a zombie film always invites comparison because there are so many entries in the genre and therefore so many films to compete with. Sorry to report that Alive doesn’t have anything to make it stand out amongst the reanimated corpses.

Reviews

AWFJ Presents: XXY – Review by Beth Accomando

December 23, 2022December 22, 2022 Beth Accomando Argentine films, awfj presents, Film Movement, Inés Efron, Klinefelter’s Syndrome, Lucia Puenzo, Sergio Bizzio, XXY

Lucia Puenzo’s directing debut is a coming of age film with a twist. XXY is about a teenager who was born with both male and female genitalia. Alex has been raised as a girl but at fifteen, she’s starting to question that identity. Puenzo’s film questions the way society has decided that there are only two ways to define sexual identity. Released in 2007, it remains is one of the few films to look to an intersex individual with genuine compassion and sensitivity in order to foster empathy and understanding.

SPOTLIGHT

SPOTLIGHT November 2022: Barbara Broccoli, Beloved BOND and Beyond

October 28, 2022October 31, 2022 Beth Accomando 007, albert r boccoli, Barbara Broccoli, Daniel Craig, james bond, James Bond franchise, Michael G. Wilson, OBE, Pierce Brosnan, spotlight, Till

Barbara Broccoli epitomizes what a great producer should be: smart, creative, passionate, tenacious, and successful. Along with her half-brother Michael G. Wilson, she oversees one of the longest-running, most acclaimed, and most financially successful film franchises in the world. But she is not content with that achievement alone and consistently seeks to produce other films and theatrical stage productions as well as engage in philanthropy and activism. As a teenager she knew she wanted a career in the film industry and she set out with fierce determination to achieve that end and has risen to the top in her field with the awards, critical acclaim, financial success and respect of her peers to prove it.

← Previous