Mango Kiss (2003)

Mango Kiss (2003)

Editorial Reviews

Lesbian love takes a kinky turn in Mango Kiss, a romantic comedy about role playing of all kinds. Lou (Michelle Wolfe) and Sassy (Daniele Ferraro) are best friends who move to San Francisco, where they're delighted by the abundance of lesbian lifestyles. Sassy can't wait to sample the bounty, but Lou just wants Sassy--though when she gets her wish, complications begin. Mango Kiss features a host of quirky characters, ranging from tops and bottoms in the bondage scene to a couple that has replicated a 1950s male-female relationship. Fortunately, the movie doesn't just coast on quirk--the writing and acting are strong, though the story loses momentum towards the end. Mango Kiss also doesn't take itself (or the role-playing) too seriously; its satirical humor gives the movie some spark--and a couple of steamy sex scenes don't hurt either. Also featuring Sally Kirkland (Private Benjamin). --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

Lou and Sass are performance art partners and best friends who have recently moved to San Francisco. Shy Lou s life turns upside down when she confesses her passion for the outgoing Sass, and they change from roommates to lovers. The path to romantic bliss takes a wide detour, however, when they meet new friends with some rather frisky ideas. Starring Michelle Wolff (Unspeakable), Dani le Ferraro (No Ordinary Hero), and featuring Golden Globe Winner Sally Kirkland.

The Truth About Jane (2000)

The Truth About Jane (2000)

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Jane's Mom (Stockard Channing, TV's "West Wing," "Grease") assumes her popular daughter is just like every other fifteen-year-old girl - a little confused about growing up, but a great kid at heart. Jane figures her mom is just like any other mom - a little too protective, but only because she loves her. Both of them believe they have a good relationship. Then Jane meets Taylor, the new girl at school, and falls madly in love with her. Suddenly, everyone is trying to figure out how to cope with the realization that Jane is a lesbian. Her classmates are having trouble treating her like a human being, and her mom refuses to have anything to do with Jane's experiment. The trouble is, this is not just a phase. Jane knows she's gay. If her mom can't or won't accept that fact, their relationship could be broken forever. Through the help of new friends and a lot of soul searching, Jane learns to accept herself and her sexuality. Now the challenge is finding a way to help her mom remember how much she loves her daughter.

Women Loving Women (2005)

Women Loving Women (2005)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Lovemaking techniques between women. Learn new and highly pleasuring ways to kiss, caress, gently touch, and actively extensive variety of techniques.

Saving Face (2004)

Saving Face (2004)

Editorial Reviews

Saving Face starts like you might expect a Chinese-American lesbian romantic comedy to start: Young surgeon Wilhelmina (Michelle Krusiec, in her first starring role) has kept her sexual orientation secret from the conservative Chinese community of Flushing, NY--but when her mother (Joan Chen, The Last Emperor) becomes pregnant and is kicked out by her own parents, Wil suddenly has to juggle her mother's secrets with her own...which include her sparky new romance with Vivian (Lynn Chen), a ballet dancer and the daughter of Wil's boss. This bundle of intrigue and lust could motivate a wacky farce, but writer/director Alice Wu takes things a step further, delving into the characters' psyches and the complex social rules of their world while still crafting a strong plot and plenty of sly humor. Wu captures excellent performances from her entire cast, particularly Joan Chen, who gives perhaps her most multifaceted performance. A rich, rewarding, and delightful movie. --Bret Fetzer

Product Description

When 48-year-old widow Hwei-Lan Gao (Joan Chen) informs her less-than understanding father she's pregnant, he banishes her from Flushing until she remarries or proves Immaculate Conception. With nowhere else to go, Hwei-Lan moves in with her grown daughter, Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a Manhattan doctor who doesn't want a roommate, especially since she's met Viv (Lynn Chen), her sexy young lover. So Wil does what any dutiful child with an expectant, unmarried mother on her hands would do: she proceeds to set Hwei-Lan up with every eligible bachelor in town.

If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)

If These Walls Could Talk 2 (2000)

Plot Summary

Genres: Drama, Romance

Tagline: Women love women

Plot Outline Trio of stories about lesbian couples in three different decades.

Plot Synopsis: Semi-follow up of the first "If These Walls Could Talk" with three segments set in the same house, but with different occupants which spans nearly 40 years. While the first film delt with women and the topic of abortion, this deals with women and the topic of lesbianism.

Out of the Past: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Rights in America (1998)

Out of the Past: The Struggle for Gay and Lesbian Rights in America (1998)

Editorial Reviews

From The New Yorker Director Jeff Dupre's solid documentary on the gay community is one part history lesson (profiles of obscure gay and lesbian historical figures) and one part smart reporting (a young lesbian attempts to form a Gay-Straight Alliance club in Salt Lake City). The film, written by Michelle Ferrari, is a dialogue between the past and the present, and an emotionally textured treatise on alienation and marginalization which is intelligent and, thankfully, entertaining. -Bruce Diones Copyright © 2006 The New Yorker

Girls on Film 2 (Lesbian & Gay)

Girls on Film 2 (Lesbian & Gay)

Editorial Reviews

Outfest Los AngelesBest Short Film Audience Award Madrid Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalSpecial Rainbow Award Philadelphia Gay & Lesbian Film FestivalBest Short Film Planet Out Film FestivalGrand Prize awarded Product DescriptionGirls On Film 2 is another groundbreaking compilation featuring the best lesbian themed shorts made by Power Up members. These films have delighted audiences at festivals worldwide, including Sundance and Berlin. The DVD contains films including D.E.B.S, Give or Take an Inch and Fly Cherry which were produced through Power Up"s film grant production program.

Imagine Me & You (2005)

Imagine Me & You (2005)

Plot Summary

Genres: Comedy, Drama, Romance Tagline: There Goes The Bride. Plot Outline A newlywed bride becomes infatuated with another woman whom questions her sexual orientation promoting a stir among the bride's family and friends. Plot Synopsis: Rachel and Heck, long time friends and lovers, finally tie the knot, and during the celebration, Rachel starts a friendship with their florist, Luce. And while Rachel originally intended to match her new friend, Luce, up with her husband's friend, Cooper, she soon finds out that Luce is a lesbian. During the course of their friendship, Rachel starts to question her own sexuality. And though she comes to realize she may have feelings for her new friend, Rachel must decide who she will ultimately find the most happiness with: Heck, her new husband who is also adored by her family, or Luce, who has turned her life and everything she thought she new about love upside down.

Lesbian Sex and Sexuality

Lesbian Sex and Sexuality

Editorial Reviews

Lesbian Sex and Sexuality will take viewers on an uncharted and provocative journey where the subject of lesbian sexuality and desire isn’t whispered, but celebrated. In a nation where sexuality in general is taboo, lesbian sex, lust and sexual representation are even more marginalized. By visiting writers, academics and "sexperts," and going inside sex shops, erotic dance clubs and lesbian-owned porn companies, this series will go beyond mass appeal to find out what really turns on lesbians and perhaps any woman who has ever had a girl-on-girl fantasy.

Red Doors (2006)

A bittersweet film about a Chinese-American family living in New York, Red Doors offers moments of humor as well as emotional triumph. Though the Wongs may appear to be the perfect nuclear family to outsiders, they're really just your typical dysfunctional American family. Helmed by first-time director Georgia Lee, this indie film is to be applauded for presenting a different type of Asian-American family than the model one that's been mythologized in the media. Dad (Tzi Ma) is suicidal. Eldest daughter Samantha (Jacqueline Kim) gifts him with therapy sessions, middle daughter Julie (Elaine Kao) is a confused lesbian, and Katie (Lee's real-life sister Kathy Shao-Lin Lee), the youngest, has a disturbing relationship with a neighborhood boy that involves dead rats, explosives, and no sense of boundaries. Therapy actually wouldn't be wasted on Katie, who often appears emotionally dead. When she catches her father trying to hang himself (one of 30 or 40 suicide attempts, as he tells his therapist), she doesn't blink an eye. Rather, she calmly announces that lunch is ready. In their own ways, the family members come to terms with their individual crises. The actors, especially the expressive Ma, are convincing in their roles. But overall, Lee doesn't provide enough cohesiveness with either the story or the pacing to make viewers truly care about the complicated Wongs. --Jae-Ha Kim Product DescriptionA Chinese-American retiree's sudden disappearance inspires life-changing perspectives in each of his three daughters. RED DOORS has captivated audiences, festival jurors, and film critics alike en route to winning awards at the Tribeca Film Festival, CineVegas, and Outfest. Funny and moving, absurd and painfully real, RED DOORS provides a unique view of the modern American family.

Así del precipicio 2006

Así del precipicio 2006

Three flatmates in Mexico City face uncertainties: Lucía who has a great job as an art director for TV commercials is abusing alcohol and cocaine. She risks losing her job, going to prison for assault, and she's woefully in love with a bullfighter who may be two-timing her. Carmen, an artist without income, can be manic - snorting lots of cocaine and hanging out with a gay man and a transvestite. What's her future? Hanna contemplates divorce from Abraham, a wealthy momma's boy, and she's disoriented by feelings of attraction to Sandra, a customer at her jewelry store. Can any of these poor little rich girls sort things out in a world of excess?

The Gymnast 2006

The Gymnast 2006

The talented Jane Hawkins (Dreya Weber, Lovely & Amazing) was an impressive gymnast at the top of her game until a devastating injury ended her career. Now she pours the passion, strength and discipline that once fueled her sport into maintaining both a tedious job as a massage therapist and a loveless marriage. A chance meeting leads sets Jane on a new path: performing a CirqueDu Soleil style aerial act with a mysterious and beautiful dancer named Serena (Addie Yungmee). Each of them are illuminated by the presence of the other, but there are distractions. Jane is distressed by her lack of children while Serena is a closeted lesbian who tackles stereotypes with being an adopted Korean daughter of Jewish parents. As the stunning pair prepares to audition their act for a Las Vegas show, the gravitational pull between the two women becomes increasingly unavoidable... A visually compelling film that challenges notions of both ability and identity, THE GYMNAST is foremost a story about hope and taking the necessary risks to fully become yourself

The Investigator (1998)

The Investigator (1998)

Product Description

Assigned to root out lesbians in the British military, a soldier turns from hunter to prey
Helen Baxendale (Cold Feet, Friends) stars as Caroline Meagher, who in the 1980s was an up-and-coming staff sergeant in the Royal Military Police. Caroline eagerly accepts a plum assignment with the Special Investigative Branch. But her task—to root out and interrogate suspected lesbians—becomes a nightmare as she gradually awakens to the truth about her own heart’s desire.
Based on a true story, this stirring drama tells a shocking tale of intolerance, of private lives invaded and careers destroyed—all carried out in the name of justice when the only crime is love.

In Passing (2007)

In Passing (2007)

Playwright Julia (Lisa Rothe) and actress Vanessa (Veronica Mittenzwei) meet and fall in love during the production of one of Julia’s plays. This NYC romance explores the dynamic between two women in love as they strive to maintain a relationship and achieve their personal and professional goals. Vanessa dreams of Broadway, Julia brings home the bacon, and they both open their hearts and souls to each other. Also featuring: Kate Clinton. Director: Kate Fitzgerald Starring: Veronica Mittenzwei, Lisa Rothe, Kate Clinton Languages: English Run Time: 74 (min) Year Produced: 2007 Rating: NR

Loving Annabelle 2006

Loving Annabelle 2006

Annabelle (Erin Kelly) is a 17 year old Catholic schoolgirl who falls in love with her teacher Simone Bradley. The pushy teenager pursues her until the 30-something year old falls equally in love with Annabelle. Not long after they give in to their lusts their relationship is discovered and Simone is arrested.

Gray Matters (2006)

Gray Matters (2006)

Gray and Sam are brother and sister and best friends, flatmates in New York City, where she creates ad campaigns and he's a surgery intern. Their social life is too insular, so they head to a dog park so Sam can, maybe, meet a woman. He does - Charlie - a zoologist new in the city; he likes her immediately, and the feeling seems mutual. As the three of them spend time together, what if Gray's feelings for Charlie aren't just sisterly? Not only might this explain her solitary life, but it could lead to real dilemmas - with Charlie (who's sweet, but a bit opaque) and with Sam. No advice comes from Gray's therapist, but a co-worker and a cab driver give theirs. Can Gray sort things out?

Puccini for Beginners

Puccini for Beginners

An IFC Prods. presentation of an InDigEnt production in association with Eden Wurmfeld Films. Produced by Eden Wurmfeld, Gary Winick, Jake Abraham. Executive producers, John Sloss, Steven Wilson, Jeffrey Roseman, Harvey Rothenberg. Directed, written by Maria Maggenti. Allegra - Elizabeth ReaserPhilip - Justin Kirk Grace - Gretchen Mol Molly - Jennifer DundasSamantha - Julianne Nicholson Nell - Tina Benko Jeff - Brian Letscher Jimmy - Will Bozarth Vivian - Kate Simses

Ten years after hitching lesbian teen romance to conventional narrative in "The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love," Maria Maggenti now charts a bisexual romantic triangle in post-feminist, post-p.c. New York. While it tips its hat to screwball comedy, "Puccini for Beginners" owes more to contemporary sitcom. It also has way more in common with "Sex and the City" than "The L Word." None of that is entirely a bad thing in a film that never really soars but has enough breezy humor to land on the specialty theatrical fringe.
Latest entry from the InDigEnt project that spawned "Tadpole," "Pieces of April" and "Personal Velocity," among others, has a number of things going for it. Writer-director Maggenti knows her way around snappy, sophisticated dialogue. In Elizabeth Reaser and Justin Kirk, she has two intelligent, appealing leads who play off each other's brittle edges in amusing ways. And the under-the-radar digital production allows for extensive, loving use of Manhattan locations that usually now get ditched in favor of cheaper Canadian stand-ins.
Reaser plays Allegra, a writer whose inability to surrender to love sends girlfriend Samantha (Julianne Nicholson) careening back to heterosexuality. Feeling sorry for herself at a party soon after, Allegra meets chummy Columbia professor Philip (Kirk) and some drunken flirtation ensues. A second encounter lands them in bed. Despite her dismay when Philip exits his static long-term relationship and campaigns to keep seeing her, Allegra agrees to "a brief, meaningless affair."
Before Maggenti can be accused of entirely forsaking lesbians for has-bians, Allegra slips into a parallel romance with Grace (Gretchen Mol), unaware that she's the woman Philip dumped.
Mol is hampered by fuzzy definition of her character -- she has underdeveloped touches of the classic screwball ditz, and her creative blossoming as a glassblower adds little. But ultimately, the actress relaxes into her role as a sweet young woman fumbling for love on the rebound.
Divided, like the operas that Allegra adores, into three acts with a prologue and epilogue, the comedy playfully orchestrates the inevitable rude awakenings, first for Allegra and then for her unwitting rival lovers. The awkward fix prompts the writer finally to open her eyes and declare her true feelings.
There's nothing especially original going on here, and the laughs are often minor. The film's energy tends to dissipate at times and composer Terry Dame's jaunty score borders on cute, as does Maggenti's overuse of comic devices borrowed from vintage Woody Allen. But as a Sapphocentric comedy about sexual fluidity and self-made obstacles on the path to love, it's an affably ingratiating, reasonably polished entertainment.
Reaser makes more of an impression here than she did in the patchy holiday release "The Family Stone." Allegra conveys jaded intelligence and savvy skepticism, taking wry potshots at herself with her droll theorizing about sexuality and gender politics. But at the risk of betraying the sisters, the comedy sets off the most sparks when Reaser is bouncing off Kirk's easygoing charm. Too bad she couldn't have generated a little more heat with the girls.
More than one option
(Person) Jake Abraham
Associate Producer, Post-Production Supervisor, Producer
(Person) Jake Abraham
Actor
More than one option
(Person) Steven Wilson
Characters as Source Material, Creator, Director
(Person) Steven Wilson
Driver, Song, Legal Services
More than one option
(Film) The Family Stone
(Person) Randall Johnson
(Person) The Family Stone
Camera (color, HD), Mauricio Rubinstein; editor, Susan Graef; music, Terry Dame; music supervisor, Jim Black; production designer, Aleta Shaffer; set decorator, Valerie Nolan; costume designer, Antonia Xereas; sound (Dolby Digital), Stuart Deutsch; line producer, Bergen Swanson; assistant director, Solita M. Hanna; casting, Todd Thaler. Reviewed at Sundance Film Festival (competing), Jan. 22, 2006. Running time: 82 MIN.