The Film Panel Notetaker

Hard to believe 2011 is almost over already. It’s been another great year of notes from film panels and filmmaker Q&As, but I have to give most of the credit to my contributing notetakers Erin Scherer, Liz Nord, Erin Essenmacher, and Rebecca Banach, all of whom have an incredible knack for transforming source discussion into compelling summations and analysis. We also had the great privilege to be chosen by The Christian Science Monitor as a blog partners in its Culture Cafe.

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Violet Tendencies
Q&A with director Casper Andreas and Cast & Crew at Newfest
New York, NY
June 12, 2010
By Brian Geldin

Violet Tendencies, director Casper Andreas’ latest film, premiered last night during the Closing Night of NewFest: The New York LGBT Film Festival. The film stars the very charming and funny Mindy Cohn (perhaps best known for her role [...]

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NewFest 2009
Pop Star on Ice
Screening and Q&A
June 11, 2009New York, NY

David Barba, James Pellerito, Paris Childers and Johnny Weir. Photo by Brian Geldin.

The audience responded with great enthusiasm for NewFest’s closing night film, the documentary Pop Star on Ice. After the screening, directors David Barba and James Pellerito as well as Johnny Weir and Paris [...]

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NewFestPop Star on IceInterviews with Johnny Weir and Paris ChildersJune 11, 2009By Kelly Deegan

Paris Childers and Johnny Weir. Photo by Brian Geldin.
This is a quick bonus for fans of the film, figure skating, and fabulous men.
After the screening I was very excited to speak to the stars. First I cornered Paris. We discussed Nina Flowers, [...]

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NewFest 2009Closing Night Awards CeremonyJune 11, 2009New York, NY

NewFest Acting Director Lesli Klainberg. Photo by Brian Geldin.
NewFest handed out its 2009 awards before the Closing Night presentation of David Barba’s and James Pellerito’s documentary on figure skating champion Johnny Weir, Pop Star on Ice. The Film Panel Notetaker team scored interviews with Pellerito, its [...]

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NewFest 2009
State of the Movement Panel Discussion
June 6, 2009
New York, NY

NewFest commemorated the 40th Anniversary of the Stonewall Riots in New York City’s Greenwich Village with a panel discussion sponsored by In the Life Television at the Logo Lounge. Members of the LGBT media and advocacy organizations gathered to open a dialogue that put into [...]

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NewFest 2009Sneak Preview Work-in-Progress ScreeningFlorent: Queen of the Meat MarketJune 6, 2009

Photo by Kelly Deegan.
NewFest welcomed filmmaker David Sigal to show a rough cut sneak preview of his feature-length documentary Florent: Queen of the Meat Market, about charming and provocative restaurateur Florent Morellet whom last year closed his legendary diner in New York’s Meatpacking District. [...]

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NewFest 2009Comedy ShortsJune 6, 2009New York, NY

The first time I went to NewFest in 2005 I saw the Comedy Shorts, which were utterly hilarious. Standouts were Irene Williams: Queen of Lincoln Road, Standing Room Only, and Kiki and Herb on the Rocks. Fast forward to 2009, and I’m back for more. While I didn’t [...]

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One-on-One Q&AJacqui Morris, Director – Mr. RightNewFest Opening Night Film

The 2009 rendition of NewFest, the New York LGBT Film Festival, kicked off Thursday night at the SVA Theatre with Jacqui Morris’s British rom-com Mr. Right.
NewFest Acting Director Leslie Klainberg took a moment before the film began to thank the people and sponsors who’ve contributed and [...]

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2008 saw the birth of the One-on-One Q&A, where I interviewed a number of filmmakers including Lucia Small and Ed Pincus (The Axe in the Attic), Leah Meyerhoff (Unicorns), Paul Krik (Able Danger), Fritz Donnelly (To the Hills 2), Phillip Van (Come Wander With Me), Sue Williams (Young & Restless in China), Daniel Robin (My [...]

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