Every week, The GLAAD Wrap brings you LGBT-related entertainment news highlights, fresh stuff to watch out for, and fun diversions to help you kick off the weekend.
1) I Do, a new film about a gay binational couple struggling under DOMA, opens in limited theaters today and is also available to watch on iTunes. In the film a gay British man (David W. Ross) marries his lesbian American best friend (Jamie-Lynn Sigler) so he can stay in the U.S. with his family. Find a screening of I Do near you and check out the trailer below.
2)A new trailer has debuted for the feature documentary Born This Way, directed by Shaun Kadlec and Deb Tullmann. Set in Cameroon, the documentary spotlights two young gay men struggling to find acceptance in a country where being public about their identities means spending up to five years in prison. Human rights advocate and attorney Alice Nkom is also featured, who is trying to inspire hope in the gays and lesbians of Cameroon that things will change. The film is set to screen at the Human Rights Watch Film Festival in June and is currently making its way through the film festival circuit. Check out the trailer below.
3) The Cannes Film Festival 2013 award winners have been announced, and Blue Is The Warmest Color has claimed the Palme d'Or, the festival's top prize. Directed by Abdellatif Kechiche, the film chronicles the love story of two young women in France. Check out the full list of award winners here and watch a scene from the film below.
4) Out pop singer Jessie J is not only back with a new music video for her song "Wild," but also a brand new look—she shaved her head for Britain's Comic Relief, raising £500,000 for charity. "Wild" also features Big Sean and British rapper Dizzee Rascal. Check out the new video below.
5) Out award-winning poet and musician Shirlette Ammons has digitally released her debut solo album, Twilight for Gladys Bentley. The album is a "re-imagining" of, and tribute to, legendary out 1920's blues singer Gladys Bentley who performed in Harlem speakeasies in her signature tuxedo and top hat. The full album is available for streaming and download at Bandcamp.
6) Nothing to read this summer? Looking for captivating, engrossing LGBT plot lines? Buzzfeed has released a list of their "27 Must Have Queer Summer Reads," which features stories about growing up with a gay father and living a double life as an advertiser and a drag queen by The Beekman Boys' Josh Kilmer-Purcell. Some of the novels featured on the list also include The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers and Barrel Fever by David Sedaris. Quench your summer literary thirst with these great reads!
7) Brendan Gallagher and Alison Levering Wong co-wrote and co-star in their web series Straight Up Gay, which follows the lives of two best friends, one lesbian and the other straight, as they confront ideas about sexuality, growing up, and gender identity in New York City. They have only been able to shoot one episode so far, and need $8,000 to fund their next five episodes and create a full web series. To learn more about the project, check out Straight Up Gay's Indiegogo page.