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)Pass The Light is out now in Carmike Cinemas around the country. The film follows 17-year-old high school student Steve Bellafiore who decides to run for Congress on a message of faith, love and inclusivity because he is disturbed by the hate being promoted by his local candidate. Steve and his friends create a campaign called Pass The Light to spread their message of love in their community. Find a screening near you and check out the trailer below.
2) After a multi-buyer bidding war, Lionsgate picked up the distribution rights to the Julianne Moore/Ellen Page drama Freeheld. The movie is based on the true story of Laurel Hester, her partner Stacie Andree, and their fight for equal treatment following Hester's cancer diagnosis. "[E]qual parts love story and civil rights drama," Freeheld chronicles Hester and Andree's relationship as they battle both Hester's illness and the government officials who were preventing Hester's pension from benefitting her partner. Out actress Ellen Page, who stars as Stacie Andree, also serves as a producer.
3) HBO's hospital comedy Getting On has been renewed for its third and final season. Helmed by Big Love creators and real-life spouses Mark V. Olsen and Will Scheffer, Getting On will conclude with a 6-episode run. A remake of the BBC sitcom of the same name, the show stars Laurie Metcalf, Alex Borstein, Niecy Nash, and Mel Rodriguez as the staff of a geriatric women's ward and follows them as they interact with their elderly patients and one another. The season premiere date has not yet been announced.
4) The Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein-starring comedy Portlandia has been picked up by IFC for Seasons 6 and 7. Armisen and Brownstein will continue to write for and star in the next two seasons, which will each feature 10 half-hour episodes. You can catch Season 5 on Thursdays at 10 pm on IFC.
5) Out comedian and actor Billy Eichner has a busy year ahead of him. The Emmy-nominated host of game show Billy on the Street has signed a multi-layered deal with Turner Broadcasting, which includes a fourth-season renewal of his show, as well as a development component that allows Eichner to create potential pilots for TruTv and Adult Swim. Billy on the Street will return this year with 10 new episodes after production begins this spring. Until then, Eichner can currently be seen as Craig in Parks and Recreation's final season, which airs on Tuesdays at 8 pm on NBC.
6)The Paley Center for Media announced the moderators, stars, and producers that will attend this year's Paleyfest. The 32nd annual event will take place on March 6 through March 15 at Hollywood's Dolby Theatre. Panels scheduled for this year include LGBT-inclusive programs such as The Good Wife, Girls, Scandal, Teen Wolf, Glee, Modern Family, and Jane the Virgin. Click here to check out the full list of shows and guests set to attend.
7) Out singer Michelle Chamuel, who rose to prominence as runner-up on the fourth season of NBC's The Voice, released Face the Fire, her debut solo and self-produced album, this week. Face the Fire has been described as "fusing dancestyle pop with elements of rock, jazz, electronic, soul, and punk" and features collaborations with Chamuel's previous associated act, Ella Riot.
8) Prepare to enter the futuristic and time-travelling world of Infinite Loop, a new 6-part comic series coming to readers on April 22. Created by Elsa Charretier and Pierrick Colinet and partially funded by Kickstarter, the new comic series tells the story of Teddy, a "Paradox Hunter" who works to track down and eliminate people whose actions in the past can harm the present. Teddy's job is complicated when she falls in love with Ano, the girl she is supposed to be hunting. Each of Infinite Loop's issues will include a column featuring reader-submitted stories about first love and when readers first realized they were LGBT. Stories can be submitted to the.infinite.loop.idw@gmail.com and the first issue can be pre-ordered from your favorite comic book store.
9)Compared to What?The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank is seeking help in funding its distribution to theaters and homes around the world. The documentary follows the life and career of Barney Frank, the first openly gay Congressman in the U.S., and the various social justice issues he fought for during his decades-long career. Check out the trailer below and visit the Indiegogo page to support the film and learn more about Frank's legacy.
Compared to What Trailer from Pack Creek Productions on Vimeo.