ON TELEVISION

The French TV guide website, tv.sfr.fr, described Judas Kiss as “a highly entertaining drama, which mixes science fiction and homosexuality, with the prolific Charlie David and the attractive Sean Paul Lockhart, aka adult star Brent Corrigan.”

Related Links

• Pink TV
• SFR TV guide

PRIDE1 RADIO

The review, in German, roughly translated, states:

In our Film Tip of the Week we recommend the recently released movie Judas Kiss on DVD.

Beautifully photographed and filled with great, gorgeous-looking actors, this extraordinary journey offers up a funny and touching cocktail, with more surprises than Back to the Future. Sexy, smart and romantic — the most touching film of the year. 

The German-dubbed Judas Kiss is available from Pro Fun Media.

Related Links

• Pride1′s review of Judas Kiss
• Buy the German version of Judas Kiss in DVD, Video on Demand and digital download from Pro-Fun Media
• Watch the German trailer for Judas Kiss

ARTSLINK REVIEWER Helge Janssen in South Africa praises the “brave task” shouldered by Judas Kiss, resulting in a film that “breaks new ground.”

Read the full review at Artslink.co.za »

Janssen reviewed the film as part of its exhibition at the Durban Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. He emphasizes the “empowering aspect of a psychological examination of one’s past, when done with integrity.”

The review praises the “flawless ensemble acting,” calling it the “primary satisfying energy that carries this film.”

Janssen also puts a fine point on the notion that Judas Kiss is less a gay movie than a movie that features gay characters:

What is refreshing about this movie is that, while the story revolves around gay men, it takes place in a context where heterosexuals just don’t seem to feature. I find this a wonderful reversal of the accepted heterosexual films where homosexuality is non-existent. In a sense this is a mainstream film, with characters that happen to be gay. As such the film breaks new ground.

Artslink.co.za distributes South African arts, culture and entertainment news, and hosts an annual directory of recurring national arts festivals and events.

Read the full review at Deep Dish »

While viewers have to pay attention, writer Marc Harshbarger says, “the attractive cast and intriguing story make Judas Kiss worth watching.”

Excerpt:

I really can’t say too much about the gay science-fiction drama, Judas Kiss, without ruining the surprise, which – trust me – is a doozy. I wish I could because it would be fun to discuss.

Related Articles

• Read all the Judas Kiss reviews

QX MAGAZINE

The review makes note of the film’s “darker story elements, [which] make us wonder how our lives would look to our younger selves.”

Read the full review at QX Magazine International »

QX Magazine International is the gay listings and scene magazine for London and the United Kingdom.

Related Articles

• Read all the Judas Kiss reviews

BRITISH ENTERTAINMENT network ATV Today says Judas Kiss is “a refreshingly different film with its genre mixing feel – time travel, fantasy, romance – and is at times dark but compelling, too.”

Read the full review at ATV Today »

Reviewer Martha Kirkpatrcik calls out the “fantasy time-bending” drama’s “undertones about the price of fame … and what people are prepared to sacrifice, such as their morals, happiness and principles.”

She also gives nods to stars Richard Harmon and Charlie David, and to supporting cast Sean Paul Lockhart (aka Brent Corrigan) and Julia Morizawa for “playing their roles with conviction and making them believable.”

ATV Today is part of the ATV entertainment network, which covers television, soaps and entertaiment news from the United Kingdom, Australia and the United States.

Related Articles

• Read all the Judas Kiss reviews

‘SUBTLE AND

Read the full review at Gaydar Radio »

Jones admits he’s never been a Charlie David fan but that in Judas Kiss David’s style is “a good fit.” Jones praises Richard Harmon’s performance as:

Utterly enthralling; by turns cocky, diffident, world-weary and naïve. It doesn’t hurt any that he’s absolutely swoonsome with darkly Gothic, vampiry good looks that are so very on-trend at the moment.

Jones also notes the cliché-breaking performance of Julia Morizawa:

She takes the role of your hackneyed, hapless fag hag – it’s sadly and sexistly what a lot of queer cinema reduces female characters to – and transforms her into a feisty, funny, whatevs-saying no-nonsenser who tells it like it is.

Links

• Read all the Judas Kiss reviews

AMAZON.COM’S

Grady Harp, who is ranked No. 3 among Amazon’s customer reviewers (with 6,535 reviews to his name!), compliments J.T. Tepnapa’s direction in combining a “dream idea, some fresh talent and seasoned actors to keep the quality of the film on keel.”

Read the full review on Amazon.com »

Harp also gives kudos to the film’s cinematography by Dave Berry and Brad Laina’s score for helping raise the story “to a level [where one] reconsiders the past and sees where different actions could have possibly resulted in a more successful present.”

The result is a film that works and bodes well for Tepnapa’s career, he added. Harp is based in Los Angeles.

Judas Kiss is currently rated at 4.5 stars by Amazon customers, and is ranked as the No. 3 Hot New Release in its category.

WITH JUDAS KISS‘ upcoming release in Germany, the LGBT news site Queer.de weighed in on the film, calling it “a touching love story, beautifully photographed and filled with magnificent, gorgeous-looking actors.”

Read the full review at Queer.de » in German or » translated via Google

The review credits J.T. Tepnapa’s direction, discusses the breakout performance by Sean Paul Lockhart (aka Brent Corrigan) in his dramatic role and notes the acclaim the film has received in film festivals all this year.

The review also links to the first episode of Judas Kiss: Behind the Scenes, and to the official German trailer for the film. The German distributor, Pro-Fun Media, dubbed the movie into German, which you can watch below.

Compare with the English version.

NOW THAT Judas Kiss has shipped on DVD and is available online, regular folks on Twitter are tweeting their reviews, and it’s been overwhelmingly positive. Here are some:

UPDATE The first episode is available to watch now!

AWARD-WINNING documentarian Matt Bucy spent weeks on the Judas Kiss set in the summer of 2010, shooting behind-the-scenes footage of the production and interviewing cast and crew.

As we move toward the North American DVD premiere of the film, we will be releasing a four-episode Web series, Judas Kiss: Behind the Scenes, produced by Blue Seraph Productions, and written and directed by Matt Bucy.

The four episodes:

• Introduce the principal cast and crew, especially the hot young stars getting so much recent press around the United States.
• Document the creative tension at the heart of the partnership between director J.T. Tepnapa and writer-producer Carlos Pedraza.
• Explore actor Sean Paul Lockhart’s past as adult film star Brent Corrigan, and what it means for his new career as a mainstream actor.
• Offer a sneak peek at the Bollyw00d-style end musical number, “If I Fall,” performed by the Judas Kiss cast and crew, joined by the song’s composer, American Idol alumnus Brian Lam.
• Show off the new animated logo for Blue Seraph Productions, the company behind Judas Kiss.

Related Links

• Direct YouTube link to the teaser
• Watch all the videos on the Judas Kiss YouTube Channel
• Blue Seraph Productions website

TIMO DESCAMPS continues to charm American audiences and fashion photographers. He graces the latest issues of Bello Magazine and OhLaLa.

Both articles include interviews with the Judas Kiss co-star, detailing how he came to be attached to the project and his hopes for an American career.

Read and enjoy!

Links

• Bello Magazine: Timo Descamps (on the Web) (Flash required)
• Bello Magazine app (iTunes store link)
• OhLaLa Magazine: Timo Descamps

The ‘Judas Kiss’ Interview

Victor Hoff/MOC Blog: Okay, well, thank you both so much for taking [the] time to speak with me and my readers here at Men of Color Blog.

Carlos Pedraza: Our pleasure. I really like the kind of analysis you bring to films (not just ours!)

JT Tepnapa: Thank you! I’ve been looking forward to this!

MOC: So it’s official. You’ve got a Bona fide hit on your hands. Congratulations. But for a film that took almost five years to bring to light, were there ever moments where you thought: Meh, I’d rather be fishing.

Carlos: It was rarely “meh.” It was more often, “AARRGGHH!!” The transition from shorts to a feature for JT I know was a challenge.

JT: Never. I mean, for me this is a dream come true. I mean, Yes there were moments that I thought it would never get done. But I actually don’t know how to fish. So I have to make movies. The sheer amount of time it takes to launch a feature was never something I considered on day one.

Carlos: I actually do know how to fish. And making a movie is way better than having to clean a fish.

JT: Noted. [But] I’m sticking with making movies.

Carlos: I remember one conversation where JT wanted to give up and make another short. And I told him, “You are never making another short again.”

JT : Well…yes. Not for me. But I do love shorts! So I’ll make them for other people.

Carlos: Whenever we felt like we were getting tripped up, our motto became, “Let’s just make the fucking movie!”

MOC Blog: You utilized some very creative fundraising techniques includingKickstarter.com. How did you hear about them? Were you surprised that not only was your modest goal of $5000 met but was actually doubled?

Carlos: I learned everything I needed from observing how NPR does its fundraising. (I’m not kidding) Plus, I come from a nonprofit background, so I learned how to beg.

JT : It was a surprise. But it was also a lot hard work. For 30 days, we lived and breathed funraising.

Carlos: With dignity.

JT: He begs really well.

MOC Blog: It’s a lost art.

Carlos: I actually consider JT our team’s official ‘ho.

JT : We’re bringing it back in style. We kid a lot about it. But we were well-prepared.  (Cough)

Carlos: But the key thing for us – from the start – even before Kickstarter, was that we had to build and sustain a relationship with people who were interested in the movie and who became fans.

MOC Blog: Speaking of relationships…Talk a little bit about your relationship. Between the producing, writing and directing responsibilities, which you mostly shared, your roles seem to have intertwined quite a bit. Talk about your relationship prior to the start of the movie and how it evolved over the course of the picture. If J.T. cuts his finger, do you, Carlos, shout: “Ouch!”

Carlos: When JT cuts his finger I try to find some salt to rub in. For his own good, you know.

JT: Well I think it was a very evolving process. Our relationship during the writing stage was very different from Production, to post and even marketing. Its contantly evolving. We argue a lot too…that helps.

Carlos: That’s really true. Our roles in developing the movie were different from preproduction, different again during production and yet again during post, and now as we are promoting the film. During each phase of the film’s life cycle, we really look to what our individual strengths and weaknesses are, how we fill in one another’s gaps, and build an effective team in order to get the job at hand done. Plus, we really believe in planning. Independent filmmakers either have money or they have time. We didn’t have a lot of money so we took our time. There’s a phrase used in organizational development that really became our byword: “You have to move slow to move fast.”

JT: I really hate that motto…it makes my brain hurt.

Carlos: And arguing is a fundamental part of our creative and business dynamic. If we both agree on something, it’s usually the right thing to do. But if we disagree on something, the conclusion we ultimately reach – after a lot of arguing – is also the right thing to do. I wouldn’t want a creative partner who agreed with me all the time. All that does is amplify my own flaws. And this way, with J.T., I can concentrate on HIS flaws.  (And he’s got a LOT of them.)

JT: I actually find it amazing thinking about many of things we argued about. I see as the things that were big at the time don’t even matter now, or they never even made it into the final movie.

MOC Blog: Your film was primarily shot in Seattle. What were the practical considerations of shooting there?

Carlos: Believe me, shooting in Seattle was one of the things we really argued about. First and foremost, though, we wanted the film to NOT look like every other indie film shot in L.A. The light, the palm trees, the incessant sunshine. All stuff we DIDN’T want in Judas Kiss.

JT: Definitely, I did want the brick and Ivy look, but I had major concerns about the film community in Seattle. Would it be able to support our film, or would we have to fly everyone in.

Carlos: We wanted the campus, especially, to look like it existed in some ways, outside of usual reality. To have a timeless and classic feeling. I’m from Seattle, and I knew that it had the infrastructure to support our film. So JT came up for some location scouting, and he was sold.

JT: It really took a location scout in Seattle for me to fall in love with Campus. It was stunning. I loved it.

Carlos: Plus, from a cost perspective, access to locations, film permits and such, are cheaper in a place like Seattle, where fewer features are shot, than they are in L.A., where everyone wants you to pay the same for stuff as if you were a studio picture.

MOC Blog: Were you aware of the other Judas Kiss, the 1998 feature by writer/director Sebastian Gutierrez? You know, the one without the gay adult porn star in it?

Carlos: The fact it has no adult film star may really be one of its crucial flaws.

JT: Actually, Yes. But I have watched the movie.

Carlos: Although from what I’ve read on the Internet, lots of boys love that Carla Gugino

JT: I have NEVER seen the movie.

Carlos: I haven’t seen the movie either. In fact, I’ve avoided it just to make sure no one could ever say we copied this or that from it – besides the title, of course. But I figured, it was made 13 years ago, and that’s long enough, and our story is different enough that there shouldn’t be any commercial confusion between the two. Judas Kiss is a title that JT wanted for the film very early on. So early that I wasn’t sure his original story idea supported it.But it’s an awesome title, so as we developed the screenplay it informed many of the directions we ended up taking with the characters and the plot.

JT: I think it was there in spirit, but Carlos really fleshed it out. I do love title’s it really hard for me to focus on a movie without a catchy title to excite me.

Carlos: It’s true. Sometimes the title is the first thing that springs into your head before the full story is there.

MOC Blog: In a Q & A after the screening in San Diego, all of the actors understood, relished it seemed, the fact that they were not going to get rich off this project – I know, I know, they do it for the love – and that their trailers would not be stocked with unlimited quantities of Veuve Cliquot. Why do you think that is? What do you think they saw in this project that every critic appears to have seen as well?

Carlos: Heart.

MOC Blog: Elaborate.

JT: There’s a lot of passion in this project. Its a story about second chances. I think a lot people want a second opportunity to things differently.

Carlos: We started realizing this when we started interviewing casting directors, who all volunteered to help us at rates way below their usual because they saw the story as an opportunity to showcase their work, and the work of actors they know, through characters with a combination of heart, humor, depth.

JT: It’s not the just the story and plot. It’s also in the actual making of this movie. We all get a chance to live out our dreams in actually making this movie.

Carlos: Also, a lot of people were intrigued by notion, could we really pull this off? And, if so, they wanted to be a part of it. We certainly felt like we had good fortune smile on many times over the past 5 years.

MOC Blog: Were there any parts you did have trouble casting?

Carlos: Hmmm. Not sure. Really, all our principal cast came to us in one way or another.

JT: We were very fortunate in the casting department. Most of our leads came to us.

Carlos: JT and I worked closely together in casting the major parts, then we had a fantastic casting director, Patti Kalles in Seattle, who got us connected to great actors in Seattle’s theater, film and TV community. Seattle’s filmmaking community is small, but highly competent and very tight-knit. This paid off for us in several ways. For one thing, most of our crew have worked with one another repeatedly on many projects – artistic and commercial – in Seattle. So they had an already-established rhythm and pace for working with each other. So from Day 1, we had people who knew each other, knew how to communicate with each other. Consequently, we finished on time or early on every day but one. And that day we went overtime by only 35 mins. That never happens in filmmaking

MOC Blog: J.T., which one scene was the most difficult to shoot? And Carolos, for you, what scene gave you the most trouble, narratively speaking? How much of the movie landed on the cutting room floor?

Carlos: From a narrative standpoint, the part that gave us the most trouble – in writing, shooting and editing – was the cross-cutting of the confrontation between young Danny and his father with the clips of the short film, “Judas Kiss,” that is screening simultaneously at the film festival. Figuring out how to weave together these two separate but parallel narratives, when to cut away from one to the other, when to come back — it drove us crazy for quite a while.

JT: That’s a tough question really. There was the Luncheon scene, that was not terrible hard to shoot, but gave me a lot of grief because we only had three extras, when we actually needed 25 extras. I had a much larger scope in mind for that scene. The Rooftop scenes in Judas Kiss are actually more challenging scenes to shoot because they are at night with a dolly track and special effects that need to added after the fact. But I had the most fun with those scenes because they were challenging story wise.

Carlos: Even in editing, after it was all shot, we revisited many of the same issues.

JT: Ah yes, Editing that scene was a headache!

Carlos: We argued a LOT then, too. Our editor, Whitney Dunn, got to referee.

MOC Blog: Your film has, what I have called, the cinematic version of Magic Realism. Explain how and why you went in that direction for the look of the picture?

Carlos: Well, the godfather of magical realism is Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez. And I’m Colombian, so I think it’s kinda baked in…

JT: Actually the early drafts were really meant to be a straight up drama.

Carlos: Getting to the point of figuring out how to portray all this visually, though — that was a journey. Our own sort of magically real journey. Once we asked ourselves, what have we really got here in this story. How can it be more? How can it make a greater impact? And then we started thinking more visually.

JT: That’s when the magical stuff started coming into the picture.

Carlos: And a lot of credit goes to our visual effects supervisor, Joël Bellucci, who dared us to dream big. And he has the talent to actually deliver big. We gave Joël the script and said, “Imagine.” And boy, did he.

JT: Carlos and I love Sci-fi. And I think as we moved along we embraced that more and more. That goodness Joël was there to help us make real.

Carlos: We brought Joël to the set during principal photography so he could make sure we shot the film in a way that would give him a canvas to create his effects. A lot of people rely on CGI artists to “fix it in post.” We, instead, relied on him to “imagine in preproduction.” And “execute in production.” JT’s right. Our own scifi background was something I think we tried to deny in early drafts of the script.

JT: He was a blessing on set, It was actually much more freeing to know what what going to  get screen screen or swapped. It make a lot my work easier on set.

Carlos: But as we moved fwd, we realized that embracing our past offered us substantial creative opportunities in this production.

JT: Green screened _ terrible sentence.

Carlos: Joël and our cinematographer Dave Berry both share this essential quality: They are true storytellers. They aren’t merely technically competent – which they are, thank God! – but they participated with JT and I on the story level.

MOC Blog:  Do you feel the subject – second chances – was simply a natural extension of where you are in lives now?

JT: Definately for me! I mean I have always wondered “What if” It a theme I have pondered for a long time. And it really inspired Judas Kiss.

Carlos: Completely. Filmmaking is, like, my 9th career. A huge gamble. I went from a comfortable living in my own house to a vagabond existence these past 4 years, putting everything into making and promoting this film.

JT: *It’s a theme.

Carlos: But this has been one of the happiest periods of my life. Thematically, though, in both the movie and our own lives, one of the key ideas is that getting a second chance really relies on being able to confront the mistakes you’ve made in the past, to learn from them.

JT: I’m definitely a different person on this side of a feature film. I can see more opportunities and possibilities in my career.

MOC Blog:  Okay, time now for the stock question: What are some of your favorite gay-themed pictures? (Besides Judas Kiss that is.)

Carlos: Latter Days, for sure. In many ways, we tried to follow that movie as a model.

MOC Blog: In what ways, Carlos?

Carlos: It’s a movie about gay people, not a gay movie. If that makes any sense.

MOC Blog: It does and it’s one of my biggest criticism about most queer cinema.

JT: We’ll my first gay film was Torch Song Trilogy. I think that one will always have a special place in my heart. But I think I have to give some shout-outs to an excellent year in LGBT themed moviemaking. I can’t stop talking about Tomboy. I loved that one. That really gets me too. I really want us as filmmakers to tell richer stories that go beyond our sexuality.

Carlos: Weekend, which I know you wrote about recently. Again, a movie about gay people, about things and themes that anyone can relate to.

MOC Blog: JT, talk to me about Tomboy. How did it speak to you?

Carlos: This is where you learn how JT came to love French films. Which he used to hate. While he’s typing away, I’ll add another to the list. Shelter, produced by our friend J.D. Disalvatore. It has a storytelling sensibility, and production values, that elevate it above the cliches and tropes of most gay cinema. As gay filmmakers, I think we really tried to just make an awesome movie. The gay stuff takes care of itself.

JT: There is innocence of youth in Tomboy. That really speaks to me. She’s actually quite innocent in her actions. She’s just who she. And she feels she’s a boy and goes about making that a reality for herself. It’s that simplicity that I loved.

Carlos: What I loved about Tomboy was that it never “went there” as that kind of story would in an American film — people don’t FREAK OUT! They roll with the punches more. There’s still plenty of confrontation, plenty of drama, but no melodrama. Where an American film might shout, Tomboy whispers — and intensely.

MOC Blog: How do you enjoy movies, given how much you know about how they are made?

Carlos: I. Love. Movies. Knowing how they’re made only makes them more fun to watch. But seeing badly made ones makes me want to scream at filmmakers who take the easy way out, who pander to audiences, who dumb things down, who try to substitute money for creativity. Or, worse, who use the lack of money as an excuse for a lack of creativity.

JT: At first it was difficult. I think a little knowledge is dangerous. I wanted to critique everything. Now over the past years, I can appreciate movies for what they are. It’s very easy for me to fall into a story. Well…Unless the acting is bad. Then the movie will drive me CRAZY.

Carlos: One of the things I often say is that movies deserve to be judged on their own merits, not constantly compared to other movies. I respect filmmakers who take risks, and risk-taking often covers many sins. But that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t realize when sins are being committed. Or that we shouldn’t try to avoid committing the same sins in our next film.

MOC Blog: And, finally, how soon will you need me in Los Angeles as a writer for your next project? (My calendar is cleared through 2013 if that helps.) Also, please tell Richard Harmon that my doctor has cleared me for long-distance travel and I’ve cashed out my 401K.

Carlos: You’ll have to get in line behind a lot of others! For Richard, that is. For writing… well, then you’d have to put up with JT.

JT: Hahaha! We’ll unless that 401K is for next movie deal.

MOC Blog: You guys have been awesome. Really.

Carlos: It’s been our pleasure.

JT: Thank you.

Related Links

• Original post at Men of Color blog: “The “Judas Kiss” Interview” (NSFW)
• Victor Hoff’s review of Judas Kiss

OCTOBER IS the biggest month yet for Judas Kiss, as the film will be screened in more countries and more times in a single month ever, and it will be released on DVD in North America.

Five countries, 11 cities and three continents. SCREENING SCHEDULE »

And that’s not all. In the run-up to our North American DVD release, we’ll be offering:

• Contests to win DVDs, meet our stars and win an iPad2.
• A sneak peek at the official “behind the scenes” documentary.
• More clips from the film
• … and more!

APPEARANCES Cast and crew will appear at many of those events. Here’s who is scheduled so far:

• Atlanta: Co-star Sean Paul Lockhart (aka Brent Corrigan) and writer-producer Carlos Pedraza
• Winnipeg, Manitoba: Star Charlie David
• Tampa, Fla.: Director J.T. Tepnapa and writer Carlos Pedraza
• Salem, Ore.: Director Tepnapa and writer Pedraza
• Seattle: Co-star Sean Paul Lockhart (aka Brent Corrigan) returns to his hometown, joining star Richard Harmon, director Tepnapa, writer Pedraza, and our Seattle-based cast and crew. Plus: A party!
• DVD Release Party, West Hollywood: Lockhart, Tepnapa, Pedraza and more Los Angeles-based cast and crew!

Related Links

• Judas Kiss screening schedule
• DVD release information

GET AN autographed photo of stars Charlie David or Sean Paul Lockhart (AKA Brent Corrigan) with your pre-order of Judas Kiss while supplies last — only from Wolfe Video! BUY NOW »

RAGE MONTHLY Magazine features Judas Kiss star Charlie David in a revealing Q & A where he answers the same question faced by the character he plays in the film: Are you afraid of the future?

The cover hypes the article by writer Randy Hope: “Judas Kiss Hearrthrob Charlie David Grabs Life’s Opportunities.” The magazine hit the stands just ahead of the film’s Los Angeles-area premiere at Long Beach’s QFilms Festival, where it opens the event on September 16. Event details.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE ONLINE »

In the article, “If You Had a Second Chance, Would You Grab it?”, Charlie relates how he would react to the situation offered his character, Zachary Wells, to try to make up for the mistakes of his youth:

Certainly my life hasn’t been without mistakes, but at the same time I believe the world is the world we’re supposed to be a part of. There is nothing we can do here that is a wrong choice – especially if you look at everything as an opportunity. … When I look back at my life some of the most challenging times have been the times in my life are when I’ve learned the most.

The article delves into Charlie’s boy band past, his current career as actor, filmmaker, author and businessman, and a future he’s still writing. He truly deserves being named to the “Out 100″ list by Out Magazine in 2005.

—/carlos

GAY FILM

Read the full review in This Week in Texas »

With production values rivaling mainstream films, a strong ensemble cast and a story willing to take risks, Judas Kiss turns out to be a memorable movie, Simolke wrote in his September 5 review.

IN TEXAS The film will be screening the 11th of September at a special brunch event that’s part of the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival. Event details.

“Judas Kiss brings special effects and some twists on the familiar redemption tale to gay cinema,” Simolke said. “Though both work well, the strong ensemble cast in particular makes this new J.T. Tepnapa film memorable.”

STRONG PERFORMANCES The review lauds the cast’s performances, which lift Judas Kiss over “the wooden acting in otherwise likable gay films.”

Simolke compliments Charlie David’s portrayal of the “slightly haggard and troubled” Zachary Wells, and Richard Harmon turns in “a brooding and sometimes creepy performance as Danny, the young film student with a dark past and a desperate need for people to see his film.

The review also gives nods to Sean Paul Lockhart (aka Brent Corrigan), Genevieve Buechner and Timo Descamps.

Simolke compliments how the film turns out, adding, “I want to see more from the makers of Judas Kiss.”

Duane Simolke is a science fiction novelist, currently writing a sequel to his novel “Degranon: A Science Fiction Adventure.” He writes for This Week in Texas, a news and entertainment magazine serving the Texas LGBT community since 1998.

THE LATEST installment of the entertainment podcast, Talking About, features a phone interview about Judas Kiss with director J.T. Tepnapa and writer Carlos Pedraza.

Program Description

Cara Kilduff and Jonathan Griffith chat about the movie “Judas Kiss” as Director J.T. Tepnapa and Producer Carlos Pedraza dial in to the show.

Listen to the Talking About podcast »

We swear we behave ourselves.

Mostly.

— /carlos

The review, largely made up of interviews by the Canadian gay and lesbian news site with stars Charlie David and Richard Harmon — both Canadians — describes the film as a “spiritual journey of destiny, paths missed and second chances,” which “emphasizes healing from your past.”

Canada’s next Judas Kiss screening is scheduled Saturday, October 8, at 7 p.m., as part of Winnipeg’s Reel Pride Festival.

THE OTHER five films featured in Xtra’s cover story, the “Hot & Buttered Guide to the Queer Film Fest” were:

• To Faro, a transgender love story “backed by a strong supporting cast, simple, non-dramatic camera work, and a subtle yet poignant musical score; this delicately crafted film offers a classic queer coming-of-age story with one big twist.”
• Spork, “an almost entirely successful outsider-triumphs-over-bitchy-blonde-girl-gang story. Think of an intersex Heathers but without the thumbnails-on-a-blackboard performance of Winona Ryder.”
• I Am, a poignant documentary offering a “rare glimpse into the lives of queer Indians who take us on their variously joyful, courageous, painful and humorous coming-out journeys with their parents.”
• Madame X, “insatiable camp from Indonesia’s up-and-coming gay filmmaker,” Madame X is “fast-paced and kooky. Its ability to move you to tears and laughter, when it’s not making you roll your eyes, suggests potential cult status in the making.”
• Kink Crusaders, a documentary by Michael Skiff, “a love letter from a leather weekend,” in which the filmmaker “makes no bones about his respect and admiration for this community.”

Related Links

• Xtra’s Hot & Buttered Guide to the Queer Film Fest
• Next Canadian screening: Winnipeg Reel Pride Festival

View the original blog post here (in Spanish) »

Here’s the post translated into English:

‘Judas Kiss’: Trailer and clips from one of the strangest films of the season

It’s a little scary to think what might happen in Judas Kiss, the first feature film from director J.T. Tepnapa, who’s made a few short films about masturbation. Interestingly, this film has nothing to do with masturbation, instead telling a story as compelling as it is strange, mixing gay relationships, the love of movies … and time travel. No kidding. Will it ever come to Spain?

Judas Kiss is a strange movie (at least it has all the earmarks of one) in which Zach, a frustrated filmmaker, is convinced to judge a student film festival. After sleeping with a student named Danny, Zach discovers Danny’s film, Judas Kiss, is a finalist in the festival he’s judging. Curiously, Judas Kiss was also the name of the movie that won Zach the same festival years ago.

Then a mysterious man appears to have the answers to all riddles of the film: “Change the kid’s past, change your future.” It’s so bizarre that it’s impossible not to love this independent film starring such unknown actors.

Judas Kiss

SOCIAL MEDIA Jay (pictured) is one of the GuySpy’s blogs “GuyDs” — his bailiwick is science and technology — and is also the film fest’s official Social Media Socialite, and has worked with the its social networking campaign. Here’s what he had to say about Judas Kiss and what he’ll be doing throughout the festival:

I saw the film last week, and it’s full of drama, intrigue and cute guys, including porn star/actor Brent Corrigan! It also features the GuySpy mobile app [see picture]! Be sure to follow my tweets on Twitter @queerfilmfest and my posts on Facebook if you wanna be kept in the loop about the hot Festival happenings!

The Judas Kiss event on August 13, starts at 8 p.m., at the Edgewater Casino in downtown Vancouver. The screening room includes two bars, and the event includes an iPad2 giveaway and door prizes.

DJ Marcus Purnell (pictured) spins his music following the screening.

TICKET INFORMATION and other details appear below under Related Links.

In the meantime, learn more about Jay, who sounds pretty cool: He recently finished his Master’s degree in microbiology and is a college biology instructor. He documents his escapades on his blog, Science of Smut, and via rampant tweets.

—/carlos

Related Links

• A Party’s Brewing in Vancouver
• Buy Tickets: Vancouver Queer Film Festival listing for Judas Kiss
• Facebook Event pages for our two Vancouver screenings
• Social App GuySpy Sponsors Judas Kiss
• The GuySpy Blog
• Jay Catterson’s blog, Science of Smut
• DJ Marcus Purnell’s website

We’re a week and a half from the Judas Kiss Canadian premiere, and some special things are a-brewin’ in Vancouver for the screening August 13 at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival.

UPDATE More details on the screening, afterparty and other festival events »

OUR PRODUCT sponsor, GuySpy, the social networking app, has helped promote Judas Kiss since it began its festival run in April, printing our posters, promotional postcards and stickers, and sponsoring the afterparty scheduled to follow the film’s screening Saturday, August 13, 8 p.m., at the Edgewater Casino in downtown Vancouver.

The GuySpy app — available on the iPhone, Android devices and on the Web for desktop and Blackberry users — makes a couple of appearances in Judas Kiss itself, thanks to visual effects wizard Joël Bellucci.

JOIN US You can purchase tickets for our Canadian premiere at the Vancouver Queer Film Festival website, and for the encore screening on Thursday, August 18, at 9:30 p.m. at the Cineplex Odeon International Village Cinemas.

The Edgewood Casino, site of the August 13 premiere, features two in-theater bars. One audience member will win an iPad 2, and others are eligible for other door prizes.

Art and culture blog, Homorazzi, is co-sponsoring the premiere, and the blog’s co-founder, Patrick (pictured), will be on hand to help introduce Judas Kiss. Here’s what Patrick had to say about the film:

Lucky for me, I got to watch a prescreen of the film and I loved it! Charlie David was great, and so was the other lead, played by Richard Harmon. I was even surprised that a porn star could be such a great actor, but Brent Corrigan “nailed it,” so to speak.

CAST AND CREW APPEARING Vancouver’s Leo Award-winning Richard Harmon, star of Judas Kiss, will be on hand for both screenings, as will Genevieve Buechner (Caprica) who co-stars in the film. For the August 13 premiere, Harmon’s fellow star, Charlie David (Dante’s Cove, Mulligans) is also attending, as are:

• Director J.T. Tepnapa
• Writer and producer Carlos Pedraza
• Co-star Brent Corrigan (aka Sean Paul Lockhart)
• Co-star Julian LeBlanc

Related Links

• Check out our Facebook Event pages for our two Vancouver screenings
• Homorazzi’s spotlight on Judas Kiss
• Vancouver Queer Film Festival listing for Judas Kiss
• Social App GuySpy Sponsors Judas Kiss
  

HORROR WRITER-producer-director Tim Sullivan raved about Judas Kiss in a column published Tuesday on the scifi/horror/fantasy website DoorQ, comparing the film to a Twilight Zone story, with wide genre appeal and great performances by its cast.

Sullivan is well known in the horror genre (IMDb profile) for a wide variety of films, especially cult favorite 2001 Maniacs (2005) and its popular follow-up, 2001 Maniacs: Field of Screams (2010). He began his career as a New Jersey teen pumping fake blood in the 1980s splatter classic, The Deadly Spawn (1983). Sullivan moved to Los Angeles where he worked in development at New Line Cinema, co-producing Detroit Rock City (1999).

His most recent release is “I Was a Teenage Werebear,” a short film that is part of a feature-length anthology to be released later this year as Chillerama. The short stars Sean Paul Lockhart (“Brent Corrigan”), who also stars in Judas Kiss.

Both films are scheduled to screen this week at QFest in Philadelphia, where Lockhart, best known for his adult film career, is also being honored with the festival’s Rising Star Award for his growing and successful crossover into mainstream films.

Sullivan talks about Lockhart, Judas Kiss, “Werebear” and Chillerama in the two-part DoorQ column.

• WORKING WITH A PORN STAR “Sean is also known as Brent Corrigan, arguably the most successful gay adult porn star of all time. But just as it takes many colors to paint a portrait, it takes many shades to define a person, and just as Sean is an Adult Film Icon, he is also a mega-talented ACTOR, period … with great charm, appeal and skill. … But few in this film industry of limited vision have allowed Sean the chance to express those skills. God forbid a ‘porn star”, let alone a ‘gay porn star” should have a second act as a mainstream screen personality.”
• SEAN’S WORK IN JUDAS KISS Sean’s Rising Star Award is not only for “Werebear,” but for “his exceptional supporting dramatic role in the amazing indie feature Judas Kiss, directed by J.T. Tepnapa and co-produced by my pal Jody Wheeler. A Twilight Zone-esque tale of a filmmaker who goes back in time to confront his younger self, Judas Kiss is a movie I truly believe has appeal for genre fans of all shapes and colors, if ya know what I mean. It has a great performances by actors not unfamiliar to the genre crowd: Charlie David of Dante’s Cove, Richard Harmon of Caprica and Timo Descamps, whose vampiric official music video from the film … also stars Sean Paul Lockhart.”

The DoorQ article goes on to describe the other shorts playing alongside “Werebear” at QFest, and promises a second part to the article next week.

You can check out Sullivan’s regular column at FearNet.Com.

Related Links

• “I Was a Teenage Werebear” screening information for QFest
• DoorQ: Tim Sullivan On Sean Lockhart, Rising Star + My Top Queer Fears Part 1
• Rising Star Award: Sean Paul Lockhart (QFest website)
• Judas Kiss screening information