ticked-off trannies with knives is a 2010 rape and revenge exploitation film .

the film follows a trio of trans women friends who exact revenge on the men who brutally assault them and murder two of their friends .

the film is split into five chapters , one of which is a missing reel .

ticked-off trannies engendered controversy when it was programmed at the 2010 tribeca film festival .

the gay & lesbian alliance against defamation condemned the film for what it called a negative portrayal of transgender people .

ticked - off trannies with knives

ticked - off trannies with knives <EOT> ticked - off trannies with knives is not showing in any theaters in the area .

premiere of " ticked - off trannies with knives " at 2010 tribeca . . .

willam belli , krystal summers and kelexis davenport in “ticked - off trannies with knives . ”

krystal summers attends the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during . . .

willam belli attends the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during the . . .

ticked off trannies with knives should have been better . instead , it constantly battles itself until it implodes .

if you want to answer the questions , " who starred in the movie ticked - off trannies with knives ? " and " what is the full cast list of ticked - off trannies with knives ? " then this page has got you covered .

looking for movie tickets ? enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing ticked - off trannies with knives near you .

this cast list of who was in ticked - off trannies with knives includes both lead and minor roles . ( 19 items )

although ticked off trannies with knives has to be one of the greatest film titles of all time such a title may be the film’s biggest downfall . people may stave off seeing the film , put off by the title , which is unfortunate because ticked off trannies with knives is a superb exploitation film that does justice to the genre .

ticked - off trannies with knives cast list , listed alphabetically with photos when available . this list of ticked - off trannies with knives actors includes any ticked - off trannies with knives actresses and all other actors from the film . you can view additional information about each ticked - off trannies with knives actor on this list , such as when and where they were born . to find out more about a particular actor or actress , click on their name and you ' ll be taken to page with even more details about their acting career . the cast members of ticked - off trannies with knives have been in many other movies , so use this list as a starting point to find actors or actresses that you may not be familiar with .

filmmaker luna says he will remove exploitative use of hate crime victim’s names from trailer of “ticked off trannies with knives” , but still has more to do .

glaad was recently alerted by community members and allies to a film called ticked - off trannies with knives that will be screened at the upcoming tribeca film festival .

concerned community members have developed a facebook group called " boycott ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' at the tribeca film festival " that you can join at urltoken .

ticked - off trannies with knives ( 2010 ) i heard this was a good movie . movie night . | where the geeks roam | pinterest | horror film , revenge and movie

krystal summers attends the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during the 2010 tribeca film festival at village east cinema on april 23 , 2010 in new york city .

willam belli attends the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during the 2010 tribeca film festival at village east cinema on april 23 , 2010 in new york city .

somewhere deep within “ticked - off trannies with knives” lies a fresh cinematic voice , but it’s buried under so much tarantino wannabe material , all you can hear are a few faint murmurs .

magnet , familes against hate and intl . foundation for gender education will be on radio tonight protesting " ticked off tra # % ies with knives "

ticked - off trannies with knives . basically a remake of faster , pussycat ! kill ! kill ! but featuring witty trannies and extreme violence . the tranny banter and ultimately satisfying revenge more than make up for ( intentionally ? ) shoddy production values .

furthermore , the filmmakers have chosen to market ticked - off trannies with knives using a crass trailer that opens with references to the recent murders of angie zapata and jorge mercado , putting their brutal murders on par with the outlandish violence in this film .

as controversy continues over israel luna’s new movie , “ticked - off trannies with knives , ” i was fascinated to find out that another gay filmmaker is playing an instrumental role in launching a new film . . .

earlier , artsbeat reported on a dispute over the film “ticked - off trannies with knives , ” which the gay & lesbian alliance against defamation and others have demanded be removed from the lineup of the tribeca film festival .

israel luna’s controversial revenge comedy ticked - off trannies with knives has made the festival circuit for the past year , and now it reaches an even wider audience : via the showtime cable network . beginning friday . . .

this exploitation film spoof represents a humbling experience for any film reviewer . after all , it hardly matters what opinion is about to be expressed : you’re either going to rush off to see a film called “ticked - off trannies with knives , ” or you’re not .

the problem with reviewing a movie called “ticked - off trannies with knives” is that you’re required to admit publicly that you have actually watched a movie called “ticked - off trannies with knives . ” that’s the kind of damning tidbit that could be stumbled upon and misinterpreted by some future background - checker — a potential employer , for instance , or a vetting body for nobel prize nominees . not to mention the personal implications . my mother could read this review , for gosh sakes .

erica andrews , jenna skyy , willam beli and krystal summers attend the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during the 2010 tribeca film festival at village east cinema on april 23 , 2010 in new york city .

the theatrical premiere of ticked - off trannies with knives was sold out for both midnight shows this weekend at the inwood theatre in dallas , according to writer and director israel luna . here’s his report to instant tea : . . .

for several months , we’ve been lectured about how “tranny” is a bad word in and of itself — so bad , in fact , that israel luna’s film ticked - off trannies with knives should be banned from the tribeca film . . .

i’m please to be one of the few people unconnected to ticked - off trannies with knives who has actually seen the film and thinks it’s good . i’m also proud to say that , unlike some others , i actually believe in . . .

willam beli , krystal summers , israel luna , erica andrews and jenna skyy attend the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during the 2010 tribeca film festival at village east cinema on april 23 , 2010 in new york city .

via facebook the new york times has a report on a protest yesterday outside tribeca cinemas in response to the upcoming festival’s inclusion of gay dallas filmmaker israel luna’s “ticked off trannies with . . .

he may be living in san francisco , but israel luna will always be part of dallas to us . to luna , too , actually it seems . luna — who caused a stir with his revenge fantasy ticked - off trannies with knives last year and has since . . .

transgender advocate and writer ashley love issues a scathing indictment of dallas filmmaker israel luna’s “ticked off tra * * ies with knives” in a piece published by the huffington post yesterday . as arnold . . .

despite protests from a few trans activists , israel luna’s campy exploitation grindhouse film “ticked off tr * nnies with knives” won the two top awards at q cinema , festival director todd camp announced . . . .

we received this video diary from the cast and crew of ticked off tra * * ies with knives on the night of their debut . thought i’d share it . mobile . wihackсайты отзывов о . . .

video archive for the film ticked - off trannies with knives , which has a domestic theatrical release in the year of 2010 . there are currently two videos available for the film , of which one and only one is a trailer , as listed below . happy viewing !

toni miller , gerardo davila , erica andrews , jenna skyy , israel luna , willam belli , krystal summers , tom zembrod , kenny ochao , todd jenkins and whitney blake attend the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during the 2010 tribeca . . .

a group of transgender women are violently beaten by three straight guys and left for dead . after regaining their consciousness , the violated vixens turn deadly divas . with their new found confidence and courage , the ticked - off trannies slice their way to vengeance . an homage to the exploitation / revenge films of the 70 ' s and 80 ' s , " ticked - off trannies with knives " is loaded with titillating dialog , buckets of blood . . . and extreme violence . - - ( c ) official site

the gay & lesbian alliance against defamation posted an item on its website this morning promoting a protest of israel luna’s “ticked - off tr * nnies with knives” on saturday night during q cinema , fort . . .

he offered two concessions that , he said , were his way of communicating that he cared about the trans community’s concerns : he removed zapata and mercado’s names from the movie trailer , and he replaced the “a” in “trannies” with an asterisk . the official title was then ticked - off tr * nnies with knives .

ticked off trannies with knives helps its audience realise that the exploitation genre is not quite dead . although it may have gone into hibernation several times over the last few decades , here it is alive and kicking and ready to thrill the audience members who are willing to let it do so .

for those so inclined , you’ll be glad to know that israel luna’s mock revenge thriller more than lives up to its title : it features a band of trannies ; they ' re definitely ticked - off ; and they’re well - armed , not only with knives but also with baseball bats and the occasional high - heeled shoe .

in the end , ticked off trannies with knives is one of those movies that ' s not quite as clever or cheeky as it thinks it is . it ' s fun at times , and deeply disturbing at other instances . the actors and actresses all deliver with a kind of gusto that goes from inviting to off - putting , and luna ' s style can best be described as advanced grindhouse point and shoot . there is nothing here to distinguish it from other high concept indie efforts except the casting and the lifestyle choices involved . it ' s refreshing to know that gay - themed material is not simply languishing with its own specialized entertainment space . ticked off trannies with knives should have been better . instead , it constantly battles itself until it implodes .

by marketing ticked - off trannies with knives as a " transploitation " film , by using the word " trannies " ( a pejorative term for transgender people ) in the title of the film , by casting transgender women in some roles , and by citing the murders of angie zapata and jorge mercado in the trailer , israel luna has attempted to place his film squarely within a transgender narrative .

the ticked - off trannies debate has been covered by many national and international media outlets , including the new york times , bbc tv , the huffington post , and the drudge report . it’s a classic example of pop culture colliding with political activism — with a north texas twist .

8 north texas trans women tell how they feel about israel luna’s controversial film , and why tammye nash | senior editor [ email protected ] dallas filmmaker israel luna’s latest effort , “ticked - off tr * nnies with knives , ” has . . .

glaad has reached out to writer / director israel luna , the film’s producer and the tribeca film festival , and both have refused to take responsibility for the problematic content and offensive marketing of this film . we urge you to contact the tribeca film festival and call on them to pull ticked - off trannies with knives from their schedule .

toni miller , gerardo davila , erica andrews , jenna skyy , israel luna , willam belli , krystal summers , tom zembrod , kenny ochao , todd jenkins and whitney blake attend the premiere of ' ticked - off trannies with knives ' during the 2010 tribeca film festival at village east cinema on april 23 , 2010 in new york city .

it’s not just a fun experience , there is heart at the core of ticked off trannies with knives , a heart that will strengthen the emotional connection between it and its audience . some may have issues with the morality play a little ( it being arguable that it is a phoney moral ) but in the end the good guys win against the bad guys and , let’s face it , what’s wrong with that ?

once tribeca accepted ticked - off trannies and the movie entered the national spotlight , criticisms from transgender advocates reached a fever pitch . busey and many others around the country had long since contacted glaad to register their disapproval . finally , glaad weighed in .

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their hapless bashers with switchblades , kitchen knives , hammers , and elaborately carved ninja weapons . sweat poured down their faces and mixed with the makeup and the blood in colorful streams .

“i am also happy that we are able to show two other fine films , ‘howl’ and ‘making the boys , ’ before their expected theatrical releases , ” he adds . “i am also ecstatic that out on film agreed to program ‘ticked - off trannies with knives , ’ which , for all its controversy , is a film that we find empowering , and a film a lot of folks like . ”

we are very relieved that laluna entertainment is planning to remove the references to specific trans women that have been murdered from its ' most recent trailer for the film " ticked - off trannies with knives " , a film which was directed and written by israel luna . due to protests from the trans community , laluna entertainment responded to one of their requests , which was not to exploit real life victims of hate crimes .

but don’t worry : a national tour is set to kick off in fall 2019 .

the word “tranimal” is a pun on what these superheroines are — transgender women , individuals who were born male but identify and publicly present themselves as female . and if the line sounds like a cheesy bit of b - movie dialogue , it is — it’s in the script for north texas writer - director israel luna’s movie ticked - off trannies with knives , which filmed on location in fort worth , arlington , and dallas last summer .

just one man with too much fabulous not to share it with the rest of the world .

in the wake of this outcry , glaad and many other transgender advocates ask that tribeca rescind its selection of “ticked - off trannies with knives . ”“negative and stereotyped media portrayals of transgender people hurt the community because americans still need more education on transgender issues , ” said kim person , executive director of transyouth family allies . " the images in this film make a mockery of their lives . i want more for my child and all transgender people . ”

“i got way too big off views / back to the basics , i won’t lose . ”

luna’s dreams have been realized . audiences have been literally cheering their support in sold - out film festival screenings in fort worth , dallas , new york , seattle , philadelphia , and san francisco . ticked - off trannies with knives has become an underground sensation . but the uproar has been fueled in part by some furious opposition to the film — coming not , as one might expect , from the right - wing anti - gay crowd but from a part of the transgender community itself .

luna is now working on an hour - long documentary about transgender women and their complicated experiences , including violence . although he’s thrilled that ticked - off trannies with knives has encountered so much unexpected success , it’s clear he still feels hurt that some members of the lgbt community have vilified him for making what he sees as a movie with a strong pro - trans message . the fact that the transgender women portrayed in the movie are flamboyant , angry , vengeful , and even a little cartoonish is a plus in his mind . he draws comparisons to his own experiences as an ethnic minority with popular culture .

as a crossover attempt by gay writer / director israel luna into the world of direct to dvd schlock , ticked off trannies with knives has its moments . the opening sequence , where we are introduced to the five fabulous ladies who will lead us through this comic nightmare , is brilliant . it highlights the personalities involved without devolving into cartoon or cliche . even better , when the quintet hang out for drinks and dishing , the vibe is electric - and then the plot starts to kick in . frankly , everything that happens with boner and his gang of hate - crime committing hombres is predictable , pointless , and painful to watch . we are never prepared for the juxtaposition in tone : the club material is so fun and boisterous that when we witness favored characters brazenly beaten to death , it really kills the mood . luna tries to revive it with a couple of cinematic in - jokes ( missing reels , unexplained narrative developments ) but it doesn ' t work . ticked off trannies takes a real risk with such a bold back and forth . it ' s a possibility , however , that never pays off .

i’m with luna . fighting hate with hate is what actually changes history . pious passivity is just loser talk .

glaad finds it troubling that the respected tribeca film festival would give a film that sensationalizes anti - transgender violence and misrepresents the lives of transgender women , a platform that affords such great exposure . the tribeca film festival has a history of screening powerful lgbt films , such as the glaad media award - nominated quentin crisp biopic an englishman in new york , and the glaad media award - winning film transamerica , about a transgender woman reconnecting with her son . ticked - off trannies with knives does not meet , and in fact devalues , the standard of excellence established by the festival .

i thought this movie was called " ticked - off grannies with knives " when i bought it . i bought it on title only , i was thinking cool - grandmas going berserk . i realized it was trannies not grannies when i started to play it . this movie is great . a gay themed grindhouse movie that is very well made . it ' s a thriller , a comedy and a revenge movie all in one . a solid 5 star movie . i will put this dvd on my dvd shelf right next to my other grindhouse type movies .

for her part , busey doesn’t regret one moment of the blog and street protests that she and transgender activists across the country have staged . she still believes that the movie’s trailer is proof that ticked - off trannies is harmful to trans people , who have to endure the stares and comments of strangers and an ever - present , implicit threat of violence because of who they are .

luna and miller knew nothing of busey’s past , only that she and other bloggers around the country were relentless in trying to get as many people as possible to denounce ticked - off trannies . the filmmakers consulted with the gay and lesbian alliance against defamation , or glaad — the national gay media watchdog group — on the best ways to court transgender people as a niche audience and how to use inclusive language in the marketing campaign . as far as luna and miller could tell , their relationship with glaad was going well .

somewhere around the late ' 90s , drag kitsch went from agreeable taboo to television mainstay . with noted female " illusionist " rupaul ruling logo with his various impersonator enterprises and the " tran " prefix moving from the once scandalous " vestite " to dating show obvious " sexual " in pop culture commonality , the time seems ripe for a queer - ccentric horror romp where gay humor and genre contrivances go head - to - head . the result ? something called ticked off trannies with knives . while the title is relatively self - explanatory , the film itself is somewhat schizophrenic . on the one hand , it has enough glam girlfriend diva dishing to support such hilarious homo - witticism . on the other hand , the i spit on your grave - like revenge - angle is very nasty indeed , turning everything campy into something quite cruel .

ultimately and perhaps predictably , the efforts by glaad and national transgender activists have only fueled publicity about the film and helped it reach a wider audience . just last month , luna and miller signed a deal with the philadelphia - based breaking glass pictures to distribute ticked - off this fall as a midnight movie at art house theaters around the country and then release it on dvd with extras — including the footage that gibson shot in her home .

israel luna , the director of the film ticked - off trannies with knives , has promised to change the movie ' s trailer to remove references to victims of real - life anti - transgender hate crimes . the movie , which will screen at the tribeca film festival , has come under fire from the gay & lesbian alliance against defamation , who are troubled by its over - the - top title and gory depictions of violence against transgendered women . the director had intended the references to real victims to ground the picture in reality , but admits now that " the association between their brutal stories and the revenge / thriller content of the film in its entirety has been difficult to connect . " [ artsbeat / nyt ]

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the finished script was christened with a title that would make trash auteurs roger corman and jack hill proud — ticked - off trannies with knives . while miller went looking for financing , luna began to approach longtime friends and associates with roles he had written for them . he wanted fort worth set designer , fight coordinator , and actor tom zembrod for the role of boner , the scuzzy bat - wielding hillbilly villain . his friend krystal summers , who performs as a host and showgirl at gay clubs in dallas , was tapped for the lead role of bubbles cliquot , one of the hate - crime survivors . kelexis davenport , a longtime dallas drag performer , would play the “mother hen” character pinky la trimm . and after a series of casting changes , willam belli , a los angeles actor whom luna had met on facebook , drove to texas to play the wisecracking , scene - stealing rachel slurr .

luna ' s motives may be noble - he has stated in interviews that he wanted to shine an irreverent light on all the crimes he sees against transsexuals - but his goal only make matters worse . instead of lingering on the punishment , showing us step by step how our ladies are lured to their horrific fate , he should have included more scenes of sensitivity . when bubbles comes out of her coma , pinky and rachel are there to provide some pointed ( and rather funny ) comfort . elsewhere , empowering words are spoken and supported . but then luna undermines it all again with a last act confrontation that plays right back into the film ' s flawed weaknesses . again , boner and this boys are just cardboard cutouts . giving them almost half of the storyline is antithetical to ticked off trannies with knives ' ideals .

is about a group of trannies - drag queens , transvestites , or transgendered people ; in this movie , its more the first two - who go off on dates with a group of bio - gendered men , only to be drugged , beaten , raped and murdered , leaving one survivor . this survivor and two more of her friends set traps for the rapist - murderers in order to exact bloody revenge . much like

a group of trannies are violently bashed and left for dead . the surviving ladies regain consciousness , confidence , and courage ready to seek out revenge on the ones who attacked them .

i agree with you fakename , john waters did do it better 40 years ago .

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smith was , to the say the least , in a difficult position — he was a board member of q cinema , but busey was also a member of his flock at trinity . she and other trans parishioners had convinced a small coalition of north texas mcc churches to take out a full - page , $ 1 , 800 ad in the dallas voice criticizing ticked - off tr * nnies with knives for its use of the “t” word and its “stereotypical” depiction of transgender women . as panel moderator , smith’s goal was to stand squarely in the middle of the fracas and try to build a bridge between sides .

some girls are simply not to be messed with . and so it is with the fabulous heroines bubbles cliquot , tipper sommore , rachel slurr , and emma grashun . all respect is given to them in pinky la ' trimm ' s nightclub , but when they beome the victims of a psycho guy who just can ' t get over his conflicted desire for bubbles , the bruised - up babes shake it up grand diva style and transform into deadly vixens . an homage to the exploitation films of the ' 70s and ' 80s , ticked - off is a revenge fantasy flick that brews up a concoction of camp , slasher horror , and power - chick flick to create a radical new genre : transploitation ! inspired by the devastating increase in brutal hate crimes against people in the transgender community , writer / director israel luna , along with his dallas - based cast and crew , pour their hearts into creating the atmospheric ' 70s distressed aesthetic that glimmers with each woman ' s distinct brassy groove . loaded with kick - ass bodacious bods ticked - off makes it clear that it takes more than balls to get even .

after the movie wrapped , israel edited it himself over the following six months . if he was lucky , he figured , ticked - off trannies might be accepted by a couple of film festivals around the country and then get sold to dvd . but the game changer came earlier this year when new york’s prestigious tribeca film festival — co - founded by robert de niro — accepted the film as part of its “midnight movie” series . word spread quickly throughout the north texas transgender community , and then the shit hit the worldwide blogosphere .

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booked cigna video project with partnercomm productions . completed filming in dallas , tx april 2014 .

booked privacy pete industrial with partnercomm productions . completed filming in dallas , tx november 2013 .

the newly rechristened ticked - off tr * nnies with knives went on to screen at another festival in seattle and a small horror film festival in san francisco , but no other lgbt festival would touch the film after glaad’s call to action . finally , fort worth’s q cinema decided to give the movie its southwest premiere in june . ( a gay festival in philadelphia later booked it as well . ) q cinema artistic director todd camp has known luna for many years , and q had screened several of the writer - director’s previous movies . camp even made a brief visit to the fort worth warehouse set while the bashing scene was being filmed .

even audiences unfamiliar with crowley’s story of eight gay friends at a birthday party gone - bad are in for a treat , as the documentary effortlessly weave’s crowley’s autobiographical narrative with the play’s development and the energy of pre - stonewall new york . the play’s run from small experimental theater to off - broadway to film is perfectly juxtaposed with the birth of the gay rights movement , as its reception was intrinsic to the revolution that resulted from it .

could you imagine if a film came out called " ticked off fagots with pink pistols " that mocked matthew shepard ' s death , and expressed gay men just want to get married to get tax breaks , but still have sex with multiple partners , and jokingly alluded to gay men being pedophiles ? the whole lgbt community would be up in arms ! we demand the same protections the gay and lesbian community receives ! crumbs are no longer acceptable . we need the gay and lesbian community , who have more access and influence in the media then we do , to stand with glaad and the trans community on this protest and call to action

the heart of this grindhouse - inspired effort remains in a happy place , committing to the screen a new breed of exploitation cinema vixen and , believe me , they ' re packing more than just knives .

he failed to give activists and leaders in the trans community his problematic film prior to this controversy - he knew from many warnings that it would not be well received by many trans people . as a person with many media / entertainment industry contacts , i was able to view the film through an associate . this associate asked i not have their name released , for fear of the " wrath of luna and the ' ticked off ' supporters of his transohobic film” .

with often engrossing dialogue , luna ' s characterization is rich and often times interesting . . .

booked role for american airlines with partnercomm productions . completed filming in dallas , tx may 2014 .

booked role for flu shot project with partnercomm productions . completed in dallas , tx november 2013 .

busey had known luna for a few years and was aware that he was writing a script called ticked - off trannies before it went into production last summer . busey and some others in the transgender community consider the word “tranny” to be an insult . at one point , busey had launched an internet campaign to get the dallas voice to stop the paper’s occasional use of the word in its stories . ( other transgender people have reclaimed the word the way some women , african - americans , and gays and lesbians have embraced hateful slurs against them as streetwise badges of honor . )

“i wasn’t there to condemn the film , ” said smith , who also declined to see it as a gesture of solidarity with the protesters . “i was there to stand with members of the local transgender community who had problems with the film and wanted to voice their concerns about it . ”

glaad hopes that an institution as respected as the tribeca film festival would be concerned about how this film trivializes violence against transgender people , concerns that the filmmaker has repeatedly shrugged off .

to send an email with suggested text to the tribeca film festival contacts above , go to urltoken .

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oddly enough , busey has never seen the movie she’s so vehemently opposed to . on at least two occasions , israel asked her to watch the film and give him her opinions — good , bad , or indifferent . she declined . many people have asked her how she can passionately advocate , on the web and on the streets , against a film she’s never seen . busey explains by describing some dark experiences from her own life and how they directly related to ticked - off trannies ’ controversial trailer . in the past , she said , two people brutalized her because of her trans status — a stranger who attacked her on the street one night and a man with whom she fell into a destructive relationship .

in the worldwide blogosphere , “i was called a misogynist and a trans - basher [ for showing the film ] , ” said camp . “like a lot of gay and lesbian people , it’s hard for me to wrap my head around what the transgender community goes through . it’s not my experience . but i just don’t believe that ticked - off tr * nnies promotes violence against trans people . at worst , it delivers the message , ‘don’t fuck with a trans person , or you might get killed . ’

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still she requested a closed set for the scene in which zembrod , as the crazed trans - basher boner , menaces her with a baseball bat festooned with a clump of bloody hair from his last victim . he stands over her with a twisted grin and taunts her : “why do you go around dressed up like a girl , man ? ”

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and the controversial “a” is back — for both the midnight movie and dvd releases , “tr * nnies” has become “trannies” again . one of the major promotional points being considered for both campaigns is : “the movie that glaad didn’t want you to see . ”

right from the start , “trannies” announces itself as a shameless “grindhouse” rip - off , complete with retro credit fonts and faux print damage ( which never convinces , considering the movie was shot on video and not once looks like film ) ; later , we’re even tossed the ol’ “missing reel” gag . eager to reveal its “kill bill” tendencies as well , the story is broken into titled chapters and eventually focuses on a woman waking from a coma and seeking revenge on those who left her for dead . oh , and one scene finds the camera gliding in circles around its cast as they banter about sex .

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gay dallas filmmaker israel luna is sick of reading about lgbt bashing victims . so he made a film about several of them who eschew the victim card — and fight back . because he’s worked closely with the local trans community , he cast actual transwomen as his leads . and because he’s a fan of horror , he gave them knives and a revenge story that’s as over - the - top as its name ,

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“i kept hearing lgbt leaders saying we should fight hate with love , that we should educate our attackers , ” he said . “and my first thought was , ‘hell , no . i don’t want to have tea with these people . ’ i have a lot of transgender friends . so i decided to write a movie with a twist , one where the transgender women fight back and are just as brutal as their attackers . ”

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israel luna first became interested in filmmaking at age five while watching a horror movie with his family at the local drive - in . his feature films include

also , the “trans people should stand up by ourselves ! ” line sounds very noble , but i think it would be downright dangerous in practice . i do think that there should be more exclusively trans marches , fundraising and lobbying organizations , and so on . we need to show that we’re not just a footnote to lgb folks . at the same time , cutting ourselves off from the lgb community would be damned near suicidal ! it would be better , i think , to raise our profile both within and without the lgb community , not to cut ourselves off from it .

cw news channel wpix offers up today’s case study in how not to cover lgbt issues in a piece titled “tranny teens terrorizing downtown girls” . while the author steve bogart gets big points for his ability to alliterate , by every other measure , he comes off like a racist , homophobic bigot . here’s how . bogart writes : “police say a roving pack of transvestite teens has been targeting females living in a tony west village building . according to authorities , the trannys would steal the women’s purses and use their stolen credit cards to buy wigs and new clothes . ” there’s not a single thing right with this paragraph . transvestites are not transsexuals and nobody should be calling them ‘trannies’ and even then , if you’re going to use a derogatory term , you might as well spell it right .

even if i don’t agree with the whole piece , i’m glad to see queerty making an effort to include longer , in - depth pieces in its content .

at a nondescript house in arlington last summer , a showdown of cinematic proportions took place . three women faced off against three men who’d brutally attacked and beaten them earlier . the women wore tight leather jumpsuits , elaborate sequined face makeup , and high - heeled boots . they kicked , punched , and slashed

horrible film ( i say this with a smile on my face ) shot in a 70s grindhouse style with grainy film and bad edits that gives it some charm . the director is obviously a huge tarentino fan . if you liked the grindhouse series by tarentino , the troma films or 70s b movies , this might be for you .

exploding with captivating melodies , genre - splicing resourcefulness , and remarkable cohesion , automata ii exemplifies what makes between the buried and me so skillful , striving , and singular .

after rich businessman paul greco ( popular daytime star jon lindstrom ) retires early , his imperious sister elise ( two - time emmy award ( r ) nominee wendie malick ) tries to get him to settle down with the woman of her choosing . but paul seems more interested in developing his friendship with andy ( chris murrah ) , a charming…

, which works to simultaneously humanize the victims , and actually be a better movie . oh , and i would have to replace roger ebert and gene siskel with glaad .

although probably best appreciated at a midnight showing with a similarly schlock - minded audience , the film is being released on dvd next month , so begin planning your parties now .

zembrod once worked as a performer in live - action stunt shows like batman and lethal weapon for the six flags family of theme parks . he choreographed the fight moves with all three of the heroines , none of whom had previous experience with the knife work and hand - to - hand combat they would have to do in front of luna’s cameras .

“trannies” then becomes a fight between two attitudes : a screwy spoof where star krystal summers develops a hee - larious lisp for no reason versus a ruthless thriller where the mere appearance of the villain ( tom zembrod , delivering a genuinely creepy performance ) is meant to create chills . when the bloody finale arrives , full of creative mutilation so squirm - inducing the makers of the “saw” franchise would be humbled , we’re supposed to cheer along , but it’s tough to get in the mood . we’re too off - balance by the film’s random tonal shifts . what’s supposed to be cathartic and empowering ends up losing track of its sense of fun , wallowing in an ugliness that erases too much of the parody .

because of its positioning as a transgender film , viewers unfamiliar with the lives of transgender women will likely leave this film with the impression that transgender women are ridiculous caricatures of " real women . " it demeans actual transgender women who struggle for acceptance and respect in their day - to - day lives and to be valued for their contributions to our society .

otto is a handsome , sensitive , neo - goth zombie with an identity crisis wandering the streets of the city , until one day he auditions for a zombie film . . .

two easy reads with depths to be plumbed by those who make the effort . after , you can expound on how gay authors are infiltrating and conquering the mainstream on their own terms .

. the bashing left one of the gay men in critical condition in the icu , and a friend of luna’s said , “we don’t need to hate the bashers . a lot of people feel the way they do . we need to sit and talk and understand their mindset . we can’t fight hate with hate . we need to fight hate with understanding and even love . ”

“watching it with an audience is an amazing experience , ” he said . “when the tables are turned , and the women start kicking ass , the audience goes wild rooting for them . ”

beyond gay : the politics of pride ( lmac , 6 : 30 p . m . ) this look at pride festivals around the world gives new context to our own annual celebration . as atlanta has fussed in the past several years with location and date , prides in other countries are plagued with violent protests and stringent legal restrictions . co - presented by atlanta pride . — bo shell

“i saw the trailer with the man [ actor zembrod ] and the baseball bat , ” she said . “if you’ve ever been in a relationship with someone who has total control over you — i mean life - and - death control — you’ll recognize the look he had in his eyes . it made me physically ill . i didn’t think i could make it through the whole movie . ”

the group released a call - to - action statement that read , in part : “because of its position as a transgender film , viewers unfamiliar with the lives of transgender women will likely leave this film with the impression that transgender women are ridiculous caricatures of ‘real women . ’ it demeans actual transgender women who struggle for acceptance and respect in their day - to - day lives … . ”

the blood and the knives , of course , were fake , and this payback sequence was elaborately staged and filmed with six actors . but luna’s tongue - in - cheek homage to exploitation films is serious in one respect : he wanted to create a drive - in movie revenge opus where the kind of people who typically make the news as hate crime victims turn the tables on their oppressors . if he achieved what he was aiming for , movie audiences would enthusiastically applaud the transgender crusaders in the classic tradition of midnight movies . think of it as dirty harry — or maybe dirty harriet — meets the rocky horror picture show .

i’m going with romeo . we will continue to be victims if we allow . most gay bashers to so because they don’t ecpect us to fight back just curl up in a ball and take it .

after the movie was shot and luna had an edited version he liked , he created a trailer for the film and put it on the internet . if the “t” word in the title wasn’t enough to piss off many transgender bloggers , israel’s decision to use the names of real - life trans - murder victims in a dedication at the beginning of the trailer really stoked outrage . he invoked angie zapata , who was beaten to death with a fire extinguisher in colorado in 2008 , and jorge mercado , who was stabbed , burned , and decapitated in puerto rico in 2009 .

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keegan dark returns to the the heart of california ' s wine valley to make peace with his long - estranged family . instead , he finds a harrowing mystery that endangers his life and those he loves .

if you ' re interested enough in the film’s plot to still be reading , it concerns the piquantly named bubbles cliquot ( krystal summers ) , who performs at a downtown nightclub along with her fellow transgender clique . unfortunately , one evening bubbles has a fling with the wrong guy , boner ( thomas zembrod ) , who doesn’t take kindly to the fact that his latest conquest could well be called by the same name .

anyway , this film , written — not much effort there — and directed by israel luna , calls itself an exploitation thriller and seeks to parody bad horror films , bad blaxploitation films , bad martial - arts films , maybe even bad baseball films ( a baseball bat being just as important to the story as the knives of the title ) . it’s difficult to judge something that’s trying to mock something inept ; is its own ineptness sheer genius or just ineptness ?

a second rate film crew is shooting the third in a trilogy of tasteless ( yet cheesy ) horror flicks called fright flick . the schmuck - of - a - director can ' t keep his hands off the lead actress , the producer never gets his due credit , the supporting actress knows that she should be the lead , and the crew has secrets of their own . competition . . .

the adonis factor ( lmac , 4 p . m . ) following his last documentary , “the butch factor , ” director chris hines explores gay male body image . followed by q & a with director chris hines .

removed from luna’s tarantino cover band tics ( which fade as the film progresses ) , “trannies” is a crude but occasionally effective revenge fantasy . the filmmaker shows a solid grasp of the genre , especially in a lengthy finale that mixes brutal unease and self - aware dark humor , while the cast – consisting mostly of transgender women and drag queens – is given free rein in terms of smart - assed bitchiness , which lends the film a likeability often missing in such exploitation fare .

the film was shot in 19 days plus one continuous 27 - hour stretch . the grueling “trans - bashing” sequence was filmed between 7 p . m . and 7 a . m . in a warehouse just north of downtown fort worth . in the scene , summers , belli , and davenport ( as well as co - stars erica andrews and jenna skyy ) encounter zembrod and his henchmen , who savagely attack the women . the characters played by andrews and skyy are killed . with film lights running and air conditioning turned off due to the demands of sound recording , the cast and crew were drenched in sweat most of the time .


gulabi gang is a 2012 norwegian-indian – danish co-production documentary written and directed by nishtha jain and co-written and produced by torstein grude at piraya film .

it released nationwide in india on 21 february 2014 .

the film has received the best film on social issues , and the best non-feature film editing at the 61st national film awards .

gulabi gang ( film )

gulabi gang ( film ) <EOT> a special film event with nishtha jain who will screen her award winning documentary film gulabi gang , followed by a discussion with the film maker .

a special film event with nishtha jain who will screen her award winning documentary gulabi gang , followed by a discussion with the film maker .

2015 gulabi gang public liberty and human rights award , aljazeera . quatar 2013 gulabi gang amnesty international award best human rights award , south africa 2013 gulabi gang amnesty international award , warzawa poland 2012 gulabi gang norwegian golden chair award 2012 gulabi gang best film muhr asian / african dubia int film 2006 derby queen filmmakers international screenwriting awards finalist 2003 whipsmart best educational video cinekink nyc 2000 red rain honorable mention , eveo international film competition 2000 red rain rockefeller foundation , nominee 2000 launderland oakland creative arts fellowshi p 1998 red rain film arts foundations 1998 red rain pioneer film foundation 1991 supreme concrete jungle jury award , new york exposition of film and video

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9th dubai international film festival 2012 - best film , muhr asiaafrica documentary section .

international premiere : idfa , amsterdam , 2012 opening film : dok . fest muenchen , 2013 opening film : documentary section , kortfilmfestivalen , grimstad , norway 2012 opening film : our lives to live international film festival , iawrt , new delhi opening film : pune women’s film festival 2013 opening film : doc @ everest , bangalore 2014 opening film : reality check , ncpa , mumbai 2014

“i’ve spent three years showing this film ( gulabi gang ) around to distributors . the distribution system has no interest in promoting films that highlight social issues , ” says jain .

i doubt you will see a more important film this year . gulabi gang is an ideology , a searing exercise in awareness , which is why you must make this your mandatory watch this weekend .

but even once the film is made , it is an uphill struggle to sell the film to an indian audience .

“the canard that documentaries are the spinach of the film world – good for you , but not fun – crumbles in the face of gulabi gang . the film is genuinely entertaining , shot through with wry humour and an unblinkered view of life in rural india . ” time out delhi

based around the banda district in up , the film follows a vigilante gang of rural women armed with lathis and dressed in pink saris .

sohum shah presents nishtha jain ' s multiple award winning documentary gulabi gang . the film is being theatrically released in india by pvr director ' s rare on 21st february , 2014 . connect with us at : urltoken urltoken subscribe to recyclewala labs : urltoken

in a country swaddled in conservatism and regressive patriarchy , pal is an inspiring figure and jain ' s gulabi gang is testament to this . some ridicule the women in pink saris . many of the gang members are , for all their fandom for pal , intensely conservative themselves , which is evident from how they keep their faces covered . but there ' s no mistaking the anger that the gulabi gang feels at violence being inflicted upon other women .

the norwegian short film festival 2012 - opening film , documentary competition , and winner of the golden chair for best documentary . ( world premiere )

this is the premise for the film , writers ( ‘sulemani keeda’ in hindi ) , directed by amit v masurkar , who was at the zurich film festival for the film’s german - language region premiere . the film’s premise is a familiar real - life story for today’s talented indian indie filmmakers .

" women , the poor - i see all the oppressed people as dalit " is how sampat pal views things . in 2006 she founded the gulabi gang to unite women and to change people’s attitudes within the patriarchal indian society . gulabi means pink . the women wear pink saris , carry long bamboo staffs and radically challenge the beliefs of the obedient indian women who accept everything silently . 150 , 000 women have already joined the gulabi gang . nishtha jain’s impressive film shows the strength and dignity with which these defiant indian women successfully fight against masculine violence and oppression . andrea naica - loebell

in india , it is the film distributors who decide how big an audience a film can reach . once a film is made it is up to distributors to pick it up and ensure it is shown in as many theatres as possible .

join us and cinema politica at the bloor for the toronto premiere of gulabi gang , an impeccably shot film that follows a group of fearless women who fight gender violence in india with great ferocity . entry by donation . director nishtha jain will be in attendance for a post - screening discussion !

sampat pal devi has been profiled in two documentaries : kim longinotto ’s 2010 pink saris and nishtha jain ’s award - winning 2012 film gulabi gang . this is no arty festival film — where gulaab gang succeeds is in its total embrace of the bollywood style , with all its music and deliberate artifice . the characters here sing and dance , and the ones who die go out in a blaze of bright red fake blood . it wouldn’t be as exciting any other way .

gulabi gang is a documentary that you should watch with google at hand . it ' s not comprehensive because jain doesn ' t delve into either pal ' s own history or the beginnings of gulabi gang . neither does it provide a particularly in - depth understand of bundelkhand ' s social hierarchies . the villages in the documentary could have been in any part of north or central india . but gulabi gang does an offer a glimpse into why pal , with her ego and her confidence , is such a hero to those who commit to the pink sari : she ' s one of the few women who are committed to fighting for other women and the oppressed .

production company piraya film . co - production : raintree films and final cut for real

our lives to live international film festival , india , 2012 . ( indian premiere )

in bundelkhand , india , a revolution is in the making among the poorest of the poor , as the fiery women of the gulabi gang empower themselves and take up the fight against gender violence , caste oppression and widespread corruption .

nishtha jain is an award winning filmmaker based in mumbai . ms jain will be in the us for the screening of gulabi gang in new york city at the new york india film festival on saturday may 10 th . she will be coming to woodstock for a screening of her film at woodstock artists association and museum on sunday may 11 th . the screening will be followed by q & a and discussion .

ideally , filmmakers would be able to make films about genders not their own without there being any issues , and without reading the credits this isn ' t necessarily something that would occur to people watching the movie , but at this particular point in the development of both society and cinema it would be nice if a film like " gulaab gang " were made by a woman , as were the two previous films about the gulabi gang .

in bundelkhand , india , a revolution is in the making among the poorest of the poor , as sampat pal and the fiery women of her gulabi gang empower themselves and take up the fight against gender violence , caste oppression and widespread corruption .

the gang encounters resistance everywhere – whole villages connive in protecting the perpetrators of violence . as the film pulls us into the centre of these blazing conflicts , it uncovers a complex story , disturbing yet heartening .

“documentary film gulabi gang , supported by “ship of theseus” actor sohum shah , has received critical appreciation , a rare feat for a documentary in india . says sohum , “i found the film extremely engaging . there is humour in it and the twists and turns of the narrative kept me hooked . i took on the project to bring the story of sampat pal devi to light and i am glad that my efforts have been appreciated . ” – times of india

at different points in the film , it seems many of the women in gulabi gang are ready to fight injustice as long as it doesn ' t show up in their own families and lives . when it does , as in one member named husna jahan ' s case , then the pro - woman and pro - victim principles are abandoned . when jahan ' s brother kills their sister for marrying a man of her own choosing , jahan sides with her brother . this is their way , she tells jain and pal . family and society are more important than a socio - political movement . this is particularly ironic because earlier in the film , jahan is shown actively campaigning for gulabi gang . it is to jain ' s credit that she ' s able to capture jahan ' s contradictory convictions . jahan ' s commitment to gulabi gang is as solid as is her loyalty towards her brother . when she has to choose between the two , however , she picks her family .

a whole village connives in protecting the perpetrators of violence , aided by those in power . everywhere , the gang encounters resistance to its notions of gender equality and efforts for social change . the film pulls us into the centre of all these blazing conflicts : we are moved by the womens courage and determination , while their frustrations and disappointments mirror our own . as it travels with them through the dusty and desolate landscape , gulabi gang uncovers a complex story , disturbing yet heartening .

urltoken is a website devoted to providing authentic bollywood news , box - office reports and film reviews .

sales / distribution international sales and norwegian distribution : kudos family . festival distribution : the norwegian film institute

collecting enough funds to make even a low budget film is the first hurdle they need to overcome .

nishtha jain was born in new delhi , india . she studied film direction at the film and television institute of india , pune . since 2002 she’s been working as an independent filmmaker and is currently based in mumbai . her films have received several international awards and have been extensively shown in international film festivals and art / photo exhibitions . her 2008 film lakshmi and me was nominated for the silver wolf award , idfa , amsterdam and won award for the best documentary , at flahertiana international film festival , russia ; bucharest international film festival ; new york indian film festival ; idpa , india ; special jury prize at cinema verite international film festival , tehran and golden apricot international film festival , yerevan ; jury special mention , doc planete review , warsaw . filmography ( direction ) family album , 2010 at my doorstep , 2009 lakshmi and me , 2008 six yards to democracy , 2006 call it slut , 2006 city of photos , 2005

two wannabe screenwriters dulal and mainak dream of making it big in bollywood , india’s hindi film industry based in mumbai . they desperately try to pitch their concept to film producers without much success . eventually they stumble upon the son of a film tycoon who commissions them to write a screenplay but there are strings attached .

masurkar also thinks that new distribution platforms alone are not enough to break the distribution stranglehold . “if people have to pay money to watch a film online they need to know about the film . the film has to be recommended by their peer group or they need to have read the reviews , ” he adds .

this impeccably shot film follows a group of fearless women who fight gender violence in india with great ferocity .

company shows how the hindi film industry went into trouble after violent split between chandu and mallik . another interview of chotta shakeel which was given to the times of india describes the intense circumstance inside the mumbai film industry due to gang disputes . it appears that depiction of a dispute in company — where fictional film star naved khan falls between mallik ' s and chandu ' s disputing gangs and becomes immensely confused — is a reference to a notable interview when chotta shakeel almost leaves a clarification of underworld ' s finance in indian film industry . [ 13 ]

directed by filmmaker nishtha jain , this is a documentary - not to be confused with the upcoming gulaab gang starring madhuri dixit .

61st national film awards winners - fandry , ship of theseus , jolly llb | and more . . . news

“distributors have become gatekeepers of the indian film industry by deciding what people should be watching , ” says sailesh .

back in 2006 , pal began a women ' s collective that took the law into its own hands . it came to be known as gulabi gang because all the members wore pink saris and carried pink lathis . if a woman or her parents complained to the gulabi gang that a woman was being mistreated , the ladies in their uniform of pink saris and wielding pink lathis attacked the accused . they became well known in the bundelkhand area . by the time jain and her camera started following pal around , she was famous and revered . gulabi gang had grown to a sizeable number and had ' branches ' in different villages , each headed up by a " commander " . " long live sampat pal " is a chant that ' s heard repeatedly in jain ' s documentary and it ' s testament to both pal ' s popularity and the faith that is placed in her ability to set things right .

but there is no doubt that a bollywood blockbuster can destroy the prospects of an indie film at the box office . “even if an indie film is doing well , a big studio film release could wipe out all the other films that are showing in the cinema theatre that week , ” admits masurkar . “the only way to beat bollywood is to make a good film and hope that the first audience like it and spread the news by word of mouth . ”

synopsis enter the badlands of bundelkhand in central india and you have entered a place of desolation , dust and despair . this film follows the gulabi gang , an unusual group of rural women led by the energetic and charismatic sampat pal . they travel long distances to fight for the rights of women and dalits . often they encounter resistance , apathy and corruption , even ridicule . sometimes whole villages connive against them to protect the perpetrators of violence . while we see gulabi gang members struggling against gender violence and state corruption , we also see the flip side – members getting intoxicated by the trappings of their new found power . breaking away from the deep - rooted patriarchal structure is a challenge even for the most fearless amongst them . the film pulls us into the centre of these blazing conflicts and uncovers a complex story about the nature of power itself .

jain carries me with her daunting journey that i will hold on to for many years probably . the instances were revolting , the tall talks about women’s morality – a sham and the despite the distressing situations – gulabi gang is a ray of hope , brimming with optimism to change the stringent attitudes with galvanizing ferociousness . i am going with a 3 . 5 / 5 and a big thumbs up to the gulabi ladies . this movie made a part of your movement in spirit !

torstein grude is a painter , director , cinematographer and producer and one of the initiators of the independent production company piraya film as . he received a degree in media theory and film history from the university of bergen in 1994 , then enrolled at the london international film school , where he finished his last year of training in 1997 . grude ' s

“a deeply affecting work that reminds us of the vulnerability of women in rural india , and shines a light on the efforts of this group to protect , educate , and empower their gender against cruel husbands , corrupt politicians , and an orthodox , regressive mindset . the film , which i strongly recommend that you watch , is a testament to their courageous work and the difference they have made . ” rajeev masand’s review of gulabi gang : urltoken

" gulaab gang " is a film advocating education for girls and autonomy for women , made by a first - time director who faced enormous obstacles in getting it made . that thumbnail version makes it almost impossible to root against the film , although some of soumik sen ' s obstacles were of his own creation . his claims that the film is fiction and that any resemblance to real people is coincidental strain credibility to the breaking point , as the pink saris worn by the title gang are the very ones worn by the real - life gulabi gang , whose name sen didn ' t even bother to change , and upon whose founder sen ' s protagonist is heavily based . this led to legal disputes that threatened to delay release of the movie . all of this is meant not to reignite the debates about poetic license in fictional films drawn from real life , but to make the point that " gulaab gang " is a movie whose director needs to get out of its way . which is a wildly delicious bit of irony , considering that it ' s about women taking charge of their own lives , and that sen is a man .

an example of parallel cinema , company received critical acclaim at the austin film festival , new york asian film festival , and the fribourg international film festival . [ 1 ] [ 2 ] british director danny boyle cited the trilogy as influences on his academy award - winning film slumdog millionaire ( 2008 ) , for their " slick , often mesmerizing portrayals of the mumbai underworld " , their display of " brutality and urban violence " , and their gritty realism . [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ]

as producer sohum shah rightly pointed out , documentaries usually don’t have the engaging quality that commercial cinema flaunts . however , filmmaker nishtha jain does conjure up one thrilling film with innumerable nail biting moments and many more emotional ones . considering gulabi gang is a documentary based on the life of leader , sampat pal , the woman’s charisma is unbeatable . the documentary is equally appalling as daunting . sampat pal isn’t any ordinary woman and tracing her life journey is quite a heavy task .

“director nishtha jain offers us a front row seat to india’s heart of darkness . here a girl can be married at 11 and burned to death at 15 . women , even those strong enough to be part of the gulabi gang , support honor killings . the parents of murdered girls shrug , take money in exchange for silence and life goes on . except that sampat pal makes sure that it doesn’t . the gang comprises women vigilantes who wear pink saris and wield sticks . they find strength in numbers and fight against abusive husbands , corrupt politicians and police . we are told the gang has 150 , 000 members . sampat pal is remarkable for her strength and courage but jain also captures the contradictions in this revolution . pal has power . people touch her feet . she can get things done – in places , she seems like a don . what she has wrought is incredible and inspiring . gulabi gang is a fascinating portrait of the power of one . ” from anupama – the front row :

synopsis – enter the badlands of bundelkhand in central india and you have entered a place of desolation , dust and despair . and yet it is hope that this film discovers , as it follows the gulabi gang , an unusual group of rural women . led by the energetic and charismatic sampat pal , they travel long distances to fight for the rights of women and dalits . they encounter resistance , apathy and corruption , even ridicule . sometimes whole villages connive against them to protect the perpetrators of violence . the film pulls us into the centre of these blazing conflicts and uncovers a complex story , disturbing yet heartening .

for many in gulabi gang , feminism and pro - woman stances are an elaborate and satisfying performance . jain is able to point this out with eloquent subtlety in her documentary . women like jahan accuse others of the weakness that they themselves exhibit when their own family members are implicated in violence against women . the sense of gulabi gang ' s public campaigns being a performance is perhaps most evident in the scenes where members are seen practicing combat using lathis . there ' s no gusto as the sticks strike . instead the moves are lackadaisical , as though the two ' fighting ' women are dancing a lacklustre garba . yet when the same women speak at meetings , their words are fiery and heartfelt .

the film highlights the economics behind running an indian mafia organization . in the opening , ajay devgan describes the modus operandi of underworld :

” the film is genuinely entertaining , shot through with wry humour and an unblinkered view of life in rural india . ” time out delhi

while in the desolate and dusty badlands of bundelkhand in central india , an unusual group of rural women referred to as the gulabi gang offer a sign of hope . led by the charismatic sampat pal , these women travel long distances to fight for the rights of women and dalits . along the way , they encounter resistance , apathy , corruption , and even ridicule .

in kim longinotto ' s documentary pink saris , about sampat pal and her all - woman vigilante posse called gulabi gang , pal says to a young woman , " if you ' re shy , you die . " the sampat pal in nishtha jain ' s gulabi gang is older , more measured and diplomatic . she knows she has to negotiate her way through an intensely conservative bundelkhand , tempering her anger with smiles and understanding nods . in longinotto ' s documentary , pal is a legend in the making , a woman working her way towards becoming an icon . in jain ' s documentary , which was shot a few years later , pal ' s become a hero , one whom villagers call in times of crises , and a potent mix of sleuth and saviour .

“even though we managed on an extremely low budget without any star actors , towards the end of the filmmaking process we did not have any money to finish the film . it cost us more to do post - production than to make the entire film , ” masurkar tells swissinfo . ch .

jain ' s documentary suggests that pal is bringing change to bundelkhand , albeit very tentatively and delicately . by the time we see pal in this documentary , she is less eager to follow the vigilante ' s path and instead urges victims ' families to use the law to their advantage and for justice . pal also encourages members of the gulabi gang to stand for local elections , which is perhaps the ultimate sign of gulabi gang becoming part of the system rather than countering it . it ' s heartening that some of the pink - clad candidates win . but it ' s telling that at least one of the winners that jain shows is illiterate ( despite having a supposedly well - educated husband ) and is more comfortable conforming to the practice of covering her face in public .

the gulabi gang , with a membership of thousands , is active across many districts . suman singh , one of the leaders , has made it her personal mission to send a land - grabbing village chief behind bars , along with his murderous henchmen . but whats to be done when the brother of a fellow activist carriesout an ' honour killing ' ? husna , a longtime member , is forced to choose between family loyalties and all that their fragile movement stands for . the gang is still very new , and many of its members still steeped in conservative values .

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gulabi gang documents their struggle , showing the women at recruitment meetings , investigating the death by burning of a young woman and attending to various domestic conflicts . they are fearless , and they won ' t rest until an official investigation is started and the perpetrators are punished . but will they be equally persistent when their own families are involved , or will traditions gain the upper hand after all ?

synopsis : enter the badlands of bundelkhand in central india and you have entered a place of desolation , dust and despair . and yet it is hope that we discover as we follow the pink sari - clad women of gulabi gang . these women travel long distances by cart and tractor , bus and train , to wrest justice for women and dalits , undeterred by sneering policemen and condescending bureaucrats .

" the ballad of narayama " is a japanese film of great beauty and elegant artifice , telling a story of startling cruelty . what a space it opens…

nishtha jain worked as an editor in television before joining the film and television institute of india , where she specialized in film direction . since 1998 , she has been making documentaries and shorts , and briefly worked as commissioning editor for a documentary channel . among her special interests are the individual and collective narratives that

sampat became aware of the unfairness of the system at an early age . in 2006 , she founded gulabi gang , an organization run by and for women . it raises the issue of injustice against women and dalits and teaches them how to defend themselves . the group goes from village to village dressed in pink saris and armed with sticks . the organization currently has several thousand members spread over a large area .

i have always maintained that getting preachy doesn’t guarantee popularity but consistent well - intentioned work does . the climax could have been tauter but the build up to where the story ends for me was outrageously fantastic . a gulabi gang member holds on to her views on morality more than the essence of their beliefs is terrible , thereby expressing that it will take a severe tumultuous change individually to witness a shift in mentalities .

two prizes at al jazeera int . film festival 2015 to simon lereng wilmont for his films ' chikara - the sumo wrestlers son ' & ' the fencing champion '

sampat pal devi , india’s real - life feminist activist known for her hot pink saris , unsuccessfully sued to prevent the mar . 7 release of gulaab gang ( pink gang ) , saying the filmmakers did not get her approval . but not to worry — this highly dramatized account keeps its story clearly within the realm of fiction , and writer - director soumik sen has nothing to apologize for .

prevailing audience tastes are a bigger problem for documentary filmmakers who tackle serious subjects and whose films often lack the entertainment value that is critical to the success of a film .

bundelkhand , a region notorious for its rebels - turned - armed bandits , is witnessing a new kind of rebellion with an unusual cast of characters . these are the pink sari - clad women of the gulabi gang , who use words as weapons – demanding their rights , submitting petitions and haranguing corrupt officials . they travel long distances by cart and tractor , bus and train , to wrest justice for women and dalits , undeterred by sneering policemen and condescending bureaucrats .

director – nishtha jain is an independent indian filmmaker . she has directed several films including the critically acclaimed city of photos ( 2005 ) and lakshmi and me ( 2008 ) . she studied film direction at the film and television institute of india , pune . together with smriti nevatia jain , she created an independent documentary outfit raintree films based out of mumbai . her films have received numerous awards and have been extensively shown in international film festivals , broadcast on international tv networks and regularly shown in schools and colleges in india and abroad .

bundelkhand in central india , a region notorious for its rebels - turned - armed bandits , is witnessing a new kind of rebellion with an unusual cast of characters . these are the pink sari - clad women of the gulabi gang , who use words as weapons demanding their rights , submitting petitions and haranguing corrupt officials . they travel long distances by cart and tractor , bus and train , to wrest justice for women and dalits , undeterred by sneering policemen and condescending bureaucrats .

indian independent cinema has a whole section devoted to it at the tenth zurich film festival . despite doing well at international festivals , indie films struggle to attract an audience back home .

human rights , york university – department of film and sexuality studies at york university , and is co - presented with ontario punjabi association ( o . p . a . ) , ryerson indian students’ association ,

ultimately " gulaab gang " is a compelling ninety minute underdog - vs . - the - system action picture that has the misfortune to unfold over the course of two hours and twenty minutes . its lulls never entirely kill it , but it ' s only through the power of madhuri dixit ' s performance in the lead as rajjo and juhi chawla ' s astonishingly villainous turn as the corrupt politician whom rajjo must take down that " gulaab gang " maintains the momentum necessary to power through to the end . it starts promisingly , with a narrated intro concisely setting up rajjo ' s motivations in starting the ashram where she educates girls for free and , when necessary , organizes them into a fighting force . the way rajjo and gang deal with one oily local extortionist bureaucrat is immensely satisfying . but once the main story , involving the ambitious politician ( chawla ) who seeks to co - opt the gang to burnish her own feminist and populist credentials , the pace begins to dip rather badly .

despite the fact that sen takes an unconscionably long time to tell the central story without sufficient subplots or songs ( of which there are only a couple ) , there ' s plenty to like in " gulaab gang " . madhuri dixit is one of the all - time greats and getting to see her work is a delight regardless of the surrounding film ' s quality , but getting to see her wreaking havoc in the kind of wild action sequences usually reserved for the thick - mustached , bare - chested , and male is a particular joy . " gulaab gang " could have stood the addition of at least a half - dozen additional sequences ; in fact , a whole movie of madhuri dixit doing flying spin kicks and carving henchmen in half with scythes would be welcome . although that would deprive the audience of the joys of seeing juhi chawla investing her villain with such melodramatic pathology . all chawla is missing , in her role similarly usually reserved for men in popular film , is a mustache to twirl .

the story revolves around a young man named chandu ( chandarkant nagre ) ( played by vivek oberoi ) joining the world of crime in the mumbai underworld to " make it big " someday . gradually he learns tricks of the trade and increases the gang ' s earnings and profits . this leads to his affinity with malik ( ajay devgan ) who is the leader of the gang . the film features one cold - blooded murder scene wherein malik and chandu kill saeed and his brother anis in the rear seat of the car on a chilling rainy day . thereafter malik goes on a bloody rampage killing all his opponents , to take the reins of underworld in his hands . in this stage , malik says a prominent dialogue " saab ganda hai par dhanda hai ye " ( thing are dirty but its business ) .

new delhi : the 61st national awards is going to be announced on wednesday , 16th april 2014 , by the directorate of film festivals . this prestigious honour is awarded to celebrate the best of indian cinema , and many regional and mainstream movies are nominated .

by putting a potboiler spin on his version of her story , and by casting two of india’s best - loved 1980s divas , madhuri dixit and juhi chawla , as ruthless political rivals , sen has whipped up a moving film graced with energy and passion .

“it is the same all over the world , if you have a star you get more eyeballs . but in india there are lots of people who will watch an amir khan [ bollywood star ] film just because it has him in it , ” says masurkar .

“low budget , independent movies have created their own star system . if your film has high - brow actors like irfan khan or nawazuddin siddiqui then your core audience will automatically assume that it will be better than other independent fare out there , ” says producer sailesh .

in one of the instances , sampat was investigating the case of a woman who was charred to death in her kitchen . evidently a murder case , the ease with which it was treated is heartbreaking . tampering with on scene evidence , the lackadaisical approach of the police , the apathy of her own family , it all clubs together to portray a horrifying story . when sampat prods the deceased’s father , a shamefully drunk man says , ” it was the girl’s fate ! ” unfortunately , the girl’s death was a brutal murder and hence cannot be attributed to her fate . the activist and her gulabi gang relentlessly pester the police , take the case to higher authorities and doesn’t give up unless full blown investigation begins .

the social reality in bundelkhand is the rampant atrocities against women , beaten , burnt , gang - raped and killed almost seem like a norm in those circles . for someone city bred and secure all my life , enjoying the normalcy of my existence , it was choking to be a part of the experience pal shares .

the hero worship lavished upon pal seems well - placed when pal helps soondhi register a case against rajrani ' s husband . when she bluntly and logically shreds rajrani ' s in - laws ' contention that girl killed herself , it ' s easy to see why pal is a hero in bundelkhand and that her feisty spirit has inspired the film gulaab gang , which is due to release in a few weeks . and yet , the silences remain and the crimes continue in bundelkhand . for all of pal ' s celebrity stature , she cannot prevent these crimes from taking place and she cannot inspire her followers to hold feminist principles over ties of blood .

2016 instructor summerfuel international students u . c . berkeley , berkeley , ca visual storytelling 2008 - 09 adjunct faculty california state university monterey , intro to documentary 2002 - 09 adjunct faculty san francisco state university digital video intensive , san francisco , ca . classes : producing / marketing documentary film , documentary narrative structure and interview techniques 2005 instructor california state university monterey , creative process in film 2003 instructor california college of arts , oakland , ca , documentary shorts 2001 instructor u . c . berkeley , berkeley ca , documentary portraiture 1999 instructor graduate assistant , california college of arts , oakland , ca , experimental documentary

it’s tremendous fun watching dixit and chawla in their roles ; just as much fun are the performances by tannishtha chatterjee ( brick lane ) , priyanka bose and divya jagdale as rajjo’s enthusiastic supporters . sen has also composed music for the film , and even sung its rousing closing song , “tere jai ho . ”

company received universal critical acclaim . alok kumar of planet bollywood gave the movie 9 . 5 stars out of 10 , saying that " varma has brought his audience yet another innovative and enjoyable film . company should prove to be a sound investment of time and effort for all those involved . " [ 6 ]

taran adarsh of bollywood hungama gave 3 stars out of 5 , saying that " on the whole , company is amongst ramgopal varma ' s finest works . a stylishly narrated tale , the film will win plaudits and reap a rich harvest at the box - office for its hard - hitting content . " [ 9 ]

company is believed to be an almost - true story based on depictions of the d - company split between mumbai crime lords dawood ibrahim and chotta rajan . it ' s said that the recruitment of chandu to aslam ali ' s gang by mallik was almost identical to chotta rajan ' s introduction to dawood after rajan ' s mentor and boss bada rajan died in the early 1980s .

his rival gang leader and colleague under aslam ' s umbrella sharma , who was in a meeting with police inspector rathod , is killed off . inspector rathod , who once tortured and abused chandu in jail in early days , is killed at malik ' s permission . however , both come at loggerheads during the execution of a contract killing . chandu stops the deliberate vehicle crash and falls from malik ' s favor . the contract was from a politician who tries to use malik ' s gang to eliminate a front - runner , a contender for home minister ' s post . the assassination ( a staged truck - car collision ) takes place in spite of chandu ' s emotional misdemeanor since malik , not relaying on chandu anymore , gives direct orders . the rift between chandu and malik widens due to misunderstandings . the commissioner of police , sreenivasan ips ( mohanlal ) uses the rift to bring the mafia under control . chandu and malik end up becoming bitter enemies . after chandu ' s retaliation of the assassination of his lifelong friend of one of lieutenants warsi , two factions of mumbai ' s once most powerful gang ' company ' went to a full - scale war .

the documentary is not typical , the shooting style is brisk and mostly the theme is poignant . the celebration of woman power in such obsolete regional extremes of india that has for years remained devoid of proper literacy and awareness for women’s rights is inspiring . sampat pal and her gang is gutsy , fearless and celebrate womanhood is ways wider than ours . the story and its cinematic translation amazed me .

for choosing this material and these actors to play it , and for the terrific , organic camaraderie of the title gang , soumik sen is to be commended . he shoots interestingly , in the manner of a talented but raw newcomer . but he has a tendency to repeat himself , and there are long stretches of " gulaab gang " where nothing ' s happening at all , and there ' s no reason why the next thing that happens couldn ' t have happened before the preceding ten minutes of wheel - spinning . this can be written off to sen being a rookie director with an as - yet unrefined style . but sen ' s appropriation of a well - known , previously - filmed story , not changing much of anything essential , and presenting it as a fictionalization sits a little weird .

gulabi gang is more about what sampat pal stands for in bundelkhand , rather than an introduction to the group that is on its way to becoming a political party . jain spends no time on pal ' s own story , focussing instead on showing pal ' s importance in present times . for many , including the local police , pal is a troublemaker . to some , like soondhi whose daughter rajrani is killed by at her in - laws ' home , pal embodies hope . while rajrani ' s father and brother are easily convinced to sign documents that state rajrani committed suicide , soondhi wants justice for her daughter . realising the men in the family will not pick a fight with rajrani ' s husband or in - laws , soondhi turns to pal for help . pal doesn ' t just listen to soondhi , she also champions the mother ' s cause and files a case against rajrani ' s husband .

writer : nishtha jain , torstein grude . camera : rakesh haridas , torstein grude . sound : peter schultz , niraj gera , mateen ahmed . editing : arjun gourisaria , nishtha jain , erik andersson . music : peter scartabello . production : piray film as . producer : torstein grude . length : 96 min . international sales : kudos family as .

now , it remains to be seen if cate blanchett was right in suggesting there’s a lucrative market in woman - centric films like this one . gulaab gang certainly deserves a warm reception , and sentimental overseas indian audiences should revel in the chance to spend three hours in the company of two of india’s most graceful , charismatic actresses of a certain age as they battle memorably onscreen . but sen ' s unconventional approach may put off traditional bollywood audiences .

radford ' s style in the movie is an interesting experiment . like chaplin in " modern times , " he uses passages of dialogue that are not meant to be understood - - nonsense words and phrases , garbled as they are transmitted over big brother ' s primitive tv , and yet listened to no more or less urgently than the messages that say something . the 1954 film version of orwell ' s novel turned it into a cautionary , simplistic science - fiction tale . this version penetrates much more deeply into the novel ' s heart of darkness .

michael radford ' s brilliant film of orwell ' s vision does a good job of finding that line between the " future " world of 1984 and the grim postwar world in which orwell wrote . the movie ' s 1984 is like a year arrived at through a time warp , an alternative reality that looks constructed out of old radio tubes and smashed office furniture . there is not a single prop in this movie that you couldn ' t buy in a junkyard , and yet the visual result is uncanny : orwell ' s hero , winston smith , lives in a world of grim and crushing inhumanity , of bombed factories , bug - infested bedrooms , and citizens desperate for the most simple pleasures .

this story is , of course , well known . 1984 must be one of the most widely read novels of our time . what is remarkable about the movie is how completely it satisfied my feelings about the book ; the movie looks , feels , and almost tastes and smells like orwell ' s bleak and angry vision . john hurt , with his scrawny body and lined and weary face , makes the perfect winston smith ; and richard burton , looking so old and weary in this film that it is little wonder he died soon after finishing it , is the immensely cynical o ' brien , who feels close to people only while he is torturing them . suzanna hamilton is julia , a fierce little war orphan whose rebellion is basically inspired by her hungers .

the role of vilas pandit , the closest aide of malik who appeared to be the consigliere of malik ' s gang , is believed to be a depiction of real - life d - company aide , counselor and dawood ibrahim ' s confidant sharad shetty . after the split between dawood and rajan , shetty was one of very few hindus left in the mainstream d - company . here it can be stated that the fate of shetty was correctly perceived in company . company showed vilas pandit was shot to death by chandu in hong kong when pandit went to chandu ' s place for an unprecedented meeting ; chandu misinterpreted his appearance as an attempted hit . real - life d - company counselor sharad shetty , too , was killed outside a dubai nightclub , by a hit carried out by chotta rajan . ironically this real - life hit was carried out eight months after the release of company which depicted a similar incident in the adopted storyline .

the film opens with smith rewriting history : his task is to change obsolete government documents so that they reflect current reality . he methodically scratches out old headlines , obliterates the photographs of newly made " unpersons , " and attends mass rallies at which the worship of big brother alternates with numbing reports of the endless world war that is still going on somewhere , involving somebody . into smith ' s world comes a girl , julia , who slips him a note of stunning force . the note says , " i love you . " smith and julia become revolutionaries by making love , walking in the countryside , and eating strawberry jam . then smith is summoned to the office of o ' brien , a high official of the " inner party , " who seems to be a revolutionary too , and gives him the banned writings of an enemy of the state .

ziya us - salam of idlebrain gave a " thumbs - up " rating and said , " watch company for three reasons . varma . mohan lal . vivek oberoi . mohan lal in his maiden hindi film venture , is a class act . as a south indian cop , his accent comes in handy . nothing overboard , everything poised about him . limited dialogues limitless gestures . then watch company for vivek oberoi . a star son of sorts - character artiste suresh oberoi is his father - never once does he give you an impression that he is making his debut here . his gaunt frame , hollow cheek bones and restlessness go well with his role of a new entrant into the underworld who knows no fear , respects no reputations and lives only on some tacit principles . " [ 10 ] in one of the post - release interviews , director ram gopal varma apparently referred to mohanlal as the robert de niro of indian cinema . [ 11 ]

dis is goin to be one hell of a muvi … ” awesome ! ! ! watching it again and again…madhuri is just superb ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! “yes… . only if we get in las vegas urghh . ” dis is y madhuri dixit is ever green . . my all tym fav . . seems like a great muvi is cmin up . . n grt job by juhi chwla too . . guess cmin out of d bubbly avtar to more agressive one madhuriiiiiiiiiiii dixit i love u its awesomeness nice jabardast . . ekdum kadak . . superb . . madhuri … . . bravo… . . 1 : 16 . . ghanta samajthi ! ! wow . powerful ladies of indian cinema 😀 nice to see juhi after such a long time 🙂 waiting for the gang 🙂 superb ! ! ! ! full to jakas juhi clearly dominates madhuri… awesome trailer . oh god ! ! ! getting addicted to this trailer . . amazinggg… cant take off my eyes off madhuriii… juhi is good too… awesomeee…… it will be fun watching 2 legends madhuri and juhi battling it out this is going to be new version of mother india . greaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaatttttttttttttttttttttttttttttt ! ! ! ! looks awesome… . madhuri madhuri… can’t help but just fall in love with you… supppperb mindblowing ! ! ! can’t wait to watch madhuri in such a powerful role 🙂 madhuri… mindblowing ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! 🙂 dammit ! this is an awesome trailer ! madhuri you are the best ! ! i’m waiting for the movie ! madhuri you goddess ! damn you’re the best ! nice trailers wow ! looks awesome . just 1 word – wow stunning madhuri………… ! ! awesome ! ! ! juhi is amazing and so is madhuri ! good luck ladies x yes waiting… ! ! ! ! awesome , powerfull movie trailer… madhuri is sooo good…