Film Festival Project

LGBTQ Representation – A Themed Film Festival
Name:
Institution:
Part 1
The current age film industry is constantly evolving and airing some of the most controversial societal issues. The interpretation of lesbians, gays, bisexual, transsexual and queer [LGBTQ] is evident in many films – and this approach is used to include all categories of viewers. More clearly, film directors and creators constantly seek to champion segregated populations of viewers and to champion for the views and perspectives of segregated populations based on their sexual orientations (Benshoff and Griffin, 2006). While the inclusion of LGBTQ populations elicits provocative views and raises a range of questions from straight individuals and viewers, it constantly seeks to champion for equal rights in public. It also ensures that individuals and viewers are not segregated or even manipulated based on their sexual identities and orientations.
There are three major films of the 21st century and conventional movies which have evidently included characters who are either lesbians, gays, bisexuals, or transsexual individuals. The Empire film is an American Television show starred by Taraji P. Henson acting as Cookie and Luscious Lyon, the couple owns and manages the largest entertainment company in the city. Their son Jamal Lyon is exemplified as gay whose primary interests are on fellow guys that mostly happen to be his fans. Jamal Lyon is a talented and well-polished song writer and RnB artist, but he struggles to find approval from his father because of his gay orientation.

In another film, Sense 8, Lito and Nomi find themselves entangled in the wave of love but have an interest in both lesbian and gay relationship. Lito lives with a gay friend who appears to be Spanish while Nomi lives with a lesbian friend of black origin.
It is clear that the topic of LGBTQs is well represented in popular TV shows and films. While traditional films and movies have strongly opposed LGBTQ populations by striving to show media with only straight people, the current-age entertainment industry is gradually accommodating individuals from virtually every sexual orientation. The above inclusion is done for two principal reasons. One, to increase viewership from segregated populations and two to champion for the rights, interests, and motivations of LGBTQs persons.
Part 2
This section of the project examines three major films and how they relate to the theme of this paper; LGBTQs representation in films. The identified films include; Empire, Sense 8 and Shameless Television shows.
Empire

[Image retrieved from the Out Entertainment Magazine]
Jamal Lyon is a major character in Empire that struggles with his identity despite being a well-talented song writer and RnB artist. In season 1, there is a scene that shows Jamal’s childhood, he is dressed in a dress, with heels, and walking like a little girl. As a young boy, one scene shows a flashback where Jamal Lyon appears to his family dressed as a girl and walking with heels. The father Mr. Luscious Lyon is astonished, he lifts the little Jamal up, carries him downstairs and throws the young boy into a trash bin. Mr. Luscious is vexed that he gave birth to a gay child and he cannot fully come to terms that as a young boy, Jamal can depict acts and actions of homosexuality despite having little knowledge about his sexual identity. The image above shows Taraji P. Henson cast as Cookie as she visits Jamal’s house but he is irritated that Jamal lives with a gay friend Michael (Kennedy, 2015).
This particular scene will serve as a main event of the festival. The festival will cast a 9 or a 10-year old boy dressed as a girl. It will also show a character that acts like Jamal and who portrays gay traits. The sound and music will be slow and peaceful where Jamal talks and interacts with a gay friend. However, the tone and sound of the festival will change to a harsh one particularly in the scene where Luscious Lyon discovers his son is gay and therefore throws him into a trash bin.
Sense 8

[Retrieved from the TV Lover]
Nomi is considered as a transgendered woman who lives with a free-spirited lesbian friend called Aminata. In the first season, the two are depicted having sexual encounters in their little home in New York (Entertainment Weekly, 2016). Aminata constantly fights for their love when in another scene; she sneaks into a hospital where Nomi is held and rescues her from the practitioners and medical specialists. Nomi struggles with her identity as a transgendered woman and she have to deal with both her mother and a rude and overzealous practitioner that wants to perform a brain operation to remove a tumor before it grows. The above image shows a scene where Nomi and Aminata attend a festival in New York City as a lesbian couple. They act as a couple, hugging and caressing one another in joy.
For the festival, the above two scenes will be depicted whereby two female friends will be identified to act like a couple. The music, the sound, and the cinematography will all be set to create a scene for the lesbians. The music played with feature lesbian content; the two female friends will also converse as a couple, and kiss where necessary or if appropriate for student viewership.
Shameless
A major scene in Shameless shows Ian Gallagher has a gay friend called Caleb who does not live far. The two are ambushed by Caleb’s father when they are found together in bed. In this scene, Caleb father attacks the two boys and threatens to shoot them if they escape. He later makes a call and requests for a Russian girl. Immediately the Russian girl arrives, the father forces his son Caleb to have sex with her in front of Ian Gallagher (Levesly, 2015). The act is humiliating particularly to Ian Gallagher who sees Caleb attaining an organism while having sex with the Russian girl.

[Mickey and Ian. Retrieved from the Community Publication]
The above scene depicts Caleb as a bi-sexual, and immediately she has an engagement with the Russian girl, he develops an interest in many girls. The above scene in Shameless is critically underpinning in projecting the views and perspectives of a bisexual relationship (Chesler, 2016). The film not only portrays bisexuals, but it also depicts homosexuality particularly in scenes where Ian Gallagher is featured in multiple sexual gay scenes; he is invited to a middle-aged man’s apartment, he also visits Caleb’s bedroom, and he in a relationship with a police guy whose happens to be a second gay friend.
Comparing and Contrasting the Movies – How they relate to the Theme
The three movies; Shameless, Sense 8 and Empire, share a common aspect; they constantly champion for LGBTQs relationships and interests. Empire shows how a talented R&B artist struggles to have his family accept his identity. Luscious Lyon is reluctant to give Jamal Lyon control of the Empire Business because of the son’s sexual orientation. The father also fights Jamal by throwing him into a trash bin. Shameless, similar to Empire, depicts a father-son confrontation when Caleb’s father has a physical altercation with the son and goes ahead to threaten him with a gun. Although Sense 8 does not feature fights over sexual orientation (IMDb, 2015), Nomi is constantly in a struggle to get herself from the hospital. Her lesbian friend Aminata assists her and constantly fight for their relationship against every odd. The three movies depict similar ideas although through varying tactics and approaches.
Part 3 – Rationale for the Proposed Film Festival
Why do students need to examine this theme?
The theme about the inclusion of LGBTQs in films is a fundamental phenomenon in media and the entertainment industry. Students should examine this theme to understand the impact of the media in changing social perspectives and in criticizing segregation and discrimination of people based on their sexual affiliations. The media is playing a significant role to enhance ‘accommodation’ of persons in the society and to minimize oppression of LGBTQs populations (Benshoff and Griffin, 2006).
What will students learn?
Students will learn that the media, films, and movies have a unique contribution towards shaping societal views and perspectives.
What knowledge will be gained?
The knowledge that will be attained in the festival is that everyone is equal and every person should be subjected to conditions, circumstances, and events without oppression and discrimination regardless of their sexual orientations.
Why is this important
It is important as it creates understanding and awareness about the different nature of people. As such, students should be aware of the sexual orientation of marginalized groups like the LGBTQs to ensure they interact and associate positively with them. More plainly, they should not discriminate them or even avoid their company.
References
Benshoff, H. M., & Griffin, S. (2006). Queer images: A history of gay and lesbian film in America. Lanham, Md. [u.a.: Rowman & Littlefield.
Chesler, J. (2016). The most Shameless Sex Scenes in Shameless. The Phoenix New York Times Official. Retrieved from http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/arts/the-most-shameless-sex-scenes-on-shameless-nsfw-8120948Entertainment Weekly. (2016). Sense 8: Let’s talk all about Season 1. The Entertainment Weekly Official. Retrieved from http://www.ew.com/article/2015/06/17/sense8-season-1-discussionIMDb. (2015). Sense 8: Plot Summary. The IMDb Official Website. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2431438/plotsummaryKennedy, G. (2015). Empire sends a Powerful LGBT Message. The LA Times Official Website. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-st-fox-empire-hip-hop-lgbt-essay-20150106-story.htmlLevesly, D. (2015). Here is the Best Queer Scene in Shameless 2016. The Slate Official. Retrieved from http://www.slate.com/blogs/outward/2015/06/22/in_sense8_netflix_has_created_a_queer_masterpiece.html