10. EVENT: Athena Film Festival
The fifth annual Athena Film Festival, billed as "a celebration of women and leadership," will feature lots of ladies we love. Jodie Foster will receive the Laura Ziskin Lifetime Achievement Award, and Rosie O'Donnell will be there for the premiere of the new HBO documentary Rosie O'Donnell: A Heartfelt Stand Up, dealing with her recent heart attack, as well as her family, and her obsession with Barbra Streisand. O'Donnell will also present an award to another of the fest's honorees, HBO president of documentary films Sheila Nevins, who's receiving the President's Visionary Award. Other attractions: a host of women-centric films, both narratives and documentaries, shorts and feature-length movies, many of them with LGBT content, such as Dear White People, Kate Bornstein Is a Queer & Pleasant Danger, Brittney Griner: Lifesize, and Flying Solo: A Transgender Widow Fights Discrimination. There will be panel discussions and showings of works in progress too. It all happens February 5-8 on the Barnard College campus in New York City; get the full schedule of events here. -- Trudy Ring
9. THEATER: For the Record: Dear John HughesNo, we can't believe this year is the 30th anniversary of The Breakfast Club, either. If you were a fan of that movie, or any other great Hughsian coming-of-age flick of the 1980s, this live theater series is for you. A modern "Brat Pack" of sorts will revive some of our favorite films on stage at West Hollywood's DBA, with a little cabaret twist. Actors include Evan Rachel Wood, Rumer Willis, and Tracie Thoms. Tickets available here.--
Michelle Garcia8. MUSIC: Bobby Newberry "Flight from Paris"This out singer and choreographer just released a video for his slow-burn dance song "Flight From Paris." The sleek video was inspired by Stanley Kubrick's Eyes Wide Shut, Newberry tells our sibling publication, Out. Look for a cameo from rapper Porcelain Black and flawless choreography, courtesy of Newberry and Yanis Marshall. There's also no shortage of gorgeous people writhing around and a few male love interests for the taut Newberry. -- Neal Broverman
7. EVENT: RuPaul's Drag Race Battle of the Seasons Condragulations TourEven if you're in a cold climate, you'll feel the heat when the Condragulations tour sashays into your town. The lineup will vary by city, but some of the fierce queens scheduled to perform are Pandora Boxx, Sharon Needles, Adore Delano, Bianca Del Rio, Ben Delacreme, Jinkx Monsoon, and Courtney Act. Michelle Visage will host, and Cary Nokey is billed as a special guest. The tour starts Sunday in Las Vegas, then continues all over the U.S. and Canada before ending up in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., April 2, after which the queens head for Europe. Get all the dates and reserve your tickets
here. --
Trudy Ring6. TV: Fresh Off the BoatBased on the memoir of chef Eddie Huang,
Fresh Off the Boat is story about a boy of the same name and his Taiwanese-American family as they strive to establish a steakhouse and acclimate to their new home in Orlando. The series is set in the 1990s, which gives it a fun throwback feel for fashion, food, and trends. But
FOB has a keen, comic, and modern eye for the problems minorities and immigrants face as they are pressured toward social conformity.
Fresh Off the Boat premieres February 10 on ABC. Watch the teaser below. --
Daniel Reynolds5. FILM: GirlhoodDirected by Celine Sciamma (
Tomboy),
Girlhood follows a teenage girl Marieme (Karidja Toure), a resident of the Paris projects, as she decides to drop out of school and seek out a new identity as "Vic" in a gang of young women. Sciamma's films are known for showcasing LGBT storylines. And while there are scenes of same-sex attraction in
Girlhood, the movie focuses more on Marieme's internal journey away from the conformity of childhood toward the independence of adulthood. In its tour of film festivals, the French movie has accrued a number of honors, among them a Special Jury Prize at the Philadelphia Film Festival and the Bronze Horse for Best Film at the Stockholm International Film Festival. It is out in limited release this weekend. Watch the trailer below. --
Daniel Reynolds4. EVENT: HRC's Greater New York Gala It's going to be quite the star-studded night -- and all for a good cause -- when the
Human Rights Campaign's Greater New York chapter (encompassing New York State, Connecticut, and New Jersey) holds its annual gala Saturday at New York City's Waldorf-Astoria. Mary Lambert will sing; comic Dana Goldberg will host the live auction, at which you can bid on a week at a Cancun resort; and the filmmakers and cast of
The Imitation Game will be honored. GE will also honored with HRC's Corporate Equality Award, and HRC president Chad Griffin is scheduled to be a special guest presenter. At the after-party,
American Idol finalist David Hernandez will perform. Get all the info and order tickets
here. --
Trudy Ring3. MUSIC: Tove Lo "Talking Body"The long-awaited second single from Tove Lo's album Queen of the Clouds is now making the rounds. "Talking Body" is no "Habits (Stay High)," but the video is pretty stellar, heightening a lackluster tune. There's no pyrotechnics, just Lo moving from one meticulously-shot set to the next. The editing is seamless and the lighting sexy. We're not quite sure yet if this Swedish singer has staying power, but her aesthetic is definitely spot-on. -- Neal Broverman
2. FILM: 2015 Oscar ShortsYou can catch the each of the short films nominated for a 2015 Oscar in one location at theaters around the country beginning today, including Michael Lennox and Ronan Blaney's Boogaloo and Graham, Mat Kirkby and James Lucas's The Phone Call, and Oded Binnun and Mihal Brezis's Aya. Get a full list of the nominations and watch trailers for individual shorts at Oscars.go.com. Check your local theater for availability and show times. -- Jase Peeples
1. TV: Super Bowl 2015 Halftime ShowTwo words: Katy Perry. Millions of us will tune in for the big game this Sunday, but whether you're there for the football or the ads, there's no doubt that all eyes will be on Katy Perry for an amazing performance. Will there be fireworks? Will there be girl-on-girl kissing? Will there be crazy jungle-themed acrobatics? Who knows! All we can guarantee is that Perry's going to put on a show-stopper. --
Michelle Garcia
Viral post saying Republicans 'have two daddies now' has MAGA hot and bothered