Sunday, June 22nd | The Rally  Hosted by comedians Judy Gold and Bob Smith, this kick-off to the week’s festivities will include performances by well-known performers and motivational speakers from the LGBT community as well as the obligatory attendance by the drag queen cheerleaders.  Bryant Park (42nd St. & 6th Ave).  2-6pm.  Free.  

Saturday, June 28 | Rapture on the River  This will be the fifth year of this women-only dance event.  The music of DJ Susan Levine will be featured as well as other musical guests.  Pier 54 (13th St at the West Side Highway- Hudson River Park).  6-11pm.  Advance tickets $20, at door $25.

Sunday, June 29 |  PrideFest  Back for its 15th year, this street fair has vendors, entertainers, and activities for all ages.  Hudson St. between Abingdon Sq. & West 14th St. (map).  11am-7pm.  Free.

Sunday, June 29 | The March  The march began as an annual civil rights demonstration after the 1970 Stonewall Riots and has grown into a celebration of the gay community.  Transsexual actress Candis Cayne from ABC’s Dirty Sexy Money will be a Grand Marshall at this year’s 39th annual NYC LGBT parade.  Parade route: From 5th Ave. & 52nd St. to Christopher & Greenwich St.  Noon-end, moment of silence at 2pm.  Free.  

Sunday June 29 |  Dance on the Pier  Party the night away at the official NYC LGBT Dance on the Pier.  Music by Joe Gauthreaux and Tracy Young, followed by fireworks at dusk.  Pier 54 (13th St at the West Side Highway- Hudson River Park).  4-10:30pm.  $55 each when purchased before June 29th.  $75 each when purchased day of, available only at Universal Gear. 

Gay Pride is being celebrated around the United States this month.  Check out The Hawaii Traveler for the pride festivities in Honolulu. 

Photo credit:  See-Ming Lee via Flickr, Flickr, and Flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

“Live, Love, Be” is the theme of this year’s Brooklyn Pride event.  There is a full day of events on Saturday, June 14th with a festival in Prospect Park from 11am-6pm and a Night Parade from 6-8pm.  More information can be found on the Brooklyn Pride website. 

Washington DC’s Pride Fest finishes this weekend with a parade and festival.  To find out what’s going in the Beltway, check out The DC Traveler’s post (and a few really great photos) on Capital Pride.

NewFest, the LGBT Film Festival is celebrating its 20th year and runs through Sunday, June 15th.  For film schedules and more information, go to NewFest.org.

Photo credit: Tom Legrady via flickr 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Polish theater company TR Warszawa and director Grzegorz Jarzyna breathe new life into Shakespeare’s Macbeth with performances at St. Ann’s Warehouse in DUMBO, Brooklyn.  This Shakespeare classic tragedy will be presented in an a two-story, open-air, column-free structure that was specially constructed for the event.  The production will be a true multi-media experience complete with video walls and English supertitles, as the play will be presented entirely in Polish.

For more information on Macbeth under the bridge, including a trailer, visit the St Ann’s Warehouse website. 

Location:  St. Ann’s Warehouse, 38 Water Street, Brooklyn (map)

Subway:  F to York Street

Dates and Time: June 17th through June 29th.  9pm

Cost:  Reserved seating $35.  Available online or by phone (718) 254-8779 or (866) 811-4111 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

ABC’s hit show Dancing with the Stars has just crowned a new champion.  But if you’re going through withdrawals from Dancing With the Stars, why don’t you dance under the stars?

The dance that has been called a “three minute love affair” is returning to Central Park again this summer.  Central Park Tango, a free dance meeting, is set to begin next week, Saturday, June 7 with Hernan as the DJ.  

Central Park Tango began in 1995 with a handful of people and a boom box at Bethesda Fountain.  At the time it was called “Hit and Run Tango” because if the police came, everybody would run.  As the the number of participants grew, a permit became necessary and now, a fully permitted weekly event, Central Park Tango takes place at Literary Walk in Central Park.  There is also a free lesson at 7:30pm for newcomers. 

It may take two to tango, but according to Rick Castro, longtime organizer of Central Park Tango, most dancers come alone and what happens on the dance floor stays on the dance floor.  For more information visit Central Park Tango online or call the NYC Tango Hotline at 212-726-1111

Location:  At the Shakespeare Statue in Central Park, just off of E. 66th Street (map); or at the Dairy during times of rain.  

Dates:  Every Saturday rain or shine.  Begins June 7th through September 27th.

Time:  6-9pm.  Tango lesson at 7:30pm.

Cost:  Free

Photo credit: flickr; flickr

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Amazônia Brasil – Main Exhibit:  South Street Seaport, Pier 17

South Street Seaport has been transformed into a re-creation of the Brazilian rainforest.  In the 13,000-sq.-foot experience, visitors can see the sights and sounds of the Amazon and walk through a replica of a Amazon village.  Lending even more credibility to the experience, visitors may interact with indigenous shamans and artisans also in attendance.  Click here for more information.  Ends July 13th.     

Fashion & Design Exhibit: World Financial Center Courtyard Gallery  FREE

Focusing on mixing sustainability with fashion and design, I thought this exhibit was fascinating.  The exhibit begins with a display of ten dresses, designed by Brazil’s finest clothing designers, that were made with natural, organic materials.  Among my favorite was the beautiful tilapia fish skin dress by Patricia Viera, the organic cotton and linen dress by Clô Orozco (Huis Clos), and the tucumã straw dress by Nadia Pires.  The exhibition also presents furniture and houseware designs, many made from recycled PET.  Click here for more information.  Ends July 13th.    

Photography & Video:  National Museum of the American Indian  FREE

This National Museum of the American Indian, affiliated with the Smithsonian Institute, opens the “Guardians of the Forest” exhibit tomorrow, May 1st.  This free five day event will offer daily screenings videos which showcase award-winning productions by indigenous filmmakers of the Amazon as well as discussions with some attending filmmakers.  After the New York stop, this exhibition will be heading south to Washington D.C. from May 7-11.  Click here for more information.  Ends May 5th.        

Climate Change Exhibit:  United Nations Visitors Lobby  FREE

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Leggings   All of the major fashion mags may have said that leggings are out but there are still quite a few girls rocking this look on the street.  Remember, these are not to be work in place of pants, so always wear this look with a long shirt (one that covers your posterior!) or dress.  (Bonus points to the girl wearing the leggings in the above photo for pairing them with patent flats!) 

Converse   High-top or low-top, for men or women, in any color Converse are back and they are back BIG!  This retro favorite is worn by hipsters, rockers, and preps alike. 

Flats   Tory Burch flats may be all the rage in L.A. (and in some Upper East Side circles) but they are almost nowhere to be seen in downtown New York.  Instead, opt for metallic flats which are hot for spring.  Word is that we can look for patent to come back later this season.  Flats can be paired with just about anything, from skinny jeans (which are still being worn) to dresses with leggings.  

BONUS:   A Whole Foods Reusable Shopping Bag  Yeah, I thought this was a little strange as well… but at least one in five people had one of the new Whole Foods bags slung over their shoulder.  Of course, I was on Bowery, just a few blocks from the Bowery Whole Foods.

Photo credits (left to right): leggings, personal collection; Converse, personal collection; ballet flats, Flickr 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

As I sit here in a Tribeca coffee shop, cinemaphiles to my left and right are are pouring over the 2008 TFF Official Guide, trying to decide which films they want to put on their list.  Here is a short list of films that the feel are noteworthy:    

Friday, April 25th

• Eden (Ireland)   Adapted from an award-winning play, this film captures the slow demise of a 10-year relationship.  Also screened on Sunday
• Trucker (USA)   A tough, no-nonsense truck-driver is faced with raising her 11-year old son when his father is hospitalized.   
• Lost Indulgence (China)   Described as visually stunning, a monther an her teenage son face complications in their relationship after they invite a secretive young women to into their home.  Also screened on Saturday
• My Marlon and Brando (Turkey, Netherlands, UK)   Based on the true story.  She is a Turk living in Istanbul and he, Kurd living in Iraq during the US occupation,  meeting and falling in love.  Also screened on Saturday
• Newcastle (Australia)   Rich with action and surfing footage, this film follows Jesse, a 17-year-old surfer, and his surfer buddies, as they walk the line between adventure and disaster.   Also screened on Sunday.

Saturday, April 26th

• Love, Pain, and Vice Versa  (Mexico, Spain, USA)   Two strangers are linked when their recurring dreams begin to destroy their reality.     
• The Aquarium (Egypt, France, Germany)   Calls into question both sexual and political repression, as an anesthesiologist and a late-night talk show host have secrets revealed to them.  
• Somers Town (UK)   This comedy follows the unlikely friendship between two boys– one runaway and the other, a Polish immigrant.  
• Quiet Chaos (Italy)   After his wife unexpectedly dies, Pietro muse face his grief in this film about spiritual rebirth.
• Let the Right One In (Sweden)   Based on a  Lindqvist bestselling novel, this film captures the first romance of a 12-year old girl with her next-door vampire neighbor.  

Sunday, April 27th

• 57,000 Kilometers Between Us (France)   Follows a teen who is caught between her real father, a transexual, and her stepfather when records the family’s “perfect” life online. 

Also, don’t forget the Tribeca Drive-In, a free outdoor screening event at the World Financial Center Plaza, which continues this Friday and Saturday evening.

For more information including theater locations and tickets visit the Tribeca Film Festival website. 

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

There is something for everybody at this year’s TFF.  The festival will feature films from Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, as well as from New York.  Such special interests as Women’s Issues, Environmental Issues, Political lssues, Health Issues, and Social Issues will be covered in films.  There will be films for the family, for teens, and for children.  Independent films will be featured as well as major Hollywood productions.  In addition to the films, there will be a number of panel discussions with directors and actors.  Ticket prices for screenings and panels are as follows:

• $15 for screenings that begin at 5pm or after, Monday-Friday and all screenings on Saturday-Sunday. 
• $8 for Matinee and Late Night Film screenings.  (beginning prior to 5pm, Monday-Friday, or beginning at 11pm or after everyday.)
• $25 Tribeca Talks Panel Ticket
• $25 Conversations in Cinema Panel Ticket (Special screenings followed by discussion.)
• $25 Behind the Screens Panel Ticket (TFF film screenings followed by discussion.)
• $8 Tribeca Talks Industry Panel Ticket (Panel discussion on film industry and business.)

A limited number of tickets are available to screenings and panels.  Once those tickets are sold out, it will be listed as “Rush Tickets.”  Rush ticket lines will form approximately 60 minutes prior to scheduled event times at the listed venue. Admission will begin, based on availability, approximately 15 minutes before program start time. 

Tickets are available online, by calling (866) 941-FEST (3378), or at two walk-up Manhattan locations: 

• Main Box Office, 15 Laight Street (between Varick St. and Sixth Ave, one block below Canal St.), 11:00am – 7:00pm, 7 days a week
• AMC 19^th Street East,  890 Broadway (between East 19^th St. and East 20^th St.), 3:00pm – 8:00pm, 7 days a week.

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

Tonight’s opening film, La Noche de los Inocentes (The Night of the Innocents) (Cuba/Spain/Italy), opens with a badly beaten man in the emergency room of La Habana hospital.  Everyone assumes that he’s been assaulted for being a transvestite, but as the night continues, mysterious characters “come out of the woodwork.”  The movie may sound suspiciously like a telenovela on Univision, but it won the prestigious El Mégano prize at the 2007 Havana Film Festival in Cuba. 

Other films in the 2008 HFFNY include:

Quien Soy Yo? Los Niños Encontrados de Argentina (Who Am I? The Found Children of Argentina) (Cuba)  This film introduces audiences to the children– now young adults– of the disappeared of Argentina’s Dirty War (1976-1983).  The children were kidnapped from their families and given to those that supported Jorge Rafael Videla’s military regime.  Of the over 500 stolen children, over 88 have been reunited with their real families.  Director Estela Bravo will be present and there will be a special appearance by Estela Carlotto, President of the Plaza de Mayo Grandmothers.

New Children/New York Youth Program (New York) is a collection of shorts directed by young Latinos in New York City.  They discover filmmaking as a tool to make sense of and communicate the experience of growing-up a Latino immigrant in the U.S.

Não Por Acaso (Not By Chance) (Brazil) follows two control-obsessed characters, Enio and Pedro.  Both live in their own worlds in order to find fulfillment in life until the day that Enio’s ex-wife and Pedro’s wife die in an accident.  Both men are in despair until Enio meets his long-lost daughter and Pedro meets Lucia, a young woman with whom he attempts to recreate the past.  Faced the decision between their obsession with control and new opportunities, the men must choose a path and learn that nothing is by chance.        

A number of screenings are free and will be open to the public.  Check the HFFNY schedule for more information.  The screenings will be at multiple venues in Manhattan, Bronx, and Queens.  For a full schedule of film, venue and ticket information, visit the Havana Film Festival website.    

I will be in attendance at this weekend’s screening of Fidel, a film which is part of the Estela Bravo Retrospective: Witness of Her Time program.  Check back Monday, April 14th for my thoughts on the film.

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Post from: The New York City Traveler

The films in this year’s festival emphasize history and storytelling, technology and the future.  This year’s theme, “Cinema and History: Africa and the Future,” will mark the 50th anniversary of the independence of Guinea from colonial rule and will feature footage of this independence as captured by Russian archival footage. 

Among this year’s films are:

Cuba: An African Odyssey (France), which examines events surrounding Che Guevara’s military campaign in Africa.  Over 300,000 Cubans fought alongside African revolutionaries in one of the Cold War’s fiercest battles over resources and ideology.

Goodbye Mothers (Morocco), expected to ignite controversy in Morocco, deals with the peaceful coexistence of two families– one Muslim, one Jewish– during the 1960s “Black Years of Immigration” in Morocco.  The showing at NYAFF will be this film’s New York debut.       

Juju Factory (Democratic Republic of Congo) follows the journey of Kongo as he writes a travel book that is filled with threads of Congolese history,  Belgium’s ghosts, and the afflicted people he meet on his journey.   

This year the film festival is divided between four venues:

• April 9-15  Film Society of Lincoln Center
• April 14  Columbia University
• May 6, 7, 13, 30, &27  French Institute-Alliance Française
• May 23-26  BAMcinématek

For more information, including the full schedule of films, ticket and venue information, visit the African Film Festival New York website.   

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Post from: The New York City Traveler