Saturday Church screens Saturday, Apr. 7th at 5:30pm at the .Zack (3224 Locust St., St. Louis, Mo 63103) as part of this year’s QFest St. Louis. Ticket information can be found Here
A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here
Review by Stephen Tronicek
To watch someone truly find themselves and become who they truly are is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Films celebrate this in different ways, whether it be a celebration of the embrace of a certain art form, whether it be the way that love can draw “you” out, and most important in this age, the discovery of one’s identity. Of one’s rightful status of personhood. Luckily for us, Saturday Church celebrates all three of these things in one of the most euphoric ways ever put to film. It’s a film about discovery and the boundless excitement of that,...
A Facebook invite for the event can be found Here
Review by Stephen Tronicek
To watch someone truly find themselves and become who they truly are is one of the most beautiful things in the world. Films celebrate this in different ways, whether it be a celebration of the embrace of a certain art form, whether it be the way that love can draw “you” out, and most important in this age, the discovery of one’s identity. Of one’s rightful status of personhood. Luckily for us, Saturday Church celebrates all three of these things in one of the most euphoric ways ever put to film. It’s a film about discovery and the boundless excitement of that,...
- 4/5/2018
- by Movie Geeks
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
As Timothée Chalamet fever sweeps the country, and “Call Me By Your Name” envelops audiences in the golden hue of Italian summer romance, the future of queer cinema looks bright indeed. Beyond our Adonis-adorned Oscar contender, 2017 delivered an array of satisfying gay storylines; including the breathtaking French epic “Bpm (Beats Per Minute),” the underrated Billie Jean King biopic “Battle of the Sexes,” and Sebastian Lelio’s bittersweet romance “A Fantastic Woman.”
Gone are the days when queer cinephiles counted their lucky stars for one gay-related film a year, a trend that films like “Moonlight” and “Carol” seem to have nipped in the bud once and for all.
Read More:The 10 Best Lgbtq Films of 2017, From ‘Call Me by Your Name’ to ‘Bpm’
As 2018 begins with “Call Me By Your Name” braced to earn a few Oscar nominations, the month of January alone saw three queer-related indies open in theaters. Though all saw limited releases,...
Gone are the days when queer cinephiles counted their lucky stars for one gay-related film a year, a trend that films like “Moonlight” and “Carol” seem to have nipped in the bud once and for all.
Read More:The 10 Best Lgbtq Films of 2017, From ‘Call Me by Your Name’ to ‘Bpm’
As 2018 begins with “Call Me By Your Name” braced to earn a few Oscar nominations, the month of January alone saw three queer-related indies open in theaters. Though all saw limited releases,...
- 1/18/2018
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Saturday Church is the sort of debut indie feature that would be best played with the sound off. In some ways, this is more of a compliment to the film’s virtues than a criticism. In today’s supersaturated, content-driven, post-Sundance indie feature market, it’s often the case that the writing is the most obviously lacking, followed closely by poorly conceived performances, which are often the natural extension of a lazily constructed script. Turn the sound off and a large swath of those common first-effort pitfalls recede into the background, allowing for the strengths (or weaknesses) of the direction to take center stage. In the case of Saturday Church, there is some fairly sturdy direction at work to admire, but, weighed down by some painfully clunky writing; the film has a hard time identifying what it’s good at and sticking to it. Where the trouble lies in such...
- 1/13/2018
- by The Film Stage
- The Film Stage
The streets of the West Village in Manhattan have become a kind of haven to African-American gay and transgender youth, and this is the tentative subject matter of “Saturday Church,” a first feature from writer-director Damon Cardasis that functions as a coming-of-age story and a small-scale musical. Cardasis, who is Caucasian, has said that he was inspired to tell this story after volunteering at St. Luke in the Fields in the Village, which has a church program focused on at-risk youth in the area. Luka Kain stars as 14-year-old Ulysses, who is first seen at the military funeral for his father....
- 1/10/2018
- by Dan Callahan
- The Wrap
"You want to join them?" Samuel Goldwyn Films has debuted the first official trailer for an indie musical titled Saturday Church, which premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival earlier this year. The film is being described as Moonlight meets La La Land (of course these two films are named), but set in New York City. The story follows a 14-year-old boy named Ulysses, struggling with gender identity and religion, who begins to use fantasy to escape his life in the inner city and find his passion in the process. Broadway up-and-comer Luka Kain stars as vibrant youngster Ulysses, with a cast including Margot Bingham, Regina Taylor, Mj Rodriguez, Marquis Rodriguez, and Indya Moore. Saturday Church also features songs and music composed and co-written by musician-turned-film composer Nathan Larson. This looks like a triumphant, uplifting, inspiring film from NYC. And this reminds me of the excellent documentary Kiki. Worth a watch.
- 12/5/2017
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Chicago – Reeling (Reeling17), Chicago’s Lgbtq+ International Film Festival in America, closes its 35th edition in Chicago at the Landmark Century Centre Cinema on Thursday, September 28th (details below). Closing Night will feature an unique film called “Sunday Church,” featuring Luka Kain, Margot Bingham and Regina Taylor and written/directed by Damon Cardasis – his debut film.
Closing Night Film ‘Sunday Church’ at Reeling2017 on September 28th
Photo credit: Reeling2017
This film is an intimate, lyrical melodrama that breaks into moments of powerful ballads that comment on the action, and are sung by the film’s lead characters… making this audacious film part drama, part cheeky comedy and part musical. After the recent death of his father, Ulysses’ (Luka Kain) mother Amara (Margot Bingham) is always at work, and she enlists conservative Aunt Rose (Regina Taylor) to keep an eye on Ulysses and his little brother. Meanwhile, Ulysses has begun experimenting...
Closing Night Film ‘Sunday Church’ at Reeling2017 on September 28th
Photo credit: Reeling2017
This film is an intimate, lyrical melodrama that breaks into moments of powerful ballads that comment on the action, and are sung by the film’s lead characters… making this audacious film part drama, part cheeky comedy and part musical. After the recent death of his father, Ulysses’ (Luka Kain) mother Amara (Margot Bingham) is always at work, and she enlists conservative Aunt Rose (Regina Taylor) to keep an eye on Ulysses and his little brother. Meanwhile, Ulysses has begun experimenting...
- 9/28/2017
- by adam@hollywoodchicago.com (Adam Fendelman)
- HollywoodChicago.com
The 2017 Outfest festival ran from July 6-16.
Los Angeles-based nonprofit Outfest has announced the award winners of its 2017 Outfest Los Angeles Lgbt Film Festival, presented by HBO.
The Us grand jury prize was awarded to Jennifer Reeder for her Chicago-set mother-daughter drama Signature Move (pictured), and the Us documentary grand jury prize went to Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi’s Chavela profiling artist Chavela Vargas.
The Chances, created by Shoshanna Stern and Josh Feldman and directed by Anna Kerrigan, won the Best Narrative Audience Award, while the Audience Award for Best First Us Narrative Feature went to Albert Alarr for A Million Happy Nows.
Outfest’s International grand jury prize was awarded to South African film The Wound, directed by John Trengove. The Us Narrative Jury Prize Best Actor went to Luka Kain for his performance in Saturday Church, while the Us Narrative Jury Prize Best Actress was awarded to Ever Mainard for her role in [link...
Los Angeles-based nonprofit Outfest has announced the award winners of its 2017 Outfest Los Angeles Lgbt Film Festival, presented by HBO.
The Us grand jury prize was awarded to Jennifer Reeder for her Chicago-set mother-daughter drama Signature Move (pictured), and the Us documentary grand jury prize went to Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi’s Chavela profiling artist Chavela Vargas.
The Chances, created by Shoshanna Stern and Josh Feldman and directed by Anna Kerrigan, won the Best Narrative Audience Award, while the Audience Award for Best First Us Narrative Feature went to Albert Alarr for A Million Happy Nows.
Outfest’s International grand jury prize was awarded to South African film The Wound, directed by John Trengove. The Us Narrative Jury Prize Best Actor went to Luka Kain for his performance in Saturday Church, while the Us Narrative Jury Prize Best Actress was awarded to Ever Mainard for her role in [link...
- 7/17/2017
- ScreenDaily
The 2017 Tribeca Film Festival has come and gone, but several of its highlights face an uncertain future. While the festival opened with an iTunes-ready documentary about Clive Davis and closed with back-to-back screenings of the first two “Godfather” films, many of the films in its competition sections arrived at the festival without distribution deals and ended it in the same state. Here’s at a few significant titles from this year’s edition that deserve to get picked up.
“Blame”
Overachieving multi-hyphenate Quinn Shephard was just 20 when she wrote, directed, produced, edited and starred in her feature directorial debut, a modern spin on Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” set in the witch hunt capital of contemporary America: the suburban high school. While Shephard cast herself as the film’s Abigail Williams — an outcast with secrets to spare who gets entangled with a smoldering substitute teacher, played by Chris Messina — the...
“Blame”
Overachieving multi-hyphenate Quinn Shephard was just 20 when she wrote, directed, produced, edited and starred in her feature directorial debut, a modern spin on Arthur Miller’s “The Crucible,” set in the witch hunt capital of contemporary America: the suburban high school. While Shephard cast herself as the film’s Abigail Williams — an outcast with secrets to spare who gets entangled with a smoldering substitute teacher, played by Chris Messina — the...
- 5/1/2017
- by David Ehrlich, Eric Kohn, Jude Dry and Kate Erbland
- Indiewire
In its most profound moments, “Saturday Church” follows its searching young protagonist, Ulysses (Luka Kain) at the slightest remove, mirroring the distance he puts between himself and the world. It’s a place that’s been unkind to this soft-hearted teen who sneaks away from his father’s wake to try on a pair of strappy red heels, cracking the faintest smile as he holds them up to his grey Sunday best. Stepping into the shoes ever so gingerly, Ulysses wobbles briefly before admiring his reflection in the mirror. It’s a quiet moment, almost sacred, and one anyone who has ever furtively raided a parent’s closet will recognize.
Read More: ‘Whitney: Can I Be Me’ Review: Bisexual Subtext is the Documentary’s Most Powerful Reveal — Tribeca Review
Director Damon Cardasis delivers a gorgeous rendering of an oft-heard but rarely seen story of a Bronx-born teen who finds his...
Read More: ‘Whitney: Can I Be Me’ Review: Bisexual Subtext is the Documentary’s Most Powerful Reveal — Tribeca Review
Director Damon Cardasis delivers a gorgeous rendering of an oft-heard but rarely seen story of a Bronx-born teen who finds his...
- 4/30/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The transfixing mix of poetic intimacy, emotional depth and searing compassion in last year's Moonlight made it a towering landmark among screen depictions of the struggles of young gay men. But as a subgenre, the Lgbtq coming-out/coming-of-age drama tends more often to fall into familiar grooves. That makes Damon Cardasis' heartfelt mini-musical, Saturday Church, all the more endearing as it escapes into interior-monologue numbers and expressive dance breaks to mark out the exploration of sexuality and gender identity of a Bronx teenager, played with lovely subdued intensity by newcomer Luka Kain.
With his delicate, angular features and piercing...
With his delicate, angular features and piercing...
- 4/23/2017
- by David Rooney
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
New York is a mecca for queer culture of all stripes. Set in the heart of downtown Manhattan, just a short walk from the cruising piers of Christopher street and the cocktail lounges of Chelsea, the Tribeca Film Festival is a natural home for Lgbtq creators and projects. From lesser known indie films to highly anticipated studio television shows, experimental Vr and new online work from queer up and comers pushing the conversation into new territory, the festival’s 16th edition offers plenty for the queer-minded.
Read More: Why ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Is the Most Anticipated Screening of the Tribeca Film Festival
Here is a guide to the five best Lgbtq projects playing the festival this year.
“Tom of Finland”
Now, here is a biopic we can get behind (or underneath, whatever your preference).
The cult icon Tom of Finland is renowned for his homoerotic drawings of beefcakes in...
Read More: Why ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Is the Most Anticipated Screening of the Tribeca Film Festival
Here is a guide to the five best Lgbtq projects playing the festival this year.
“Tom of Finland”
Now, here is a biopic we can get behind (or underneath, whatever your preference).
The cult icon Tom of Finland is renowned for his homoerotic drawings of beefcakes in...
- 4/20/2017
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Now in its sixteenth year, New York City’s own Tribeca Film Festival kicks off every spring with a wide variety of programming on offer, from an ever-expanding Vr installation to an enviable television lineup, but the bread and butter of the annual festival is still in its film slate. This year’s festival offers up plenty of returning favorites with new projects, alongside fresh faces itching to break out. From insightful documentaries to fanciful features, with a heavy dose of Gotham-centric films (hey, it is Tribeca after all), there’s plenty to dive into here, so we’ve culled the schedule for a few surefire hits.
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 20 – 30. Check out some of our must-see picks below.
Read More: Why ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Is the Most Anticipated Screening of the Tribeca Film Festival
“A Gray State”
It might be the craziest story...
This year’s Tribeca Film Festival takes place April 20 – 30. Check out some of our must-see picks below.
Read More: Why ‘The Handmaid’s Tale’ Is the Most Anticipated Screening of the Tribeca Film Festival
“A Gray State”
It might be the craziest story...
- 4/17/2017
- by Indiewire Staff
- Indiewire
Author: James Kleinmann
The Tribeca Film Festival hits New York next week and runs from April 19 – 30 th. Now in its sixteenth year, the annual event was co-founded by screen legend Robert De Niro in the wake of the September 11th attacks in an effort to revitalise Lower Manhattan. Retaining an element of its original commitment to Us indie cinema, it has evolved to encompass TV, Vr, online work, music and gaming. As ever, the festival will welcome a dizzying array of big name guests including Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Jon Favreau, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Quentin Tarantino, Scarlett Johansson and Ron Howard. Here are just some of the highlights, for the full line up and to buy tickets check out the official festival website here.
Opening and Closing night Galas at Radio City Music Hall
Kicking off the festival is the world premiere of music doc Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives.
The Tribeca Film Festival hits New York next week and runs from April 19 – 30 th. Now in its sixteenth year, the annual event was co-founded by screen legend Robert De Niro in the wake of the September 11th attacks in an effort to revitalise Lower Manhattan. Retaining an element of its original commitment to Us indie cinema, it has evolved to encompass TV, Vr, online work, music and gaming. As ever, the festival will welcome a dizzying array of big name guests including Tom Hanks, Emma Watson, Jon Favreau, Al Pacino, Diane Keaton, Quentin Tarantino, Scarlett Johansson and Ron Howard. Here are just some of the highlights, for the full line up and to buy tickets check out the official festival website here.
Opening and Closing night Galas at Radio City Music Hall
Kicking off the festival is the world premiere of music doc Clive Davis: The Soundtrack of Our Lives.
- 4/13/2017
- by James Kleinmann
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: Sales deal for feature produced by Maggie’s Plan producer Rebecca Miller; first-look image.
WestEnd Films has acquired international rights to Saturday Church, the musical produced by Damon Cardasis and Rebecca Miller from Round Films (Maggie’s Plan) and Mandy Tagger Brockey and Adi Ezroni from Spring Pictures (A Late Quartet).
Cardasis (Vicky & Lysander) has directed the movie, of which Screen can reveal the first look.
The score is composed by Nathan Larson (Boys Don’t Cry).
The movie follows Ulysses, a teenager from the Bronx struggling with gender identity and religion, who uses fantasy and music to escape his real life and figure out who he truly is.
The film stars newcomer Luka Kain alongside Margot Bingham (The Family) and Regina Taylor (I’ll Fly Away).
Currently in post-production, WestEnd will introduce the film to buyers at the Afm. CAA is representing the North American rights.
WestEnd Films has acquired international rights to Saturday Church, the musical produced by Damon Cardasis and Rebecca Miller from Round Films (Maggie’s Plan) and Mandy Tagger Brockey and Adi Ezroni from Spring Pictures (A Late Quartet).
Cardasis (Vicky & Lysander) has directed the movie, of which Screen can reveal the first look.
The score is composed by Nathan Larson (Boys Don’t Cry).
The movie follows Ulysses, a teenager from the Bronx struggling with gender identity and religion, who uses fantasy and music to escape his real life and figure out who he truly is.
The film stars newcomer Luka Kain alongside Margot Bingham (The Family) and Regina Taylor (I’ll Fly Away).
Currently in post-production, WestEnd will introduce the film to buyers at the Afm. CAA is representing the North American rights.
- 11/4/2016
- by andreas.wiseman@screendaily.com (Andreas Wiseman)
- ScreenDaily
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.