All About E

All About E is one film that has garnered a lot of positive critical reception. Not only did the film land a spot on our list of the best films from the Cinema Diverse event but it also won the Chicago Great Gay Screenplay competition as well.

Also worth noting is the fact that All About E‘s writer/director Louise Wadley took part in the Outfest Scriptwriting Lab. So, now that you know the level of talent behind the film, I suppose you want to know ‘what’s it all about?’.

The best way to describe this one is ‘a gay Thelma & Louise‘. Indeed, although that iconic movie thrived on (and made its way into our hearts because of) subtext, All About E has got more than enough maintext to keep you warm at night. Its lead is the titular E, an Arabic Australian woman who hosts Spanish themed nights at a local gay club.

But when she wants to ditch her matador get up and host a night that celebrates her Lebanese background instead, racist boss Johnny gives her a giant, resounding ‘no’.

The morning after Johnny puts his foot down, E and her gay BFF Matt find that E accidentally brought home a whole bunch of cash with her and the two have plans to open up their own club.

Unfortunately, trouble soon comes when they discover that the money belongs to Johnny leading E to her ex-girlfriend Trish’s farm to hide out, vowing to make it right with her former partner.

With a synopsis like that, there’s clearly a lot to love about All About E. It’s a little bit funny, it’s got a little bit of romance and while we wouldn’t call it ‘gripping’ in the traditional sense, the drama surrounding the criminal antics are a huge draw as well.

What’s also positive is to hear Louise Wadley’s thinking behind the film, as she told Lesbian.com her inspiration:

The inspiration was born out of a deep frustration of not seeing my Australia represented on screen. Where is the multicultural world that is the reality of most Australian Cities ? You just don’t see it. We need to catch up with our story telling and our casting. Why not have a woman of color be the lead?

So her cultural background doesn’t have to be the whole story just as why not have lesbians in other roles in drama as just a fact and a part of their character not the reason for the whole story. So it isn’t a coming out story. It isn’t a story that is just about being Arabic Australian – it’s a beautiful story about finding yourself that’s also a road movie, a thriller and a love story.”

And on All About E‘s love scenes, the writer/director explains that

I wanted to show a beautiful love scene between two women that was both passionate and real but also one that was complex and told a story like all of our other scenes.”

All About E is now available via Wolfe Video.

It’s no secret that the film industry is monumentally rubbish when it comes to the representation of lesbian and bisexual women.

It’s why we’re so eager to shine a spotlight on films that get it right as on the rare occasions that they do, we want everyone to know about it.

Earlier this month, Cinema Diverse, one of the best and most well-known film festivals dedicated to showcasing LGBT related movies, took place in Palm Springs.

Like many Cinema Diverse showings before it, this year’s event knocked it out of the park. There was a solid slate of films on offer this year but we’ve whittled it down to the films about gay, bi and questioning women.

Take a look at the list and let us know in the comments which one you like the sound of the most.

Liz In September

Liz In September reads like a TV Tropes entry in that it’s almost embarrassingly cliché. It stars a young straight woman (the term ‘straight’ used loosely here) whose car breaks down and she is forced to spend the night at a hotel.

This hotel just happens to be filled with lesbians, as they’re all there celebrating the birthday of Liz (who’s played by out gay model and actress Patricia Velasquez).

Naturally, the young woman falls for Liz and the rest is deliciously trope-y history.

Reel In The Closet

Recently, dramatized historical movie Stonewall made headlines for failing to represent what actually happened during the Stonewall riots, being criticised for skewing far from the truth. As a remedy to the bitterness that Roland Emmerich’s new movie left in the mouths of many, there’s Reel In The Closet.

A pun on the ‘come out of the closet’ adage, Reel In The Closet discusses the history of LGBT identities that have been captured on film.

The documentary is a rare look and insight into the lives of LGBT people in the 1940s and onwards, pre-2000 times in which homosexuality was still heavily stigmatised and was even illegal.

Upstairs Inferno

Also aiming to preserve one of the most important events (and tragedies) in LGBT history is Upstairs Inferno. In 1973, the UpStairs Lounge, a gay bar in New Orleans was the target of a horrific arson attack.

The Metropolitan Community Church (a denomination of pro-LGBT Protestants and the United States first gay church) had held a service and following the dinner the 60 or so patrons had had together, they soon realised that someone had set the place on fire. Although 30 people escaped, 32 people died both at the scene and in hospital as a result of their injuries.

Upstairs Inferno speaks to people who were in the fire, explaining what happened and reflecting on the lives lost in the tragedy as well as discussing the fact that the police could have done more to find the perpetrator. It also discusses how many families would not claim their family members either.

Although it’s much loved by lesbian and bisexual women the world over, Thelma & Louise was not actually a gay film (subtext only, sorry). Filling that void, however, is All About E which stars the titular DJ E as she takes something that’s not hers and before she can put it back, they’re hunting her down.

With her gay best friend tagging along with her for the ride, the two see the sights and have a laugh as they go. All About E is definitely one to watch with your pals, with a bowl of popcorn or two on a Saturday night.

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Australian Movie ‘All About E’ Is Like ‘Thelma & Louise’ But Gayer and More Diverse