Chain Camera Pictures & Magnolia Pictures
Present
A MAGNOLIA PICTURES RELEASE
OUTRAGE
A film by Kirby Dick
90 min., 1.85:1, 35mm
Not Rated
Distributor Contact: / Press Contact NY/Nat’l: / Press Contact LA/Nat’l:Matt Cowal / Jeff Hill / Nancy Willen
Arianne Ayers / Jessica Uzzan / Elisabeth Kasson
Danielle McCarthy / International House of Publicity / Acme Public Relations
Magnolia Pictures / (212) 265-4373 phone / (310) 396-0443 phone
49 W. 27th St., 7th Floor / /
New York, NY 10001 / /
(212) 924-6701 phone
(212) 924-6742 fax
SYNOPSIS
From Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Kirby Dick (This Film
Is Not Yet Rated) comes OUTRAGE, a searing indictment of the hypocrisy of closeted politicians with appalling gay rights voting records who actively campaign against the LGBT community they covertly belong to. Boldly revealing the hidden lives of some of the United States' most powerful policymakers, OUTRAGE takes a comprehensive look at the harm they've inflicted on millions of Americans, and examines the media's complicity in keeping their secrets.
With analysis from prominent members of the gay community such as Congressman Barney Frank, former NJ Governor Jim McGreevey, activist Larry Kramer, radio personality Michelangelo Signorile, and openly gay congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (Representative, Wisconsin 2nd district), OUTRAGE probes deeply into the psychology of this double lifestyle, the ethics of outing closeted politicians, the double standards that the media upholds in its coverage of the sex lives of gay public figures, and much more.
ABOUT THE SUBJECTS
(In Order of Appearance)
James McGreevey -- 52nd Governor (Democrat) of New Jersey. After nearly three years in office, he resigned from office, declared his homosexuality and admitted to an extramarital affair with an adviser.
Kevin Naff – Editor of the Washington Blade and Genre Magazine.
Dan Popkey -- A reporter for the Idaho Statesman, Popkey was a Pulitzer Prize finalist for his investigation into Larry Craig in 2007.
Jim Hormel – Former ambassador to Luxembourg. Nominated by Bill Clinton, Hormel is the first openly gay man to represent the United States as an ambassador.
David Phillips – Alleges that he slept with a prominent congressman in 1986. He is currently an information technology consultant in the Washington DC area.
David Catania – Openly gay, at-large member of the DC City Council. Member of the “Austin 12,” 12 members of the Log Cabin Republicans who met with George W. Bush in 2000.
Elizabeth Birch – Former director of the Human Rights Campaign. In 2000, Birch became the first leader of an LGBT organization to address a national political convention when she gave a prime-time speech at the Democratic National Convention.
Michael Rogers – Activist/outer and founder of BlogActive.com. First reported on the hypocrisy of several prominent congressmen and senators, long prior to any coverage by the mainstream media.
Dan Gurley – Former RNC field director who oversaw anti-gay campaigns by the RNC and was therefore was “outed” by Michael Rogers. He now works for Equality North Carolina.
Andrew Sullivan – Prominent gay journalist and blogger. His blog Daily Dish can be found at The Atlantic Online.
Barney Frank -- Democratic Congressman from Massachusetts since 1981. He is the first member of Congress to come out of the closet of his own volition. He is one of only three openly gay members of Congress.
Bob Norman -- Columnist for The Broward-Palm Beach New Times. He was the first journalist to report on questions of hypocrisy with regard to voting records and the private lives of two prominent Florida politicians.
Michelangelo Signorile – Radio host on Out Q at Sirius XM. Gay activist with ACT UP and Queer Nation. Co-founding editor of OutWeek (1989). Joined The Advocate in 1991.
Larry Gross – A key figure in formation of Gay and Lesbian studies. Director and Professor of USC Annenberg School of Communications.
Rodger McFarlane – Activist, founder of Gay Men’s Health Crisis. He is the former executive director of the Denver-based Gill Foundation and the author of The Complete Bedside Companion: No-Nonsense Advice on Caring for the Seriously Ill.
Larry Kramer – LGBT rights activist, founder of AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) in 1987. A playwright and author he was nominated for an Academy Award for “Women in Love” and Pulitzer Prize for “The Destiny of Me.”
Wayne Barrett -- Reporter and editor for Village Voice since 1979. Writer of The Big Apple: City for Sale: Ed Koch and the Betrayal of New York.
David Rothenberg – Social activist, playwright and theater producer and founder of the Fortune Society. In 1985, he was first openly gay candidate in history to run for NYC Council. Friend of Richard Nathan.
Frederick Hertz – Former attorney to and friend of Richard Nathan.
Gary Cathey – Founder of ACT UP. Shreveport. Allegedly had a longstanding relationship with a prominent Republican congressman.
Chris Bull – Former reporter at The Advocate. While a reporter at the publication, he wrote “The Outing of a Family Values Congressman: US Representative Jim McCrery’s Double Life.”
Mark Cromer –His work has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, LA Weekly, Los Angeles Daily Journal, Los Angeles Daily News, New York Daily News and many other publications around the country. First to report on the hypocrisy of a prominent California congressman.
Steve Clemons – DC insider, publisher of political blog, The Washington Note.
H. Alexander Robinson – CEO of National Black Justice Coalition (NBJC). Deputy Executive Director for the National Minority AIDS Council and member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS during the Clinton Administration.
Hilary Rosen – Currently an on-air Contributor for CNN and Washington Editor-at-Large for The Huffington Post. She was formerly the chairman and chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America and former interim director for the Human Rights Campaign.
Rich Tafel – Former executive director of the Log Cabin Republicans. President of RLT Strategies and author of “Party Crasher: A Gay Republican Challenges Politics as Usual.”
Jose Antonio Vargas – An out reporter at The Washington Post, Vargas won a Pulitzer Prize as part of a team that covered the 2007 massacre at Virginia Tech.
Tom Sheridan –Lobbyist and founder of The Sheridan Group, a government and public relations organization in Washington. Former director of public policy at the AIDS Action Council. Founder of AIDSPAC.
Kirk Fordham -- Rep. Mark Foley’s, former chief of staff and campaign manager. He raised the issue of Foley's instant messages with pages with the staff of House Speaker Dennis Hastert more than three years before the news became public.
Patrick Guerriero -- Former Executive Director of the Log Cabin Republicans. He served three terms as a Massachusetts state representative and two as mayor of the city of Melrose, Massachusetts. Currently his is the executive director of the Gill Action Fund, which advocates gay and lesbian equality.
Jim Kolbe – Former Arizona Congressman. Came out in August 1996 after the gay magazine The Advocate threatened to out him for his vote in favor of the Defense of Marriage Act.
Tammy Baldwin – Representative, Wisconsin 2nd district. One of three openly gay members of Congress.
Neil Guiliano -- Former Republican mayor of Tempe, AZ. He has been the President of Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) since September 2005.
Matt Weissman – Psychotherapist.
Tony Kushner – Pulitzer Prize winning playwright of Angels in America.
Dina Matos McGreevey – Ex-wife of former New Jersey Governor Jim
McGreevey.
John Byrne – Editor and publisher of Raw Story.
ABOUT THE FILMMAKERS
KIRBY DICK – Director
Kirby Dick is an Academy Award nominated documentary film director.
His most recent release, This Film Is Not Yet Rated, is a breakthrough investigation of the highly secretive MPAA film ratings system. The film opened to great critical acclaim and recently compelled the MPAA to make long overdue changes in its ratings system.
Dick’s prior film, Twist of Faith, is the powerful story of a man confronting the trauma of his past sexual abuse by a Catholic priest. Produced for HBO, Twist of Faith received a 2004 Academy Award nomination for Best Documentary Feature.
Dick’s other films include, Derrida, a complex portrait of the world-renowned French philosopher Jacques Derrida, which won the Golden Gate Award at the San Francisco Film Festival, and the internationally acclaimed Sick: The Life & Death of Bob Flanagan, Supermasochist, which won the Special Jury Prize at the Sundance Film Festival and the Grand Prize at the Los Angeles Film Festival.
AMY ZIERING – Producer
Amy Ziering is an award-winning Los Angeles producer and director. Her latest film, The Memory Thief, which she produced, stars Mark Webber (Broken Flowers, Dear Wendy, Storytelling) and Rachel Miner (Bully). Currently in festival release and was a top audience pick and critics pick at the Philadelphia Film Festival. Ziering also co-directed and produced Derrida, a documentary about the world renowned French philosopher. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, won the Golden Gate award at the San Francisco Film Festival, and was released domestically by Zeitgeist Films and internationally in Germany, France and the UK. Prior to that, Ziering produced Richard Cohen’s Taylor’s Campaign, a documentary about a homeless person running for the mayor of Santa Monica. Ziering studied with Jacques Derrida at the Ecole Normale in Paris, France and taught film and film theory at Yale University.
CHAD GRIFFIN – Executive Producer
Executive Producer Chad Griffin has played a lead in shaping some of the nation’s most consequential policy debates since his days as the youngest-ever White House West Wing staffer. He has successfully taken on the right wing, big tobacco, big oil and big developers and has played key roles in every recent state, federal and presidential election cycle. His work was recognized last year when he joined Al Gore, Keith Olbermann and Congressman Barney Frank in being named one of The Advocate Magazine’s 2008 People of the Year.
Griffin is noted as one of the leading political, policy and philanthropic advisers to the entertainment industry and is a partner in the strategic services firm Griffin|Schake. His clients include high-profile individuals, businesses, political campaigns, non-profit organizations and philanthropies. Griffin is a graduate of Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Service.
THADDEUS WADLEIGH -- Cinematographer
Thaddeus Wadleigh was 10 years old when a lawyer bought his black and white photo of three geese in a rusted out bathtub. Raised in Santa Fe, New Mexico, on a ranch with no electricity, Wadleigh developed an early love of observing and recording his surroundings. An apprenticeship with Gabe Kruks (The Black Stallion, Never Cry Wolf) landed him firmly in the film industry. Since his first feature film in 1984 until the present Thaddeus has worked on over 60 films including Heathers, Legends of The Fall, Sicko, and Who Killed The Electric Car.
DOUG BLUSH – Editor
Doug Blush has edited a wide range of documentary features, including the crossword hit Wordplay, the craft brewery exposé Beer Wars, and the frighteningly prescient financial meltdown primer I.O.U.S.A. Doug co-owns MadPix, Inc, a post-production company in Los Angeles with his wife Lisa, and is co-directing a feature documentary with her on the highs and lows of bi-polar personalities slated for 2010.
PETER GOLUB – Composer
Peter Golub’s recent film scores include: Frozen River (Nominated for 2 Academy Awards, Winner of Grand Jury Prize for Best Film at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival);I.O.U.S.A; The Great Debaters (co-composed with James Newton Howard and directed by Denzel Washington);Wordplay; The Laramie Project (for HBO); American Gun; and Stolen (awarded Best Music at 2003 Avignon Film Festival.
His many theatre scores include: Come Back, Little Sheba (recently on Broadway, nominated for 2008 Tony Award);Suddenly Last Summer (starring Blythe Danner at the Roundabout); Macbeth (starring Liev Schrieber for the New York Shakespeare Festival); as well as productions at The Mark Taper Forum, Playwrights Horizon, ART (the musical The Idiots Karamazov with lyrics by Christoher Durang), Berkeley Rep (The Glass Menagerie with Rita Moreno), La Jolla Playhouse, The Globe, the Huntington, Williamstown Theatre Festival (Camino Reale with Ethan Hawke) and others. For ten years he was Composer-in-Residence at Charles Ludlam’s legendary Ridiculous Theatrical Company in Greenwich Village. His musical, Amphigorey, based on stories by Edward Gorey, was nominated for a Drama Desk Award. His ballets include: The Gilded Bat, also with text and designs by Edward Gorey, performed at the Kennedy Center by Ballet West; The Lost World, commissioned by Edward Villella for the Miami City Ballet; Trainon, based on music of Rameau, for the Atlanta Ballet; and Straight Through the Heart, based on music of Jerome Kern, for the Milwaukee Ballet.
He is also the composer of numerous concerts works. Born in New York City, he received a Doctorate in Composition from the Yale School of Music; his teachers included Toru Takemitsu, Jacob Druckman and Henry Brant. Since 1998, he has been the Director of the Sundance Film Music Program. He serves on the Board of the American Music Center.
CREDITS
Writer / Director Kirby Dick
Producer Amy Ziering
Executive Producers Tom Quinn
Jason Janego
Ted Sarandos
Chad Griffin
Kimball Stroud
Bruce Brothers
Tectonic Theater Project
Co-Producer Tanner Barklow
Editors Doug Blush
Matt Clarke
Music Peter Golub
Director of Photography Thaddeus Wadleigh
Verite Camera Gil Kofman
Design and Animation Bil White
Featuring:
Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin
Wayne Barrett
Elizabeth Birch
Chris Bull
John Byrne
David Catania
Gary Cathey
Steven Clemons
Mark Cromer
Kirk Fordham
Congressman Barney Frank
Neil Giuliano
Larry Gross
Patrick Guerriero
Dan Gurley
Frederick Hertz
Ambassador Jim Hormel
Congressman Jim Kolbe
Larry Kramer
Tony Kushner
Dina Matos McGreevey
Rodger McFarlane
Governor James McGreevey
Bob Norman
Kevin Naff
David Phillips
Dan Popkey
Alexander Robinson
Michael Rogers
Hilary Rosen
David Rothenberg
Tom Sheridan
Michelangelo Signorile