A historical archive of events for which the incomparable Rayceen Pendarvis - "Goddess of DC" - has either hosted or participated in some other capacity.
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Rayceen Pendarvis was invited to host Reel Affirmations Film Festival Presents: Strike A Pose. The documentary focuses on six male backup dancers from Madonna's blockbuster Blonde Ambition Tour and scandalous backstage film Truth or Dare.
Reassembled on-camera for the first time since they helped the Material Girl bring voguing to the mainstream back in the early 90's, the dancers bare their truth in this revealing documentary look at their lives after their initial worldwide exposure.
In 1990, seven young dancers joined pop star Madonna on her most controversial world tour. Wild, talented and barely twenty, the dancers set out on the trip of a lifetime. Their journey was captured in Truth or Dare, one of the highest-grossing documentaries ever. As a self-proclaimed mother to her six gay dancers plus straight Oliver, Madonna used the film to take a stand on gay rights, freedom of expression and the fight against AIDS. Madonna’s flamboyant dancers became icons of sexual freedom, inspiring people all over the world to be who you are.
At the height of the AIDS epidemic and in the aftermath of the conservative Reagan era, Truth or Dare introduced audiences to fun-loving, bold and larger-than-life gay characters. The film was ground-breaking, featuring two guys kissing passionately during the famous "Truth or Dare" scene.
Madonna, determined to push the envelope, defended the film ferociously: “If you keep putting something in people’s faces, eventually, maybe they can come to terms with it.” The message stuck: even today, the dancers receive thank-you letters from people around the world recalling how the film changed their lives.
Although they were pivotal to Madonna’s message, the dancers weren’t living it. In fact, Gabriel wasn’t proud of being gay at all. After failing to persuade Madonna to cut out the kissing scene that would ‘out’ him to his family and friends, he filed a lawsuit against her. A few years later, the 26-year-old died of AIDS, a disease that had shamed him into silence.
Gabriel wasn’t the only one: Carlton – big, bold and the only dancer who was trusted to lift up the pop icon – was HIV-positive and almost collapsed under the secret that he was carrying on tour. Years of faking and lying continue to distort his life to this day.
A third dancer is still hiding an important part of himself and now finally wants to open up. In Strike A Pose, we encounter the dancers on a new journey. For the first time they tell us how hard it has been to live the liberated life they were promoting on stage. Their incredible stories reveal how fear of other people’s judgment holds us back and how hard it is to accept yourself when you feel different.
Twenty-five years after the tour and the film that marked pop and gay culture as much as their own lives, the dancers, their dramatic stories, and their fierce moves inspire us once again. What does it really take to express yourself?
The event also featured a Q&A session hosted by Rayceen Pendarvis which featured Salim "Slam" Gauwloos - dancer and co-star of the film, and Cedric Gum - campaign ambassador for The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) HIV Treatment Workscampaign, Act Against AIDS. The screening was part of the annual three-day Reel Affirmations LGBT Film Festival, which ran from October 13th to the 16th.
Reel Affirmations - Washington DC’s International LGBT Film Festival - is one of the largest LGBT film festivals (in terms of attendance) in the United States. Each month the organization consistently offers new and exciting international, documentary, short, and feature films, as well as panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, and various celebrations.
The theatrical screening was held at the Gala Hispanic Theatre at Tivoli in Washington, DC. Click below to view a collection of images.
Rayceen Pendarvis was invited to host Reel Affirmations Film Festival Presents: FREE CECE! The documentary focuses on Chrishaun Reed “CeCe” McDonald, a black trans woman, who fell victim to a racist attack while passing by a local bar in 2011.
In fighting for her own life, a man was killed. After a coercive interrogation, CeCe was convicted of second degree manslaughter and sentenced to a forty-one-month stint in a Minnesota men’s prison.
Jacqueline Gares' inspiring and brilliantly directed documentary gives activists, including the film's producer, Laverne Cox, and CeCe herself, the chance to tell her story and address the daily struggle trans women of color face against a racist and transphobic society and equally violent criminal justice system.
The event also featured a Q&A session with Director Jacqueline Gares (pictured above - left). The screening was part of the annual three-day Reel Affirmations LGBT Film Festival, which ran from October 13th to the 16th.
Reel Affirmations - Washington DC’s International LGBT Film Festival - is one of the largest LGBT film festivals (in terms of attendance) in the United States. Each month the organization consistently offers new and exciting international, documentary, short, and feature films, as well as panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, and various celebrations.
The theatrical screening was held at the Gala Hispanic Theatre at Tivoli in Washington, DC. Click below to view a collection of images.
Rayceen Pendarvis accepted an invitation to host Reel Affirmations Film Festival Presents: LOEV. The film focuses on a weekend road trip between inseparable friends Sahil and Jai that takes a sudden turn, making each person question what love is and what it means to them.
Beautifully shot around the stunning natural terrain of India’s Sandhan Valley and Mahabaleshwar plateau, this poignant romance features an eclectic soundtrack featuring artists from Kanye West and Pearl Jam, to Pakistani pop stars Zeb & Haniya.
The screening was part of the annual three-day Reel Affirmations LGBT Film Festival, which ran from October 13th to the 16th.
Reel Affirmations - Washington DC’s International LGBT Film Festival - is one of the largest LGBT film festivals (in terms of attendance) in the United States. Each month the organization consistently offers new and exciting international, documentary, short, and feature films, as well as panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, and various celebrations.
The theatrical screening was held at the Gala Hispanic Theatre at Tivoli in Washington, DC. Click below to view a collection of images.
Rayceen Pendarvis accepted an invitation to host several segments of the 23rd Annual Reel Affirmations International LGBTQ Film Festival. The event featured several new and exciting international, documentary, short and feature films from all over the world.
Organizers also presented panel discussions, filmmaker Q&A's, complimentary cocktails, catered food, popcorn, movie treats, swag bags full of goodies, in addition to, various celebrations with music provided by DJ Mim.
The four-day event (Oct. 13-16), ultimately intended to be a place of comfort and affirmation for all in attendance, especially those who never see themselves properly represented within society.
The festival began on Thursday, Oct. 13, with a special launch party screening of Retake, the tale of a man who hires a male prostitute to join him on a road trip, resulting in emotional catharsis for each. This screening was followed by several other award & audience winning films. The festival's closing night featured the much buzzed-about King Cobra, a biopic about porn-star Brent Corrigan. The drama boasts an impressive cast, including James Franco, Christian Slater, Molly Ringwald, Alicia Silverstone and Garrett Clayton as the famed porn star who helped make Cobra Video a (gay) household name. The complete schedule of screenings is listed below. Thursday at 7:00pm Retake Friday at 7:00pm AWOL Friday at 9:00pm LOEV Saturday at 1:00pm Spectrum Shorts: Gender, Identity and Aging, a collection of short films specifically focusing on gender and aging. Saturday at 3:00pm Shorts: So Long, Farewell…, a collection of short films specifically focusing on break-ups. Saturday at 5:00pm Free Cece! Saturday at 7:00pm Shorts: Swipe Right, a collection of short films. Saturday at 9:00pm Theo and Hugo Saturday at 11:00pm Seducing Mr. Bluefrog: #NSFW Sunday at 1:00pm Suicide Kale Sunday at 3:00pm Strike A Pose Sunday at 5:00pm King Cobra Click below to view Metro Weekly's collection of reviews for each of the films.
The festival's schedule also included a VIP/Filmmaker Reception held Saturday, Oct. 15, from 7 to 10 p.m. on the The Rooftop of Lost Society, as well as a closing night party on Sunday, October 16th from 7 to 9 p.m. at Miss Pixie’s, both located in Washington, DC.
Reel Affirmations - Washington DC’s International LGBT Film Festival - is one of the largest LGBT film festivals (in terms of attendance) in the United States. Each month the organization consistently offers new and exciting international, documentary, short, and feature films, as well as panel discussions, filmmaker Q&As, and various celebrations.
The screenings were held at the Gala Hispanic Theatre at Tivoli and the Human Rights Campaign Equality Center in Washington, DC. Click below to view a collection of images.
Click below to view the Official Festival Trailer.
