After Louie is an upcoming feature-length narrative film by lifelong activist and artist, Vincent Gagliostro who has been sited by New York Magazine as one of the six most influential players in the gay community during the 80s and 90s AIDS crisis. The film, starring Alan Cumming is currently crowdfunding through a Kickstarter, through June 2nd. After Louie explores the contradictions of modern gay life and history through Sam (ALAN CUMMING), a man desperate to understand how he and his community got to where they are today. Co-written by NYC writer and actor, Anthony Johnston, the project is currently immersed in a crowd-funding campaign with Kickstarter where it offers rewards including script consultations, film premiere tickets, artwork by Alan Cumming and more.
Also featured in the film are Justin Vivian Bond (Shortbus, Kiki and Herb: Live at the Knitting Factory), Zachary Booth (Damages), David Drake (The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me), and NYC icon, Joey Arias.
Many important figure-heads in the NYC artistic community are speaking up for this film, including author and playwright, Larry Kramer who says “this move needs to be made,” and Towleroad who poses the question, “is ‘After Louie’ the next great gay film?” Pulitzer Prize-Winning author Michael Cunningham said:
“Vincent Gagliostro is not only enourmously gifted, he’s also been a radical, fearless and compassionate voice for decades, speaking for countless people whose stories would otherwise go undeard.”
ABOUT ‘AFTER LOUIE’:
After Louie explores the contradictions of modern gay life and history through Sam (ALAN CUMMING), a man desperate to understand how he and his community got to where they are today.
As an AIDS activist and member of ACT UP in the 1980s and 90s, Sam witnessed the deaths of too many friends and lovers. Battle-wounded and struggling with survivor’s guilt, Sam now resents the complacency of his former comrades and derides what he sees as the younger generation’s indifference to the politics of sex, and of death.
An unexpected intimacy with a much younger man, Braeden (ZACHARY BOOTH), challenges Sam’s understanding of contemporary gay life. Through this unconventional romance, he is forced to deal with the trauma that so informs his past, their present, and an unknown future.
STATEMENT FROM VINCENT GAGLIOSTO:
“My film After Louie is a portrait of what happened to us — the generation who endured the AIDS epidemic, a generation whose shared history continues to haunt us.
In confronting the end of a traumatic era and provoking a conversation between generations, I dare us to dream of a new and vibrant future, again.
After Louie will be a testament to the joys of the fully lived life and the inseparability of art and living.”
— Vincent Wm. Gagliostro
CAST:
Sam :: Alan Cumming
Braeden :: Zachary Booth
Lukas :: Anthony Johnston
William Williamson :: David Drake
Rhona :: Justin Vivian Bond
Jai the Chanteuse :: Joey Arias
CREW:
Director/ Co-Writer: Vincent Wm. Gagliostro
Co-Writer: Anthony Johnston
Producers: Bryce J. Renninger & Lauren Belfer
Consulting Producer: Robert Hawk
DP: Aaron Kovalchik
Costume Designer: Patricia Field
Composer: Jonathan Sheffer
Production Designer: Avram Finkelstein
Cast & Crew Bios:
ALAN CUMMING:
Alan Cumming is an actor and activist beyond eclectic and according to the New York Times ‘a bawdy countercultural sprite’; Time Magazine named him one of the most fun people in show business; He plays political maverick Eli Gold on CBS’s The Good Wife, for which he received Golden Globe, Emmy, SAG and Satellite award nominations and earlier this year finished his Tony Award-winning role of the Emcee in the Broadway musical Cabaret. Alan’s diverse career has found him performing at venues around the globe including the Sydney Opera House; making back to back films with Stanley Kubrick and The Spice Girls; directing and starring in a musical condom commercial; creating voices of a Smurf, a goat and Hitler; entering upside down and suspended by his ankles in a Greek tragedy (in the National Theatre of Scotland’s The Bacchae); and recording an award-winning album of songs (plus a dance remix). Alan is also Host of PBS’s Masterpiece Mystery and appears opposite Lisa Kudrow in Showtime’s Web Therapy. Alan has written for The NY Times, Newsweek, Harpers Bazaar, Out, has a bi-monthly column for Globe and Mail, and two books; Tommy’s Tale and his NY Times Best Selling memoir, Not My Father’s Son. A tireless champion for LGBT civil rights and HIV/AIDS, Alan serves on the Board of Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and works closely with amfAR, The Trevor Project and the Ali Forney Center to name but a few. In 2009, Alan was made an OBE in the Queen’s Honors List and by his homeland, Scotland, for which he was a vocal supporter of the YES for independence campaign, he has been awarded the Great Scot and Icon of Scotland awards, as well as recently having his portrait unveiled at the Scottish National Portrait Gallery as seen on the finale of Portrait Artist of the Year.
ZACHARY BOOTH:
Zachary Booth is best known for his role as the son of Patty Hewes (Glenn Close) on the drama series Damages, as well as his critically-acclaimed work in Ira Sach’s 2012 film Keep the Lights On. Zachary’s film credits include Nick and Nora’s Infinite Playlist, Last Week opposite Patricia Clarkson, and Ang Lee’s Taking Woodstock, among others. On television, Zachary has made memorable appearances on Elementary, White Collar, Royal Pains, Major Crimes, Blue Bloods, and Law & Order: SVU. Most recently, Zachary was seen in the feature film Ava’s Possessions & opposite Mena Suvari in Eli Roth’s television series South of Hell for WEtv.
DAVID DRAKE:
David Drake is most widely known for his Obie Award-winning performance in his self-penned one-man show The Night Larry Kramer Kissed Me. One of the longest-running solo shows in New York theater history. Some of David’s other major New York stage appearances include succeeding Charles Busch in Vampire Lesbians of Sodom, playing opposite B.D. Wong in Chay Yew’s A Language of Their Own at the Public Theater, starring alongside David Greenspan and Christopher Sieber in the revival of The Boys in the Band at the Lucille Lortel Theater. On Broadway, David played Tommy Boatwright in the all-star benefit reading of Larry Kramer’s The Normal Heart, which featured Eric Bogosian, Kevin Bacon and Stockard Channing. David made his feature film debut in Craig Lucas’s groundbreaking Longtime Companion. Other movies include It’s Pat, David Searching, Peoria Babylon, Naked in New York, Hit and Runway and Jonathan Demme’s Academy Award-winning Philadelphia. On television, Law & Order fans will recognize David as a repeat offender (three episodes) as well as the suspected Botox killer on Law & Order: Criminal Intent. And as a subject, David has been interviewed on MTV News, Entertainment Tonight, Comedy Central’s Indecision, The Joy Behar Show, The Joan Rivers Show, Phil Donahue and Nightline.
JUSTIN VIVAN BOND:
Mx Justin Vivian Bond is a trans-genre artist living in New York City. As a performer both on and Off-Broadway, Mx Bond has received numerous accolades winning an Obie (2001), a Bessie (2004), a Tony nomination (2007), the Ethyl Eichelberger Award (2007), The Peter Reed Foundation Grant, and a New York Foundation for the Arts Grant for Artists. V authored the Lambda Literary Award winning memoir TANGO: My Childhood, Backwards and in High Heels (The Feminist Press, 2011). Films include John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus (2006), Sunset Stories (2012), Imaginary Heroes (2004) and Fanci’s Persuasion (1995). Solo exhibitions of JVB’s watercolors, sculptural installations and live art have been presented by Participant, Inc. (NYC, 2011), Art Market Provincetown (2014), and Vitrine (London, 2015). Albums include Kiki and Herb: Do You Hear What We Hear?, Kiki and Herb Will Die For You at Carnegie Hall, Dendrophile, and Silver Wells.
JOEY ARIAS:
A fixture of New York City’s vibrant downtown performance scene for 30- plus years, Joey Arias is a bona fide NYC icon. Arias lived and worked with legendary musician Klaus Nomi until Nomi’s death in 1983. However, he has long since stepped out of Nomi’s shadow to gain fame in his own right as a performance artist, cabaret singer and drag artist. Arias has distinguished himself with scandalous wit, sleek style and an extraordinary voice… evocative of Lady Day yet uniquely his own. Arias has performed worldwide at venues including Carnegie Hall and the Freedom Theatre in London. Arias was tapped by Cirque du Soleil to originate the role of the emcee in their Las Vegas spectacular Zumanity. After 6 years in that role, Arias returned to New York where he became star and co-creator of Arias With a Twist with master puppeteer Basil Twist. The show was a critical and commercial hit and extended repeatedly for a total of 8 months. On film, he has appeared in Mondo New York, Big Top Pee Wee, Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, Wigstock – The Movie, Flawless and To Wong Foo, Thanks for Everything! Julie Newmar. Television credits include the infamous Saturday Night Live episode with David Bowie and Klaus Nomi.
Gagliostro is a lifelong activist and artist. In 1987, he became an original member of ACT UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power), and chaired the Communication and Graphics Outreach group. New York Magazine (September 30,1996 issue) lauded him for his “in your face” graphics, “make no apologies” style, and cited him as one of the six most influential players in the gay community at that time.
He is credited as a contributing cinematographer on the Oscar-nominated documentary How to Survive a Plague, and his short documentary After Silence debuted at the 2015 NewFest.
Gagliostro’s distinguished career as an art director in the worlds of fashion and beauty includes work on three Prince music videos and an award-winning collaboration with Richard Avedon for Hush Puppies shoes.
ANTHONY JOHNSTON (Co-Writer) – Johnston is a New York City based actor and writer, originally from Canada. He is the writer/star of the award-winning original productions Art’s Heart and Tenderpits. He is currently developing a film project based on his “alter ego,” the heterophobic rapper Popinjay.
He has starred in critically acclaimed productions of Equus, Edward Albee’s The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia?, The Real Thing, Shopping & Fucking, and Leaving Home. Recently, Anthony played the role of Ken opposite Joel Leffert in The Public Theatre of Maine’s production of John Logan’s Red, and starred in the world premiere of I Wanna Destroy You by Josh Conkel at NYC’s Theatre ROW on 42nd St.
BRYCE J. RENNINGER (Producer) – Bryce J. Renninger is a film producer and a former film journalist and film programmer. He is currently the Editorial Coordinator for Field of Vision, the new film unit started by Academy Award-winning director Laura Poitras. He is the producer of the feature-length documentary Hotline (Hot Docs 2014). Until 2011, he was a programmer for NewFest: New York’s LGBT Film Festival for four years. He was also an editor for the film trade publication Indiewire for four years.
LAUREN BELFER (Producer) – Lauren Belfer has been producing and directing non-fiction film and television for the past seven years. Most recently, she was the archival producer of Tickling Giants (Tribeca Film Festival, 2016), and the archival researcher for Michael Moore’s Where To Invade Next, which was shortlisted for an Academy Award nomination. In addition to producing After Louie, she is currently working on a forthcoming feature documentary directed by Martin Scorsese and set to air on HBO.
ROBERT HAWK (Consulting Producer) – Robert Hawk, long time advisor to filmmakers and festivals, has had his business for 20 years. Producer of Kimberly Reed’s Prodigal Sons, Dayna Goldfine & Daniel Geller’s Ballets Russes, David Munro’s Full Grown Men, Jim Fall’s Trick, Alex & Andrew Smith’s The Slaughter Rule and Kevin Smith’s Chasing Amy. Hawk has been a part of the independent film scene for 30 years, starting with his involvement as a researcher on the Oscar-winning The Times of Harvey Milk. Hawk served on the Advisory Selection Committee of the Sundance Film Festival (1987-1998). He currently serves on the advisory boards of Independent Film Week (IFP/NY) and The Legacy Project (a collaboration of Outfest and the UCLA Film and Television Archives). He has also been an advisor for AIFA (American Independents and Features Abroad) at the Berlin Film Festival, First Look (Tribeca Film Center/Eastman Kodak), and the original Los Angeles Independent Film Festival.
AARON KOVALCHIK (Director of Photography) – Aaron Kovalchik is a cinematographer who holds a BA and MFA from Brown University. He has shot seven feature films,The Eric Andre Show for Adult Swim, and an ongoing series of video art projects for artist Nathaniel Mellors. Feature films include I Love You Both (New Vision Award at Cinequest), Like You Mean It (Outfest LA), The Big Ask (Seattle International Film Festival), Aardvark (Special Mention at the Locarno Film Festival), and Gabi on the Roof in July (Best Narrative Feature and Best Lead Actress at the Brooklyn Film Festival). Short films include HUG (Sundance, SXSW), Coup de Grâce (New York International Latino Film Festival), Monkeywrench (Slamdance, Brooklyn International), and 3 Wheels (Tribeca, Golden Harvest). After ten years between Brooklyn and Providence, he has been based in Los Angeles since 2011.
PATRICIA FIELD (Costume Designer) – Patricia Field is a native New Yorker and one of fashion’s greatest visionaries: She is also an Academy Award-nominated, Emmy Award-winning costume designer for film and television. Her boutique in New York City has been a fashion landmark for nearly 50 years. Patricia received critical praise and raised the standards for the world of television glamour when she costumed HBO’s Sex And The City, the most fashionable show in television history. She is a true pioneer who has brought forth a new style to dressing to American women and has stimulated an entire fashion movement throughout the world.
JONATHAN SHEFFER (Composer) – Composer and conductor Jonathan Sheffer has had a diverse career in the music, spanning the worlds of classical, opera, dance, and film and television. His range of works comprises television and feature film scores, works for orchestra, solo piano, concertos, musicals, and short operas. His film scores include features and documentaries, including Encino Man, Omen 4, Pure Luck, and recent documentaries Mann v. Ford (HBO) and The Decent One. His work was the focus of a Guggenheim Works & Process series event in October 1999 featuring his opera, Blood on the Dining Room Floor, which received the Richard Rodgers Production Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters and was produced Off- Broadway in 2000. He has conducted orchestral sessions for dozens of major Hollywood films, including Alien3, Interview With The Vampire, Heat and several of the Batman films, as well as the Julie Taymor films, Titus and Across The Universe.
AVRAM FINKELSTEIN (Production Designer) – Finkelstein has art directed art and entertainment features for magazines such as Visionaire, Dazed & Confused, Italian Vogue with photographers Mario Testino, Jack Pierson, Nan Goldin and David Armstrong, worked on two Matthew Barney films, Cremaster 1 and 5, was a 2015 Bessie Nominee for Outstanding Visual Design for Brooklyn Ballet and Production Designer for an upcoming Brooklyn Ballet Nutcracker, and was a contributing Production Designer on 3 videos for Red Hot and Blue. He is a founding member of Gran Fury and the collective that designed the Silence=Death poster, and has work in the permanent collections of MoMA, The Whitney Museum of American Art, The New Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum.