David Sampliner

Esther Newton was drawn to the drag scene as a student in the 1950s. Identifying as both butch lesbian and between genders, she felt a kinship with the queens; what the feminine clothing society expected her to wear felt like a form of drag. Her 1972 book ‘Mother Camp: Female Impersonators in America’ is noted as the first rigorous study of its kind. Now entering her sixth decade writing about queer communities, Newton exudes wisdom and a healthy dose of New York no-nonsense. The film’s amazing archive footage encompasses gay liberation, the feminist sex wars, AIDS activism and life on the safe haven of Fire Island. Her other main passion is dog training, so this illuminating history lesson is peppered with poodles!

Reporter Clay Pigeon interviews New Yorkers in October, 2008.

Rattled by the prospect of becoming a dad, a 40-year-old filmmaker begins to consider what "manhood" really means for him, prompting him to pursue an array of interests and reexamine his views -- which were shaped by his father.

Rattled by the prospect of becoming a dad, a 40-year-old filmmaker begins to consider what "manhood" really means for him, prompting him to pursue an array of interests and reexamine his views -- which were shaped by his father.

Turning Points is a documentary about Presbyterians struggling with the denomination’s previous barriers to ordination for LGBT Presbyterians. It opens with the poignant visit of Susie Smith, now a minister in the United Church of Christ, to her former Presbyterian congregation in South Carolina. Congregation members speak to the camera and to Susie about how their lives were changed by her presence and her departure. The choice between one’s son and one’s church is the focus of the Calhoun family’s story in the second segment. The third story recounts a tragic moment of misunderstanding in the life of a young minister and a daring act of reconciliation twenty years later. The fourth segment considers how a thriving congregation in the Midwest welcomes and includes gay and lesbian members.