Morgan (2012 film)

Last updated
Morgan
Morgan-film-by-michael-ackers.jpg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by Michael D. Akers
Written byMichael D. Akers
Sandon Berg
Produced byMichael D. Akers
Sandon Berg
Israel Ehrisman
Starring Leo Minaya
Jack Kesy
CinematographyChris Brown
Edited byMichael D. Akers
Music byRyan Rapsys
Distributed by United Gay Network
Release date
  • July 15, 2012 (2012-07-15)(Outfest)
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish

Morgan is a 2012 gay film directed by Michael Akers, produced by Michael D. Akers, Sandon Berg and Israel Ehrisman, and starring Leo Minaya as Morgan Oliver and Jack Kesy as Dean Kagen. [1]

Contents

Plot

A young, paralyzed, gay athlete attempts to live his life in a situation far from desirable. After an accident leaves him paralyzed from the waist down, Morgan Oliver (played by Leo Minaya), is first seen wallowing in a state of depression, drowning his sorrows in beer as he watches bicycle racing (the sport that at once defined his sense of purpose and drove him to his catalytic accident) on television. He meets Dean Kagan (played by Jack Kesy) who helps him through the way and a romantic relationship develops between the two. Once Morgan knows about the New York Haven Cycle Race, he decides to take part in the race with the help of Kagan and sponsorship from Tread Bike Shop.

Cast

Production

Akers and Berg planned on writing a story about a paraplegic while casting for an earlier film Phoenix. A young, handsome wheelchair-using paraplegic actor had submitted his portfolio for a possible role in a film. Although the screenplay for Phoenix had been written and no role was envisioned for a paraplegic acting role, they were intrigued enough by him personally, they decided to write a screenplay around a paraplegic athlete. [2] After many interviews with other wheelchair-using gay men, their collection of stories became the basis for the film Morgan.

Reception

One film reviewer wrote: "Morgan is not a sophisticated film, but it is a very human one. Morgan has an abundance of heart and speaks to the travails of the disabled in a way that is rarely addressed in cinema, queer or otherwise. Well Done." [3]

Soundtrack

Music is by Ryan Rapsys. The film also includes original music by

Screenings

The film was screened at many festivals including

Awards

"Audience Award" at:


"Jury Prize" at:

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Thom Fitzgerald</span> American film director

Thomas "Thom" Fitzgerald is an American-Canadian film and theatre director, screenwriter, playwright and producer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vito Russo</span> American historian and LGBT activist

Vito Russo was an American LGBT activist, film historian, and author. He is best remembered as the author of the book The Celluloid Closet, described in The New York Times as "an essential reference book" on homosexuality in the US film industry. In 1985, he co-founded the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), a media watchdog organization that strives to end anti-LGBT rhetoric, and advocates for LGBT inclusion in popular media.

<i>Billys Dad Is a Fudge-Packer!</i> 2004 American film

Billy's Dad is a Fudge-Packer! is a 2004 American black-and-white short comedy film written and directed by Jamie Donahue in her first non-acting effort. It is a parody of the 1950s social guidance films, and depicts the life of a boy learning about adulthood in a traditional family. The apparently innocent account of family life in the 1950s is loaded with sexual innuendo. It was made by production company POWER UP.

<i>Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon</i> 1970 American film

Tell Me That You Love Me, Junie Moon is a 1970 American comedy-drama film directed and produced by Otto Preminger. The film is based on the 1968 novel of the same name by Marjorie Kellogg.

Donovan Scott is an American character actor best known for his role as cadet Leslie Barbara in the 1984 film Police Academy, in which he was part of an ensemble cast.

<i>Fruit Fly</i> (film) 2009 American film

Fruit Fly is a 2009 musical film with gay and Asian-American themes, directed by H.P. Mendoza, who wrote the screenplay for Colma The Musical (2007). The film, made entirely in San Francisco, premiered on March 15, 2009 at the San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival at the Castro Theatre in San Francisco. It had a limited one-week run in New York on September 24, 2010.

Neal Jimenez was an American screenwriter and film director, best known for the 1986 film River's Edge. He was a member of the dramatic jury at the Sundance Film Festival in 1994. He won Independent Spirit Awards for Best First Feature and Best Screenplay for The Waterdance.

<i>The Butch Factor</i> 2009 American film

The Butch Factor: What Kind of Man Are You? is a 2009 documentary film produced and directed by American director Christopher Hines through his own production company Rogue Culture Inc. The film, narrated by Hines, was filmed at various locations including Atlanta, Georgia, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Guerneville, California, and Seattle, Washington, and was shown at gay and documentary festivals. The television premiere was April 17, 2010, on the gay channel Logo.

<i>Cloudburst</i> (2011 film) 2011 film

Cloudburst is a 2011 Canadian-American comedy-drama film written and directed by Thom Fitzgerald and starring Olympia Dukakis and Brenda Fricker. The film is an adaptation of Fitzgerald's 2010 play of the same name. Cloudburst premiered at the Atlantic Film Festival in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 16, 2011. It opened in a limited release in Canada on December 7, 2012.

<i>Gone, But Not Forgotten</i> (film) 2003 American film

Gone, But Not Forgotten is a 2003 film directed by Michael D. Akers. The critically acclaimed film showed at more than 30 film festivals. It is among the films featured in Gary Kramer's book, Independent Queer Cinema: Reviews and Interviews. The cover of the book displays the poster for the film; the director, Michael Akers, and the star, Matthew Montgomery, are both interviewed in Chapter Five.

Michael D. Akers is an American film director, producer, screenwriter and editor. In 2000, he founded "United Gay Network" (UGN) with his longtime partner, Sandon Berg. Most of his films are LGBT-related.

<i>Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride</i> 2009 Canadian film

Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride is a 2009 documentary directed by Bob Christie, where he examines relevance of LGBT pride celebrations internationally, against the backdrop of opposition to such events in a number of countries. The documentary tries to portray pride as more than just a parade, but rather an important step on the road to equality and fight against homophobia and discrimination. It was produced with Transmission in association with Border2Border Entertainment and Nomadic Pictures.

<i>Phoenix</i> (2006 film) 2006 American film

Phoenix is a 2006 film by American director Michael Akers, his third feature film after Gone, But Not Forgotten (2003) and Matrimonium (2005). The film was produced by Sandon Berg with Israel Ehrisman as co-producer and starred Chad Edward Bartley as Dylan, Gaetano Jones as Kenneth Sparks and Jeff Castle as Demetrius Stone. The film was distributed by United Gay Network. This film was inspired by Michaelangelo Antonioni's film L'Avventura and adds a gay twist.

<i>Matrimonium</i> 2005 American film

Matrimonium is a 2005 comedy film directed by Michael Akers, his second feature film after the successful Gone, But Not Forgotten. Co-written and co-produced by him and Sandon Berg, the latter appears in a lead role in the film as Spencer who is having a sham same-sex marriage with the straight character Rick Federman in the role of Malcolm to enable the latter to win the 1-million dollar prize on the nationally broadcast reality television show Matrimonium.

Leo L. Minaya is an American film actor. He acquired recognition from his role in the Sundance mega hit Manito and as America Ferrera's love interest, Sal, in How the Garcia Girls Spent Their Summer. His first starring role came in the form of gay paraplegic Morgan Oliver in the 2012 film Morgan directed by Michael Akers. In addition to being his first starring performance, it was also his first time playing a gay character.

Sandon Berg is an American film producer and screenwriter, and actor with past roles in both film and television. He co-founded United Gay Network, a film production company, with his longtime partner, Michael D. Akers.

<i>Snowflake</i> (2014 film) 2014 film by Francesco Roder

Snowflake is a 2014 Italian short film written and directed by Italian director Francesco Roder and filmed in New York City. The short film stars American actresses Ele Keats and Tracy Middendorf.

<i>Kiss Me, Kill Me</i> 2015 film by Casper Andreas

Kiss Me, Kill Me is a 2015 American neo-noir mystery thriller film directed by Casper Andreas and written by David Michael Barrett, who both produced under their banner, Spellbound Productions. The film follows Dusty who, while confronting his unfaithful boyfriend, blacks out. When he comes to, his boyfriend Stephen has been murdered, and Dusty is the prime suspect. Kiss Me, Kill Me had its world premiere on September 18, 2015, at Reeling: The Chicago LGBTQ+ International Film Festival, which featured the film as its Spotlight Selection.

<i>The Same Difference</i> 2015 American film

The Same Difference is a 2015 documentary, directed by Nneka Onuorah. The documentary provides an insightful look at lesbians who discriminate against other lesbians based on gender roles. The film follows a series of lesbian women stories, discusses the hypocrisy in terms of gender roles and the performative expectations attached.

<i>Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean</i> American 2021 independent drama film

Joshua Tree, 1951: A Portrait of James Dean is a 2012 American independent drama film written and directed by Matthew Mishory, in his feature film debut. It stars James Preston, Dan Glenn, Erin Daniels, Clare Grant, Rafael Morais and Edgar Morais. The movie is a portrait of the pre-fame James Dean and his bisexual proclivities. The film had its world premiere at the Seattle International Film Festival on May 24, 2012 and had additional screenings as an official selection at the Transilvania International Film Festival, Rio de Janeiro International Film Festival, Outfest: The Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and the Frameline Film Festival. It had a limited theatrical release on December 12, 2012, and was released to DVD on June 4, 2013.

References

  1. Whittington, Lewis (5 August 2011). "New LGBT film Morgan tackles sensitive subject matter". Edge Boston. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  2. Williams, Ken (18 May 2012). "FilmOut: Q&A with Michael D. Akers, director of Morgan (Video)". San Diego Gay and Lesbian News. Retrieved 11 August 2012.
  3. Clay, Michelle. "Morgan Film Review". Splash Magazines. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
  4. "Morgan". homochrom. 16 August 2012. Retrieved 2015-05-20.