Riot Acts
             Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Riot Acts:
Flaunting Gender Deviance
in Music Performance
A Transfabulous Rockumentary
2009, TRT: 72 Minutes
Directed by Madsen Minax
Produced by Actor Slash Model
Cinematography by Malic Amalya

 

Starting in 2006 Actor Slash Model chose to create a feature length documentary film to explore notions of  gender identity as it relates to music. The duo wished to seek out others in similar circumstances as themselves, and give a voice to what was not being seen or heard, a realm in which the array of gender diversity flourishes and the talent is superb - gender variant musicians.

Short Synopsis:

Riot Acts is a transfabulous rockumentary representing the whole lives of transgender and gender variant musicians, through a first-hand perspective of the intersections between gender performance and stage performance, culminating with the notions that identities and bodies are undeniably political, and the trans experience isn't always one of tragedy, but one of creativity and joy.

Long Synopsis:

Representing the whole lives of transgender and gender variant musicians, each story is one of a journey in progress through a first-hand perspective of the intersections between gender performance and stage performance. The feature documentary Riot Acts:Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance will allow a venue for a particular niche of trans existence to be revealed and celebrated.

Discussed topics include songwriting, voice presentation, coping with voice changes, passing/not passing, presenting a body/bodies on stage, audiences, venues, the idea of the spectacle, societal and media representation, performing gender and notions about “drag,” and the personal as political, culminating with the notions that identities and bodies are undeniably political, and that the trans experience isn’t always one of tragedy.

The individuals and bands featured in Riot Acts are celebrated as talented, inspiring, sexy, critical and fully three-dimensional in a manner that purposefully counters the vision of isolation and destitution frequently portrayed in mainstream media. As transpeople ourselves, the producers seek to capture trans and gender variant identities
as complexly as they are embodied and performed, both on and off the stage.

Whether a personal journey, a political journey, or a literal journey, the aspect of travel, through years or miles, is a binding stylistic element throughout Riot Acts. As trans people, our bodies are nontraditional and our ideas about culture and identity are non traditional. Why shouldn’t our way of making art be non traditional as well?

Featured inteviewees include Ryka Aoki from Los Angeles,Anderson Toone, Lipstick Conspiracy, Katastrophe and Trannysaurus Sex from San Francisco, Basic Fix from Portland (and San Francisco), Ryder Richardson, in Seattle, Tough Tough Skin, and Venus Demars of Minneapolis, Adhamh Roland of St. Louis and San Francisco, Jessica Xavier in DC, The Shondes and Novice Theory in Brooklyn, NY, The Degenerettes in Baltimore, and Systyr Act in Boston, The Cliks of Toronto and Coyote Grace, Sonoma County.

This project is funded solely on fundraising, donations, university presentations and small grants. If you would like to support the film, please consider making a donation, or purchase the 2007 Actor Slash Model release, Cheap Date, as all proceeds go to this project. Let's do it together!

Madsen and Simon are available to speak on panels or facilitate discussions and presentations regarding their work. Please contact them directly. If you are interested in film stills, or production photographs please visit the press page for hi-res images.

This project has been generously supported by Beyondmedia Education, The Fire This Time Fund, The City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, The Illinois Arts Council, Riot Grrrl Ink, The Broadway Youth Center, The Leather Archives and Museum, Early To Bed, Illinois Gender Advocates, Lakeside Pride Ensemble, Think Pink, as well as many individuals supporters.

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