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World of Wonder's Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato: "No is the beginning of yes"
What's the secret behind the success of Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. the duo responsible for "Becoming Chaz " and "RuPaul's Drag Race " and recipients of the 15th Annual Outfest Achievement Award? According to Tori Spelling. who moderated Outfest's panel with the producing partners on July 9th, it's their motto: "No is the beginning of yes." "Few acts can balance mainstream popularity with cult status and maintain their independence, singular vision, »
Chaz Bono Does Frameline
Tears and laughter fill Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato 's doc "Becoming Chaz ," which follows the physical transformation of Cher and Sonny Bono 's child, born Chastity Bono. The film, which screened at the Sundance Film Festival back in January, had its San Francisco debut Thursday at the ornate Castro Theatre where co-director Barbato said he had hoped the film would eventually screened. He noted that Chaz had come to the director »
An interview with Jennifer Elia
Becoming Chaz. a documentary about Chaz Bono ’s transition from female to male, recently premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and on TV’s Oprah Winfrey Network. The film takes viewers inside Chaz’s life with his fiancé, Jennifer Elia. as they navigate working his transition into the life they’ve already created together.
Jennifer took a moment to chat with us about the process of making the documentary, exchanging Facebook messages with partners of other trans people, and her and Chaz’s hairless cats.
AfterEllen: How did you and Chaz come to the decision to do the documentary?
Jennifer Elia. He wanted to get his story out, and he also wanted to do it in a way where he had control over how it was presented. He was going to do it as a news interview or a news program and that didn’t come to pass. He sort of stumbled into it. »
- S. B. K. Weintraub
Chaz Bono Talks About His Transition
Once known as Chastity. Chaz Bono is settling into his new life as a man, and stopped by The Grove to chat with "Extra's" Mario Lopez.
Documenting his gender transformation through his powerful documentary, "Becoming Chaz ," and a tell-all book, "Transition: The Story of How I Became a Man," Chaz said, "It took me a long time to get here. a lot of years worrying about what everybody else would think if I did this. »
Cher 'Traumatized' By Chaz Bono's Transformation
Cher was "traumatized" when she realized she would never hear her daughter's voice again. The 64-year-old singer begged her son Chaz Bono. who was born a female named Chastity and began gender reassignment surgery around three years ago, for a copy of his old female answering machine message after becoming "hysterical" when she called and reached his new voicemail.She said: "I was hysterical one day because I was calling Chaz's answering machine and I realized it was her old voice, and then I said, 'Chaz is there a way I can save it because I will never hear that voice again?' And there wasn't, it was gone. "That's the most traumatic thing that has happened to me in this whole thing - hearing her voice and knowing I'll never hear it again. The 'Believe' singer also admitted she avoided seeing Chaz, whose father in the singer's late husband Sonny Bono. »
Transgender Cinema: Becoming Chaz, Gun Hill Road
Transgender continues to be a hot topic in the media. Five months after Own's debut, Oprah Winfrey finally delivered on her Sundance promise to do for docs what she did for books. Own's Documentary Club launched Tuesday with the Sundance doc about the son of Sonny and Cher. Becoming Chaz. which ranked fifth in its time period among all ad supported cable networks in the key female demo. Numbers were also strong for the follow-up show, as “The Doc Club with Rosie O’Donnell” hosted a Q & A with Bono and girlfriend Jennifer Elia. Cher herself calls the child who was born Chastity her daughter, still, and seems remarkably uncomfortable throughout Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato 's doc about what her kid is going through. Are »
Review: Oprah’s Doc Club Begins with Transgender Chaz Bono Film
Becoming Chaz. which follows Chastity Bono though hormone therapy and the surgical removal of her breasts until she physically and legally becomes a man named Chaz, is a remarkably intimate, unsentimental view of that transition. Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato ’s film, the first in the ambitious series called the Documentary Club on Oprah Winfrey ’s Own network, premiered last night (and will be repeated several times). And it would have been even more eye-opening if I hadn’t seen so much of it and heard so much from Chaz on The Oprah Winfrey Show the day before. You might also have caught… »
Cher "traumatised" by Chaz Bono's sex change
Cher has revealed that she was ''traumatised'' when she made the realisation that she would never hear her daughter's voice again. The singer's son Chaz Bono. who was born a female named Chastity. began gender reassignment surgery around three years ago. She said in new documentary Becoming Chaz. "I was hysterical one day because I was calling Chaz's answering machine and I realized it was her old voice, and then I said, 'Chaz is there a way I can save it because I will never hear that voice again?' And there wasn't, it was gone. "That's the most traumatic thing that has happened to me in this whole thing - hearing her voice and knowing I'll never hear it again." The 64-year-old admitted that (more) »
- By Kristy Kelly
Stewart Lands Top Award At Milan Film Festival
Twilight star Kristen Stewart was the toast of Italy's Milan International Film Festival (Miff) on Tuesday after winning the coveted Best Actress honour.
The actress, best known for playing Bella Swan in the vampire franchise, was picked for the top Miff prize for her portrayal of a troubled stripper in Welcome to the Rileys.
The Wire star Aidan Gillen was named Best Actor for his performance in Treacle Jr.. while Nadia Tass was voted Best Director for her drama Matching Jack.
Filmmaker Fenton Bailey picked up the Best Documentary accolade for Becoming Chaz. about pop legend Cher 's transgender son Chaz Bono. »
AfterElton Briefs: "The Men of Gaga," "The Daily Show" Visits The Gayest City In America, "Glee"'s Jacob Speaks, and More!
Congrats to Lucas Malvacini, who is the new Mister Brazil.
Lawmakers could move on the Ugandan "Kill The Gays" bill at any time, and allout.org asks that you sign and share this petition demanding that Ugandan President Museveni publicly vow to veto it. Brett Berk talks to Glee star Josh Sussman about his character Jacob's awesomely bewildering hair, and what male character Jacob would take to the prom. EW.com asks the question, "'The Voice has openly gay singers: Where are they on American Idol ?" Below you can see The Daily Show 's Jason Jones with an in-depth report on why Minneapolis has surpassed San Francisco as "the gayest city in America."
On May 12th, photographer Ukmcbo will release The Men of Gaga, a project that interprets Lady Gaga songs using male images. You can see a better explanation below from the artist himself.
His documentary Becoming Chaz debuts on Own tonight, »
Film about Chaz Bono's transition from female to male kicks off Own's documentary series
Tonight, Oprah 's new network Own debuts its Documentary Club by airing a documentary film from the producers of RuPaul's Drag Race that follows Sonny and Cher 's child Chaz Bono 's transition from female to male. Becoming Chaz debuted at Sundance earlier this year and is directed by World of Wonder 's Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato. and its television debut on Own at 9 p.m. Et will be followed by a one-hour special and discussion about the »
Cher 'Traumatized' by Chaz Bono's Transformation
Cher was "traumatized" when she realized she would never hear her daughter's voice again.
The 64-year-old singer begged her son Chaz Bono - who was born a female named Chastity and began gender reassignment surgery around three years ago - for a copy of his old female answering machine message after becoming "hysterical" when she called and reached his new voicemail.
She said, "I was hysterical one day because I was calling Chaz's answering machine and I realized it was her old voice, and then I said, 'Chaz is there a way I can save it because I will never hear that voice again?' And there wasn't, it was gone."
"That's the most traumatic thing that has happened to me in this whole thing - hearing her voice and knowing I'll never hear it again."
The "Believe" hitmaker also admitted she avoided seeing Chaz - whose father in the »
Chaz Bono Talks Cher, Brangelina and More Surgery
Chaz Bono is a bit nervous of running into Michael Chiklis some day. Why? In Becoming Chaz. the new documentary about Bono's transitioning from female to male, he says he'd now love to have Chiklis' physique. Twitter: Follow Marc Malkin "I hate it when that kind of stuff happens," Bono tells me when we sit down to talk in a meeting room at his publicist's office. "In my first book, I wrote innocently enough about my mom being friends with [Charlie's Angels star] Kate Jackson and I had a crush on her. It just went viral. It's the last thing I wanted to do, to make somebody feel awkward or uncomfortable. Hopefully, he doesn't hate me because I'm a big »
Chaz Bono: Hormones Spiked My Sexual Appetite
Chaz Bono is opening up about his difficult journey of physically transitioning from a woman to a man -- confessing he remembers virtually nothing from his childhood. In the documentary "Becoming Chaz ". Bono talks about the increased sexual appetite he gets from hormone injections. Chaz nervously admits he doesn't remember anything about the early years. adding, "I was just thinking about 'The Sonny and Cher Show'. you're not thinking about reality." "Nightline" will air clips »
"Becoming Chaz" to Premiere Tomorrow
"Becoming Chaz " is the heartfelt and honest portrayal of Chaz Bono. the only child of Sonny & Cher. on his emotional and physical transition from a woman to a man. This highly anticipated documentary premieres
Tuesday, May 10th at 9/8c, only on Own: Oprah Winfrey Network.
Watch a sneak peek and follow Chaz on his deeply inspirational and personal journey. Find Own on your TV.
- IDA Editorial Staff
Hot Doc a Day: 'Becoming Chaz'
Filed under: Documentaries, Hot Docs Film Festival, Moviefone Canada
Hot Docs, North America's biggest documentary film festival, kicks off its 2011 run on April 28 in Toronto. Jam-packed with documentaries running through May 8, Moviefone Canada will be there from start to finish, offering up looks at some of the festival's noted films.
This wasn't always the case. Gender transition is examined emotionally, spiritually and physically in the stellar documentary 'Becoming Chaz ,' which captures the final moments of Sonny and Cher 's daughter -- before she becomes their son.
The film joins Chaz and girlfriend Jennifer well into the process. What once was a lesbian couple now find themselves realizing the complications that come with transitioning. Jennifer is an amazing supporter with a great sense of humor about a new regime of surgeries, testosterone injections and weight gain -- but what about living with a man? »
'Becoming Chaz' at Hot Docs: An Exploratory Look at Transitioning
Filed under: Documentaries, Festivals, Hot Docs Film Festival, Moviefone Canada
There's a certain amount of tabloid curiosity surrounding 'Becoming Chaz ,' and it's no surprise. This documentary doesn't focus on an unknown figure about to break into the world through cinema; it's about the daughter of Sonny and Cher transitioning from female to male.
Iconic parents, inside scoops and sexual reassignment are the types of factoids that pique public curiosity, but dirt is not served up by Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato 's latest doc. The men behind 'Party Monster' and 'Inside Deep Throat' have worked with Chaz Bono to document his transition, and with Bono acting as an executive producer, this isn't a dirt-digging, revelatory document.
It is, however, one whose worth transcends celebrity curiosity.
Continue Reading »
Cher 'admires son Chaz's courage'
Cher has revealed that she admires her son's courage. Cher 's son Chaz underwent surgery to change his gender from female to male last year. According to People, the singer screened the upcoming documentary about the process, entitled Becoming Chaz. at her house this past weekend. "Cher and ten of her and Chaz's friends stood up and cheered when it was over," a friend said of the screening. The friend went on to state that Cher said of Chaz: "I admire (more) »
Cher: I Admire Chaz's Courage
Cher is more supportive than ever to her son, Chaz, who legally changed his gender and name last year. The iconic singer held a small screening of the upcoming documentary Becoming Chaz at her Malibu home over the weekend. "Cher and 10 of her and Chaz's friends stood up and cheered when it was over," a friend of Cher 's tells People. The friend says Cher told her during the screening, "I admire my son Chaz's courage for sharing his personal journey. Most important to me is that he is very happy. That's what I care about the most. He has my love and support. »
This Week In Trailers: The Last Rites Of Joe May, Island, Behind The Walls (Derriere Les Murs), Becoming Chaz, Blood In The Mobile
Trailers are an under-appreciated art form insofar that many times they’re seen as vehicles for showing footage, explaining films away, or showing their hand about what moviegoers can expect. Foreign, domestic, independent, big budget: I celebrate all levels of trailers and hopefully this column will satisfactorily give you a baseline of what beta wave I’m operating on, because what better way to hone your skills as a thoughtful moviegoer than by deconstructing these little pieces of advertising? Some of the best authors will tell you that writing a short story is a lot harder than writing a long one, that you have to weigh every sentence. What better medium to see how this theory plays itself out beyond that than with movie trailers? Becoming Chaz Trailer Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato are the film equivalent of sociological documentarians. If ever there was a duo who have damn well »
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