The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with Steve Warren and Johnnie Ingram, Co-Creators and Executive Producers of the new hit series, We're Here on HBO. We chat about how the concept came in to being how they made this wonderful series about community and being your authentic self. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About Steve Warren and Johnnie Ingram

Steve Warren has been around the entertainment industry for a number of years where he advises several well known clients.

Johnnie Ingram (He/Him/His) is an award winning creative director, unscripted show creator and executive producer. He has a passion for telling stories. A creative thinker and activist, Johnnie has over fifteen years of experience in both marketing and television industries. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and continues to work towards helping end hatred and discrimination.

About We're Here

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WE’RE HERE, a six-part unscripted series that recruits small-town residents across America to participate in a one-night-only drag show, will debut this spring on HBO, it was announced today by Nina Rosenstein, executive vice president, HBO programming.

In each episode, renowned drag queens Bob the Drag Queen, Eureka O’Hara and Shangela Laquifa Wadley will inspire and teach their own “drag daughters” to step outside their comfort zone for a night of no-holds-barred, full-on drag.

“Drag is about confidence and self expression,” says Rosenstein, “We are so thrilled to showcase the transformative power of the art form with our audience.”

WE’RE HERE will be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO, HBO on Demand and affiliate portals.

WE’RE HERE is created and executive produced by Stephen Warren and Johnnie Ingram; directed and executive produced by Peter LoGreco; executive produced by Eli Holzman & Aaron Saidman for Industrial Media’s The Intellectual Property Corporation (IPC). Caldwell Tidicue (Bob the Drag Queen), David Huggard (Eureka O’Hara) and D.J. Pierce (Shangela) serve as consulting producers.

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In our second segment, we chat about, well we didn't have a chat since we talked too long in the birthday segment. We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback segment. Thank you for listening, we really do appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend with us.

 

 

Our YouTube channel is audio only:

 

Show Notes / Links:

* TG Geeks Episode 271

* TG Geek...

The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with our good friend J. Scott Coatsworth, author and editor of Queer Sci-Fi, about a new project he and his husband are launching, called LimFic.com. Also, Scott has a new release short story available called Chinatown that you can find that on Amazon. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About J. Scott Coatsworth

Scott lives with his husband Mark in a yellow bungalow in Sacramento. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were.

He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and is an associate member of the Science Fiction Writer’s Association (SFWA).

About LimFic.com

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We’re an inclusive library of spec fic titles (fantasy, sci fi, paranormal and horror). Use the book search, our filter search, or the menu links. Join our weekly newsletter list, and we’ll give you four free ebooks, and you’ll be able to add books to your TBR list and “favorite” authors.

 

About Rainbow Space Magic

 

Rainbow Space Magic is an online LGBTQ+ science fiction and fantasy convention designed to help fill the terrible empty place of canceled in-person conventions during the current crisis as well as offering an SFF convention to those readers and writers in the queer community who struggle to travel or attend physical conventions. Free to participants and convention-goers, RSM seeks to bring like-minded people together, providing LGBTQ+ readings and panels from a safe social distance.

Join us June 20-21 for all the fun!

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In our second segment, we chat about Star Trek: Strange New Worlds. We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback segment. Thank you for listening, we really do appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend with us.

 

 

Our YouTube channel is audio only:

 

Show Notes / Links:

* TG Geeks Episode 248

* TG Geeks Episode 270

* TG Geeks Episode 273

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The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with our good friend Mona Elyafi, publicist and Champagne Expert. We chat real briefly about her life as a publicist and then continue the conversation about how she became an accredited Champagne Expert and all things Champagne. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About Mona Elyafi

Mona Elyafi was born in Beirut Lebanon and immigrated to Paris France in 1975 when the civil war started. She was raised in Paris benefiting from a mix of both a European and Middle Eastern culture. With a muslim father and a catholic mother, she grew up exposed to both religions - its traditions, celebrations and beliefs. She moved to Los Angeles in 1990 to pursue a BA in Political Science. She left LA to for New York City where she attended New York University to complete a Masters in Liberal Arts (with a minor in Journalism). She then returned to LA and started her PR career at the Lee Solters Company with the famed Lee Solters (credited to have created the field of PR).

ILDK Media is a one- woman owned business created 17 years ago with one tiny seed and over a decade later, turned into a widely respected expert in LGBTQ+ PR strategies with a focus on diversity & inclusion as well as global Women Empowerment campaigns.

The drive in Elyafi to amplify women’s voices runs in the family, starting with her maternal grandmother who was her mentor & role-model as well as her great uncle, Abdallah El Yafi, on her father’s side. Abdullah El Yafi, former Prime Minister of Lebanon, was a pioneer in defending women’s rights & equality. He was at the forefront of the struggle to give women the right to vote, which he was able to achieve with his cabinet in power in 1952. This is a man who had quite an ‘avant-garde’ ring to conservative Muslim ears.

As she celebrates 17 years in business this year, 16 years of sobriety, 6 years married to her wife, she is beyond grateful for the trials and triumph that have paved her journey to date.

About Locked Up and Uncorked

Copyright Mona Elyafi

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Locked Up and Uncorked, produced by Aude Thouret for A Lord Pupuce Productions, retraces through short (5-8 minutes) episodes the history of Champagne, France, and its milestone moments from the coronation of Clovis (the first King of France) in the cathedral of Reims, to modern-day events.

In the face of the disastrous economic effects of the Coronavirius that saw the majority of her business gone in one day, Elyafi took that opportunity to bounce back, and put all this new free time to good use by turning to her passion, Champagne.

On top of completing an extensive course with Comite Champagne to officially become an accredited Champagne expert, she also decided to share her knowledge and expertise in all things Champagne related. Teaming up with her wife, she created and launched an entertaining, bubbly, educational, instructive and fun docuseries appropriately titled “Locked Up and Uncorked”.

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In our second segment, we chat about the film Raising Buchanan that was released on VOD this week. We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment....

The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with Sophia Banks, filmmaker. She tells us about two of her films; one is Unregistered that was seen at Tribeca last year and a new one, Proxy, that she is in post-production on. She tells us how she came up with the concepts and how she made both films. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About Sophia Banks

Sophia Banks established herself as a director with her award-winning 2017 commercial Making It On Time for Christian Siriano. The short film featured women in couture gowns, skateboarding through the industrial alleyways of Downtown Los Angeles. Making It on Time went on to be nominated for 15 awards (for Best Short, Best Director and Best Fashion Film), winning four including Best Commercial at the Oscar-qualifying Hollywood Shorts Film Festival, Best Fashion Short at Miami Film Festival, Best Microfilm at the Festigious International Film Festival and both Best

Commercial and Best Director at the United International Film Festival.

Previously, Banks directed numerous award-winning commercials for brands such as Pepsi, Chobani, BMW, Target and Ford as well as fashion films for Pam & Gela, Ralph and Russo, Kylie and Kendal, Annie Bing and Tome.

A native of Australia, Banks started her career as a fashion stylist and designer, then creative directing. Driven to become a film director she enrolled in film courses at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, UCLA and The American Academy of Dramatic Arts, and completed three Sundance Co//ab courses for professional directing and screenwriting. A self-professed ‘tech-geek,’ Banks has a great love for cameras, shooting on film and has a keen eye for visual effects. For Unregistered, her sci-fi short premiering at Tribeca in 2019, she played a key role in developing groundbreaking

VR technology to provide audiences as well as her actors with a fully immersive experience.

Banks is signed to CAA for television and feature films and continues to shoot commercials worldwide. She resides in Los Angeles with her 10-year-old daughter.

http://www.sophiabanks.com

About Unregistered and Proxy

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My short film, Unregistered starring Trevor Jackson (DP Paul Cameron DP’d that one) made it’s world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival last year and I have since continued to enter this film into festivals - it has racked up over a dozen awards thus far. I have now developed it into a television series with a current interest in the streaming world.

I just wrapped on my latest short film, Proxy a sci-fi thriller starring Emma Booth and Erika Christensen. We luckily shot this prior to the lockdown and are nearing the edit completion, working with VFX Supervisor Christoph Roth who has won awards and contributed on films such as Guardians of the Galaxy, The Live-Action Lion King and many more.

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In our second segment, we chat about Penny Dreadful. Yes, we are a little late to the party but just had to chat about it. We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback...

The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with Gail Z. Martin, author. We chat with her about several series she is writing including her other persona of Morgan Brice. Ben has read several of her books and was very interested in chatting with Gail about her writing. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About Gail Z. Martin and her Books

Gail Z. Martin is the author of Scourge: A Darkhurst Novel, from Solaris Books. Gail is also the author of Vendetta: A Deadly Curiosities Novel and Trifles and Folly 1: A Deadly Curiosities Collection, the latest in her urban fantasy series set in Charleston, SC; Shadow and Flame is the fourth book in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga; The Shadowed Path (The first Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures collection), as well as Iron and Blood a Steampunk series, and Spells, Salt, & Steel, both co-authored with Larry N. Martin.

She is also author of Ice Forged, Reign of Ash, and War of Shadows in The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven, Dark Lady’s Chosen); The Fallen Kings Cycle (The Sworn, The Dread) and the urban fantasy novel Deadly Curiosities and Tangled Web. Gail writes three ebook series: The Jonmarc Vahanian Adventures, The Deadly Curiosities Adventures and The Blaine McFadden Adventures. The Storm and Fury Adventures, steampunk stories set in the Iron & Blood world, are co-authored with Larry N. Martin.

Gail’s work has appeared in over 35 US/UK anthologies. Newest anthologies include: The Big Bad 2, Athena’s Daughters, Heroes, Space, Contact Light, With Great Power, The Weird Wild West, The Side of Good/The Side of Evil, Alien Artifacts, Cinched: Imagination Unbound, Realms of Imagination, Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens, Gaslight and Grimm, Baker Street Irregulars, Journeys, Hath no Fury and A Haven Harbor Halloween.

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In our second segment, we chat about The Shows Must Go On Youtube Channel and Phantom of the Opera from Royal Albert Hall. We also chat about Schindler's List and the importance of the film. We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback segment. Thank you for listening, we really do appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend with us.

 

 

Our YouTube channel is audio only:

 

Show Notes / Links:

* TG Geeks Episode 266

* TG Geeks episode 267

* TG Geeks Episode 270

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The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with Jonas Chernick and his film, James Vs. His Future Self. We chat about how he came to write this film and also star in it as well as how they got several high profile actors to be in the film. The film has already released in Canada and soon to be released in the US. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About Jonas Chernick

Jonas Chernick is an actor/screenwriter. He co-wrote and starred in Lucid (2005), a feature film that premiered at the 2005 Toronto International Film Festival and won the City TV Award for Best Western Canadian Feature Film at the 2005 Vancouver International Film Festival. He also collaborated on the screenplay and played the leading role in Inertia (2001), which won the award for Best First Canadian Film at the 2001 Toronto International Film Festival and for which he picked up the Blizzard Award for Best Leading Actor. Jonas won a 2008 Gemini Award and was nominated for a 2009 ACTRA Award for his work as "Slade" on the hit CBC drama series The Border (2008). He has played recurring roles on the comedy series Living in Your Car (2010) (HBO Canada) and Degrassi: The Next Generation (2001) (Teen Nick/Much Music). Other recent appearances include Covert Affairs (2010) (USA), Saving Hope (2012) (CTV), The Ron James Show (2009) (CBC), King (2011) (Showcase), The Listener (2009) (CTV), Haven (2010) (SyFy/Showcase), Being Erica (2009) (CBC), Little Mosque on the Prairie (2007) (CBC), This Is Wonderland (2004) (CBC), At the Hotel (2006) (CBC) and the films Seven Times Lucky (2004) (Sundance Film Festival 2004), Blood Pressure (2012) and The Samaritan (2012) with Samuel L. Jackson. As a screenwriter, Jonas has several feature films in development including Borealis (a father-daughter road trip story co-produced with Buffalo Gal Pictures), Clara's War (a historical epic produced by Corey Marr Productions) and The Spark (a relationship comedy co-produced with Buffalo Gal Pictures and Executive Produced by Don Carmody).

He wrote, produced and starred in the feature comedy My Awkward Sexual Adventure (2012), which won the Audience Award at the Whistler Film Festival, the People's Choice Award at the Calgary International Film Festival and was named one of the Top Ten Films of 2012 by the Toronto International Film Festival. The film was released in the US by Tribeca Films, sold to over 25 countries and is being remade in South Korea, France and Lithuania. Jonas was nominated for a 2013 ACTRA Award for his performance in the movie.

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About James Vs. His Future Self

In James vs His Future Self, Jonas Chernick is James, a brilliant and obsessed particle physicist on the brink of inventing time travel who, in the process, has relegated the only two people who care about him (best friend/crush Courtney, and his edgy sister Meredith) to the sidelines.

Daniel Stern is Jimmy, the future, time-traveling version of James, now angry, cynical and driven by regret and loss. Jimmy’s obsessed with righting the wrongs of his life by convincing his younger self to give up his obsession with time travel and to finally stop and smell the roses. Or else.

Directed by Jeremy LaLonde (Cinequest Best Comedy award-winner The Go-Getters, Slamdance hit and Canadian Film Fest award-winner How to Plan an Orgy in a Small Town) and co-written by LaLonde and Chernick, James vs His Future Self is an existential twist on the time-traveler-arrives-to-save...

The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with Jason Carney, Executive Director, Phoenix Film Festival. We get his reaction to all of the cancellations of film festivals and what path forward does he have planned for Phoenix Film Festival. And we have our usual crazy derailments in the conversation. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About Phoenix Film Festival

Phoenix Film Festival is Arizona’s largest film festival and one of the top film festivals in the world. Phoenix Film Festival started in 2000 and has grown every year. Last year the festival expanded to 14 days of programming with over 250 films and more than 25, 000 attendees.

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The Phoenix Film Festival is a program under the 501(c)3 non-profit organization Phoenix Film Foundation, and is a sibling of the Phoenix Film Society, International Horror and Sci-Fi Film Festival, Peoria Film Fest, IFP/Phoenix, Arizona Student Film Festival and Phoenix Critics Circle. Our mission is to support and develop the artistic appreciation, educational opportunities and growth of independent film within Arizona. The Foundation's primary functions through its programs are to promote the exhibition of independent films and conduct educational programs that teach the art of filmmaking.

http://www.phoenixfilmfestival.com/

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In our second segment, we chat about Andrew Lloyd Webber releasing his musicals on Youtube at "The Shows Must Go On". We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback segment. Thank you for listening, we really do appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend with us.

 

 

Our YouTube channel is audio only:

 

Show Notes / Links:

* TG Geeks Episode 263

* TG Geeks Episode 268

* Ben’s Breakdown | Doctor Who Season Ending Thoughts

* Dr. Zombie – Monster Family Physician #95

* Quarantine Viewing Options: Thrilling Action Films Available to Stream on HBO, TBS and TNT

The Two Gay Geeks have a chat with good friend Patricia Chica, filmmaker and Super Connector, and Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith, The Film Festival Doctor. We chat about the state of Film Festivals currently and what they see as the path forward in light of a changing world. There were a lot of great ideas and thoughts not he subject. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About Dr. Rebekah Louisa Smith

The Film Festival Doctor works within the area of film distribution. We can help you get your film seen at international Film Festivals and create an award winning strategy. So far, we have helped filmmakers win over 700 awards at international film festivals. Our service also extends to helping you find the right sales agent for your film & promoting your film at festivals We help you both save money and make money as a filmmaker.

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About Patricia Chica

A graduate from the Film Production department at Concordia University (with distinction), she specializes in high-quality character-driven content that depicts strong emotions, thought-provoking stories and a profound message. Patricia Chica is an alumna of the TIFF Filmmaker Lab, CMPA Pre-Sales Pitches in L.A. program, Málaga MAFIZ Lab, SODEC_LAB in Cannes, as well as a recipient of the Temerty Family Fellowship - Share Her Journey Program.

Besides her personal independent film work, Chica has also directed and/or worked as a producer on world-class primetime broadcast content for networks such as National Geographic, Showcase, Bravo!, MTV, Oxygen, ARTV, CBC, CBS, UniMás, and El Rey Network just to name a few. She is perfectly fluent in English, Spanish and French and has built a loyal social media fan base and connections in those three markets.

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In our second segment, Ben talks about the Universe of Gail Z. Martin and specifically about the book, Deadly Curiosities. We also highlight recent articles posted to tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback segment. Thank you for listening, we really do appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend with us.

 

 

Our YouTube channel is audio only:

 

Show Notes / Links:

* TG Geeks Episode 267

* Ben’s “Gay” Book Breakdown | Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing is a murder mystery in true Agatha Christie fashion, but with werewolves!

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The Two Gay Geeks have a chat amongst themselves about Star Trek: Picard and its Season Finale ( a very deep geeking conversation), the state of Film Festivals today and where we think this may be headed, the Arts in this uncertain time, and what some Arts Organizations and individual artists are doing while in isolation. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

About The Two Gay Geeks

Ben and Keith are The Two Gay Geeks behind TG Geeks Webcast, where our motto is “You name it, We talk about it.” ®

Our website, tggeeks.com, is headquarters for our Webcast as well as articles and reviews on a variety of subjects.

We cover all aspects of Geek-dom and Nerd-ery. As our motto implies, we talk about almost anything. We do tend to talk more about the Sci Fi, Comics, Film, Horror, and Genre, but we have been known to talk about Opera and Disneyland on occasion.

We have become passionate about supporting Independent Creators whether that is film, comics, music, or authors we are always open to talking with creators of all types.

So, come along and join our wildest ride in the podosphere.

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Arizona Opera Living Room Concert

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In our second segment, we didn't have a second segment this time.... We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback segment. Thank you for listening, we really do appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend with us.

 

 

Our YouTube channel is audio only:

 

Show Notes / Links:

* TG Geeks Episode 266

* Dr. Zombie – Monster Family Physician #93

* Ben’s “Gay” Book Breakdown | Deadly Curiosities - The amazing paranormal world of Gail Z. Martin

* 30 Feel Good Movies and Series Available on HBO

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The Two Gay Geeks have a conversation about our trip to New York and the many things we did in light of the Metropolitan Opera performances that were cancelled. We also talk about several series we have not had enough time to chat about, those are Star Trek: Picard, Doctor Who, and Altered Carbon. Have a listen and we hope you enjoy this as much as we did.

 

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In our second segment, we chat about a new book by our good friend J. Scott Coatsworth. We also highlight recent articles posted to the tggeeks.com in the past week. As always we have our birthdays and we have the ever-popular feedback segment.

We welcome your feedback. Please, let us know what you think. Good or bad, we want to know and you could receive a shoutout in the feedback segment. Thank you for listening, we really do appreciate you taking time out of your day to spend with us.

 

 

Our YouTube channel is audio only:

 

Show Notes / Links:

* TG Geeks Episode 262

* TG Geeks Episode 265

* Dr. Zombie – Monster Family Physician #92

* Andrea's Angle | Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always is Emotional with Nuanced Performances

* Hamish Downie's Five Questions with O & O

* Ben’s Breakdown | Is Superman: The Movie the mightiest film of all time?