The highly anticipated Studio One Forever Documentary is screening in Los Angeles and Palm Springs as part of a fundraising effort to capture costs for the final music licensing, because as we all know, Studio One was all about the music. Everyone is invited to catch a screening in Los Angeles at the Sunset Cinelounge located at 6464 Sunset Blvd., on March 2, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. There will be a second showing in Palm Springs at Camelot Theatres at 2300 E Baristo Rd, on March 9, 2023, at 6:30 p.m.
Space is limited in at the Los Angeles screening, but the Palm Springs location has 170 seats. Each showing will have a reception following the screening. RSVP at [email protected].
Studio One was the center of queer nightlife in West Hollywood as well as the staging ground for the rise of the LGBTQ rights movement and fight against the AIDS crisis. The documentary directed by Marc Saltarelli, features familiar faces like Liz Torres, Divine (archival), Geri Jewell, Bruce Vilanch, Leigh McCloskey, Chita Rivera, Lance Bass, Melissa Rivers, and so many more.
Keep in mind that this is a fundraiser. Music licensing is twice the production and post production costs over the past three years, so if you, or someone you know wants make a tax-deductible donation to contribute to this part of West Hollywood LGBTQ history, then click on the link below:
https://www.thefilmcollaborative.org/fiscalsponsorship/projects/studioone
tudio One Forever documentary inviteThe synopsis for the Studio One Forever documentary is as follows:
For a generation of gay men who came of age during the era of Scott Forbes’ Studio One, the significance of the club and the turbulence of the times hold a profound place in their hearts and minds. From 1974-1994, the club saw the rise of the gay rights movement, the rise and fall of disco and the darkest days of the AIDS crisis when the club became ground zero for AIDS activism. Climbing the staircase and entering the hallowed hall gave its young LGBTQ patrons a sense of freedom and acceptance during a time of rampant homophobia and police harassment. Young gay men would find a sense of community and safety here.
Connected to the dance club, The Backlot evolved into the hottest live music venue in town. On any given night, you could catch established stars like Liza Minnelli, Chita Rivera or Eartha Kitt alongside up and comers like Roseanne Barr or Rosie O’Donnell on the verge of taking off.
With the historic preservation battle as a framework, the story of Scott Forbes’ Studio One and The Backlot will be told through first hand accounts and anecdotes of the times. Famous and not famous voices will share personal recollections of the place and the times. Just as gay liberation was slowly progressing, it came up against the 80s and Reagan conservatism. A few years later, the AIDS crisis that started as a whisper, had grown into a living nightmare. Through the lens of this gathering place, stories of that time will be documented for generations to come.
