28.06 / 19:05
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‘Edge Of Seventeen’ & ‘Another Gay Sequel’ filmmaker looks back on the challenges of telling gay stories
Edge Of Seventeen is a nostalgic and earnest tale about coming out and coming of age in a small town.2008’s Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!, on the other hand, is a raunchy and ridiculous comedy spoof sequel, with gay sex jokes that will still make you blush.Given their wildly different tones, it’s almost hard to believe these movies come from the same person. But, with a signature fearlessness and a make-no-apologies approach to queerness, both are undoubtedly the work of filmmaker Todd Stephens.Born in suburban Ohio, Stephens emerged as a voice on the independent film scene at the tail-end of the New Queer Cinema movement with Edge Of Seventeen—which he wrote inspired by his own teen years—earning critical acclaim.After his follow-up film, Gypsy 83 (also his official directorial debut), had difficulty getting distribution, Stephens took a hard left turn into goofy parody with Another Gay Movie, which was divisive but quickly amassed a cult following.