By Hook or by Crook

By Hook or by Crook

Restoration World Premiere

On-stage conversation with filmmakers Harry Dodge, Silas Howard, and Steak House, moderated by musician Kathleen Hanna

Restoration World Premiere

On-stage conversation with filmmakers Harry Dodge, Silas Howard, and Steak House, moderated by musician Kathleen Hanna

Taking pages from the absurdism of Jean Genet, the Beat ethos of Jack Kerouac, and the independent spirit of John Cassavetes, Harry Dodge and Silas Howard describe their directorial debut as a "butch and trans buddy film." The story follows Shy (Howard) and Valentine (Dodge), two gender outlaws living by any means necessary in San Francisco during the Bush years—when violence and isolation are around every corner, even in the supposed queer mecca of the United States. This inventive, energetic, shot-on-video road movie is teeming with playful scenarios, pathos, and humanity. The film screened at festivals worldwide and won numerous awards including the Audience and Best Screenplay awards at Outfest.

Note by K.J. Relth-Miller.

DIRECTED/WRITTEN BY: Harry Dodge, Silas Howard. WITH: Silas Howard, Harry Dodge, Stanya Kahn, Carina Gia. 2001. 95 min. USA. Color. English. DCP. Digitally restored by the Academy Film Archive and UCLA Film & Television Archive in conjunction with Frameline, Outfest, Steakhaus Productions, Inc., and the Sundance Institute.

Academy Museum film programming generously funded by the Richard Roth Foundation. 

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