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Angela Robinson (filmmaker)

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Angela Robinson
Born (1971-02-14) February 14, 1971 (age 53)
Chicago, Illinois, U.S.
Alma materBrown University (B.A.)
New York University (MFA)
Occupation(s)Director, screenwriter, producer
Years active1995–present
PartnerAlexandra "Alex" Martinez Kondracke
Children1

Angela Robinson (born February 14, 1971) is an American film and television director, screenwriter and producer. Outfest Fusion LGBTQ People of Color Film Festival awarded Robinson with the Fusion Achievement Award in 2013 for her contribution to LGBTQ+ media visibility.[1][2]

Early life

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Robinson was born in Chicago. Robinson attended Brown University, where she majored in theatre and later received an MFA from New York University.

Career

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Robinson frequently deals with gay and lesbian topics in her films. Angela Robinson's first screen work was a black and white film, Chickula: Teenage Vampire, about a queer vampire. The film was shown at LGBTQ film festivals in 1995.[3]

Films

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D.E.B.S

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She directed the short film D.E.B.S. (2003), produced by POWER UP. The short film has won four awards which includes the Bearfest-Big Bear Lake International Film Festival Jury Award for Best Short Film, the PlanetOut Short Movie Awards Grand Prize, the Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Lesbian Short Film and New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Award for Best Short.[4] Robinson went on to direct a feature-length adaptation of D.E.B.S. (2004). D.E.B.S feature-film adaption (2004) is a lesbian romantic comedy about a "spy-in training Amy Bradshaw and a supervillian Lucy Diamond. Amy is assigned to go after Lucy. However, Amy starts to develop feelings for her.[5]" D.E.B.S has made a big impact in queer cinema. Senior entertainment writer named Adam Vary described D.E.B.S as "the gay spy movie" in his article "The New New Queer Cinema".[6] Writer Katrin Horn remarked that D.E.B.S is a groundbreaking movie as the film works to desexualize femme identity previously centered in lesbian chic cinema. Robinson's use of narrative and stylistic techniques in D.E.B.S offered a new lenses into lesbian representations and the structure of heteronormative romantic comedies.[7]

Girltrash!

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In 2007, Robinson created the online series Girltrash! for OurChart, a social networking website aimed primarily at lesbians.[8] In 2014, Robinson wrote the screenplay for a musical feature film and prequel to her Girltrash! series, Girltrash: All Night Long directed by Alexandra Kondracke.[9] Robinson was also one of the producers for the film. The film is a lesbian musical drama about two rock and roll musicians named Daisy and Tyler during a night out in the LGBTQ+ subculture of Los Angeles.[10] The film won the audience award in the 2015 Paris International Lesbian and Feminist Film Festival.[11]

Professor Marston and the Wonder Women

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Robinson wrote and directed the film Professor Marston and the Wonder Women that was released in 2017. The film focuses on William Moulton Marston, an Harvard educated psychologist who created Wonder Woman in the 1940s. Marston's received help from his wife Elizabeth and Olive Byrne, a research assistant, in his creation of the super heroine. The movie also includes the polyamorous relationship Marston, Elizabeth and Olive were in and how that effected their careers and lives.[12]

The film's inclusion of a lesbian relationship between Elizabeth Marston and Olive Byrne after William's death was criticized and strongly denounced by Christie Marston, daughter of William’s son Moulton, saying she was "blindsided" by the narrative since nobody from the film ever reached out to her or her family. For her part, Robinson admitted in an interview with Abraham Riesman at Vulture that she made no effort to contact the family. She admitted that the entire story line was fictional, stating, "I wanted to kind of be able to explore my own interpretation of what the story was…. I felt like their story had been kind of hidden from history for a long time, and I kind of wanted to excavate and interpret what I found and then write the film."[13]

Stranger In Paradise

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In 2017, Robinson worked with cartoonist Terry Moore on a graphic novel adaptation of "Strangers in Paradise" for a feature film.[14]

Television shows

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America-Canadian TV Series

The L Word

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In 2004, Robinson wrote, produced and directed episodes from the show The L Word. The show is about the lives of a group of lesbian and bisexual friends in Los Angeles. Media critic, Samuel A. Chambers argues that the "L Word" importance is that the show brought a lot of visibility to a range of lesbian and bisexual identities in its character plot lines. Also, many of the guests cast on the show were queer actresses in Hollywood like Jane Lynch and Sandra Bernhard.[15] In 2006, the show won the 17th annual GLAAD Media award. The award recognizes and honors inclusive representations of LGBTQ+ people and issues that impact them.[16]

True Blood

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Drama TV Series

Robinson has served as a writer for the television series True Blood.[17] True Blood is an American fantasy drama about Sookie Stackhouse, a telepathic waitress, who lives in a rural town in Louisiana. The waitress falls in love with Bill Compton, a vampire, and the two must navigate the challenges that come with their relationship. The fictional show also focuses on vampires' struggle for rights and assimilation in society.[18]

Other works

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Robinson has also served as writer and co-executive producer for the HBO television series Hung,[19] In addition to her film and TV work, Robinson also wrote the first four issues of the Web ongoing series at DC Comics.

In March 2012, it was announced that Robinson would write a supernatural teen thriller with Dawn Olmstead (of Prison Break) and Marti Noxon (of Mad Men) attached as producers.[20]

More recently in 2021, Robinson signed an overall deal with Warner Bros.[21] to create scripted television programs for Warner Bros platforms including Max, basic and premium cable channels and broadcast networks.[22]

At Warner Bros., Robinson is currently working as writer and executive producer with Max to develop a series based on Madame X, a DC Comics characters also known as Madame Xanadu. Madame X is a clairvoyant who uses tarot cards to tell the future and is immortal due to her deal with Death. The series will be produced by Bad Robot in association with Warner Bros. Television.[23]

Personal life

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Robinson is openly lesbian.[24][25] Her partner is television writer and director Alexandra "Alex" Martinez Kondracke, the daughter of Morton Kondracke, who she met while they were both studying at New York University. Alexandria Martinez Kondracke is an activist and filmmaker.[26] In 2009, Kondracke gave birth to their first child, Diego.[27] They live in Los Feliz, California.

Filmography

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Film

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Short film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Editor Notes
1995 Chickula: Teenage Vampire Yes Yes No No
1998 The Kinsey 3 Yes No No Yes
1999 Ice Fishing No No Yes No
2003 D.E.B.S. Yes Yes No Yes
2007 Girltrash! Yes Yes No No Video short[28]

Feature film

Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
2004 D.E.B.S. Yes Yes No Also editor
2005 Herbie: Fully Loaded Yes No No
2014 Girltrash: All Night Long No Yes Yes [29][30]
2017 Professor Marston and the Wonder Women Yes Yes No

As herself

  • Fabulous!: The Story of Queer Cinema (2006)

Television

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Year Title Director Writer Producer Notes
1999–2001 Taxicab Confessions No No Yes 3 episodes
2004–2009 The L Word Yes Yes Yes Directed 8 episodes, wrote 6 episodes;
Role: Angela (episode: "LMFAO")
2007–2009 Girltrash! Yes Yes Executive Web series;
Also editor
2009–2011 Hung No Yes Yes Wrote 4 episodes
2010 Gigantic Yes No No 2 episodes
2011 Charlie's Angels Yes No No Episode "Runaway Angels"
2012–2014 True Blood No Yes Yes Wrote 6 episodes
2015–2017 How to Get Away with Murder No Yes Yes Wrote 2 episodes

Awards and nominations

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Year Title Award/Nomination
2003 D.E.B.S. Bearfest - Big Bear Lake International Film Festival Jury Award for Best Short Film
* New York Lesbian and Gay Film Festival Award for Best Short
* Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Jury Prize for Best Lesbian Short Film
* PlanetOut Short Movie Awards Grand Prize
2004 D.E.B.S. Nominated: 2005 Black Movie Awards for Outstanding Achievement in Writing

See also

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References

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  1. ^ White, Patricia (2018). "'Invite Me In!': Angela Robinson at Hollywood's Threshold". In Juhasz, Alexandra; Welbon, Yvonne (eds.). Sisters in the Life: A History of Out African American Lesbian Media-Making. Duke University Press. pp. 176–190. ISBN 978-0-8223-7185-4. Project MUSE chapter 2484589.
  2. ^ "Angela Robinson Films and Shows – Apple TV (BG)". AppleTV. Retrieved 2024-08-19.
  3. ^ Welbon, Yvonne; Juhasz, Alexandra (2018). Sisters in the Life.
  4. ^ "Five things you didn't know about HG Wells". Nature. 7 September 2016. doi:10.1038/d41586-019-00053-9.
  5. ^ D.E.B.S. (2004) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-11-20
  6. ^ Horn, Katrin (2017). Women, Camp, and Popular Culture. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-64846-0. ISBN 978-3-319-64845-3.[page needed]
  7. ^ Horn, Katrin (2017). Women, Camp, and Popular Culture. doi:10.1007/978-3-319-64846-0. ISBN 978-3-319-64845-3.[page needed]
  8. ^ Best. Lesbian. Summer. Ever. | AfterEllen.com Archived July 4, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  9. ^ Riendeau, Danielle 2009 Year in Review: Movies " Archived 2012-04-04 at the Wayback Machine, 2009-12-15. Retrieved on 2011-04-05.
  10. ^ Kondracke, Alexandra (2014-02-01), Girltrash: All Night Long (Comedy, Crime, Drama), Power Up Films, retrieved 2022-11-20
  11. ^ Girltrash: All Night Long - IMDb, retrieved 2022-11-20
  12. ^ "The Director Behind This Year's Other Must-See Wonder Woman Movie". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  13. ^ "'Wonder Women'Biopic Fails Lasso Of Truth Test, Says Creator's Granddaughter". Forbes. Retrieved 2022-07-29.
  14. ^ McNary, Dave (2017-09-13). "'Strangers in Paradise' Movie in Works From 'Professor Marston' Filmmaker". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  15. ^ Beirne, Rebecca (2008). Lesbians in Television and Text after the Millennium. doi:10.1057/9780230615014. ISBN 978-1-349-37411-3.[page needed]
  16. ^ "L Word Awards". www.thelwordonline.com. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  17. ^ Sobol, Gianna (March 1, 2012). "Meet the New Writer". Inside True Blood. Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved April 20, 2012.
  18. ^ True Blood (TV Series 2008–2014) - IMDb, retrieved 2022-11-20
  19. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (25 June 2009). "Lesbian Director Angela Robinson's Getting Busy with 'Hung'". SheWired. Here Media. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  20. ^ Fleming, Mike (23 March 2012). "Angela Robinson Sells Supernatural Teen Pitch To Paramount". Deadline. Archived from the original on March 24, 2012. Retrieved 28 March 2012.
  21. ^ Andreeva, Nellie (2021-03-09). "Angela Robinson Inks Big Overall Deal With Warner Bros. Television Group". Deadline. Retrieved 2021-03-10.
  22. ^ Zorrilla, Mónica Marie (2021-03-09). "Angela Robinson Inks Multi-Year Overall Deal With Warner Bros. Television Group". Variety. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  23. ^ White, Peter (2021-06-25). "Madame X Series, Based On DC Character, In The Works At HBO Max From Angela Robinson & J.J. Abrams". Deadline. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  24. ^ Goldberg, Lesley (June 25, 2009). "Lesbian Director Angela Robinson's Getting Busy with 'Hung'". Pride.com. Retrieved 14 July 2021.
  25. ^ Malkin, Marc (July 13, 2018). "Jordana Brewster Presents Angela Robinson With Outfest Achievement Award". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
  26. ^ "About | Alexandra Martinez Kondracke". alexkondracke.com. Retrieved 2022-11-20.
  27. ^ Kregloe, Karman (29 September 2009). "Ask AfterEllen.com (September 29, 2009)". Archived from the original on 15 July 2012. Retrieved 8 April 2011.
  28. ^ "Girltrash!". CGiii. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  29. ^ Sansing, E. (March 3, 2014). "A Review of 'GIRLTRASH: All Night Long'". Tagg Magazine. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  30. ^ McCroy, Winnie (July 14, 2014). "Girltrash: All Night Long". Edge Media Network. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
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