User:Bonchic/sandbox

{AFC submission|d|film|declinets=20120320053550|decliner=Aaron Booth|ts=20120320000923|u=Bonchic|ns=5}}

SYNOPSIS
PAGEANT is a 2008 documentary film, directed and produced by Ron Davis and Stewart Halpern. The film explores the behind-the-scenes dramas and realities of the 34th Miss Gay America Contest. Davis and Halpern focused upon how each of the 52 men competing manages to create themselves, without artifice as the pageant forbids any enhancements or surgery. The film’s central theme is the universal desire, regardless of gender to be beautiful, noticed and chosen; and the right to follow one’s dreams. The film went on to garner 10 major film festival awards before airing on the Sundance Channel in 2010.

AWARDS AND NOMINATIONS
1.	Best Documentary at the IMAGEOUT Film Festival, 2.	Best Documentary, Florida Film Festival 3.	Official Selection, Slamdance Festival 4.	Winner, Best Documentary Fresno Reel Pride 5.	Winner Best Documentary Outflix Film Festival 6.	Winner, Best Documentary Chicago Image Out festival

Praise and Criticism
While some reviewers, such as Martin Tsai from the Village Voice felt that the film only skimmed along the surface insanity saying that “filmmakers Ron Davis and Stewart Halpern-Fingerhut's treatment is only skin-deep, eschewing any exploration of gender politics or psychological effects induced by the ubiquitous ugly-duckling-turned-swan narrative “  other reviewers such as Nathan Lee in the New York Times felt that it was “ not without its charm, and it’s touching, in a goofy sort of way, to see how seriously everyone takes it.” Audience reviews were generally positive and Rotten Tomatoes posted an 85% approval rating.