Vito

Synopsis

In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBT representation in the media. He went on to write, "The Celluloid Closet," the first book to critique Hollywood's portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990.

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Credits

HBO/Automat Pictures

Produced and Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz

Executive Produced by Bryan Singer

Co-Produced and Edited by Philip Harrison

Co-Produced by Lotti Pharriss Knowles

Original Score by Miriam Cutler

Awards & Highlights

Winner, Emmy Award (2013), Outstanding Research

Also nominated for Emmy Award (2013), Outstanding Historical Programming - Long Form

Premiered October, 2011 at the NEW YORK FILM FESTIVAL at Lincoln Center

International Premier BERLIN FILM FESTIVAL 2012

HBO Premier Broadcast July 2012

Opening night, OUTFEST, FRAMELINE

         

Reviews

"An emotionally powerful documentary portrait with an impassioned voice that befits its subject, Jeffrey Schwarz’s Vito marries personal and cultural history in its account of the life and activism of Vito Russo, a pivotal figure in both the early gay-rights movement and the fight against AIDS ... Miriam Cutler’s propulsive score gives shape to the film’s emotional journey."  ~ David Rooney, Hollywood Reporter

"Jeffrey Schwarz's involving biodoc on Vito Russo, leading gay activist, film scholar and author of "The Celluloid Closet," portrays a vibrant, charismatic, remarkably consistent individual, as generous in his personal life as in his political engagements. Schwarz...makes his subject a dramatic focal point in the history of gay rights from the Stonewall riots to the AIDS epidemic." ~ Ronnie Scheib, Variety

"After watching “Vito,” a documentary about Vito Russo on Monday night on HBO, you might be tempted to think, “Wow, that was an amazingly full life.” But really it was a life cut short..." ~ Neil Genzlinger, The New York Times

"I highly recommend it to anyone interest in pop culture, in civil rights, or in how the two are deeply connected." ~ James Poniewozik, Time Magazine