#PUNKS. —Repost @queer.cinema.archive • “Punks” (2000. USA.) If the name Patrik-Ian Polk sounds familiar, it may be because you’ve seen his 2005 queer TV series Noah’s Arc. But, before his series premiered on Logo, Polk had released a similarly themed film called “Punks” which ran the festival circuit in 2000. Produced/financed by @traceyeedmonds & @babyface, the film premiered at Sundance and went on to earn Polk the Outstanding Emerging Talent Award at LA's Outfest as well as an Indie Spirit Award nomination. “Punks” is an important film because it showcases friendships between Black gay men, and also features two Black men falling in love with each other. In a 2018 interview with Hornet, Polk stated, “Hollywood is white. And they just want to see everything through a white lens, I think. They still want to see a white person involved...Being gay is already ‘other’ to them, so having part of it be white makes it more familiar.” “Punks” follows the lives and loves of a group of 4 Black/Latin friends in West Hollywood: Marcus (Seth Gilliam), a successful photographer, his roommate Hill (Dwight Ewell) who moves in with him following a bad break-up, a drag diva named Crystal (Jazzmun) who frequently performs at a local nightclub, and Dante (Renoly Santiago), a young gay man the group has taken under their wing. Marcus befriends his handsome new neighbour, Darby (Rockmond Dunbar), and soon this straight man becomes a part of their friend group. Over time, Marcus begins to develop feelings for Darby. If you haven’t heard of the film, the reason is fairly simple: music. “Punks” prominently features the music of famed disco-era group Sister Sledge in the drag numbers. Originally, the film had clearance for the music but after the film was edited and released Polk found out that the distributor hadn’t paid for the music. Without the music licensing the film couldn’t be released – and as the popularity of DVDs grew, so did the price of music licensing. “Punks” was occasionally shown on Logo about a decade after its release and is sometimes seen in private screenings. Luckily, there has been talk of it being released to a streaming service later this year.