Stu Maddux

Stu Maddux (born 1965) is American freelance writer, editor, and cinematographer. He is a movie producer and director of his own non-fiction independent films.[1] He is best known for his work Gen Silent, a documentary about gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender older people who hide their sexuality or gender change in order to survive in the long-term care system.[2] He also wrote and produced the films Bob and Jack's 52-Year Adventure and Trip to Hell and Back. His work has been featured internationally on television including on Showtime, TLC, and the BBC.

Stu Maddux
Maddux in August 2017
Born1965
Montgomery, Alabama
EducationBachelor's degree in journalism
Alma materUniversity of Missouri
OccupationIndependent filmmaker
Notable workGen Silent
Reel in the Closet[1]
WebsiteOfficial website

Maddux is also the founder of Interrobang Productions which is the company that he uses to produce and distribute his independent films.[3]

Early life and education

Maddux was born during the height of the Civil rights movement in Montgomery, Alabama, Alabama. His father worked for a large corporation and relocated the family frequently as his career advanced. Throughout his childhood, he lived in Seattle, Washington, Denver, Colorado, Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Kansas City, Missouri.

His family moved to Kansas City, Missouri where he first discovered his passion for film and television by organizing his high school friends into a production company that created public access programs. Maddux attended the University of Missouri where he earned a bachelor's degree in journalism.[4]

Filmography

Bob and Jack's 52-Year Adventure

Bob and Jack's 52-Year Adventure is a self-narrated documentary about a United States Army sergeant who was courted by his commanding officer in 1952 post-World War II Germany. Other troops became aware of their relationship and the two men confronted the troops in their unit in order to avoid being court-martialed.

The documentary features Sergeant Bob Claunch and Lieutenant Jack Reavley as they look back on their previous fifty two years. In the documentary, they talk about the challenges with keeping their relationship intact, the issues that they face while growing old in a gay relationship, and the need for equal rights as an older gay couple.[5][6]

Trip to Hell and Back

Trip to Hell and Back is the true story of Trip Harting, a famous horse rider who lived a double life as a crystal-methamphetamine dealer in the Washington DC's gay drug scene. Harting was one of the top Dressage riders in the United States and also had a shot at the Olympics; however, he was also one of the largest meth dealers in Washington DC until he was arrested by DEA agents. In the documentary, Harting reveals the story of his double life for the first time.

In 2008, Harting was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer and died just a few weeks after the film's premiere. The documentary was screened at many notable film festivals including the Tiburon International Film Festival[7] and the Tallahassee Film Festival.[8]

Gen Silent

Gen Silent is a documentary about gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender older people who face discrimination in long-term care because of their sexual identity or non-normative gender preference.[1] The documentary was filmed over a year in Boston, Massachusetts and documents the challenges faced by the six gay seniors whose sexuality or gender change causes them to be isolated and not receive the same long-term care as elderly heterosexual individuals.[9] The documentary debuted in February 2010 at the Boston LGBT Film Festival.[2]

The film became critically acclaimed and received positive reviews from numerous media outlets including the Chicago Sun-Times which called it "one of the most important LGBT documentaries to come out this year."[10] Excerpts from Gen Silent were used for the public television program In the Life and the film also received positive reviews from The Huffington Post. The film has also become a leading tool worldwide for raising awareness about LGBT aging.[1][11]

Reel in the Closet

Maddux's documentary film Reel in the Closet (2015) features LGBTQ home movie and video footage, and stresses the importance of finding, restoring, and preserving this aspect of LGBT history. The film had its world premiere at the Frameline Film Festival on 21 June 2015. It is currently used in curricula across the United States.

Queer Ghost Hunters

Queer Ghost Hunters (2016) is his ongoing web series about finding LGBTQ history through a team of paranormal investigators who search for LGBTQ entities.

Minister of Loneliness (Working Title)

Minister of Loneliness (in production) (2020) is a multi-media project (film, web, app, installation) delving into causes behind a reported worldwide epidemic in loneliness, the societal and health ramifications, and the solutions currently being implemented by governments. The film and a virtual reality installation are told through the eyes of a handful of people overcoming chronic loneliness after being debilitated by it.

The Clowder Group

The Clowder Group is the production company founded and used by Maddux and his husband, Joseph Applebaum, to produce and distribute their independent films. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California.

Activism

Maddux is an outspoken activist for the LGBT aging and LGBT history. He has spoken at national conferences including the American Psychological Association,[12] Out & Equal,[13] Creating Change and the American Society on Aging.[14] He has frequently advocated for residential communities and care facilities to form their own gay-straight alliances similar to those in high schools.[15][16] In 2018, he and his husband began a campaign to remove the stigma of identifying as lonely.

Awards
Year Film Title Award Name Organization
2010 Gen Silent Audience Award for Best Documentary Sacramento Film and Music Festival[17]
2010 Gen Silent Jury Award for Best Documentary Sacramento Film and Music Festival[17]
2011 Gen Silent Alternative Spirit Award Rhode Island International Film Festival[17]
2011 Gen Silent Audience Choice for Best Documentary Frameline Film Festival[18][19]
2011 Gen Silent Audience Award for Best Documentary Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival[20]
2010 Gen Silent Audience Award for Best Documentary Charlotte Film Festival[21]

References
  1. "Gen Silent Explores Challenges Facing The Elderly LGBT Community". Dallas Voice. January 16, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  2. Melloy, Kilian (February 19, 2010). "Gen Silent: Stu Maddux and the 'Greatest Gay Generation'". Edge Boston. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  3. "Interrobang Productions". Interrobang Productions. Archived from the original on September 15, 2012. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  4. "Stu Maddox". Tiburon International Film Festival. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  5. "Bob and Jack's 52-Year Adventure". Three Dollar Bill Cinema. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  6. "Senior Gay Couple from California Regrets Not Marrying When They Had The Chance". Men's Book Journal. March 6, 2009. Archived from the original on January 15, 2010. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  7. "Trip To Hell And Back". Tiburon International Film Festival. 2008. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  8. "Trip To Hell And Back". Tallahassee Film Festival. April 10, 2010. Archived from the original on February 3, 2013. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  9. Proxmire, Crystal A. (December 1, 2009). "Aging And Gay?". Between The Lines. Archived from the original on September 26, 2014. Retrieved August 21, 2012.
  10. Davenport, Misha (October 29, 2010). "29th Annual Reeling Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on October 29, 2014. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  11. Herman, Joanne (November 4, 2010). "Transgender Issues: The Additional Challenges of LBGT Aging". The Huffington Post. Retrieved August 20, 2012.
  12. "APA Convention Programming – Stu Maddux". American Psychological Association. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  13. "Featured Panel – Stu Maddux" (PDF). Out & Equal Workplace Summit. 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  14. "Resources – Stu Maddux". LGBT Aging Center. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  15. "Senior Gay-Straight Alliance Launches in BC". Xtra. Archived from the original on April 14, 2012. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  16. "Film Director Visits New Continuing Care Community For LGBT Older People". YouTube. August 7, 2011. Retrieved August 29, 2012.
  17. Administrator (July 28, 2012). "Gen Silent at the Coolidge Corner Theatre". Axe Entertainment. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  18. "Award Winners". Frameline.org. May 21, 2012. Archived from the original on April 1, 2015. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  19. "Documentary Explored LGBT Elderly". Pride Source. November 17, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  20. "Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Awards". Film Festivals. June 16, 2011. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
  21. Journal Staff (October 10, 2010). "Charlotte Film Fest Awards". Carolin Production Journal. Archived from the original on January 31, 2013. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
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