News & Features
Transgender history, culture, vulnerability explored in Trans Narratives at FilmScene in Iowa City
FilmScene’s Trans Narrative film series spanning five decades of transgender history, culture and vulnerability may be just what trans folk in Iowa need right now, writes reviewer Tomi Trembath.
Diverse entertainment at 2025 Quad Cities Pride Fest this weekend
Some bold steps in live music, and a celebration of drag artists local and nationally-known, are what you’ll find at Quad Cities Pride Fest in Rock Island, Ill. this weekend.
Opinion
“The Way of Water” is stunning, important and helps redeem the original “Avatar”
Like many, Aime Wichtendahl was initially a skeptic about “The Way of Water,” James Cameron’s massive and much-anticipated sequel to the original “Avatar” film.
But after taking in the three-hour film, Wichtendahl is a fan of the new “Avatar 2” and gained a renewed appreciation of the original “Avatar” released in 2009.
“James Cameron is trying to help us learn. By tapping into the universal nostalgia we all feel – that once there was a time everything was perfect before someone screwed it up – he’s trying to tell us something. He’s trying to wake us up to how we’re impacting the world around us. ‘The Way of Water’ illustrates that despite our best efforts, humanity remains incapable of change.“
Read Wichtendahl’s review of this blockbuster film here.
“House of the Dragon” continues “bury your gays” TV trope
Like so many, every Sunday I sit down on the couch to watch the newest episode of House of the Dragon. I am a big fan of the original series except for, of course, that oh so unfortunate final...



