Philadelphia Gay News Vol. 33 No. 9
Honesty Integrity Professionalism
Feb. 27 - Mar. 5, 2009
Kocis trial underway
Film festival feud over ... for now
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer TLA Entertainment Group and the Philadelphia Film Society, which co-present the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, announced this week that they have reconciled their differences and will again be working together. The two organizations will collaborate on the Philadelphia Film Festival/CineFest, March 26-April 6, and the newly named LGBT event Philadelphia QFest, July 9-19. The decision to collaborate comes one month after the two groups decided to split and present their own mainstream and LGBT festivals. TLA announced in January that “recent disagreements between PFS board leadership and TLA over the management and artistic vision of the festivals has necessitated a breakup of the business relationship.” Matthew Ray, director of media relations for the festival, said at the time that Raymond Murray, TLA founder and president, and other TLA programmers could not come to a consensus with PFS board members about certain festival decisions, particularly what role the board members should play in the programming of the festivals. TLA launched PIGLFF in 1995 and, in 2002, created PFS to oversee both this and the mainstream film festivals, although TLA representatives maintained creative control over both events. Ray said the organizations decided to join forces again to avoid potentially staging four film festivals — two mainstream and two LGBT. “Even though this was a rather public spat, it was important to both organizations to be able to serve the cinephiles and film fans of Philadelphia,” he said. “We reached an agreement and the film festivals will be continuing as a co-production between both organizations, so we won’t have competing film festivals in 2009.” After 2009, however, the partnership is less clear. Ray said the two groups could branch off in different directions following this year’s festivals. “I think that is a possibility,” he said. “Both groups are growing and becoming different organizations, so we’ll be collaborative but may also have our own individual projects. I can’t stress enough that no one is really considering anything beyond this festival right now. This is requiring a totality of energy from everyone See FEUD, Page 17
DATE WITH AN OSCAR: Even though “Milk” was beat out for Best Film by “Slumdog Millionaire” at the 81st Academy Awards on Feb. 22, the acclaimed biopic won two Oscars. Sean Penn won for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his portrayal of openly gay politician Harvey Milk and out producer and writer Dustin Lance Black (pictured with Cleve Jones) won his first Oscar for Best Original Screenplay. Photos: ABC/Adam Larkey and Michael Yada
Local university hit with sexual-harassment suit He also managed the ESU Foundation, the $17-million nonprofit fundraising branch of the university. East Stroudsburg University is facing According to the suit, the alleged abuse a lawsuit over the university’s handling began in 2001. The plaintiffs, who all use their initials of sexual-harassment allegations made against a former top administrator. in the suit, reported varying degrees of One current and five sexual harassment: Plaintiff W.B. alleged that Sanders former ESU students filed a civil suit Feb. 12 against inappropriately touched the school and several his thigh and groin area and tried to persuade him of its officials, claiming the university tried to to share a bed with him cover up allegations that during a trip, and plaintiff its former vice president T.H. charges that Sanders physically forced him to of advancement, Isaac Sanders, sexually harassed perform oral sex on him numerous times in his the students. office. ESU, located about The suit alleges that two hours outside of Sanders targeted students Philadelphia in the Pocono who “lacked a ‘father figure’ Mountains, has a student in the family” and “were body of about 6,800 and is one of 14 state-funded ISAAC SANDERS more vulnerable, socially or physically weaker and universities. The suit alleges that Sanders, 50, forged less likely to be effective witnesses against friendships with the students, who are all him or able to defend themselves against African-American males, and then either his sexual assaults.” Many of the plaintiffs were student pressured or convinced them to perform sex acts with him. Sanders was hired to the position in 2000. See ESU, Page 17 By Jen Colletta PGN Staff Writer
The murder trial of gay-porn producer Bryan Kocis began Feb. 24, and attorneys for accused killer Harlow Cuadra contested during opening arguments that their client is innocent. Cuadra, 27, is accused of stabbing Kocis nearly 30 times and slashing his throat almost to the point of decapitation. Firefighters found Kocis, 44, in his Dallas Township home Jan. 24, 2007, after the house had been set ablaze, which prosecutors allege was an attempt to cover up the crime. Cuadra’s partner Joseph Kerekes, 35, was also arrested for the crime, but pleaded guilty in December and is now serving a life sentence without parole. If convicted, Cuadra could face the death penalty. Prosecutors maintain that Cuadra and Kerekes, who operated their own gay-porn business in Virginia, plotted to kill Kocis so they could obtain the rights to work with Sean Lockhart, a porn star under contract with Kocis. One of Cuadra’s attorneys, Joseph D’Andrea, argued during his opening statement Tuesday that Cuadra had no part in the killing and that Kerekes was the mastermind behind the murder. D’Andrea also alluded to the fact that Lockhart and his lover and business partner Grant Roy could have played a role in the murder. “Joe was the dominant partner. Joe was controlling and he controlled Harlow, both on the personal and professional side,” D’Andrea said. “Joe Kerekes cared about one thing — getting ahead — and that meant money. Our defense is simple: Harlow didn’t do it.” D’Andrea’s opening statement lasted 15 minutes, while assistant district attorney Michael Melnick’s topped out at nearly an hour-and-ahalf. Melnick discussed the numerous pieces of evidence the prosecution is prepared to levy against Cuadra, such as computer and cellphone records that seem to implicate him in the crime, and detailed the timeline of the murder investigation, which he noted stretched from “the waters of the Atlantic to the sands of the Pacific.” During the first day of the trial, the prosecution called eight witnesses to the stand, including Andrew Shunk, a former actor with Cuadra and Kerekes’ porn business. Shunk testified that Cuadra and Kerekes were expecting a big payout from a contract with Lockhart, who is known as Brent Corrigan in the industry, and were willing to pay him $50,000 per scene. “They thought if they brought in Sean See KOCIS, Page 17