Open Space Arts invites you to join us for our next Queer Expression Film Fest screening at FACETS Film Forum, part of our ongoing Gay Movie of the Month series.
Open Space Arts presents the Chicago premiere of UNCLE ROY, a moving and deeply personal documentary celebrating the life and legacy of Roy Blakey—world traveler, performer, photographer, collector, and pioneer of gay male photography.
As Roy enters his nineties and faces the challenges of dementia, his niece, filmmaker Keri Pickett, embarks on a race against time to preserve the remarkable archives and memories of a man whose life intersected with some of the most important cultural and artistic movements of the twentieth century. Through family stories, rare photographs, films, letters, and memorabilia, UNCLE ROY reveals the extraordinary journey of a queer artist who helped document generations of LGBTQ+ lives and experiences.
From skating around the world with Holiday on Ice to creating groundbreaking male nude photography during a time of social change and liberation, Roy's story is one of creativity, resilience, self-discovery, and the importance of living authentically. The film is both an intimate family portrait and a celebration of a life devoted to art, beauty, and human connection.
Built from nearly a century of personal archives, UNCLE ROY is a heartfelt exploration of memory, legacy, chosen family, and the urgent need to preserve queer history before it disappears.
"A powerful look at one man's work capturing the gay liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s."
Country: United States
Year: 2025
Runtime: 95 minutes
Language: English
Director: Keri Pickett
Featuring: Roy Blakey
A post-screening conversation will follow in the FACETS lounge. Cocktails and concessions are available.
These monthly screenings celebrate bold, intimate, and internationally acclaimed queer cinema, bringing powerful stories to the big screen while creating space for conversation, community, and connection. Each program is thoughtfully curated to showcase filmmakers whose work explores identity, desire, history, and human connection with honesty and artistry.
We often choose a nearby spot to gather for a casual, informal dinner before the screening, so keep your options open and watch for those details as the date approaches.
We hope you'll join us for an evening of compelling queer storytelling and shared cinematic experience.
Please register on the CPT website so we know you are coming—but also know that your ticket is not confirmed until you actually purchase one from Open Space Arts HERE! https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/UncleRoy
Tickets are not available through the FACETS website.
