From the Globe and Mail
TIFF 2007: FEST WATCH: DAY TWO
Former congressman takes pride in new role
By SIMON HOUPT
September 7, 2007 Is Michael Huffington making up for lost time?
For more than 50 years, the millionaire and one-time Republican member of the U.S. House of Representatives kept his sexual orientation in the closet. But since coming out as a gay man in an Esquire article in 1998 (since amended to bisexual), he has been a one-man producing machine behind a raft of documentaries about homosexuality.
His latest, A Jihad for Love, which premieres at TIFF on Sunday evening, is about devout gay Muslims. "He has a significant commitment and interest in funding films that open up issues around homosexuality and faith," said Jihad's producer, Sandi Dubowski. Huffington signed on to the film only a few months ago, after seeing a clip of it at a fundraiser in Boston.
His involvement in the less-than-$2-million film is essentially monetary. Huffington began producing films in 1998 with Out of the Past, which won nods for best documentary at the 1999 GLAAD Media Awards and L.A. Outfest. Other recent documentaries include For the Bible Tells Me So (2007), which explores efforts by the U.S. religious right to use the Bible to stigmatize homosexuals, and Bi the Way, an exploration of bisexuality.
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