A Documentary Film
Directed by Sam Shahid
“Every artist has the right to be judged by his best work.
Certainly the best of these nudes
are my best.”
—GEORGE PLATT LYNES
George Platt Lynes began his career photographing celebrities, and it’s those portraits along with his extravagant fashion work that he’s best remembered for today. However, George’s heart, his passion, and his greatest talent lay elsewhere, in his work with the male nude. This work, sensuous and radically explicit for its time, has only recently begun being fully discovered and appreciated for the revolution that it represents — a man capturing his fantasies as a gift, a window to a future his camera saw coming before anyone else.
From visionary art director Sam Shahid, HIDDEN MASTER features a stunning collection of photography from the 1930s-50s, uncovering the life of Lynes less known: his gifted eye for the male form, his longterm friendships with Gertrude Stein and Alfred Kinsey, and his lasting influence as one of the first openly gay American artists.
FILM TRAILER
FILM STILLS
George Platt Lynes working in his studio
Photograph by George Platt Lynes
Charles Leslie, Co-Founder, Leslie-Lohman Museum of Gay and Lesbian Art
Monroe Wheeler, George Platt Lynes, Glenway Wescott by George Platt Lynes
Herbert Bliss by George Platt Lynes
Gertrude Stein's correspondence with a young George Platt Lynes
George Platt Lynes in the studio photographing Paul Cadmus
"Concerto Barocco" by George Platt Lynes
Mary Panzer, Art Historian & Curator
Diana Vreeland by George Platt Lynes
A young George Platt Lynes's photograph of Monroe Wheeler in a travel album
John Leapheart and Robert "Buddy" McCarthy by George Platt Lynes
WHERE TO WATCH
FESTIVAL CALENDAR
-
October 9, 2024
Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Cardiff, Wales
7:00 PM
Get Tickets -
September 22, 2024
Queer Lisboa Film Festival
Lisbon, Portugal
10:00 PM
Get Tickets
Followed by a Q&A with Director Sam Shahid -
August 2, 2024
GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival
Dublin, Ireland
6:15 PM
Get Tickets
Followed by a Q&A with Editor Conor McBride & Composer Sarah Lynch -
July 7, 2024
Rio LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
5:10PM
Get Tickets -
June 10, 2024
FIRE!! LGBTI Cinema Festival
Barcelona, Spain
8:00PM
Get TicketsJune 15, 2024
Out Film CT
New England, USA
Streaming
Get TicketsJune 16, 2024
Rehoboth Beach Pride Film Festival
Lewes, DE
2:00PM
Get TicketsJune 29, 2024
Docs Ireland / Belfast Photo Festival
Belfast, Northern Ireland
7:00PM
Get Tickets -
April 20, 2024
Sunny Bunny LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
Kyiv, Ukraine
6:10PM
Get TicketsApril 21, 2024
Lovers Film Festival
Torino, Italy
4:30PM
Get TicketsApril 26, 2024
Sunny Bunny LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
Kyiv, Ukraine
6:00PM
Get TicketsApril 26, 2024
EPOS International Art Film Festival
Tel Aviv, Israel
9:00PM
Get TicketsApril 28, 2024
Geelong Pride Film Festival
Geelong, Australia
2:15PM
Get Tickets -
March 14, 2024
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
Thessaloniki, Greece
10:00PM
Get TicketsMarch 15, 2024
Thessaloniki International Documentary Festival
Thessaloniki, Greece
7:00PM
Get TicketsMarch 17, 2024
BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
London, UK
5:30PM
Get TicketsMarch 18, 2024
BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival
London, UK
2:45PM
Get TicketsMarch 18, 2024
Le FIFA Film Festival
Montreal, Canada
8:00PM
Get Tickets -
January 9, 2024
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs, CA
5:00PMJanuary 10, 2024
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs, CA
11:30AMJanuary 11, 2024
Palm Springs International Film Festival
Palm Springs, CA
4:45PMJanuary 15, 2024
Palm Springs International Film Festival Best of Fest
Palm Springs, CA
11:30AM -
December 3, 2023
Hamptons Doc Fest
Sag Harbor, NY
7:00 PMDecember 8–14, 2023
NEWFEST Encore
United States
StreamingDecember 13, 2023
Palazzo Grassi
Venice, Italy
6:30 PMDecember 14, 2023
The Provincetown Film Art Series
Provincetown, MA
7:00 PM -
November 4, 2023
QDoc Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival
Portland, OR
7:30 PMNovember 10, 2023
A Shaded View on Fashion Film Festival
Paris, France
9:15 PMNovember 11, 2023
Wicked Queer Boston’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Boston, MA
11:00 AMNovember 16, 2023
Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival
Indianapolis, IN
7:00 PM + Streaming (Nov 17th – 19th) -
October 7, 2023
ImageOut LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Rochester, NY
6:45 PMOctober 10–13, 2023
Swedish International Film Festival
Sweden
StreamingOctober 13, 2023
NEWFEST The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival
New York City, NY
6:00 PM + Streaming (Oct 13th – 24th)October 22, 2023
San Diego International Film Festival
San Diego, CA
5:00 PMOctober 26, 2023
Film Columbia Film Festival
Chatham, NY
8:30 PMOctober 28, 2023
OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Fort Lauderdale, FL
2:15 PM + Streaming
HONORS
NOMINEE OUTSTANDING DOCUMENTARY
WINNER
Best International Feature Documentary
LEBANESE INDEPENDENT FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
Breakout Documentary
SAN DIEGO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
Best Feature Length
Documentary
SWEDISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
BEST
Documentary
FIRE!! BARCELONA LGTB FILM FESTIVAL
RUNNER UP
AUDIENCE AWARD
Feature Documentary
NEWFEST THE NEW YORK LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL
Honorable mentionS
audience award &
Best documentary Feature
OUTSHINE LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
BEST Documentary JURY AWARD
OUT FILM CT CONNECTICUT
LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL
BEST OF FEST
PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
AUDIENCE AWARD
GAZE DUBLIN INTERNATIONAL LGBTQIA FILM FESTIVAL
Honorable mention
Best FeaturE
WICKED QUEER BOSTON’S LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL
WINNER
BEST Documentary AUDIENCE AWARD
OUT FILM CT CONNECTICUT
LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL
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HIDDEN MASTER: The Legacy of George Platt Lynes
Feature Documentary, 2023, 96 minutes
Director & Producer: Sam Shahid
Writers: Sam Shahid, Matthew Kraus, John MacConnell
Producers: Matthew Kraus, John MacConnell, Nando de Carvalho
Executive Producers: O’Brien Kelley, Raja Sethuraman, Magnus Andersson, Jayne Baron Sherman
Co-Executive Producers: Charles W. Leslie & Rocco Lofaro Buonpane
Cinematography: Matthew Kraus
Sound & Lighting: John MacConnell
Editor: Conor McBride
Original Score: Sarah Lynch
Design & Animation: Grant Nellessen
PRODUCTION
Art Direction: Shahid / Kraus & Company
Production Manager: Nando de Carvalho
Archival Producer: Laura Coxson
Rights & Clearances Manager: Robyn Lange
Music Supervisor: Anita Nedeljkovic
Score Mixer: Ciaran Byrne
Sound Mixer: Josh Heilbronner / Digital Arts
Sound Producer: Zennia M. Barahona / Digital Arts
Senior Colorist: Sean Ross / Gloss VFX
Senior Post Producer: Jessica Choi / Gloss VFX
Colorist Assistant: Yibin ‘Ab’ Su / Gloss VFX
Conform Artist: Justin Andrews / Gloss VFX, Andrew Marfoli / Gloss VFX
Proof Department Manager: Laxman Sethu / Gloss Studio
Senior Stills Producer: Jacqueline Bernal / Gloss Studio
Still Photographer: Peter Riesett
Copyright Counsel: Nancy E. Wolff
Production Legal: The Kelley Firm, PLLC
North American Sales & Publicity: Obscured Pictures
North American Distribution: Greenwich Entertainment
International Distribution Consultant: Shane Smith
Post Producer: Alan Balian
End credits created with: Endcrawl.com