John Edward Heys (born April 24, 1954) is an American independent
filmmaker, actor and writer who lives and works in Berlin.John Edward
Heys was born and raised in New Jersey. Upon his father's death two
days after Heys' 12th birthday, he was enrolled and educated (grades 7
thru 12) at a private boarding school in northern New Jersey. After
graduating from secondary school, Heys moved to Miami Shores, Florida,
to the home of his maternal aunts.After two semesters of college
majoring in Liberal Arts, Heys moved to New York City in 1968 and
became part of the East Village and West Village alternative life and
LGBTQ culture. In August 1969, he founded America's first bi-monthly
newspaper for the LGBTQ community, Gay Power, the official title
totaling 24 issues, and was editor until August 1970. One of its
covers was created by Robert Mapplethorpe. The newspaper also
contained illustrations by Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of
Finland, and featured contributors such as Arthur Bell, Taylor Mead,
Charles Ludlam, Pudgy Roberts, Bill Vehr, Pat Maxwell, Clayton Cole,
as well as columns from all of the active LGBSTG groups, from the most
conservative Mattachine Society to the most radical The Gay Liberation
Front, and all the other groups in between. Heys created several
one-man performance pieces and acted with Cookie Mueller, H.M.
Koutoukas, Charles Ludlam, Ethyl Eichelberger and as part of the
Angels of Light NYC Group, which Hibiscus founded after moving to NYC.
Heys was a subject for artists Peter Hujar, Francesco Clemente,
Charles Ludlam, Richard Banks, Frank Moore and numerous other
photographers. Heys was a close friend and muse of photographer Peter
Hujar and the subject of many portraits. Hujar once remarked upon
Heys' resemblance to Diana Vreeland, "I can take a picture of her and
another of you and there is a resemblance". In Berlin he was a friend
of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, the Neue Deutsche Welle (New Wave) band
Die Tödliche Doris, and radical gay activist Napoleon Seyfarth. Heys
made two films of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf and one of Napoleon Seyfarth
and was the subject of an 8mm short film that Wolfgang Mueller made in
1984 in the legendary 1930s bordello, Pensione Florian.Heys' films
have been screened at many worldwide film festivals.
filmmaker, actor and writer who lives and works in Berlin.John Edward
Heys was born and raised in New Jersey. Upon his father's death two
days after Heys' 12th birthday, he was enrolled and educated (grades 7
thru 12) at a private boarding school in northern New Jersey. After
graduating from secondary school, Heys moved to Miami Shores, Florida,
to the home of his maternal aunts.After two semesters of college
majoring in Liberal Arts, Heys moved to New York City in 1968 and
became part of the East Village and West Village alternative life and
LGBTQ culture. In August 1969, he founded America's first bi-monthly
newspaper for the LGBTQ community, Gay Power, the official title
totaling 24 issues, and was editor until August 1970. One of its
covers was created by Robert Mapplethorpe. The newspaper also
contained illustrations by Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of
Finland, and featured contributors such as Arthur Bell, Taylor Mead,
Charles Ludlam, Pudgy Roberts, Bill Vehr, Pat Maxwell, Clayton Cole,
as well as columns from all of the active LGBSTG groups, from the most
conservative Mattachine Society to the most radical The Gay Liberation
Front, and all the other groups in between. Heys created several
one-man performance pieces and acted with Cookie Mueller, H.M.
Koutoukas, Charles Ludlam, Ethyl Eichelberger and as part of the
Angels of Light NYC Group, which Hibiscus founded after moving to NYC.
Heys was a subject for artists Peter Hujar, Francesco Clemente,
Charles Ludlam, Richard Banks, Frank Moore and numerous other
photographers. Heys was a close friend and muse of photographer Peter
Hujar and the subject of many portraits. Hujar once remarked upon
Heys' resemblance to Diana Vreeland, "I can take a picture of her and
another of you and there is a resemblance". In Berlin he was a friend
of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, the Neue Deutsche Welle (New Wave) band
Die Tödliche Doris, and radical gay activist Napoleon Seyfarth. Heys
made two films of Charlotte von Mahlsdorf and one of Napoleon Seyfarth
and was the subject of an 8mm short film that Wolfgang Mueller made in
1984 in the legendary 1930s bordello, Pensione Florian.Heys' films
have been screened at many worldwide film festivals.
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