A Night of LGBT (sort of) Shorts in PS

Over a hundred people in Palm Springs came out of the 110 degree heat and kicked off the 4th of July weekend with a night of what was billed as an evening of free LGBT short films. The 90-minute collection was to get folks primed for the Palm Springs International Short Fest, which takes place Aug. 21-27.

For the most part it did just that with five worthy shorts and one that was so misplaced that it had the audience buzzing/grousing/confused when the credits rolled. Here's my take:

• Daddy -- A well executed and humorous short where a gay man finds out he's pregnant after a one-night stand. What was an original comedy a year ago when I initially saw it, the film takes on a different tenor in a post-Thomas Beattie universe.
• Worst Case Edition: Butch Edition --In what is billed as a Super 8 film, this black and white parody of educational tutorials purports to teach butch women how to take care of their femme dates, answering questions like 'Who should go through the door first when you take your mom, girlfriend and your girlfriend's sister to brunch?" Answer: You hold the door and your mom goes first (and if your girlfriend thinks she should go first, it's time to reevaluate this relationship). Helpful!
• Gay Zombie -- A somewhat sexy zombie is dealing with coming out of the closet while, well, being a zombie. Shot on location at WeHo gay bar Trunks, the zombie is met with the superficial discrimination Frankenstein might face in church. But after a nice guy feels sympathy for him while being oddly attracted to him, a sweet romance develops. This being a zombie movie, things can't end well.
  
• Happenstance -- An old Jewish woman and a young neo-Nazi teen girl cross paths and apparently both die together after the credits roll. That's it. Nothing gay. Not sure why it was shown.
  
• Signage -- A couple of looks-obsessed single 40-somethings head out to a bar as part of their weekly ritual. One of them (right) makes a connection with a deaf guy half his age and you assume it will go awry due to the age difference. Instead, the young guy breaks his heart because of the hearing-deaf divide. A bittersweet comedy that certainly resonated with the mostly 40+ demographic watching it in Palm Springs.
  
• Waiting for Yvette -- A well-done comedy with Wendie Malick as someone on a journey from male to female. On the eve of her final surgery, she visits her non-smoking, gay man's, stag AA support group to say goodbye. The men (who each have issues of their own) have let Yvette stay in the group until now on a "technicality." But since she's losing her "technicality" the next day, this will be her final meeting. Or will it? The first time I saw this film, I thought the premise would make for a good Showtime or HBO comedy. A year later I still feel the same. It's time for a show with a transgender protagonist!

Despite the confusing inclusion of Happenstance, the person who introduced the films also said Waiting for Yvette starred his favorite actress, Christine Baranski (which it didn't). Still, the free evening was a great way to promote the art of short film and get us excited about the new shorts we'll see during the coming weeks at Outfest, Cinema Diverse and the Palm Springs International Short Fest. Check back here for updates from all three.