Recently in Film Festivals Category
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:
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!
Film Independent's Los Angeles Film Festival kicks off on June 19. Support your local film fest by joining GLAAD for a screening of:
Derek
Sunday, June 22, 1:30 pm, Majestic Crest Theatre, Westwood Village
Friday, June 27, 9:45 pm, The Landmark, West Los Angeles
Isaac Julien's portrait of the pioneering director Derek Jarman plays like a warm evocation of a friendly spirit. Jarman was a gay rights advocate and one of the crucial figures of British independent cinema. Derek weaves together a rich array of clips and family films, all framed by a letter from longtime collaborator, actress Tilda Swinton, that serves as a poignant reminder of the personal and cultural impact of Jarman's death.
To purchase tickets and for festival details, call 1.866.FILMFEST or visit www.LAFilmFest.com
At GLAAD's Queer Lounge in January we featured director Julien on a panel of filmmakers. Here he discusses Jarman's 1976 film Sebastiane.
Add this to your must-see summer movie list: A Jihad for Love is a moving documentary about gay and lesbian Muslims. Shot over five years in 12 countries, Muslim gay filmmaker Parvez Sharma explores the world's fastest growing religion to discover stories of those reconciling faith with sexuality in societies where "debauchery" can be punished by imprisonment and even death. The film premieres Wednesday in New York City at the IFC Center before it begins a staggered rollout across the country during the coming months.
Produced by Sharma and Sandi DuBowski (director of the award-winning Trembling Before G-d), A Jihad for Love embodies the literal meaning of jihad as "inner struggle," and the film's subjects reveal the hopes of a community fighting for its place in the heart of Islam. To be gay and Muslim is dangerous, but also not new, says Sharma: "Homosexuality has existed in Islam for 1,428 years. Men have been with men, and women have been with women, and that's just the way it is."
If the Muslim faith does not accept gays, why do gays stay in the Muslim faith? "That's a question I ask every single person in this film," the director says. "I feel that in this film all the subjects are coming out as Muslims first, their sexual identities are actually secondary...We are Muslims first and our faith is profound and deep, and we have all consciously chosen to stay within the faith and to fight that battle of acceptance within the faith."
Sharma's blog features moving personal accounts, updates on the film and links to all the well-deserved press that he and his documentary are receiving. And check out this interview with the director here:
Independent filmmaker and GLAAD Major Donor Chuck Griffith has
found a creative way to give back. Griffith will be donating ten
percent of net proceeds from his new DVD compilation Best of Breed
Volume 1 to GLAAD. And as a bonus, everyone who purchases the DVD
will receive a one-year free GLAAD membership!Griffith has curated a collection he calls "a supernova of queer short films" which features four award-winning shorts, including the 2006 Sundance darling Encounter; Ethan Feldbau's transgender odyssey, Plastic; and a journey of male catharsis in The Process. The collection also includes a short about GLAAD's work. HX Magazine editor Brandon Voss calls the DVD "gaylicious fun for the artsy queer in all of us."
Best of Breed Volume 1 is available for sale everywhere.
Visit www.roaringleo.com for more information.
Submissions are now open for the next Iris Prize Festival, the world's largest LGBT short film prize. Films must have been completed within two years prior to the deadline (June 27th, 2008) to qualify. The festival is also accepting feature films to screen as part of the 2008 program. To submit work visit www.irisprize.org.Matthew Rhys, the actor behind openly gay lawyer Kevin on ABC's Brothers & Sisters, LA based producer Christopher Racster, filmmaker Sara Sugarman, and Andrew Pierce, Assistant Editor of The Daily Telegraph (London), are Patrons of the '08 festival, which will take place October 2-4 in Cardiff, Wales.
In this excerpt from a Q&A with Matthew, he explains why he believes it is important to have LGBT film festivals:
I think, basically, in the current climate it’s difficult to get any film made with interesting, engaging stories and involving characters. So if a film’s subject or theme is deemed a bit outside the mainstream, a bit different due to issues of sexuality and gender, then it’s doubly difficult to get the project off the ground. That’s why I was happy to say ‘Yes’ to being Patron because it provides an opportunity and platform for up and coming filmmakers who would perhaps otherwise find it hard to get their stories up on screen and seen by an audience.
For more of the interview with Matthew, click here.
Queer Film Review recently spoke with Nekisa Cooper, producer of the film Pariah. The short -- which is being turned into a feature length film -- screened at Sundance, and tells the coming-of-age story of an African American lesbian teenager (photo at right).In the interview, Nekisa speaks of how she personally relates to the film:
In “Pariah,” the character I identify with the most is the lead character Alike. I, like her, have felt like a chameleon that never quite fit in anywhere, especially right after I discovered I liked women. Once I accepted myself, which took me over 6 years, I felt compelled to figure out how to express myself and had some really funny and sad times coming to a space where I felt OK in my own skin.
Nekisa also comments on her motivation to produce inclusive media:
Our mission as a production company is to use the pop culture medium of film to serve the marginalized and misrepresented because we believe it has the power to make people aware and perhaps even change hearts and minds—even if it is just one heart and one mind—it’s absolutely worth it.
To read the full Q & A, click here.
NOTE: Pariah is available for download on iTunes for only $1.99!
The magical setting of Sedona, Arizona will play host to the 14th annual Sedona International Film Festival taking place February 27-March 2. The fest will feature the following three films with gay themes, including writer/director Stewart Wade's (Coffee Date) new film Tru Loved, starring Alexandra Paul, Jasmine Guy, Bruce Vilanch, Alec Mapa and Jane Lynch.
SEMPER FI, ONE MARINE’S JOURNEY (USA, 2007 — 73 min.) — Documentary Director: Vince DiPersio The story of gay Marine Jeff Key, a spiritual kid, who passionately loved his church and struggled desperately with the secret he carried in his heart—a secret his pastor refers to as an 'abomination.' Semper Fi is the story of how after the terrible events of 9/11—knowing he could get out by telling his superiors who he really was—he decided to go to war for the country he loved. And how, once in Iraq, his patriot's heart was broken by what he saw. Back home and broken-hearted, Jeff used his war journals to create a one-man show with which he travels the country--a play that never flinches from what it meant to be gay and at war.
Screening Times: Thursday, Feb. 28, 6:50 PM; Saturday, March 1, 1:40 PM
TRU LOVED
(USA, 2008 — 99 min.) — Feature
Director: Stewart Wade
Tru (Najarra Townsend), a high school student from San Francisco, is uprooted by her lesbian moms (Alexandra Paul and Cynda Williams) and moved to a conservative suburb. Her non-traditional family makes her an outsider until high school quarterback Lodell takes an interest in her. Lodell is closeted. Tru becomes a friend with whom he can be himself, unlike with his mom (Jasmine Guy), grandmother (Nichelle Nichols), and closest pals. When Tru hears the closed-minded comments about homosexuality from Lodell’s friends, she establishes the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance. She meets Trevor (Jake Abel), a smart and charming young man being raised by his gay uncle (Bruce Vilanch). Tru begins a romance and fights for social justice as her unconventional family faces familiar struggles.
Screening Times: Thursday, Feb. 28, 4:25 PM; Saturday, March 1, 2:30 PM
WATER FLOWING TOGETHER
(USA, 2007 — 78 min.) — Documentary
Director: Gwendolen Cates
A compelling and intimate portrait of Jock Soto, one of the most recognized and influential modern ballet dancers. Soto, who is Navajo, Puerto Rican and gay, retired in June 2005 from the New York City Ballet after a 24-year career of physically demanding excellence with the company. The film becomes a journey of discovery that will captivate us and endear us to this complex man. Soto is an artist who found his media of expression in dance, but this is not a film solely for a ballet audience. His fascinating and unique story, climaxing with his emotional retirement from ballet at age 40, is accessible to a broad audience. Soto's relationship to his heritage defies stereotypes in the same way that his dancing transcends the expected.
Screening Times: Friday, Feb. 29, 11:30 AM; Saturday, March 1, 9:00 AM
SEMPER FI, ONE MARINE’S JOURNEY (USA, 2007 — 73 min.) — Documentary Director: Vince DiPersio The story of gay Marine Jeff Key, a spiritual kid, who passionately loved his church and struggled desperately with the secret he carried in his heart—a secret his pastor refers to as an 'abomination.' Semper Fi is the story of how after the terrible events of 9/11—knowing he could get out by telling his superiors who he really was—he decided to go to war for the country he loved. And how, once in Iraq, his patriot's heart was broken by what he saw. Back home and broken-hearted, Jeff used his war journals to create a one-man show with which he travels the country--a play that never flinches from what it meant to be gay and at war.
Screening Times: Thursday, Feb. 28, 6:50 PM; Saturday, March 1, 1:40 PM
TRU LOVED
(USA, 2008 — 99 min.) — Feature
Director: Stewart Wade
Tru (Najarra Townsend), a high school student from San Francisco, is uprooted by her lesbian moms (Alexandra Paul and Cynda Williams) and moved to a conservative suburb. Her non-traditional family makes her an outsider until high school quarterback Lodell takes an interest in her. Lodell is closeted. Tru becomes a friend with whom he can be himself, unlike with his mom (Jasmine Guy), grandmother (Nichelle Nichols), and closest pals. When Tru hears the closed-minded comments about homosexuality from Lodell’s friends, she establishes the school’s first Gay-Straight Alliance. She meets Trevor (Jake Abel), a smart and charming young man being raised by his gay uncle (Bruce Vilanch). Tru begins a romance and fights for social justice as her unconventional family faces familiar struggles.
Screening Times: Thursday, Feb. 28, 4:25 PM; Saturday, March 1, 2:30 PM
WATER FLOWING TOGETHER
(USA, 2007 — 78 min.) — Documentary
Director: Gwendolen Cates
A compelling and intimate portrait of Jock Soto, one of the most recognized and influential modern ballet dancers. Soto, who is Navajo, Puerto Rican and gay, retired in June 2005 from the New York City Ballet after a 24-year career of physically demanding excellence with the company. The film becomes a journey of discovery that will captivate us and endear us to this complex man. Soto is an artist who found his media of expression in dance, but this is not a film solely for a ballet audience. His fascinating and unique story, climaxing with his emotional retirement from ballet at age 40, is accessible to a broad audience. Soto's relationship to his heritage defies stereotypes in the same way that his dancing transcends the expected.
Screening Times: Friday, Feb. 29, 11:30 AM; Saturday, March 1, 9:00 AM
Submissions for the 2008 GUCCI TRIBECA DOCMENTARY FUND are now open!
The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund offers finishing funds to feature-length documentaries which promote social change and highlight critical issues currently absent from mainstream media. Applications will be accepted between February 5 and April 11, 2008 for grants ranging from 5k to 30k. The 2008 grantees will be announced in July 2008.
For on-line submissions and further information please visit: www.tribecafilminstitute.org
The Gucci Tribeca Documentary Fund offers finishing funds to feature-length documentaries which promote social change and highlight critical issues currently absent from mainstream media. Applications will be accepted between February 5 and April 11, 2008 for grants ranging from 5k to 30k. The 2008 grantees will be announced in July 2008.
For on-line submissions and further information please visit: www.tribecafilminstitute.org
I am in Palm Springs for the weekend where memorial tributes are pouring in for local out philanthropist Earl Greenburg, 61, who died Friday after a battle with melanoma. His family, including his life partner, David Peet, was by his side. The couple have a young daughter, Kathryn Claire Peet-Greenburg.Greenburg (far right) is remembered as a man who sustained Sonny Bono's vision of turning Palm Springs and the Palm Springs International Film Festival into the "Cannes of the West."
As chairman of the festival's board, Greenburg built the festival to be the second largest in the country. Out Palm Springs Mayor Steve Pougnet credited Greenburg with "catapulting" the film festival into a "first-class event that earned Palm Springs world prominence."
A former NBC and Home Shopping Network exec, Greenburg, is also credited for being a leader in the local fight against HIV/AIDS. His first partner, Rick Weiss, died in 1994, inspiring Greenburg to create the annual Rick Weiss Humanitarian Awards gala to raise money for local charities. The event is scheduled for April 12.
Greenburg and his partner Peet received a star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars on March 31. They were the first gay couple to receive such an honor. Today, the sidewalk is filled with bouquets of flowers.
Palm Springs resident and music legend Barry Manilow described Greenburg as "one of the pillars of our community."
Two Southern California film festivals focusing on films from and about members of communities of African descent are taking place during the coming days, and each feature LGBT-inclusive films and shorts. The San Diego Black Film Festival is going on right now, and the Los Angeles Pan African Film & Arts Festival kicks off next week. We've got your LGBT look at what will be screened here.The film Blueprint, from director/writer Kirk Shannon-Butts, was chosen to appear at both fests. This film, set amidst the hustle of vibrant Harlem, is a modern-day love story of two college students, Keith and Nathan. They meet one day after class and embark upon a journey of discovery.
In other news, GLAAD Media Award-nominated Dirty Laundry expands to Atlanta, Baltimore and DC. Check it out!
As always, check out what's coming up and coming out in LGBT film at our exclusive cineQUEER database.
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