Tampa Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, October 6 – October 16, 2011
Fort Lauderdale Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, October 13 – 16, 2011
By Warren Day
One law rules Hollywood: the films that are most likely to get made and to appear in a multiplex near you are the films with the biggest appeal to the biggest demographic in order to obtain the biggest boxoffice. Keep in mind that the majority of films lose money in their theater distribution.
Under that bottom-line type thinking, it’s not only hard to get gay films financed, but to also get them shown in enough theaters to earn their money back. My hometown has over 120,000 population, and yet not even “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Kids Are All Right” were shown in any of its theaters. And in that regard it’s not unique, for it is estimated that movies with a dominant GLBT plot will not play on 70% of American movie screens. Even in gay-friendly Fort Lauderdale we’ve seen a recent shrinkage of such films due to a change in ownership of the Gateway Theater.
For that and other reasons, gay and lesbian film festivals serve an important purpose in allowing us to see GLBT movies from around the world, movies we wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to see.
The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is running October 6 through October 16, and the Fort Lauderdale Festival is October 13 through October 16. The 13th Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival was held April 21 to May 1 of this year. Orlando use to have a GLBT film festival, but it ceased two years ago.
In the Fort Lauderdale and Tampa film festivals this year several of the same movies will be shown.
“Dirty Girl” (Tampa Oct. 7, FtL Oct. 13) Danielle is the dirty girl in her high school in Norman, Oklahoma. She’s sent to a remedial class where she’s paired with Clarke, a shy closet-case with no friends. The cast features Mary Steenburgen, Tim McGraw and William H. Macy.
“So Hard to Forget” (Tampa Oct. 9, FtL Oct. 14) deals with the life-changing loss of a partner. Julia, a professor, loses her girlfriend when she falls for another, and Hugo, her best friend, loses his male partner in death. (Brazilian film with English subtitles.)
“Going Down in La La Land” (Tampa Oct. 8, FtL Oct. 14) is an old-fashioned love story, except this one is done with rent boys and sit-com celebrities, set against the San Fernando Valley gay porn industry and ever-so-gay West Hollywood.
“Tomboy” (Tampa Oct. 12, FtL Oct. 15) When ten-year old tomboy Laurie moves to a new neighborhood, the kids mistake her for a boy, a mistake she does not correct, even when Lisa develops a crush on her. A delightful and touching film. (French with sub-titles)
“Hit So Hard” (Tampa Oct. 8, FtL Oct. 15) A documentary about the life and near death of Patty Schemel, the openly gay drummer of Courtney Love’s seminal band Hole, featuring home movies with Kurt Cobain and shockingly candid interviews with Courtney.
“Kink Crusaders” (Tampa Oct. 8, FtL Oct. 15) Well-made documentary that chronicles the 33-year history of the annual international Mr. Leather contest in Chicago, in what has been called the world’s oldest kink/fetish contest.
“The Green” (Tampa Oct. 8, FtL Oct. 15) Fascinating and provocative drama about two men who leave the concrete of NYC for thegreen of an idyllic Connecticut village. Michael (played by Jason Butler Harner of “Law & Order”) is a drama teacher at a
private high school who takes a strong interest in one lonely student who ends up making charges against him for “inappropriate behavior.” His partner Daniel (played by Cheyenne Jackson from “30 Rock”) comes to have doubts about his innocence once the investigation reveals a secret in Michael’s past.
The Green
“eCupid” (Tampa Oct. 9, FtL Oct. 15) Love and temptation in the age of the Internet. Marshall is in a seven year relationship that has settled into a routine as has the rest of his life. At age 30 he’s having a mid-life crisis (as he says, in the gay world 30 is middle-age), which leads him to a mysterious app called eCupid, where fantasies are only a mouse click away. One of the better films being shown in the two festivals, it stars handsome newcomer Houston Rhines, and features Morgan Fairchild as the waitress who dishes out strong advice with the strong coffee.
eCupid
“Wish Me Away” (Tampa Oct. 11, FtL Oct. 16) Chely Wright seemed to have it all – Academy of Country Music Awards, #1 singles, popular music videos, and a high-profile relationship with superstar Brad Paisley, but she knew she was hiding her true self. A powerful and courageous documentary about the first major country/western star to come out of the closet (she kept a video diary of the month leading up to the public announcement). Her song “Wish Me Away” deserves to be a gay anthem.
Wish Me Away
For information on showtimes, ticket cost, venue locations, and all the other films in the festivals, go to their respective websites online at www.tiglff.com and www.flglff.com.
While the Tampa Festival will be using two movie theaters and the city’s Museum of Art, the Fort Lauderdale Festival, outside of opening night, will be showing the other 15 films at The Manor on Wilton Drive, where they will turn the two biggest rooms into theaters with high definition projectors and large screens. The FLGLFF opening night will be at Cinema Paradiso in downtown Fort Lauderdale, and will include a reception before the film.
These are once-a-year events offering films that most gays and lesbians in America won’t get a chance to see. For the personal benefits we receive and for the support they offer to our GLBT community, we should take full advantage of and give full support to such festivals. For these are our stories, the films about the unique and common experiences of our sexual orientation, and how that impedes and empowers our own life journeys.
