Summer of Films: Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival

Friday June 5 at 7:30pm
OUT OF THE PAST (dir. Jeff Dupre, USA 1997, 65 min.) This is a profile of seventeen-year-old Kelli Peterson who attempted to form a Gay-Straight Alliance at her Salt Lake City high school in 1997. Her efforts were suppressed by her community and ultimately, the Utah State Legislature. Peterson's struggle frames portraits of several lesbian and gay figures obscured by mainstream history. This evening will benefit the Connecticut Pride Committee.
Filmmaker will be present.

ALL THE RAGE (dir. Roland Tec, USA 1997, 105 min.) Christopher, the most eligible gay bachelor in Boston, is gorgeous, successful and ruthless and feels entitled to the very best. And he gets it on a nightly basis, as his bulging address book indicates. But when he meets shy, regular-guy Stewart, who seems impervious to his superficial charms, Christopher wonders if he can reel this one in and finally settle down.
Filmmaker Roland Tec and actors Jay Corcoran and Paul Outlaw will be present. Join us for a reception following this evening's films!

Saturday June 6 at 2:30pm
RID OF IT (dir. Greg Sirota, USA 1997, 4 min.) a teenage boy's moment of sexual discovery.

BETWEEN THE LINES (dir. Sophie Constantinou, USA 1997, 21 min) explores the phenomenon of cutters, women who self-injure.

CAMP LAVENDER HILL (dir. Michael Magnaye, USA 1997, 28 min) "It hurts when people make fun of you; but here at camp, no one makes fun of you because we're all the same." The camp is Camp Lavender Hill, the first summer camp for children of lesbian, gay and bisexual parents.

TWISTED SHEETS (DIR. Chris Deacon, Canada 1996, 14min.) A refreshing twist on the boy-meets-girl-boy-dumps-girl tale that we're all too familiar.

DEFYING GRAVITY (dir. John Keitel, USA 1997, 92 min.) Handsome fraternity brother Griff has it all: popularity, a bright future and a secret - he and his frat brother Pete are lovers. When Pete become the victim of a gay-bashing, Griff sets out to find the assailants and to find his own identity as a gay man.

Saturday June 6 at 7:30pm
YEARLING BOYFRIEND (dir. Allen Posten, USA 1997, 8 min.) A young man makes a deal with his hip folks - a brand new truck if he'll just date one guy for a year.

KAREN BLACK LIKE ME (dir. David Briggs, USA 1997, 16 min.) An homage to the 70's cult classic Trilogy of Terror...with a twist.

MY BODY (DIR. Vissar & Moffett, USA 1997, 30 min.) A laugh out loud tale about Charlie, a neurotic but cute young man who is in denial about his sexual orientation.

2 OR 3 THINGS BUT NOTHING FOR SURE (dir. DiFeliciantonio & Wagner, USA 1997, 12 min) A beautifully realized portrait of artist and survivor, Dorothy Allison (Bastard Out of Carolina).

SLAVES TO THE UNDERGROUND (dir. Kristine Peterson, USA 1996, 92 min.) Set in the thriving, alternative subculture of Seattle, this romantic drama centers around Shelley, a twenty-something member of an all-girl band. She is involved with lead singer Suzy, but tensions arise when Jimmy, Shelley's old boyfriend returns to Seattle and Shelley is forced to reexamine her life.

Sunday June 7 at 2:30pm
LAVENDER LIMELIGHT (dir. Marc Mauceri, USA 1997, 57 min.) Move over Hollywood, independent lesbian filmmakers are doing it for themselves. Go behind the scenes as seven dyke artists, including Cheryl Dunye and Maria Maggenti, talk about films, inspirations, technique, childhood and love.

PAUL MONETTE: THE BRINK OF SUMMER'S END (dir. Bramer & Klainberg, USA 1997, 90 min.) a documentary about the acclaimed author of Borrowed Time: An AIDS Memoir and Becoming a Man: Half a Life Story, this award-winning portrait of one of the great writers in America who proved a writer can make a difference and a film can break your heart.

Sunday June 7 at 7:30pm
BARNEY FRANKLY ON E.N.D.A. (dir. Bill Corey, USA 1998 *World premiere*, 4 min.) US Rep Frank on the importance of the Employment Non-Discrimination Act, protecting lesbians and gays against workplace discrimination.
Congressman Barney Frank will be present to talk about E.N.D.A. and lesbian and gay issues.

DEAR JESSE (dir. Tim Kirkman, USA 1997, 82 min.) A documentary on the North Carolina Senator and homophobe Jesse Helms. As director Kirkman notes, "for most of your 24 years in the US Senate you've been obsessed with homosexual men; for most of my adult life, so have I."

LOVE STORY (dir. Catrine Clay, UK 1997, 60 min.) In October 1942, Lilly Wust was a model Aryan wife of a German soldier and mother of four. She met and fell in love with Felice Schrader, a member of the Jewish resistance. The result of that meeting is a love story of unusual power and profound impact.

Monday June 8 at 7:30pm
THE FEMALE CLOSET (dir. Barbara Hammer, USA 1998, 60 min.) Filmmaker Barbara Hammer continues her historic investigation of lesbian artists: Alice Austen, an early photographer active at the turn of the century; Hannah Höch, a photo-collagist who lived in Berlin between the wars; and Nicole Eisenman who currently works in New York City.

FAMILY NAME (DIR. Macky Alston, USA 1997, 88 min.) Spurred by memories of growing up in a North Carolina town where many families, both black and white, share the surname Alston, Macky travels south searching for the Alston story. Family Name is a riveting, real-life mystery of buried roots and well-kept secrets. "Two thumbs up, way up." Siskel & Eber

Tuesday June 9 at 7:30pm
PIERRE & GILLES, LOVE STORIES (dir. Mike Aho, France 1997, 57 min.) Since 1976, Pierre & Gilles - one is a photographer, the other a painter - have created naïve yet terribly sophisticated art. P & G play with stereotypes of religion, sexuality and cultures. Michael Jackson, Madonna and Prince have personally asked to be in their work.

MOMMIE QUEEREST (dir. Beverly Seckinger, USA 1997, 9 min.) It's Jessica Rose's birthday, and the usual package arrives in the mail wrapped with tender loving care from Mommie.
Filmmaker will be present.

STOLEN MOMENTS (dir. Margaret Wescott, Canada 1997, 90 min.) Monumental, beguiling and erotic, this is an exquisitely-executed documentary on lesbian lifestyles in the Western World, combining stylized historical dramas with incisive commentary on contemporary lesbian life.

Wednesday June 10 at 7:30pm
BADASS SUPERMAMA (dir. Etang Inyang, USA 1996, 16 min.) A playful but questioning personal exploration of an adolescent fascination with 1970s blaxploitation movie goddess Pam Grier.

TRAPPPINGS OF TRANSHOOD (dir Hurwitz & Lee, USA 1997, 20 min.) Discusses the ins and outs of Trans/boy/hood.

BEAUTY BEFORE AGE (dir. Johnny Symons, USA 1997, 25 min.) examines the cultural drive to be young and beautiful with twelve men ranging in age from 19 to 77.

EAST PALACE, WEST PALACE (dir. Zhang Yuan, China 1996, 90 min.) The first gay movie from China. A young writer is detained by a homophobic cop for cruising in a park. The downtrodden, but unbowed gay man recounts his life and it becomes clear that his stories are less social history than covert expressions of his desire for the cop.

Thursday June 11 at 7:30pm
THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO: Blow Hot, Blow Cold (dir. JJ Sedelmaier, USA 1997, 3 min.) Ace and Gary battle Bighead and his evil ice monster.
PRIVATE SHOWS (dir. Hopkins & Blaine, USA 1996, 57 min.) this jarring docu-drama traces a week in the life of cute, young dancer/hustler Christopher, as he's followed by an unseen videomaker. Utterly original and sexy, but with a spookiness that's hard to shake.
Filmmakers will be present.

THE AMBIGUOUSLY GAY DUO (dir JJ Sedelmaier, USA 1998, 3 mins) Their brand new adventure!

THE STICKY FINGERS OF TIME (dir. Hilary Brougher, USA 1997, 81 min.) In 1953, Tucker Harding, a chain-smoking, pulp fiction writer pops out for coffee one day only to find herself inexplicably transported to the present. In New York's East Village she meets Drew, with whom she develops a mutual fascination. A deliciously different, stylish, offbeat and very 90s.film.
Filmmaker will be present.

Friday June 12 at 7:30pm
BLUE DIARY (dir. Jenni Olson, USA 1997, 6 min.) A young dyke reflects on one-night stand with a straight girl.

ZERO BUDGET (dir. Emma Hindley, UK 1996, 25 min.) Contemporary lesbian filmmakers offer "5 Easy Steps To Zero Budget Film Making" so that you can go out and make your own movie.

MY CUNT (dir. Strutt & Baulch, Australia 1997, 6 min.) Aussie lesbian icon Maude Davey dispenses advice on living with one.

SCENT UVA BUTCH (dir Shoshana Rosenfeld, USA 1998, 35 min.) The story of women strong enough for a man, but made for a woman. Profiles of modern women who life by their own definition of who they are.

LATIN BOYS GO TO HELL (dir. Ela Troyano. USA 1997, 75 min.) Ela Troyano, aka Carmelita Tropicana, brings us this saga of Braulio who loves Carlos, who loves working out almost as much as he loves sex with Justin, who won't admit that he's gay, or that he's in love with Angel, who loves Andrea. If it sounds like a soap opera, that's because life imitates art with the steamy passion of Latin soap operas.

Saturday June 13 at 2:30pm
ABSOLUTION OF ANTHONY (dir. Dean Slotar, USA 1997, 13 min.) Where can a Catholic boy turn when illicit desire calls?

THERE IS NO NAME FOR THIS (dir. Ma & Stewart, USA 1997, 49 min.) examines the joys and difficulties of coming out across cultural and language barriers among Chinese and Chinese-American lesbians, gays and bisexuals. The title reflects the fact that there is no adequate term to describe themselves or their feelings in any Chinese language.

COVENTRY (dir. J.T. Foster, USA 1997, 90 min.) Local filmmaker J.F. Foster's first film is a haunting portrait of a Connecticut family dealing with their own prejudices while fighting to keep their family farm in 1925. Locally shot, this is a story of four siblings finding strength to overcome the intolerance which brought the farm to its demise and the forbidden love which can save it.
Filmmaker will be present.

Saturday June 13 at 7:30 pm
THE HEALERS OF 400 PARNASSUS (dir. Laura Gabbert, USA 1997, 58 min.) takes place inside the HIV Clinic at the University of CA, San Francisco Medical Center. There one meets the extraordinary and very human nurses, doctors and social workers who care for people with AIDS. The uplifting story of how these caregivers handle illness and mortality on a daily basis without losing their energy, sanity and inspiration. This evening will benefit AIDS Project Hartford.

SOME PREFER CAKE (dir. Heidi Arnesen, USA 1997, 90 min.) a romantic comedy about Kira, a witty, headstrong lesbian comedian with an out-of-control libido and a bad case of stage freight. Sydney, Kira's best(and straight) friend, is an assistant editor pining to become a restaurant critic, who lives vicariously through Kira's sexual escapades. We follow their ups and downs, personal crises, one night stands and Kira's tumble into love with a shy and alluring young thing.
Filmmaker Heidi Arnesen, screenwriter Jeannie Kahaney and actress Tara Howley will be present.

Closing Night Party follows this evening's films.

Tickets available at the door and:
Hartford: The Reader's Feast, The Metro Store and The Hartford Gay & Lesbian Health Collective North Haven: The Sober Camel
Northampton: Pride and Joy
    $8 per show
    $6 students and seniors
    $10 Opening and closing nights
    $8 Opening and closing nights for students and seniors
    $20 for three day pass (not valid opening or closing nights)
    $60 for a Festi-pass (all 12 shows!)

Visit their web site at: http://www.eng2.uconn.edu/~garrick/glff.htm   or email Leedml@aol.com