Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012

May 3 - 13, 2012

Jury Award Winners

from Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012
No items found.

Jury Honorable Mention

from Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012
No items found.

Audience Awards

from Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012
No items found.

Best in Show Shorts

from Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012
No items found.

All Feature Films

from Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

(A)Sexual

in person
English
USA
2011
Hold the skepticism—the smart and funny group of people profiled in this fast-moving documentary have heard it all before. Meet Swank Ivy who makes YouTube videos debunking common beliefs; or David Jay, the movement’s poster boy and regular on television talk shows, including The View. (A)sexual documents the growth of this newly organized sexual minority while raising provocative questions about queer inclusiveness and the boundaries of “normal” sexual desire. In 2002 Jay created a website, asexuality.org; today, there are some 26,000 members of AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network). Members discuss coming out as an asexual, their struggles for acceptance, and the various subgroups within the community (to cuddle or not to cuddle?). Along with David Jay and other members of the asexual community, the film features academic researchers who speculate that there are over three million asexuals in the US. Sexperts Carol Queen and Dan Savage weigh in on the f ledgling asexual movement and its place in queerdom. Is it possible that in today’s sexualized society, lack of desire is perversion’s f inal frontier? (Description courtesy of Monica Nolan, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival)
Facing a sex obsessed culture, a mountain of stereotypes and misconceptions, and a lack of social or scientific research, asexuals - people who experience no sexual attraction - struggle to claim their identity.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

365 Without 377

in person
Hindi
India
2011
Section 377 is a British colonial law from the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes same sex relations between consenting adults. When Delhi High court struck it down, the LGBTIQ community of India decided to celebrate this in a grand manner with colorful parades, songs and dances. Adele Tulli has not only captured the magnificent scenes of pride celebration, she has also interpreted the personal stories of the struggles of the three protagonists, Beena, Pallav and Abheena. These characters, Beena, Pallav and Abheena travel through the city of Bombay heading to the celebrations for the first anniversary of the historic verdict. 365 without 377 is the story of their journey towards freedom. The film truly makes you understand why it is so important to come out and be proud. Gaze Film Review
Imposed under the British colonial rule in 1860, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code criminalise any sexual acts between consenting adults of the same sex, stigmatising them as ‘against the order of nature’. On July 2, 2009 the Delhi High Court passed a landmark judgment scrapping this clause, thus fulfilling the most basic demand of the Indian LGBTQ community, which had been fighting this law for the past 10 years. Three characters, Beena, Pallav and Abheena travel through the city of Bombay heading to the celebrations for the first anniversary of the historic verdict. ‘365 without 377’ is the story of their journey towards freedom.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012

Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years

in person
English and German
Germany
2012
According to Audre Lorde’s own description of herself she was: ‘a lesbian, a feminist, black, a poet, mother and activist’. In the 1980s Dagmar Schultz, who at the time was lecturing at the John F. Kennedy Institute at Berlin’s Freie Universität, invited Lorde to Berlin as a visiting professor. This move was to have an enduring influence, for Lorde soon became co-founder and mentor of the AfroGerman movement. In her documentary portrait, Dagmar Schultz distills hitherto unpublished and often very personal material of Lorde that portrays her among her Berlin women friends, fellowtravellers and students, many of whom she encouraged to begin writing.
Audre Lorde, the highly influential, award-winning African-American lesbian poet came to live in West-Berlin in the 80s and early ’90s. She was the mentor and catalyst who helped ignite the Afro-German movement while she challenged white women to acknowledge and constructively use their privileges. With her active support a whole generation of writers and poets for the first time gave voice to their unique experience as people of color in Germany. This documentary contains previously unreleased audiovisual material from director Dagmar Schultz’s archives including stunning images of Audre Lorde off stage. With testimony from Lorde’s colleagues and friends the film documents Lorde’s lasting legacy in Germany and the impact of her work and personality.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2010

Bashment

in person
English
United Kingdom
2010
J.J. is an aspiring M.C. who’s taken London’s outlaw urban music scene by storm. He’s got the skills, the rhymes, and the drive. But he may run into a few hurdles on his reach for greatness; he’s white, he’s from the sticks, and he’s gay. J.J.’s resolved to come out onstage at the Urban Slam Finals, bringing his boyfriend Orlando along as moral support. While J.J. is onstage, the frustrated competing band, Illmanics, take out their rage on Orlando, beating him so badly that he suffers permanent brain damage. A victim reconciliation program brings J.J. face to face with Orlando’s attackers. (Description courtesy of Trista Kendall, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival.)
JJ is an aspiring MC exploding onto London’s exciting outlaw urban music scene. He’s got the skills, he’s got the rhymes, and he’s got the drive. But there’s a problem — not only is JJ a white boy from the sticks — he’s also gay. And gay — in the world of hip-hop and ragga — ain’t good. So when JJ resolves to come onstage at the Urban Slam Finals, taking his boyfriend Orlando with him, he knows it’s going to get a bit grimy… but when the couple falls foul of the Infamous ghetto-rap crew, the Ilford Illmanics and Orlando is beaten into a state of permanent brain-damage, all of their lives are changed forever in a way no one could have ever foreseen.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

Co-Dependant Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same

in person
English
USA
2011
Danger! The ozone layer of planet Zots is disappearing due to an overabundance of emotion! What can a lesbian space alien do to save her world? Well, board a flying saucer of course, and take a trip to New York City (it’s on planet Earth), where hearts will be broken and “big feelings” will be overcome. From the out-of-this-world people who brought you the wonderful shorts Dyke Dollar, Countertransference, and Hold Up comes the tale of codependent Barr, promiscuous Zylar, and sweet Zoinx, three shiny-headed space aliens on a mission of heartbreak. Can love survive the trials and tribulations of intergalactic romance? With the low-fi kitsch of 50s B movies, director Madeleine Olnek embraces what sci-fi fans have known for years—outer space is the perfect setting for the final frontier of relationship drama. Soup up your cardboard spaceship, put on your tinfoil hat, and find the nearest wormhole to claim your seats for the hilarious Sundance hit Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. (Description courtesy of Alexis Whitham, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival.)
The adventures of lesbian space aliens on the planet Earth, and the story of the romance between Jane, a shy greeting card store employee, and Zoinx, the woman Jane does not realize is from outer-space. Meanwhile, two government agents, or ‘Men In Black,’ are closely tracking Jane and the aliens while harboring their own secrets.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

Funkytown

in person
French and English
Canada
2011
Set during a tumultuous period of FrenchCanadian history, Funkytown follows the lives of eight people who are linked to a world famous Montreal nightclub called The Starlight in the late 1970s, when disco, casual sex, cocaine, and corruption reigned supreme. The action pivots around Bastien (Patrick Huard), a larger-than-life TV personality with a heroic appetite for booze, drugs, women, and outlandish clothes. We also follow aspiring singer Adriana, who has her sights set on record producer Gilles as her ticket to fame, and club dancer Tino, who becomes confused about his sexuality when he meets the openly gay Jonathan. By 1980, as the disco lifestyle fades, the characters feel the hangover acutely and are forced to make some difficult life choices. With many characters based on real-life figures from the era, Funkytown is a realistic portrait of Montreal.
Set during a tumultuous period of French-Canadian history, Funkytown follows the lives of eight people who are linked to a world famous Montreal nightclub called The Starlight in the late 1970s, when disco, casual sex, cocaine, and corruption reigned supreme. The action pivots around Bastien (Patrick Huard), a larger-than-life TV personality with a heroic appetite for booze, drugs, women, and outlandish clothes. We also follow aspiring singer Adriana, who has her sights set on record producer Gilles as her ticket to fame, and club dancer Tino, who becomes confused about his
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

Jobriath AD

with The Party in Taylor Mead's Kitchen

in person
English
USA
2011
Called “The True Fairy of Rock & Roll” and “Hype of the Year,” Jobriath’s reign as the f irst openly gay rock star was brief and over by 1975. Now, 35 years later, Jobriath A.D. spotlights his life, music, groundbreaking influence and the new generations of fans slowly re-discovering him. A hymn to the enigmatic, cult glam rocker Jobriath, ‘I am the true fairy of rock’. His brief but fascinating career as an openly gay performer, sometimes called ‘the American Bowie’ is uncovered by this pioneering documentary which has a wealth of archive footage. Adored by Morrissey and The Pet Shop Boys, this is a celebration of a singer-songwriter whose legacy has been all-too-little appreciated; Jayne County, Gloria Jones, Jake Shears, Marc Almond and manager Jerry Brandt are among the interview subjects. Jobriath’s unashamed queerness was just too much for the early 70s. Director Kieran Turner has crafted a rewarding film as a lasting tribute to the creative talent of a major f igure. (Description courtesy of Brian Robinson, BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.)
Called "The True Fairy of Rock & Roll" and "Hype of the Year," Jobriath's reign as the first openly gay rock star was brief and over by 1975. Now, 35 years later, Jobriath A.D. spotlights his life, music, groundbreaking influence and the new generations of fans slowly re-discovering him. A hymn to the enigmatic, cult glam rocker Jobriath, ‘I am the true fairy of rock’. His brief but fascinating career as an openly gay performer, sometimes called ‘the American Bowie’ is uncovered by this pioneering documentary which has a wealth of archive footage. Adored by Morrissey and The
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2010

Loose Cannons

in person
Italian
Italy
2010
Festival favourite Ferzan Ozpetek (Ignorant Fairies; Saturn in Opposition) returns to with a light-hearted tale of family obligation and repressed desire that is as playful and sunny as a weekend on the Italian Riviera. Tommaso is the youngest son of the well-to-do and ultra-conservative Cantone family, who own a pasta factory in Puglia. He returns home for an important family dinner at which his father plans to hand over the business to Tommaso and his brother Antonio. But Tommaso has a comfortable life in Rome as an aspiring writer and a steady relationship with his boyfriend Marcoa life he has kept secret from his family. He has no desire to move back to his hometown or to give up his writing career, so he plans to announce to his family at the dinner that he is gay. That evening, however, just as Tomasso begins his speech, he is upstaged by his brother, who, to everyones surprise, reveals his own secret! Antonio is promptly disowned and their father Vincenzo collapses from a heart attack. With the family in a state of turmoil, Tommaso reluctantly steps in to run the factory with Alba, the daughter of their new business partner. The comedy follows Tommaso as he balances running the firm, consoling his outraged family and keeping his homosexuality a secret in case the news altogether kills his stricken father. A surprise visit from some of Tomassos friends, including boyfriend Marco, uncovers some well-hidden family secrets and helps to change some long-held beliefs among the family. Loose Cannons is a witty, penetrating drama, beautifully acted by its ensemble cast. The film takes a lighthearted approach, revealing each family member’s quirks in a story that meanders through an emotional terrain of unspoken feelings that are played out against a backdrop of sumptuous beauty. (Description courtesy of Inside Out: The Toronto LGBT Film Festival.)
Tommaso is the youngest son of the Cantones, a large, traditional southern Italian family operating a pasta-making business since the 1960s. On a trip home from Rome, where he studies literature and lives with his boyfriend, Tommaso decides to tell his parents the truth about himself. But when he is finally ready to come out in front of the entire family, his older brother Antonio ruins his plans.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012

Love Free or Die

Bishop Gene Robinson in person
English
USA
2012
In June 2003, the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire came under fire when it became the first to elect an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, as a bishop. Since that flash point, Robinson has been at the center of the contentious battle for LGBT people to receive full acceptance in the faith. Director Macky Alston (whose film, Family Name, won the Freedom of Expression Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival) follows Robinson into the breach in the struggle for equality. While resolute in his calling, Robinson grows increasingly critical of the central role that religious institutions have played in fostering homophobia and hatred. He is pointedly not invited to a once-a-decade convocation of bishops and courts controversy by attending. His presence the next year for the Episcopal General Convention underscores the impact of its impending decisions about the church’s stance on the consecration of future gay bishops and the performance of same-sex marriage ceremonies. While Robinson never intended to be the poster boy for gay bishops, Love Free or Die demonstrates that he has become a beacon of hope for millions. His history-making church provides a model for other communities of faith to treat all people with dignity and respect, regardless of their sexuality. (Description courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival.) Winner, U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for An Agent of Change, Sundance Film Festival.
In June 2003, the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire came under fire when it became the first to elect an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, as a bishop. Since that flash point, Robinson has been at the center of the contentious battle for LGBT people to receive full acceptance in the faith. Director Macky Alston (whose film, Family Name, won the Freedom of Expression Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival) follows Robinson into the breach in the struggle for equality. While resolute in his calling, Robinson grows increasingly
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012

Men to Kiss

with ub2

in person
German
Germany
2012
Come and enjoy the New England Premiere of this great comedy. Colourful balloon dresses, long party nights in Berlin’s trendy clubs and erotic evenings on the dining table – this is the chaotic relationship of the unequal couple of Ernst and Tobias. Though opposites attract, respectable banker Ernst is often unsure, whether bubbly and always cheerful Tobias takes their relationship as seriously as he does. Soon they rise to a challenge of every relationship: everyday living together and mutual trust. The sudden appearance of Uta, Ernst’s eccentric school friend, fundamentally changes their relationship. Uta forges out a scheming plan, which Ernst completely falls for. Together with his friends, Tobias spares no efforts to checkmate the unwelcome guest as soon as possible – and sets events in motion that increasingly get out of control.   To date, the German gay movie was mostly limited to coming out stories of young men. “Men to kiss” charmingly proves that homosexuality can play another role in gay movie and replaces common clichés with authentic everyday stories. “Men to kiss”: an entertaining comedy about love, friendship and Berlin, full of vivid dialogues and emotional moments, that captivates the viewer with its taking characters from the first minutes on.
The gay couple Tobi and Ernie are being visited by Ernie’s old friend Uta. What at first looks like an innocent house-call, turns into an insidious attack on the couple’s relationship.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

Naked as We Came

in person
English
USA
2011
We are pleased close the 28th Annual Film Festival with the area premiere of director/producer Richard LeMay's (2010 festival closer Children of God, 200 American) stunning family drama Naked As We Came. Shot entirely in Massachusetts and staring a stunning ensemble including Ryan Vigilant of Gossip Girl and Karmine Alers, (Mimi in Rent), Naked As We Came is a story about letting go of the past and recreating family relationships. After an unexpected phone call, Laura and her brother Elliot rush to their family's country estate to find their mother, Lilly, gravely ill and living with a handsome young stranger named Ted. Their mother's condition sets Laura and Elliot on a path to realizing where their own lives have gone wrong. Love, loss and hope are all explored in this powerful drama, which asks the question: What is your dream?
Love, loss and hope are tumultuously explored amidst a tranquil backdrop and asks us all the question: What is your dream? After an unexpected phone call, Laura and her brother Elliot rush to their family’s country estate to find Lilly their mother gravely ill and living with a handsome young stranger named Ted. Estranged for some time, their mother’s condition sets Laura and Elliot on a path to realizing where their own lives have gone wrong. Lilly, on the other hand, has mellowed from the controlling woman she was and is hoping to pass on some wisdom to her children. Now her kids find themselves dealing with their own feelings of resentment and broken dreams while trying to figure out how Ted fits into their mother’s life. Elliot even sleeps with Ted to break some barriers. But Ted has a secret of his own.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012

Sleepless Knights

in person
Spanish
Germany
2012
Carlos is spending the summer in the country with his family in order to help out with things. Perhaps he won’t even be returning to the capital, as economic prospects are hardly rosy there either. Extremadura on the other hand, sparsely populated and for a long time one of the most neglected regions in Europe, is experiencing a tentative upturn. Tourism and modernisation rub shoulders with almost archaic customs and a conservative, mostly elderly population here. Sleepless Knights depicts all this in casual, unobtrusive fashion, in images that have at times a truly otherworldly beauty. The central theme is the love story between the newly returned Carlos and the young policeman Juan. “You don’t look like you’re from here,” remarks Juan when they meet. “I’m not from here,“ replies Carlos, “I live in Madrid.” Whether to be from here or elsewhere is a decision that many here have to make. Extremadura, Madrid, maybe even Munich? This uncertainty suffuses their love story with a peculiar sense of tension before the backdrop of a seemingly relaxed, uneventful summer. It is only the old men striding through the austere landscape in their strange knight costumes who remain blissfully untroubled.
As every year Carlos is spending the summer in the country with his family in order to help out with things. Perhaps he won’t even be returning to Madrid, as economic prospects are hardly rosy there. In addition, his father’s health is failing and he needs Carlos to help. In this town, where the elders still celebrate the medieval rites, Carlos meets a young policeman Juan and they fall in love. A friendship ensues amidst age-old rituals and a crisis of a nation, all this set against a spectacular backdrop which seems somehow not of this world.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

Taking a Chance on God

in person
English
USA
2011
A POW in Nazi Germany, Vietnam peace promoter, leading gay rights advocate and loving partner of 46 years to Charles Chiarelli, Taking a Chance on God follows the extraordinary life of 86-year-old Jesuit priest John McNeill. This powerful documentary, tells McNeill’s inspiring story of faith, love and perseverance in the face of oppression and rejection. McNeill, the co-founder of the LGBT Catholic group Dignity NY, author of the revolutionary “The Church and the Homosexual,” and leader in the gay community during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, has refused to let his voice be silenced despite being expelled from the Jesuits after forty years of faithful service. Chronicling his love for the Church, the LGBT community, his Jesuit brothers and his partner Charlie, “Taking a Chance on God” proves that there can and should be harmony between the gay community and the Catholic Church. (Description courtesy of Emily Suttmeier, Woodstock Film Festival.)
Taking A Chance On God chronicles the extraordinary life and legacy of 85 year old John McNeill, gay Catholic priest, founder of the LGBT spiritual movement, and pioneering voice of gay liberation. Refusing to betray his own conscience, McNeill stood up to the man who became Pope Benedict XVI and would not be silenced. The Film depicts McNeill’s remarkable journey: growing up in Buffalo, escaping death as a POW in Nazi Germany, falling in love with his husband, writing groundbreaking books, coming out on national television, calling for compassion and justice during the AIDS crisis, and celebrating the unique spiritual gifts of LGBT people. Theologians, journalists, activists, and LGBT religious figures, including openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, movingly testify to McNeill’s influence and importance.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

Vito

Roy Grundmann in person
English
USA
2011
Vito Russo was at the forefront of every gay rights movement from Stonewall to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, as a passionate advocate for justice in the newly formed ACT UP, and a co-founder of GLADD. In 1981, he published his landmark book The Celluloid Closet that examined the way Hollywood depicted homosexuality. It was the most extensive record to date of LGBT representation on screen, and forced an examination of film's often-homophobic messages. It still remains the definite text on the subjects and is studied worldwide. With heartwarming and humorous interviews of Vito's family and friends (Armistead Maupin, Jeffrey Freidman, Rob Epstein, and Lily Tomlin among them), and clips from an astonishing collection of film treasures, Vito presents a moving portrait of the person who paved the way for and proved the importance of LGBT film festivals like ours. Even after his death in 1990, his story continues to inspire and his mark on the gay community is unquestionable. (Description adapted from the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.)
In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. He went on to write “The Celluloid Closet”, the first book to critique Hollywood’s portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990.
 min total program
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011

Wish Me Away

in person
English
USA
2011
Country music star Chely Wright had a huge secret that seemed impossible to reveal to her family, friends, and fans. Raised in a deeply religious home and working in a homophobic country music industry, Chely prayed for years that her homosexuality would just go away. In 2010, Chely began an arduous but carefully mapped journey of coming out to the world. Over a three-year period, award-winning filmmakers Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf captured every moment of Chely’s struggle. (Description courtesy of the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.) Winner of the Outstanding Documentary Feature Award at Frameline 35: The 2011 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival.
After a lifetime of hiding, Chely Wright becomes the first commercial country music singer to come out as gay, shattering cultural stereotypes within Nashville, per conservative heartland family and, most importantly, within herself. With unprecedented access over a two-year period, including her private video diaries, the film layers Chely’s rise to fame while hiding in the late 90’s with the execution of her coming out plan, culminating in the exciting moment when she steps into the media glare to reveal she is gay. The film shows both the devastation of internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life. The film also documents the conflicting responses from Nashville, the heartland and the LGBT community as Chely Wright prepares for an unknown future.
 min total program
No items found.

All Short Film Programs

from Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012
No items found.

Screenings & Events

May 3 - 13, 2012

SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2010
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Loose Cannons

FREE

Fri, May 03, 2013 @ 8:15 pm
Institute of Contemporary Art
Festival favourite Ferzan Ozpetek (Ignorant Fairies; Saturn in Opposition) returns to with a light-hearted tale of family obligation and repressed desire that is as playful and sunny as a weekend on the Italian Riviera. Tommaso is the youngest son of the well-to-do and ultra-conservative Cantone family, who own a pasta factory in Puglia. He returns home for an important family dinner at which his father plans to hand over the business to Tommaso and his brother Antonio. But Tommaso has a comfortable life in Rome as an aspiring writer and a steady relationship with his boyfriend Marcoa life he has kept secret from his family. He has no desire to move back to his hometown or to give up his writing career, so he plans to announce to his family at the dinner that he is gay. That evening, however, just as Tomasso begins his speech, he is upstaged by his brother, who, to everyones surprise, reveals his own secret! Antonio is promptly disowned and their father Vincenzo collapses from a heart attack. With the family in a state of turmoil, Tommaso reluctantly steps in to run the factory with Alba, the daughter of their new business partner. The comedy follows Tommaso as he balances running the firm, consoling his outraged family and keeping his homosexuality a secret in case the news altogether kills his stricken father. A surprise visit from some of Tomassos friends, including boyfriend Marco, uncovers some well-hidden family secrets and helps to change some long-held beliefs among the family. Loose Cannons is a witty, penetrating drama, beautifully acted by its ensemble cast. The film takes a lighthearted approach, revealing each family member’s quirks in a story that meanders through an emotional terrain of unspoken feelings that are played out against a backdrop of sumptuous beauty. (Description courtesy of Inside Out: The Toronto LGBT Film Festival.)
Tommaso is the youngest son of the Cantones, a large, traditional southern Italian family operating a pasta-making business since the 1960s. On a trip home from Rome, where he studies literature and lives with his boyfriend, Tommaso decides to tell his parents the truth about himself. But when he is finally ready to come out in front of the entire family, his older brother Antonio ruins his plans.
Ferzan Ozpetek
110
 min
Italian
Italy
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

(A)Sexual

FREE

Sun, May 05, 2013 @ 1:30 pm
Brattle Theater
Hold the skepticism—the smart and funny group of people profiled in this fast-moving documentary have heard it all before. Meet Swank Ivy who makes YouTube videos debunking common beliefs; or David Jay, the movement’s poster boy and regular on television talk shows, including The View. (A)sexual documents the growth of this newly organized sexual minority while raising provocative questions about queer inclusiveness and the boundaries of “normal” sexual desire. In 2002 Jay created a website, asexuality.org; today, there are some 26,000 members of AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network). Members discuss coming out as an asexual, their struggles for acceptance, and the various subgroups within the community (to cuddle or not to cuddle?). Along with David Jay and other members of the asexual community, the film features academic researchers who speculate that there are over three million asexuals in the US. Sexperts Carol Queen and Dan Savage weigh in on the f ledgling asexual movement and its place in queerdom. Is it possible that in today’s sexualized society, lack of desire is perversion’s f inal frontier? (Description courtesy of Monica Nolan, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival)
Facing a sex obsessed culture, a mountain of stereotypes and misconceptions, and a lack of social or scientific research, asexuals - people who experience no sexual attraction - struggle to claim their identity.
Angela Tucker
75
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together

FREE

Sun, May 05, 2013 @ 6:00 pm
Brattle Theater
Got it Bad for the Wrong Girl? From the director of the festival circuit hit Hannah Free comes Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together, a romantic musical comedy that tells the story of two queer girls whose codependent, loyal friendship is fraught with erotic tension. Jamie is moving from Chicago to Brooklyn with hopes of becoming a Broadway actress. Her best friend Jessica is bummed because she thinks she’s in love with Jamie. As moving day gets closer, Jessica tries to make Jamie jealous by dating other women, but Jessica’s plan backfires in a way she could never imagine. Within this world of love and lust, Jamie and Jessie must figure out how to grow together, or how to grow apart. “Jamie and Jessie Are Not Together is a sweet, appealing musical comedy,” Roger Ebert.
Jamie is moving in two weeks from Chicago to New York hoping to become a Broadway actress. Her best friend Jessica is bummed because she’s not-so-secretly in love with Jamie. As moving day gets closer, Jessica tries to make Jamie jealous by dating other girls. But Jessica’s plan backfires, in a way she could never imagine. Set in working class Chicago and infused with musical dance numbers, “Jamie and Jessie are Not Together” is a love letter to those gray areas of love and lust and to the young romances we will never forget.
Wendy Jo Carlton
95
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Co-Dependant Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same

FREE

Sun, May 05, 2013 @ 8:00 pm
Brattle Theater
Danger! The ozone layer of planet Zots is disappearing due to an overabundance of emotion! What can a lesbian space alien do to save her world? Well, board a flying saucer of course, and take a trip to New York City (it’s on planet Earth), where hearts will be broken and “big feelings” will be overcome. From the out-of-this-world people who brought you the wonderful shorts Dyke Dollar, Countertransference, and Hold Up comes the tale of codependent Barr, promiscuous Zylar, and sweet Zoinx, three shiny-headed space aliens on a mission of heartbreak. Can love survive the trials and tribulations of intergalactic romance? With the low-fi kitsch of 50s B movies, director Madeleine Olnek embraces what sci-fi fans have known for years—outer space is the perfect setting for the final frontier of relationship drama. Soup up your cardboard spaceship, put on your tinfoil hat, and find the nearest wormhole to claim your seats for the hilarious Sundance hit Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. (Description courtesy of Alexis Whitham, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival.)
The adventures of lesbian space aliens on the planet Earth, and the story of the romance between Jane, a shy greeting card store employee, and Zoinx, the woman Jane does not realize is from outer-space. Meanwhile, two government agents, or ‘Men In Black,’ are closely tracking Jane and the aliens while harboring their own secrets.
Madeleine Olnek
76
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Woman's Lake

FREE

Frauensee

Sun, May 05, 2013 @ 10:00 pm
Brattle Theater
Woman’s Lake takes places in the magical and largely undiscovered landscapes of Brandenburg, the hinterland around Berlin, which is crisscrossed by Europe’s largest network of interconnected lakes. A glorious long weekend in the waning days of summer. The protagonist, Rosa, is a guardian of the lakes and waterways in the magical hinterland north of Berlin. Besides professional fishing, she is in charge of protecting the environment and issuing f ishing licenses, therefore she is a thorn in the side of amateur anglers and tourists. Rosa’s lover Kirsten, a successful architect, lives in a lakeside bungalow, and together the couple play host to two brash and self-confident young students on a weekend break from Berlin. The four women’s intense sexual attraction is fueled by their profoundly different hopes, dreams and worldviews.
What could be lovelier than Women’s Lake - a magical summer setting near Berlin? Rosa, perhaps. She’s the slightly melancholy guardian of the lake, spending her days in a boat, trapping fish and watching for poachers. Or her lover, the polished and prosperous Kirsten, with her perfect cottage on the shore of Frauensee. How does their relationship work, and what effect will the two young lesbians in the canoe have on it all? Thoughtful, complex and beautiful.
Zoltan Paul
87
 min
German
Germany
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Taking a Chance on God

FREE

Mon, May 06, 2013 @ 2:00 pm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
A POW in Nazi Germany, Vietnam peace promoter, leading gay rights advocate and loving partner of 46 years to Charles Chiarelli, Taking a Chance on God follows the extraordinary life of 86-year-old Jesuit priest John McNeill. This powerful documentary, tells McNeill’s inspiring story of faith, love and perseverance in the face of oppression and rejection. McNeill, the co-founder of the LGBT Catholic group Dignity NY, author of the revolutionary “The Church and the Homosexual,” and leader in the gay community during the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, has refused to let his voice be silenced despite being expelled from the Jesuits after forty years of faithful service. Chronicling his love for the Church, the LGBT community, his Jesuit brothers and his partner Charlie, “Taking a Chance on God” proves that there can and should be harmony between the gay community and the Catholic Church. (Description courtesy of Emily Suttmeier, Woodstock Film Festival.)
Taking A Chance On God chronicles the extraordinary life and legacy of 85 year old John McNeill, gay Catholic priest, founder of the LGBT spiritual movement, and pioneering voice of gay liberation. Refusing to betray his own conscience, McNeill stood up to the man who became Pope Benedict XVI and would not be silenced. The Film depicts McNeill’s remarkable journey: growing up in Buffalo, escaping death as a POW in Nazi Germany, falling in love with his husband, writing groundbreaking books, coming out on national television, calling for compassion and justice during the AIDS crisis, and celebrating the unique spiritual gifts of LGBT people. Theologians, journalists, activists, and LGBT religious figures, including openly gay Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson, movingly testify to McNeill’s influence and importance.
Brendan Fay
54
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
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WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
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Funkytown

FREE

Mon, May 06, 2013 @ 5:00 pm
Institute of Contemporary Art
Set during a tumultuous period of FrenchCanadian history, Funkytown follows the lives of eight people who are linked to a world famous Montreal nightclub called The Starlight in the late 1970s, when disco, casual sex, cocaine, and corruption reigned supreme. The action pivots around Bastien (Patrick Huard), a larger-than-life TV personality with a heroic appetite for booze, drugs, women, and outlandish clothes. We also follow aspiring singer Adriana, who has her sights set on record producer Gilles as her ticket to fame, and club dancer Tino, who becomes confused about his sexuality when he meets the openly gay Jonathan. By 1980, as the disco lifestyle fades, the characters feel the hangover acutely and are forced to make some difficult life choices. With many characters based on real-life figures from the era, Funkytown is a realistic portrait of Montreal.
Set during a tumultuous period of French-Canadian history, Funkytown follows the lives of eight people who are linked to a world famous Montreal nightclub called The Starlight in the late 1970s, when disco, casual sex, cocaine, and corruption reigned supreme. The action pivots around Bastien (Patrick Huard), a larger-than-life TV personality with a heroic appetite for booze, drugs, women, and outlandish clothes. We also follow aspiring singer Adriana, who has her sights set on record producer Gilles as her ticket to fame, and club dancer Tino, who becomes confused about his
Daniel Roby
132
 min
French and English
Canada
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Heart of Broadway

FREE

with Liberty

Mon, May 06, 2013 @ 6:00 pm
Brattle Theater
Heart of Broadway goes inside Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for a look at the organization, which, by drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theater community, since 1988 has raised more than $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States. The special takes viewers backstage and behind the scenes for conversations with key players who reveal what makes this one of the most influential organizations in the world. Featured celebrities, who’ve repeatedly and graciously donated their time and talents to Broadway Cares, include Denis O’Hare, Marc Kudisch, Jerry Mitchell, Tom Viola, Judith Light, Jen Cody, Terrence McNally, Lillias White, Kathleen Chalfant, Billy Porter, and Ann Harada.
Heart of Broadway goes inside Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS for a look at the organization, which, by drawing upon the talents, resources, and generosity of the American theater community, since 1988 has raised more than $195 million for essential services for people with AIDS and other critical illnesses across the United States. The special takes viewers backstage and behind the scenes for conversations with key players who reveal what makes this one of the most influential organizations in the world. Featured celebrities, who've repeatedly and graciously
Josh Rosenzweig
57
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012
SHORT FILM PROGRAM

Love Free or Die

FREE

Tue, May 07, 2013 @ 7:00 pm
Brattle Theater
In June 2003, the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire came under fire when it became the first to elect an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, as a bishop. Since that flash point, Robinson has been at the center of the contentious battle for LGBT people to receive full acceptance in the faith. Director Macky Alston (whose film, Family Name, won the Freedom of Expression Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival) follows Robinson into the breach in the struggle for equality. While resolute in his calling, Robinson grows increasingly critical of the central role that religious institutions have played in fostering homophobia and hatred. He is pointedly not invited to a once-a-decade convocation of bishops and courts controversy by attending. His presence the next year for the Episcopal General Convention underscores the impact of its impending decisions about the church’s stance on the consecration of future gay bishops and the performance of same-sex marriage ceremonies. While Robinson never intended to be the poster boy for gay bishops, Love Free or Die demonstrates that he has become a beacon of hope for millions. His history-making church provides a model for other communities of faith to treat all people with dignity and respect, regardless of their sexuality. (Description courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival.) Winner, U.S. Documentary Special Jury Prize for An Agent of Change, Sundance Film Festival.
In June 2003, the Episcopal Church in New Hampshire came under fire when it became the first to elect an openly gay man, Gene Robinson, as a bishop. Since that flash point, Robinson has been at the center of the contentious battle for LGBT people to receive full acceptance in the faith. Director Macky Alston (whose film, Family Name, won the Freedom of Expression Award at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival) follows Robinson into the breach in the struggle for equality. While resolute in his calling, Robinson grows increasingly
Macky Alston
88
 min
English
USA
 min total program
Bishop Gene Robinson in person
SPOTLIGHT
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365 Without 377

FREE

Wed, May 08, 2013 @ 6:00 pm
Brattle Theater
Section 377 is a British colonial law from the Indian Penal Code that criminalizes same sex relations between consenting adults. When Delhi High court struck it down, the LGBTIQ community of India decided to celebrate this in a grand manner with colorful parades, songs and dances. Adele Tulli has not only captured the magnificent scenes of pride celebration, she has also interpreted the personal stories of the struggles of the three protagonists, Beena, Pallav and Abheena. These characters, Beena, Pallav and Abheena travel through the city of Bombay heading to the celebrations for the first anniversary of the historic verdict. 365 without 377 is the story of their journey towards freedom. The film truly makes you understand why it is so important to come out and be proud. Gaze Film Review
Imposed under the British colonial rule in 1860, Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code criminalise any sexual acts between consenting adults of the same sex, stigmatising them as ‘against the order of nature’. On July 2, 2009 the Delhi High Court passed a landmark judgment scrapping this clause, thus fulfilling the most basic demand of the Indian LGBTQ community, which had been fighting this law for the past 10 years. Three characters, Beena, Pallav and Abheena travel through the city of Bombay heading to the celebrations for the first anniversary of the historic verdict. ‘365 without 377’ is the story of their journey towards freedom.
Adele Tulli
53
 min
Hindi
India
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
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WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012
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Keep the Lights On

FREE

Thu, May 09, 2013 @ 8:45 pm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
From the acclaimed director of Married Life and Forty Shades of Blue comes a haunting, subtle tale of a contemporary gay relationship. Debuting at Sundance and winning the Teddy Award at the 2012 Berlinale, Keep the Lights On is a visually stunning film that “breaks new ground in contemporary American gay cinema” (The Hollywood Reporter). The deeply personal story charts the highs and lows of an emotionally and sexually charged relationship between two men. It’s 1997 and New York City is in a state of intense flux when documentary filmmaker Erik Rothman (Thure Lindhardt) first meets Paul Lucy (Zachary Booth), a handsome but closeted lawyer in the publishing field. What begins as a highly charged first encounter soon becomes something much more, and a relationship quickly develops. Told over the course of ten years, this is a film about sex, friendship, intimacy and most of all, love.
Documentary filmmaker Erik and closeted lawyer Paul meet through a casual encounter, but they find a deeper connection and become a couple. Individually and together, they are risk takers — compulsive, and fueled by drugs and sex. In an almost decade-long relationship defined by highs, lows, and dysfunctional patterns, Erik struggles to negotiate his own boundaries and dignity and to be true to himself.
Ira Sachs
101
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
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WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012
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Sleepless Knights

FREE

Fri, May 10, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
Brattle Theater
Carlos is spending the summer in the country with his family in order to help out with things. Perhaps he won’t even be returning to the capital, as economic prospects are hardly rosy there either. Extremadura on the other hand, sparsely populated and for a long time one of the most neglected regions in Europe, is experiencing a tentative upturn. Tourism and modernisation rub shoulders with almost archaic customs and a conservative, mostly elderly population here. Sleepless Knights depicts all this in casual, unobtrusive fashion, in images that have at times a truly otherworldly beauty. The central theme is the love story between the newly returned Carlos and the young policeman Juan. “You don’t look like you’re from here,” remarks Juan when they meet. “I’m not from here,“ replies Carlos, “I live in Madrid.” Whether to be from here or elsewhere is a decision that many here have to make. Extremadura, Madrid, maybe even Munich? This uncertainty suffuses their love story with a peculiar sense of tension before the backdrop of a seemingly relaxed, uneventful summer. It is only the old men striding through the austere landscape in their strange knight costumes who remain blissfully untroubled.
As every year Carlos is spending the summer in the country with his family in order to help out with things. Perhaps he won’t even be returning to Madrid, as economic prospects are hardly rosy there. In addition, his father’s health is failing and he needs Carlos to help. In this town, where the elders still celebrate the medieval rites, Carlos meets a young policeman Juan and they fall in love. A friendship ensues amidst age-old rituals and a crisis of a nation, all this set against a spectacular backdrop which seems somehow not of this world.
Stefan Butzmühlen and Cristina Diz
82
 min
Spanish
Germany
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012
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Men to Kiss

FREE

with ub2

Fri, May 10, 2013 @ 8:30 pm
Brattle Theater
Come and enjoy the New England Premiere of this great comedy. Colourful balloon dresses, long party nights in Berlin’s trendy clubs and erotic evenings on the dining table – this is the chaotic relationship of the unequal couple of Ernst and Tobias. Though opposites attract, respectable banker Ernst is often unsure, whether bubbly and always cheerful Tobias takes their relationship as seriously as he does. Soon they rise to a challenge of every relationship: everyday living together and mutual trust. The sudden appearance of Uta, Ernst’s eccentric school friend, fundamentally changes their relationship. Uta forges out a scheming plan, which Ernst completely falls for. Together with his friends, Tobias spares no efforts to checkmate the unwelcome guest as soon as possible – and sets events in motion that increasingly get out of control.   To date, the German gay movie was mostly limited to coming out stories of young men. “Men to kiss” charmingly proves that homosexuality can play another role in gay movie and replaces common clichés with authentic everyday stories. “Men to kiss”: an entertaining comedy about love, friendship and Berlin, full of vivid dialogues and emotional moments, that captivates the viewer with its taking characters from the first minutes on.
The gay couple Tobi and Ernie are being visited by Ernie’s old friend Uta. What at first looks like an innocent house-call, turns into an insidious attack on the couple’s relationship.
Robert Hasfogel
83
 min
German
Germany
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
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WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
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Wish Me Away

FREE

Sat, May 11, 2013 @ 6:30 pm
Brattle Theater
Country music star Chely Wright had a huge secret that seemed impossible to reveal to her family, friends, and fans. Raised in a deeply religious home and working in a homophobic country music industry, Chely prayed for years that her homosexuality would just go away. In 2010, Chely began an arduous but carefully mapped journey of coming out to the world. Over a three-year period, award-winning filmmakers Bobbie Birleffi and Beverly Kopf captured every moment of Chely’s struggle. (Description courtesy of the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.) Winner of the Outstanding Documentary Feature Award at Frameline 35: The 2011 San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival and the Grand Jury Prize for Best Documentary at the 2011 Los Angeles Film Festival.
After a lifetime of hiding, Chely Wright becomes the first commercial country music singer to come out as gay, shattering cultural stereotypes within Nashville, per conservative heartland family and, most importantly, within herself. With unprecedented access over a two-year period, including her private video diaries, the film layers Chely’s rise to fame while hiding in the late 90’s with the execution of her coming out plan, culminating in the exciting moment when she steps into the media glare to reveal she is gay. The film shows both the devastation of internalized homophobia and the transformational power of living an authentic life. The film also documents the conflicting responses from Nashville, the heartland and the LGBT community as Chely Wright prepares for an unknown future.
Bobbie Birleffi & Beverly Kopf
96
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
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WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
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Jobriath AD

FREE

with The Party in Taylor Mead's Kitchen

Sat, May 11, 2013 @ 9:00 pm
Brattle Theater
Called “The True Fairy of Rock & Roll” and “Hype of the Year,” Jobriath’s reign as the f irst openly gay rock star was brief and over by 1975. Now, 35 years later, Jobriath A.D. spotlights his life, music, groundbreaking influence and the new generations of fans slowly re-discovering him. A hymn to the enigmatic, cult glam rocker Jobriath, ‘I am the true fairy of rock’. His brief but fascinating career as an openly gay performer, sometimes called ‘the American Bowie’ is uncovered by this pioneering documentary which has a wealth of archive footage. Adored by Morrissey and The Pet Shop Boys, this is a celebration of a singer-songwriter whose legacy has been all-too-little appreciated; Jayne County, Gloria Jones, Jake Shears, Marc Almond and manager Jerry Brandt are among the interview subjects. Jobriath’s unashamed queerness was just too much for the early 70s. Director Kieran Turner has crafted a rewarding film as a lasting tribute to the creative talent of a major f igure. (Description courtesy of Brian Robinson, BFI London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.)
Called "The True Fairy of Rock & Roll" and "Hype of the Year," Jobriath's reign as the first openly gay rock star was brief and over by 1975. Now, 35 years later, Jobriath A.D. spotlights his life, music, groundbreaking influence and the new generations of fans slowly re-discovering him. A hymn to the enigmatic, cult glam rocker Jobriath, ‘I am the true fairy of rock’. His brief but fascinating career as an openly gay performer, sometimes called ‘the American Bowie’ is uncovered by this pioneering documentary which has a wealth of archive footage. Adored by Morrissey and The
Kieran Turner
102
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
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Outliving Dracula: Le Fanu's Carmilla

FREE

with Blaue Stunde

Sat, May 11, 2013 @ 11:15 pm
Brattle Theater
Outliving Dracula explores the radical inf luence of the classic (and first) lesbian vampire story, JS Le Fanu’s Carmilla, on generations of filmmakers - from Carl Dreyer’s extraordinary Vampyr to Roger Vadim’s Blood and Roses, from the Gothic kitsch of Hammer through to films produced for an art gallery context. Featuring interviews with leading film scholars and lesbian artists influenced by Le Fanu, Outliving Dracula seeks to redefine Le Fanu’s critical importance as an Irish writer whose ghostly traces remain profound and enigmatic. This documentary suggests that Carmilla may perhaps be more radical and transgressive today as a creative wellspring than its successor Dracula.
Outliving Dracula explores the radical influence of the classic (and first) lesbian vampire story, JS Le Fanu's Carmilla, on generations of filmmakers - from Carl Dreyer's extraordinary Vampyr to Roger Vadim's Blood and Roses, from the Gothic kitsch of Hammer through to films produced for an art gallery context. Featuring interviews with leading film scholars and lesbian artists influenced by Le Fanu, Outliving Dracula seeks to redefine Le Fanu's critical importance as an Irish writer whose ghostly traces remain profound and enigmatic. This documentary suggests
Fergus Daly and Katherine Waugh
60
 min
English
Ireland
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
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FROM 2010
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Bashment

FREE

Sun, May 12, 2013 @ 10:00 pm
Brattle Theater
J.J. is an aspiring M.C. who’s taken London’s outlaw urban music scene by storm. He’s got the skills, the rhymes, and the drive. But he may run into a few hurdles on his reach for greatness; he’s white, he’s from the sticks, and he’s gay. J.J.’s resolved to come out onstage at the Urban Slam Finals, bringing his boyfriend Orlando along as moral support. While J.J. is onstage, the frustrated competing band, Illmanics, take out their rage on Orlando, beating him so badly that he suffers permanent brain damage. A victim reconciliation program brings J.J. face to face with Orlando’s attackers. (Description courtesy of Trista Kendall, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival.)
JJ is an aspiring MC exploding onto London’s exciting outlaw urban music scene. He’s got the skills, he’s got the rhymes, and he’s got the drive. But there’s a problem — not only is JJ a white boy from the sticks — he’s also gay. And gay — in the world of hip-hop and ragga — ain’t good. So when JJ resolves to come onstage at the Urban Slam Finals, taking his boyfriend Orlando with him, he knows it’s going to get a bit grimy… but when the couple falls foul of the Infamous ghetto-rap crew, the Ilford Illmanics and Orlando is beaten into a state of permanent brain-damage, all of their lives are changed forever in a way no one could have ever foreseen.
Rikki Beadle-Blair
110
 min
English
United Kingdom
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
US PREMIERE
WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2012
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Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years

FREE

Mon, May 13, 2013 @ 2:30 pm
Brattle Theater
According to Audre Lorde’s own description of herself she was: ‘a lesbian, a feminist, black, a poet, mother and activist’. In the 1980s Dagmar Schultz, who at the time was lecturing at the John F. Kennedy Institute at Berlin’s Freie Universität, invited Lorde to Berlin as a visiting professor. This move was to have an enduring influence, for Lorde soon became co-founder and mentor of the AfroGerman movement. In her documentary portrait, Dagmar Schultz distills hitherto unpublished and often very personal material of Lorde that portrays her among her Berlin women friends, fellowtravellers and students, many of whom she encouraged to begin writing.
Audre Lorde, the highly influential, award-winning African-American lesbian poet came to live in West-Berlin in the 80s and early ’90s. She was the mentor and catalyst who helped ignite the Afro-German movement while she challenged white women to acknowledge and constructively use their privileges. With her active support a whole generation of writers and poets for the first time gave voice to their unique experience as people of color in Germany. This documentary contains previously unreleased audiovisual material from director Dagmar Schultz’s archives including stunning images of Audre Lorde off stage. With testimony from Lorde’s colleagues and friends the film documents Lorde’s lasting legacy in Germany and the impact of her work and personality.
Dagmar Schultz
84
 min
English and German
Germany
 min total program
in person
SPOTLIGHT
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WORLD PREMIERE
FROM 2011
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Vito

FREE

Mon, May 13, 2013 @ 3:45 pm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Vito Russo was at the forefront of every gay rights movement from Stonewall to the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, as a passionate advocate for justice in the newly formed ACT UP, and a co-founder of GLADD. In 1981, he published his landmark book The Celluloid Closet that examined the way Hollywood depicted homosexuality. It was the most extensive record to date of LGBT representation on screen, and forced an examination of film's often-homophobic messages. It still remains the definite text on the subjects and is studied worldwide. With heartwarming and humorous interviews of Vito's family and friends (Armistead Maupin, Jeffrey Freidman, Rob Epstein, and Lily Tomlin among them), and clips from an astonishing collection of film treasures, Vito presents a moving portrait of the person who paved the way for and proved the importance of LGBT film festivals like ours. Even after his death in 1990, his story continues to inspire and his mark on the gay community is unquestionable. (Description adapted from the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.)
In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBTQ+ representation in the media. He went on to write “The Celluloid Closet”, the first book to critique Hollywood’s portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990.
Jeffrey Schwarz
93
 min
English
USA
 min total program
Roy Grundmann in person
SPOTLIGHT
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FROM 2011
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Naked as We Came

FREE

Mon, May 13, 2013 @ 7:30 pm
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
We are pleased close the 28th Annual Film Festival with the area premiere of director/producer Richard LeMay's (2010 festival closer Children of God, 200 American) stunning family drama Naked As We Came. Shot entirely in Massachusetts and staring a stunning ensemble including Ryan Vigilant of Gossip Girl and Karmine Alers, (Mimi in Rent), Naked As We Came is a story about letting go of the past and recreating family relationships. After an unexpected phone call, Laura and her brother Elliot rush to their family's country estate to find their mother, Lilly, gravely ill and living with a handsome young stranger named Ted. Their mother's condition sets Laura and Elliot on a path to realizing where their own lives have gone wrong. Love, loss and hope are all explored in this powerful drama, which asks the question: What is your dream?
Love, loss and hope are tumultuously explored amidst a tranquil backdrop and asks us all the question: What is your dream? After an unexpected phone call, Laura and her brother Elliot rush to their family’s country estate to find Lilly their mother gravely ill and living with a handsome young stranger named Ted. Estranged for some time, their mother’s condition sets Laura and Elliot on a path to realizing where their own lives have gone wrong. Lilly, on the other hand, has mellowed from the controlling woman she was and is hoping to pass on some wisdom to her children. Now her kids find themselves dealing with their own feelings of resentment and broken dreams while trying to figure out how Ted fits into their mother’s life. Elliot even sleeps with Ted to break some barriers. But Ted has a secret of his own.
Richard LeMay
93
 min
English
USA
 min total program
in person
Boston LGBT Film Festival 2012

Screenings & Events

May 3 - 13, 2012

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