Lots and lots of gay cinema tonight October 22, 2008, all packed into start times within a four hour window, at three different venues. Go see at least one of these flicks. Ciao is my pick for the night because it is “devoid of splashy dramatics”, it feels real and does not play into what seems to be the typical gay film motif.
But there are so many excellent movies to choose from.
Here is a list of what’s for dinner tonight:
6:00pm: Sugar Rush at Northwest Film Forum
Kim is a 15-year-old lesbian virgin who relocated very much against her will and she has got a massive crush on her new best pal, the beautiful, opportunistic, self-absorbed Maria “Sugar” Sweet. Find out how Kim survives in a world full of lies, delusions, obsessions, and sexual hangups.
6:00pm: Gender ID: Shorts at Harvard Exit Theatre
Exploring the many facets of gender, sex, and self-identity can lead to surprising discoveries. In this diverse collection of six short films, you’ll find that stereotypes are not welcome. Here are the films:
FAGETTE – It’s gay croquet, drag-tastic cheerleaders, and synchronized dance, all in an Astroturf wonderland. Featuring genderqueer, Katz of Athens Boys Choir.
PLAYING WITH GENDER – Young people on a picnic learn about gender, gender roles, and trans identities in this re-imagining of a 1950s educational film.
S/HE (Taiwan – subtitled) – A twelve-year-old girl struggles to follow her expected gender and cultural roles while exploring an emerging masculine nature.
CLOUDED – Fourteen-year-old Sean Chase has known many challenges living in the rural Midwest, but nothing can prepare him for the secrets revealed when an adventure goes badly wrong.
BARBARA (Brazil – subtitled) – At her father’s deathbed, Barbara reflects on her own life and the fine line between acceptance and rejection.
BLACK & WHITE – This beautiful and stylish film artfully explores the potent creative collaboration between Mani Bruce Mitchell, an intersex activist, and the acclaimed photographer Rebecca Swan, introducing viewers to notions of fluid gender identity and challenging the rigid categories of “male” and “female.”
6:00pm: Gay TV Dinner: A Night With The Girls at Central Cinema
Pay tribute to a late, great comedienne and her fabulous extended TV family. In the AIDS-anxious eighties, very few television series consistently welcomed lesbian and gay characters or themes. Look back at a group of funny girls who broke new ground in their own sweet and sassy way, providing a welcoming space for gay and lesbian viewers.
7:30pm: Suddenly, Last Winter at Central Cinema
When the Italian government presented a draft law that would grant rights to unmarried and gay couples, a wave of homophobia hit Italy. The Vatican and conservatives fought against the proposal, preaching that the end of morality and the destruction of family would be imminent if the legalization of civil unions were not blocked.
Together for over eight years, Luca and Gustav, an adorable Italian gay couple, wanted to understand the differing positions erupting across their land. This quirky and charming documentary follows their journey into a country they did not know before and did not expect to find: their own.
7:45pm: My Super 8 Season (France – subtitled) @ Northwest Film Forum
In 1968, Marc is an attractive Parisian student who tries to organize other students to fight for gay rights. Marc persists in his political engagement, battling with his policeman father while also trying to build a relationship with André, a handsome factory worker who says he’s not gay but can’t seem to stop cruising around Paris.
7:45pm: Tru Loved at Harvard Exit Theatre
Sixteen-year-old Tru is uprooted by her lesbian mothers from diverse San Francisco to conservative Southern California. Surrounded at her new high school by homophobic football players and Paris Hilton wannabes, she wins the attention of the star quarterback Lo, but soon realizes that her new “boyfriend” has a secret. Fed up with the homophobia at school and her reluctant “gentleman’s agreement” with Lo, Tru forms a Gay- Straight Alliance, causing a big stir. Here is the trailer from Tru Loved:
9:30pm: No End (Italy – subtitled) at Northwest Film Forum
Giulia and Chiara have decided to have a child together, but according to Italian law, only married heterosexual couples are allowed to procreate through artificial insemination. So the two women travel to Holland for the procedure. But as they prepare, things begin to fall apart.
9:30pm: Ciao at Central Cinema
After the death of his former lover Mark, Jeff is reading through thousands of Mark’s e-mails, when one exchange—with an Italian man named Andrea—emerges as more intimate, more charged, and somehow deeper than the others. Andrea eventually flies to Dallas and over the next three days Jeff and Andrea find their interaction gradually shifting from shared grief to mutual attraction.
AfterElton calls it the best gay movie of the year.
9:45pm: Wild Combination: A Portrait Of Arthur Russell at Harvard Exit Theatre
In the late ‘70s and early ‘80s, idiosyncratic composer, cellist, and dance-music producer Arthur Russell crafted records that reverberated through New York nightclubs; he also collaborated with Philip Glass, Allen Ginsberg, Laurie Anderson, and director Robert Wilson. Since his death in 1992, his influence has flourished. This mesmerizing documentary mirrors Russell’s free spirit, while successfully translating his distinctive aesthetic into an eclectic yet cohesive film.
Post-screening party at Havana’s Studio! Gay Disco.
Here is a trailer from the Arthur Russell film:
