Big Film Day in Seattle: Translations Film Festival AND the SIFF Box Office both open today

hmmm....has Sharon Needles seen "The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye"? They seem to be fashion icons for the diva.

Movie nerds can squee today because of all the options they have for cinematic fun…

Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s 7th annual Translations Film Festival opens tonight at 7:15pm at SIFF Cinema at The Uptown with the fascinating documentary, “The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye” a look at the genderqueer performance art of a very special couple:

In this award-winning and affecting documentary on cutting-edge artists in love, groundbreaking performance artist and musical pioneer Genesis Breyer P-Orridge (Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV) and soul mate Lady Jaye undertake daring physical transformations, known as the “Pandrogyne” project. In their most risky, ambitious, and subversive performance of their 15 year artistic collaboration and marriage, Genesis begins a series of sex reassignment surgeries to more closely resemble Lady Jaye —and she follows suit with her own surgical transformations in an attempt to deconstruct two individual identities through the creation of an indivisible third.

A few tickets for the film are still available which includes admittance to the after party at Solo Bar. It’s highly recommended.

For those thinking farther ahead, today is also the opening day for the box office of the 38th annual Seattle International Film Festival which runs May 17 to June 10, 2012. It’s a big Gay year at SIFF 2012 with 26 films with LGBTQ content (of one degree or another) plus shorts programs. Even the big opening night gala film, local filmmaker Lynn Shelton’s “My Sister’s Sister” has queer content. PLUS, there’s the usual bag of SIFF treats, including dozens of world and US premieres: visiting stars and filmmakers, (including the two recipients of SIFF awards this year, actress Sissy Spacek and director William Friedkin); music/film events; the beloved “Gay-La” for LGBTQ films, (this year’s film is “Gayby”) and the closing night film is the premiere of the locally made and set docu-comedy, “Grassroots” which features a number of local actors in addition to stars, Jason Biggs, Lauren Ambrose and Cedric The Entertainer.

Anxious film fans can start buying tickets now, online at SIFF.net or head to the three open box offices at the second floor of Pacific Place Mall in downtown Seattle; the SIFF Film Center at Seattle Center (just north of Key Arena in the Northwest Rooms, and immediately next to The Vera Project) or at SIFF at The Uptown a few blocks from Seattle Center. Box Office hours are 11am to 6pm Monday through Saturday, and Noon to 5pm on Sunday. For more info on where and how to buy tickets and passes, go HERE!

AND, I can reveal that there will be MERCHANDISE for sale this year at select box offices and venues! SIFF hasn’t really done much with selling t-shirts onsite for the last couple years; that’s all changing for SIFF 2012. (But, merchandise won’t be available until the festival actually starts screening films.)

We’ll have TONS more coverage of the Festival, especially of the LGBTQ films, in the weeks ahead. Stay tuned…