QFest 2010 / DAD 2010

16 Philadelphia QFEST a Philadelphia Cinema Alliance production

presented by

July 8-19, 2010

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THANKS TO O UR SPO NSO RS Presenting Sponsors

Of ficial Sponsors

Partner Sponsors

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visit www.qfest.com for links to all of our sponsors’ websites

Patron Sponsors

MARATHON GRILL 215.561.0500

visit www.qfest.com for links to all of our sponsors’ websites

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We’re ready for your close-up

CREPERIE HOURS TUESDAY–FRIDAY 12NOON–11PM, SATURDAY 10AM–11PM, SUNDAY 10AM–10PM

CABARET HOURS TUESDAY–THURSDAY 7:30–1AM, FRIDAY & SATURDAY 7:30–2AM, SUNDAY 7:30–1AM

clients include The Film CollaboraTive is the first non-profit dedicated to independent film distribution We offer the following low-fee education and direct distribution support and services without taking any rights:

• foreign sales • licensing, negotiation and contracts • direct access to digital distribution

(including Cable VOD, Amazon VOD, Netflix, iTunes and global platforms)

• educational resources: TFC’s Suite of Online Resource Tools for Filmmakers • The Collaborators: our “Facebook-for-Filmmakers” social network • Digital Distribution Guide • TFC Blog • Distributor ReportCard™

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CO NTENTS Opening & Closing Festivities . . . . . . . 12 Awards and Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14-15 Honorees: Artistic Achievement Award (Directing) Cheryl Dunye . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Artistic Achievement Award (Acting) Kelly McGillis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Artistic Achievement Award (Acting) Matthew Montgomery . . . . . . . . . . 18

WORKING TOGETHER FOR A COMMON GOAL

Barbara Gittings Award Kathy Wolfe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Opening Night Films . . . . . . . . . . . .21,23 Closing Night Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Centerpiece Screenings . . . . . . . . . 27-35 Special Presentations. . . . . . . . . . . 38-40 QFest Essentials: QFest Basics. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Investing in a shared future...

We proudly support the events that bring our community together.

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Ticketing Info and Map . . . . . . . 46-47 Festival Calendar . . . . . . . . . . . . 48-49 Films by Genres . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50 Restaurant & Bar Guide . . . . . . . . . 52

TD Bank is proud to support Philadelphia QFest 2010

Shorts Programs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55-57 The Beat Goes on: Queer Artists in 1950s-90s New York. . . . . . . . . . 59-61 Focus on: Latin American Cinema . . . . . . . . . 62-65 Best of US & World Cinema . . . . . 66-78 TBA Slots. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Staff and Volunteers . . . . . . . . . . . 82-83 Index of Films . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95 5

VW0_BCentric_Qfest_FP_x1a.pdf

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5/24/10

5:43 PM

it’s time for flavor, vitamins and tastebuds to have a threesome (calories* aren’t invited.)

*zero calories per 8 fl oz serving ©2010 glacéau, glacéau®, vitaminwater®, bottle design and label are registered trademarks and vitaminwater zero™ is a trademark of glacéau.

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WELCO ME ...

A Message from the Artistic Director, Raymond Murray Welcome to QFest 2010! After fourteen successful years as the Philadelphia Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, we gave ourselves a new, modern name. Now in our second year as QFest, we continue to bring you the most exciting new GLBT films that you have always enjoyed.

In a rapidly changing world where watching a movie can be as easy as flipping open your phone and seeing positive images of gays and lesbians has become prevalent, we were faced with a challenge: How to make QFest relevant and interesting enough to still attract an audience? It wasn’t always this way. It seems hard to believe that when we started the festival in 1995, the Internet was in its infancy, television was a bastion of heterosexual might, independent gay cinema just at its beginnings and Hollywood was still using gays and lesbian as caricatures for comic relief.

While the advancements are great, it puts us to the task – keep the festival interesting to an increasingly out and queer entertainmentsaturated audience. So we’ve made changes – in programming, in locales, in staff, in attitude. So what can you expect different this year?

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Not one but two Opening Night films! For the first time we’ll have a film for the boys (the World Premiere screening of You Can’t Have It All) and one for the girls (the East Coast Premiere of Elena Undone).

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Not one but two festivals! QFest rules with the screening of over 120 films but we’ve added a genre component – The Danger After Dark Film Festival, which will run concurrently with QFest and screen 11 of the best in horror, exploitation and cult at the Ritz Bourse each night at 10pm. Programmed by DAD veteran Travis Crawford, this Festival is intended to shock, titillate and entertain fans of these films, so if you want a little blood, guts, and titties in 3-D (in the appropriately named Big Tits Zombies 3-D), venture to the dark side for some late night entertainment.

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Nine World Premiere Screenings! Be the first audience to see these films. One of our Opening Night films (You Can’t Have It All) and our Closing Night Film (Flight of the Cardinal) are both locally produced World Premieres.

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Crossover Appeal. The section “The Beat Goes on: Queer Artists in 1950s-90s New York” features an array of five films focusing on the New York art scene and it’s more colorful denizens including William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg, Jean-Michel Basquiat and Warhol Superstar, Candy Darling.

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Centralized venues. We are moving operations to Old City (sorry Prince Music Theater but Landmark gave us an offer we couldn’t refuse!) Now everyone can easily walk between our two primary venues to see most of the festival’s offering.

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Easier Parking. While a majority of our customers walk, bike or take public transportation, others do drive. Both Ritz theaters have convenient discounted parking garages located above them.

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Popcorn, candy and soda. Yes, everything bad for you is now available in the cinemas…at a price!

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Programming diversity. Black, white, Latino; gay men, lesbians, transgender, bisexual and straight; films from the USA and also from 25 other countries; comedies, dramas and documentaries; and themes which run from religion, to sex, to Muslim punk music.

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Sexual confusion runs rampant – it’s not just boy meets boy or girl meets girl. We have straight guys falling in love with each other (Plan B); gay people having straight sex (Elvis and Madona); a little boy discovering he is a little girl (The Last Summer of La Bonita); bears falling for twinks (BearCity); a married Hasidic Jew falling for another man (Eyes Wide Open); women leaving their husbands and boyfriends for another woman (Elena Undone, The Four-Faced Liar); a teacher seducing her student (Bloomington); and probably most controversial of them all, a brother who’s lovers with his own brother (From Beginning to End). No one is going to confuse these as simple coming out or first love stories!

I hope you’ll embrace the changes, and more importantly, enjoy the films!

Why should you become a member of the Philadelphia Cinema Alliance?

–Raymond Murray

What are your membership options? Glad you asked!

$60 • Extra

$300 • Screenwriter

Good question! Here are our answers.

Get member pricing to ticket sales: Get all member pricing plus • To support the non-profit organization that brings you $1 off regular tickets 10 pass and 1 opening and $5 off opening and closing 1 closing night ticket combo QFest, the one and only area Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. $25 off all access badges ($120 tax donation) • Your donation helps to pay for the films, ($30 tax donation) the theaters, the staff and best of all, the parties!

• To provide funding so that QFest $150 • Best Boy/Best Girl $500 • Director can continue in the future Get all member pricing plus Get all member pricing plus All Access Badge • To get discounts on tickets for QFest 10 pass ($200 tax donation) ($60 tax donation) • To get advance ticket sales for QFest • To get a tax deduction Because it’s the right thing to do for a good cause!

“JOIN THE ALLIANCE!” How can you join? Call us or go online! www.phillycinema.org or 267-765-9800, ext 4.

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We applaud the 16th Annual Qfest.

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Official airline Photos by S. Nibauer and J. Smith for GPTMC

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OPENING & CLOSING FESTIVITIES Thursday, July 8 • 7:15pm – 12:30am It’s Twins! For the first time ever, QFest 2010 opens with two films.

You Can’t Have It All Screening Ritz East Theater 1 • 7:30pm

It’s all about love as QFest 2010’s “Sweet Sixteen” opens with the World Premiere of locally produced romantic comedy, You Can’t Have It All, (see page 21) with first-time director Jay Arnold, coscreenwriter Thom Cardwell, and stars Jon Lindstrom (“As The World Turns”), Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me!” “Pushing Daises”), Natalia Cigliuti (“Raising the Bar,” “Waterfront”), hot newcomers, Chris Murrah and James Duke Mason, and other cast and crew on the red carpet. The fun and frolic – who’s gay, who’s not (who should be) – will continue into the question and answer session following the screening.

Elena Undone Screening Ritz East Theater 2 • 7:15pm

Then there’s more love, lust, longing, tension and heartbreak, in Elena Undone (see page 23) once the immeasurable bond between Necar Zadegan (“24”) and Traci Dinwiddie (“Supernatural”) turns into a passionate relationship. Director Nicole Conn (Little Man, Claire of the Moon) based the film’s story on her own life. Both Ms. Conn and Executive Producer Marina Rice Bader will be on hand to answer questions after the screening.

Love in the Air: Celebrating Independent Film under the Stars Liberty View Ballroom & Terrace, Independence Visitor Center (N.E. Corner of 6th & Market) 9:30 pm – 12:30 am Come celebrate 16 years of Independent GLBT film with an evening under the stars at the marvelous Independence Visitor Center (6th & Market Sts.) with breathtaking views from the Liberty View Ballroom and Terrace on Independence Mall and city’s skyline. Festival goers will mix and mingle with the stars, directors, crew and other special festival quests. Dance and celebrate the night away with DJ Stephen Durkin while enjoying the generously stocked bar with products from our sponsors (three complimentary drinks with admission). Discount Voucher Parking will be available for the underground lot for 700 vehicles at Independence Visitor Center, for information, visit www.qfest.com

Opening Night Admissions: Combination Ticket: for Film & Party $50 Public • $45 PCA Members • 21+, ID required Film Only: $15, sold day of show at Ritz East based on availability • cash only • all ages Party Only: $40 at the door • 21+, ID required Film and Party are FREE with your Festival Badge

Opening and Closing Night Parties are Sponsored by:

Monday, July 19 • 7:00pm – 12:30am Flight of the Cardinal Screening Ritz East Theater 1 • 7:00pm Join us for the World Premiere of the engrossing “post-gay” thriller, Flight of the Cardinal (see page 25), directed by Robert Gaston (Two Minutes Later, Open Cam) who returns to QFest 2010 to conclude this year’s orgy of films. Set against North Carolina’s Smokey Mountains, Gaston turns an anticipated relaxing weekend into a series of troubling, strange, vulnerable and doomful events, where violence can arise within the midst of a group of college friends at any time. Director Gaston and actors Ross Beschler, David J. Bonner, and Liz Douglas will be in attendance with many others for a Q&A after the screening.

Party on Top of the Stars with Views of the City!

Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 33rd Floor • 10:00pm – 1:00am Enjoy the breathtaking panoramic views of the city as festivalgoers, guests and award winners return to the top of the Loews Philadelphia Hotel, 33rd Floor (1200 Market St.) as we dance the night away to the vintage music from the fabulous DJ Jimmy DePre, share notes on the best of the 125 films screened at Fest 2010, meet new as well as veteran VIP badge holders, and enjoy the libations generously supplied at our well stocked bars (three complimentary drinks with admission).

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Closing Night Admissions: Combination Ticket: for Film & Party $45 Public • $40 PCA Members • 21+, ID required Film Only: $15, sold day of show at Ritz East based on availability • cash only • all ages Party Only: $35 at the door • 21+, ID required Film and Party are FREE with your Festival Badge

SOME PARTIES & EVENTS HIGHLIGHTS Wednesday, July 7, 6:00pm-8:30pm

QueerArts Opening Reception AxD Gallery, 265 South 10th St. QueerArt?, a group exhibition explores the state of queer sensibility in art today. The self-identified LGBT artists a wide range of approaches from the satiric to the sublime, the whimsical to the erotic. Tickets are $20 at the door only.

Portion of the proceeds benefits Philadelphia QFest, and includes open vodka, wine and water bar, complimentary appetizers and door prizes.

Visit a-x-d.com

Friday, July 9, 8:30pm – closing

Official After-Screening Party for BearCity Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar Second Floor, 200 S. 12th St.

Bears and their friends unite for a party, with $5 specialty brand drinks, complimentary food all night, and music, second floor, with a percentage of all sales in the Lounge that night benefiting QFest.

Twenty percent off all food to festival ticket and badge holders during QFest.

Visit www.tabuphilly.com

Friday, July 9, 10:00pm – closing

Secret Cinema’s This Nude World Screening and Party RUBA Club, 414 Green St. The evening begins at 8:30 with a RUBA Clubproduced nudist-themed episode of “FRIDAY NIGHT SHORTS” 90 minutes of live skit comedy (very SNL) with Christa D’Agostino as the head writer and host.

Following will be the 10:00 screening of 1933 Vintage 16mm film screening of The Nude World presented by The Secret Society. All at the RUBA Club, at one of the newest hot spots in Northern Liberties. Drink specials and more!

More Events at QFest 2010?

Sake Tasting for Danger After Dark Wine Tasting at Pinot Benefit Receptions and Dinners for Kelly McGillis and Matthew Montgomery Michael Lucas’ “Lip Service” After-Party at Voyeur Nightclub Filmmakers Cocktail Reception at Dive Women’s Parties: Arouse and Stimulus Gayborhood Block Party. for the latest updates and a detailed list of special events at this year’s QFest 2010, please visit www.qfest.com or sign up online for our daily email blasts.

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PHILADELPHIA QFEST 2010 AWARDS Audience Awards: Best Feature Film Best Documentary Film Best Short Film Juried Awards: Best Feature Film Best Documentary Film First Time Director Best Short Film

QFEST 2009 AWARD WINNERS Audience Awards: Best Feature Film Hannah Free Directed by Wendy Jo Carlton Best Documentary Feature Pop Star on Ice Directed by David Barba and James Pellerito Best Short Film Looking For… Directed by Michelle Pollino

Juried Awards: Best Feature Film Patrik 1.5 Directed by Ella Lemhagen Best Documentary Film (Feature) Off and Running Directed by Nicole Opper Best First Time Director Drool Directed by Nancy Kassim Best Short Film Awakening Directed by Christian Tafdrup

Patrick 1.5

Hannah Free

Pop Star on Ice

Drool

The Iris Prize – Cardiff’s International Gay & Lesbian Short Film Prize Philadelphia QFest is proud to be among the Iris Prize partner festivals, a world wide community dedicated to the evolution of gay and lesbian cinema. The Iris Prize provides a united international platform that aims to help a new generation of filmmakers achieve success on an international stage. The winner of the Iris Prize will receive the largest prize for a gay and lesbian short film in the world, valued at £25,000. The Philadelpia QFest Audience Favorite Short will automatically be nominated for this prestigious annual competition held in Cardiff, Wales. For more details see www.irisprize.org

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JURO RS Head of Jurors Brian Gannon has been working in Philadelphia’s video production community for more than 20 years. He is currently an editor for Center City Film and Video, working on a variety of projects including short films and television programming. For more than a decade, he has been an active member of Philadelphia’s LGBT community, having served on a number of boards and committees. This year he marks his 10th year volunteering for the festival.

Feature Film Jury Adah Bush has been a cinema lover since she first saw Walt Disney’s Snow White at the tender age of three. A native of Utah, she worked in the non-profit world there, doing HIV/AIDS prevention education, and later managed a nurse aside training program. Currently she is working in vaccine contracting, doing various volunteer projects in Philadelphia, and fancying her life after movies like Gigi and Auntie Mame—a woman facing adversity but always stylish and smart.

Joe’l Ludovich is a three time

Emmy-nominated producer and award-winning independent filmmaker. Her resume includes work for “Philly LIVE,” CNN, Globalvision and In the Life Media. Recently, she won two Telly Awards for The Man with the Magic Hands, a documentary about a natural healer. She just completed two documentaries, The Brian Dennis Project and The Story Between the Pages. She is currently an Assistant Professor at the Richard Stockton College of New Jersey.

Gary Eggers admits to being a

“lifelong movieholic” something genetic that he inherited from both his parents who were avid moviegoers.

He has been a card-carrying member of the Writers Guild of America for nearly 20 years. A graduate of the School of Mass Communications at the University of South Florida, he later took screenwriting classes at the UCLA Extension in Los Angles.

He was rewarded when both his first screenplay, Baby on Board, another, Hollywood Storage, were purchased.

Documentary Film Jury

Short Film Jury

Frank Calabretti is a service manager by day and a film enthusiast by night. He first got hooked on films with Star Wars at three. His interest range from comedies and independent films to “anything that pushes the FX limits.”

In 2005, he began volunteering for LGBT film festivals after years of attending film as well as theater festivals in Philadelphia. He has worked as an usher, theater manager, box office staffer, and “anything else that needed being done” at QFest.

Michael McGonigle is an award winning filmmaker and critic who has written for Film Comment, Moving Picture Magazine and the Wall Street Journal. Since 1997, he has lectured regularly on film at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, the Michener Museum, the Barnes Foundation, Temple University and Widener University. He currently co-hosts a film discussion program once a month with Tom Leitch of the University of Delaware at Theatre N in Wilmington.

Katrina Deaton is a filmmaker, songwriter, poet and

Jeff Darcy became a film buff in his freshman year at Brown University where he soon joined the school’s film society serving as its projectionist. At the nearby Rhode Island School of Design, he took his first film classes.

As a psychotherapist, he recently spearheaded the film discussion group for the PA Society for Clinical Social Work where therapists receive continuing education credit for discussing and analyzing films from a psychological perspective.

Vince Austin-Cole has been a longtime supporter and volunteer for QFest. As a true cinephile, he made it his personal goal to view more than 30 films each year at previous film festivals. His experience as a juror has broadened his appreciation of the talents, skills and efforts of independent filmmakers everywhere in all genres. He will serve for the first-time as a documentary juror.

Jhett Bond is a Philadelphia native who works as a part-

motivational speaker in her native Philadelphia. Her film, Underneath, which premiered in the festival in 2007, sold out and continues to this day to receive great acclaim as well as strong audience response around the country and aboard. She has frequently worked on the sets of numerous independent films for other filmmakers in the region. Currently, she is working on her next feature film, Kathy’s Daughter.

time videographer and a part-time building manager. She continues her interest in the intersections between health, healing and the vibrations of sound and light in film. She has refined the elements of a great film in her mind to include: love and lovingness, fear that is overcome, poetry of motion, words and expression, a sense of place and a renewal of spirit.

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2010 PHILADELPHIA QFEST HONOREES Cheryl Dunye Artistic Achievement Award for Directing Fri, July 16th • 7:15 • Ritz East 2 • Presented with the screening of The Owls (pg. 72) It’s rare that we are able to honor a filmmaker with such deep Philadelphia connections. A Philly resident for years, Cheryl Dunye graduated from Temple University, went on to teach there and was even one of the original shorts programmers for this very festival. But it is her film work – both here and in California – that resulted in us honoring her. African-American, Liberian-born Dunye broke the barriers of lesbian filmmaking with her feature film, Watermelon Woman, a complex story which focused on being a black lesbian in America. She has gone on to make a Hollywood-produced film (My Baby’s Daddy) and has returned to her indy roots with her most recent film, The Owls, which is screening in this year’s festival.

Cheryl Dunye’s Filmography (Feature Films) The Owls (2010) My Baby’s Daddy (2004) Stranger Inside (2001) (TV) Greetings from Africa (1996) The Watermelon Woman (1996) (Short Films) The Potluck and the Passion (1993) Untitled Portrait (1993) Vanilla Sex (1992) She Don’t Fade (1991) Janine (1990)

After making a series of shorts, The Watermelon Woman was born. For the first time black lesbians had a face in the film industry, but that was not enough. Her groundbreaking film told a story of a video store clerk working on a documentary about an obscure 1930s black actress who had a white lesbian lover. Even staunch Congressmen squabbled over this courageous and charming film when it was playing international film festivals, winning multiple awards. (Rumor has it that The Watermelon Woman 2 is in the works!)

Being internationally recognized, studios took notice. Next up was Stranger Inside for HBO Films, which is a gritty, poignant tale about black lesbians in prison. Dunye is absolutely relentless with shattering stereotypes, both of African-American women and “women-in-prison” dramas. This gritty, poignant tale intelligently explores the feelings of rage and loneliness as a juvenile delinquent discovers that her mother is serving a life sentence in the adjoining women’s prison.

When Miramax came knocking on her door, she helmed her first mainstream project, My Baby’s Daddy, but this venture proved to challenge Dunye in more ways than she could imagine. This comedy is different than the films she made before. Working within the Hollywood “machine” was more stressful then trying to scrape up enough funds to make a queer independent film. This entire experience burned her out; she headed off to Amsterdam to regroup and focus on her family.

Even though she was immeasurably challenged, the whole experience proved incredibly significant. Dunye went back to her independent roots. Besides focusing only on the stories that are important to queer women of color, she has also been vital in teaching future filmmakers at the college level. She re-ignited her passion with her latest feature in her directing arsenal. The Owls fuses a fictional thriller with documentary-style interviews. But this isn’t just a Cheryl Dunye film. She is just one of a revolutionary group of filmmakers called the Parliament Collective (made up of some of the most innovative queer filmmakers in the industry) who have produced this inventive work. Once again she is a pioneer in changing the way independent queer cinema is being made and for that we applaud her with the 2010 Artistic Achievement Award in Directing. –Kelly Burkhardt Sponsored by:

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Kelly McGillis Artistic Achievement Award for Acting A Conversation with Kelly McGillis • Sat, July 17 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 2 The camera is focused on the floor when a woman in high heels struts into frame. She is tall, beautiful and confident, and starred in Top Gun, one of the most recognizable films ever made.

She also nursed Harrison Ford back to health in Witness, was Jodie Foster’s sharp-tongued attorney in The Accused. With her intent stare and classic beauty Kelly McGillis has a mesmerizing ability to connect deeply with co-stars, the camera and you – the audience.

Born July 9, 1957 in Newport Beach, California to a doctor and a homemaker, Ms. McGillis grew up wanting more. At a young age she was drawn to acting. She first attended the Pacific Conservatory of Performing Arts concentrating on theater and then moved on to the prestigious Julliard School. Like many talented, aspiring actors, finding success was extremely difficult so odd jobs and small theater roles consumed her time.

Kelly McGillis’ Filmography (selected)

“The L Word” (2 episodes, 2008) No One Can Hear You (2001) Morgan’s Ferry (2001) The Monkey’s Mask (2000) The Settlement (1999) At First Sight (1999) Ground Control (1998) Perfect Prey (1998) (TV) Storm Chasers: Revenge of the Twister (1998) (TV) Painted Angels (1998) The Third Twin (1997) (TV) We the Jury (1996) (TV) Remember Me (1995) (TV) North (1994) Bonds of Love (1993) (TV) The Babe (1992) Grand Isle (1991) Cat Chaser (1989) Winter People (1989) The Accused (1988) The House on Carroll Street (1988) Made in Heaven (1987) Ha-Holmim (1987) Top Gun (1986) Private Sessions (1985) Witness (1985) Reuben, Reuben (1983) Sponsored by:

Kelly’s first big break came in 1983. With her tenacious attitude, she landed a role in Ruben, Ruben which was nominated for an Academy Award® for Best Picture. Her silver screen debut proved to be fruitful, and she got a couple of roles on TV. The next career-booster was when she starred opposite mega-star Harrison Ford in Witness. Playing the role of a widowed mother, McGillis’ talent really stood out. To prepare for her character Rachel, she lived with an Amish family in Lancaster. Under the helm of award-winning director Peter Weir, Kelly’s performance is filled with vulnerability, tenderness and personal awakening.

A year later, Ms. McGillis caught the eye of famed producer Jerry Bruckheimer. She was cast in a film that achieved iconic status right off the runway. Acting opposite another hugely popular male star, Tom Cruise, Kelly kept audiences’ hearts flying high in one of the ‘80s biggest blockbusters. Top Gun went on to out gross Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, Aliens and Stand By Me. Cruise and McGillis’s on screen chemistry melted the screen and admit it: how many of you wished Maverick sang the Righteous Brothers to you?

McGillis landed another plum role in critically-acclaimed feature The Accused where she played opposite Jodi Foster. She was initially drawn to the role because she herself fell victim to a sexual attack. She poured her heart and soul into portraying the assistant district attorney and the bond between her and Foster is palpable . The most admirable quality about McGillis is that she controlled her destiny by carefully choosing a small number of worthwhile projects instead of allowing herself to become over-exposed. She seized the opportunity to shine in Made In Heaven, The Babe, and The House on Carroll Street. Finally, in 2000 Kelly took on a gutsy role of a lesbian poetry teacher in the haunting thriller The Monkey’s Mask.

After a 10-year hiatus to raise her kids and open Kelly’s Caribbean Bar & Grille with her exhusband Fred Tillman, she has made a successful comeback on both the big and small screen.

No stranger to important roles, McGillis starred as a bitter colonel in the US Army on the wildly popular TV series “The L Word.” Her character was hosting her own private witch-hunt that weighed heavily on the hearts and minds of the audience. And, within this past year, she is re-inventing herself again in two upcoming horror features Stake Land and The Innkeeper.

In April 2009 the long rumored gossip was confirmed when Kelly nonchalantly came out of the closet via a video interview on shewired.com, elating her gay and lesbian fans everywhere!

There is a lot to be said about a mainstream Hollywood star casually talking about being a lesbian. Closeted Hollywood stars could take a lesson.

It is with tremendous pleasure that 2010 Philadelphia QFest recognizes Kelly McGillis with the Artistic Achievement Award in Acting for a brilliant career. –Kelly Burkhardt

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2010 PHILADELPHIA QFEST HONOREES Matthew Montgomery Artistic Achievement Award in Acting Sat, July 10th • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 • Presented with the screening of Role/Play (pg. 32) An unheralded superstar in the American independent gay filmmaking scene, choosing Matthew Montgomery as the recipient of our Artistic Achievement Award for Acting this year was an easy choice; we were just waiting for the right year. And we’re pleased that 2010 is so perfect with the Festival screening two of his films: the World Premiere Role/Play (in which he stars and produced) and in our World Premiere closing night film, Flight of the Cardinal.

With dark, handsome looks, a killer smile and an ability to make even his smaller roles quite memorable, 32-year-old Matthew has eschewed the typical Hollywood route by concentrating intensely in independently-made, gay-themed films – both as an actor as well as producer. In just the last few years, he has starred in eight films which have screened at this festival, from the sexobsessed lightening-survivor in Socket to the sneaky ex-lover in Flight of the Cardinal.

Matthew Montgomery’s Filmography Role/Play (2010) Flight of the Cardinal (2010) The Dark Side of Love (2010) Suffer the Child (2009) Redwoods (2009) Pornography (2009) Fear House (2008) Socket (2007) Back Soon (2007) Long-Term Relationship (2006) Journeyman (2005) PrimeMates (2005) Yard Sale (2004) Bob Steel (2004) Gone, But Not Forgotten (2003) Star Trek: Hidden Frontier (2000) Reign of the Dead (2000)

Texas-born, Matthew got his first taste of the spotlight in a 6th grade production of E.B. White’s “Charlotte’s Web.” Immediately addicted to performing, he studied theater at the University of Southern California where he had the lead in nearly every production during his time there.

Matthew Montgomery’s very first appearance on any big screen was at the World Premiere of Michael Akers’ and Sandon Berg’s Gone, But Not Forgotten at PIGLFF 2003, a film which played in over thirty film festivals around the world and has become an all-time “Top Ten Best Seller” on the TLAgay.com website. Matthew began his career in non-gay film starring as Marx in Daniel Lee’s Journeyman, a resolute Iraq war veteran who drifts in and out of the main character Anna’s life by way of rescue. Following Journeyman Matthew formed a producing partnership with Rob Williams, Guest House Films, and they made Long-Term Relationship, which Matthew also starred in. The film is the quirky tale of Glenn’s love for a conservative gay Republican southern boy.

Directly after, Matthew again co-produced and starred in Rob Williams’s second feature for Guest House Films, Back Soon as Guillermo ‘Gil” Ramirez, a former drug dealer faced with the reality of his mortality. Matthew then appeared in the shockingly erotic thriller Socket about a man who’s addicted to electricity and sex. The year 2009 was a big one for Matthew at QFest.

He was here as a co-producer of the hit comic romance, Make the Yuletide Gay and as a star of both the romance, Redwoods and the very controversial Pornography: A Thriller.

At QFest 2010 Matthew is the star of our closing night thriller Flight of the Cardinals and the very sexy Role/Play with his real-life partner Steve Callahan — and you guys still can’t get enough of him! Always very popular here; Matthew should have a Philly fan club. What’s next on Matthew’s agenda? Well he’s got this amazing screenplay we read a year ago, Sticke Figures, that’s just itching to get made and his latest film, Finding Mr. Right is in post-production.

We’re very honored to give Matthew Montgomery the QFest 2010 Artistic Achievement Award for Acting. –Scott Cranin

Sponsored by:

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Kathy Wolfe — The Barbara Gittings Award Sat, July 10th • 4:45 • Ritz East 2 • Presented with the screening of My Normal (pg. 72) As a small child, Kathy Wolfe’s fascination with her mother’s 8mm movie camera landed her the role of the Wolfe family archivist. Little did she know that these fledging attempts at filmmaking would sustain a successful career. She created a ground-breaking and respected company, Wolfe Video, where she is the CEO. But let’s back up. In 1970, in her early twenties, Kathy and Bill Plate founded Arrow Graphics a specialty graphics services company based out of San Jose. A decade later the company employed 150 workers in five states. In 1981, intrigued by the availability of public access television programming, Kathy began to hone her skills as a videographer, producing and directing documentaries on a broad range of topics of interest to women.

Realizing that there was a largely untapped audience of lesbians and gay men eager for affirmative images, in 1985, she founded Wolfe Video. What began as a small mail order company twenty-five years ago, is now the oldest and largest exclusive distributor of gay and lesbian films in North America.

Throughout its journey, Wolfe Video and its theatrical arm Wolfe Releasing (founded in 2004) have released hundreds of films. Among the most acclaimed are the phenomenal break-out successes, The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe (1991) starring Lily Tomlin; Big Eden (2000); Loving Annabelle (2006); to their most recent release, Hannah Free (2009), winner of the Audience Award for Best Fiction Feature at the 2009 Philadelphia QFest. Much has changed in a quarter of a century— video on demand via internet and television, revenue opportunities for DVD retail sales at Target, Amazon.com, Best Buy and Wal-Mart. What hasn’t changed is Wolfe Video’s commitment to promote the best lesbian and gay films to a wider audience and generate maximum revenue for the filmmakers they represent.

Kathy Wolfe and Barbara Gittings

Modern-day cowgirls living off the land, Kathy and her life-partner, Barbara Verhage, enjoying fly-fishing and collecting almost everything! Members of “Sisters on the Fly” they can be found most summers touring the country in a vintage trailer as part of a Cowgirl Caravan Convoy. –Carol Coombes

Barbara Gittings

Barbara Gittings in 1966

Barbara Gittings is a Gay Pioneer who helped organize and participated in the first demonstrations for gay and lesbian civil rights, helped convince the American Psychiatric Association to remove homosexuality from its list of mental disorders, and helped persuade libraries to include gay content. Gittings with Frank Kameny championed the seminal organized gay and lesbian civil rights demonstrations. These Annual Reminders held at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell each July 4th from 1965 to 1969 laid the groundwork for the Stonewall Riots and the GLBT civil rights movement. There is a historic marker across from Independence Hall and Liberty Bell Center commemorating Barbara Gittings and the site where the GLBT civil rights movement was launched. Gittings, who died in 2007 is survived by her longtime partner Kay Tobin Lahusen.

Equality Forum

Equality Forum is a national and international GLBT civil rights organization with an educational focus. Equality Forum coordinates GLBT History Month, produces documentary films, undertakes high-impact initiatives and presents the largest annual national and international GLBT civil rights summit. Equality Forum co-produced with PBS affiliate WHYY the documentary film Gay Pioneers, about Barbara Gittings, Frank Kameny and others who launched the GLBT civil rights movement at Independence Hall with Annual Reminders each July 4th from 1965 to 1969. www.equalityforum.com

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Opening Night

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You Can’t Have It All Thu, July 8 • 7:30 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sat, July 10 • 2:45 • Ritz East Theater 1 World Premiere US 2010, 100 min

Our co-Opening Night feature is the World Premiere screening of You Can’t Have It All, a sparkling, wacky comedy about finding love, in this, Jay Arnold’s sparkling directorial debut.

Set in Philadelphia, this breezy romantic comedy written and directed by Jay Arnold (and co-written

by Thom Cardwell) features exceptional acting from a cast of film and television veterans, a snappy script, and a joyful tale of love. It makes for a festive start to our 125-film extravaganza. Wealthy 50ish bachelor Paul (Jon Lindstrom of “As the World Turns”) has difficulty finding the perfect woman.

His meddling socialite sister Elise (the very talented Wendie Malick (“Just Shoot Me!,” “Pushing Daisies”) is determined to find him the female companion he’s never had. Complicating her matchmaking is her dread that her son Brian (Ariel Shafir) may be gay. And then there is Andy (newcomer Chris Murrah), a sexy young gay man who has yet to meet the perfect man. Adding to the mixture is Roz (Natalia Cigliuti, “Raising the Bar,” “Waterfront”), Andy’s over-protective best friend who is the voice of reason, or so she thinks. Put them all together and what have you got? A hysterical romp of twists turns and mass confusion! But love is definitely in the air, and naturally everyone has a master plan. Elise conspires to fix up Paul with lovely woman. While Roz does the same for Andy. But Andy is convinced that Paul may actually be the answer to finding his perfect man. The only problem is that Paul is straight – or is he? Confused? That seems to be the prevailing sentiment in this sexy, captivating romantic comedy Director: Jay Arnold Cast: Jon Lindstrom, Wendie Malick, Chris Murrah, Natalia Cigliuti Screenwriters: Jay Arnold, Thom Cardwell Producers: Jay Arnold, Fred M. Caruso (Co-producer: Wayne Hardack, Jordan Bass) Cinematographer: Joe Meccariello

You Can’t Have It All is Jay Arnold’s debut.

Director Jay Arnold along with cast and crew will be in attendance.

Sponsored by:

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Opening Night

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Elena Undone Thu, July 8 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sat, July 10 • 12:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 East Coast Premiere USA 2010, 111 min

For the first time in QFest’s 16 year history, we are proud to present a film worthy enough to kick off our electrifying lesbian programming on Opening Night. Destiny brings two women from different walks of life serendipitously together in this enchanting homage to the power of love.

If it’s taken veteran filmmaker Nicole Conn (Little Man, Claire of the Moon) a few years between making films, then we are very delighted to have waited.

Elena Undone starts off with one simple question: Do you believe in soul mates? Elegant and refined Elena (Necar Zadegan, TV’s “24”) is a devoted wife to her pastor husband, mother to her teenage son and daughter to her traditional Indian family. For so many years she has been living her life on autopilot even though she truly is not happy. Grief-stricken lesbian writer Peyton (ravishingly beautiful Traci Dinwiddie, TV’s “Supernatural”) is struggling to move on from recent hardship, but she allows her best friend to drag her out of the house. On one such occasion, the two meet and instantly form an immeasurable bond that shakes the foundation of their sheltered worlds. As the newfound friends grow closer, Elena is confronted with intense and unexpected feelings for a woman. Subsequently, Peyton’s strong reservations about getting involved with a married woman keep her at bay until one afternoon when her new friend knocks at the door. What ensues is one of the most passionate and intimate female-on-female scenes every filmed! The sexual tension between the star-crossed lovers is blissfully intoxicating as they discover each other for the first time. But as their arduous fire ignites, there are consequences: contending with her evangelical husband, her suddenly rebellious son, and Peyton’s apprehension to commit. What is incredibly charming about this breathtaking film is that it’s based on Conn’s own life, which just might solidify the dream that we all have a soul mate out there. –Kelly Burkhardt Director: Nicole Conn Cast: Necar Zadegan, Traci Dinwiddie, Gary Weeks, Sam Harris, Connor Kramme, Sabrina Fuster, Mary Wells, Erin Carufel, Heather Kirkland Howe Screenwriter: Nicole Conn Producer: Jane Clark Cinematographer: Tal Lazar Editors: Nicole Conn, Brian Wessel Print Source: Wolfe Releasing

Nicole Conn’s Filmography: little man (2005); Cynara: Poetry in Motion (1996); Claire of the Moon (1992)

Director Nicole Conn and Executive Producer Marina Rice Bader are scheduled to be in attendance.

Sponsored by:

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Closing Night

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Flight of the Cardinal Mon, July 19 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 1 World Premiere USA 2010, 87 min

A sense of dread and paranoia becomes increasingly intense in this thriller set in a remote lodge in the Smokey Mountains. With a Philadelphia cast and crew and atmospheric North Carolina locales, this tale of good and evil is a memorable feature to end this year’s festival.

We are proud to conclude our 125-film, 12-day festival with the World Premiere screening of Philadelphia filmmaker Robert (2 Minutes Later, Open Cam) Gaston’s newest film — this entertaining and engrossing post-gay* thriller. Grady (Ross Beschler), a recent city transplant, has his hands full fixing up his recently acquired lakeside resort lodge, hidden away in the Smokey Mountains of North Carolina. With only local boy Beetle (David J. Bonner) to assist, he inaugurates his hotel by inviting a group of college friends for the weekend. He also invites his recently aloof boyfriend Andy (Matthew Montgomery) to join in the fun. Instead of the anticipated cheeriness of a relaxing weekend, troubling events, strange behavior and an increasing sense of doom begin to trouble the already emotionally vulnerable Grady. He gets dumped by his bf, begins to question his friends’ reasons for being there and becomes wary of the outwardly jovial but potentially threatening Beetle. Is his paranoia warranted or is he the problem? When a violent storm keeps anyone from leaving the hotel, the pervading sense of doom intensifies. Gaston, despite a small budget, creates an intense sense of dread, as nerves are frayed, suspicions aroused and the threat of violence comes to a boil. This taut, wholly satisfying film brings a thrilling conclusion to this year’s orgy of films. –Raymond Murray *Post-gay? Refers to films which feature gay and lesbian characters, but that the stories do not revolve around their sexuality – they’re simply queer and now here is the tale.

Director: Robert Gaston Cast: Ross Beschler, David J. Bonner, Claire Bowerman, Matthew Montgomery, Liz Douglas, Jeremy Marr Williams, Z. Joseph Guice, Ella Mae Teesateskie Screenwriter: Robert Gaston Producer: Robert Gaston Cinematographer: David Oye Editor: Robert Gaston Print Source: Gaston Pictures

Robert Gaston’s Filmography: 2 Minutes Later (2007); Open Cam (2005)

Director Robert Gaston along with cast and crew will be in attendance.

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Centerpiece Screenings

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BearCity Fri, July 9 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sat, July 10 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1 Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 99 min

Take a fantastic trip into the New York City Bear scene with this winning film from director Douglas Langway. A witty and sexy story of a group of big, hairy men – living, loving, and learning in the Big Apple.

Take the girls from “Sex and the City,” inject them with large amounts of testosterone, tape fur coats to their bodies – and you have something almost as great as BearCity. In this quirky romantic comedy from director Douglas Langway (Raising Heroes) and co-writer Lawrence Ferber, viewers are given an insider pass to a burly, tight-knit group of New York City friends who are trying to make it through life’s twisted paths and love’s absurdities without getting lost. When twinkie newbie and closet bear chaser Tyler (Joe Conti) joins the gang, he has no idea the impact his new friends will have on his life. Invited to move in with the group’s very own “Yogi and Boo Boo,” Fred (Brian Keane) and Brent (Stephen Guarino, “The Big Gay Sketch Show”), Tyler becomes a fast staple. As in any good romantic comedy, our hot young lead needs a love interest; insert Roger (Gerald McCullouch) the hot Casanova of muscle bears. The film oozes with sexual tension and spills over with comic relief added by full-of-heart, “Mama-Bear” Michael (Gregory Gunter). BearCity is a prime cut of movie-beef. From society’s pressure to fit into a mold, to the trials and tribulations of a long-term relationship, rediscover the importance of true friendship in your life. A great story, a sexy cast, and a feel good ending will have you leaving the theater WOOFing with excitement (and heading to The Bike Stop with your pack)! –Louis Senofonte Director: Douglas Langway Cast: Joe Conti, Gerald McCullouch, Brian Keane, Stephen Guarino, Alex Di Dio, Gregory Gunter, James Martinez, Sebastian La Cause, Christian Dante White, David Drake Screenwriters: Douglas Langway, Lawrence Ferber Producer: Heidi H. Hamelin Cinematographer: Michael Hauer Editor: Rob Rosenberg Print Source: BearCity Limits

Douglas Langway’s Filmography: Raising Heroes (1996)

Director Douglas Langway and screenwriter Lawrence Ferber are scheduled to be in attendance.

Sponsored by:

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Philadelphia QFEST 2010

I Killed My Mother J’ai tué ma mère Wed, July 14 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Thu, July 15 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1 Philadelphia Premiere Canada 2009, 100 min

A cute gay teen’s fiery relationship with his mother drives this audacious, comedic debut from 20-year-old star/writer/producer/director, Xavier Dolan.

Sixteen-year-old Montreal suburbanite Hubert (Dolan) lives with his single mother, Chantale (Anne Dorval). Once a mama’s boy, Hubert has transformed into her mortal enemy, irked by pretty much everything she does and quite loud about this fact. Their home existence is defined by outbursts of insults and fury. However, Hubert is much calmer in the company of his boyfriend/classmate Antonin (an equally cute Francois Arnaud), whose mother Julie (Suzanne Clément) is the liberal, hip opposite of Chantale, and a compassionate teacher. But an exile to boarding school, a solution to the tumultuous home situation, may take these bits of solace away. Having financed the film himself from money made via acting and voice-over work (he provides Ron Weasley’s voice in Quebec’s French-dubbed Harry Potter releases), Dolan proves a talented, passionate auteur. Witty, and darkly funny, his first outing draws as much from his influences (including Truffaut, Wong Kar-Wai, and Godard) as from his own life (including a gay bashing incident). As the high compliment goes, he killed it. (French with English subtitles) –Lawrence Ferber Director: Xavier Dolan Cast: Anne Dorval, Xavier Dolan, Suzanne Clément, François Arnaud, Patricia Tulasne Screenwriter: Xavier Dolan Producers: Carole Mondello, Daniel Morin Cinematographer: Stéphanie Weber-Biron Editor: Hélène Girard Print Source: Here Films

I Killed My Mother is Xavier Dolan’s debut.

Sponsored by:

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Centerpiece Screenings

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Is it Just Me? Sat, July 10 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 11 • 2:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 93 min

A witty, feel-good romantic comedy about a sexually-frustrated young man, his hunky go-go boy roommate and the man he meets in an online chatroom. Romance turns to chaos when a case of mistaken identity upsets his chance for true love.

One of the funniest and sweetest gay romantic comedies in years, Is It Just Me? delivers a refreshingly witty take on one gay boy’s search for Mr. Right.

Cute, but unaware of his adorableness, Blaine (Nicholas Downs), a newspaper columnist can’t seem to meet guys, let alone form a relationship. His beefy go-go boy roommate Cameron— who has no shortage of willing partners —can’t understand why he doesn’t pounce and enjoy some one-nighters. Instead, Blaine hides in his room and searches Internet chat rooms for a kindred spirit. He may have found one in the form of Zander, a shy recently relocated Texan. But when the time comes to exchange photos, Blaine accidentally sends an image of his hunky roomie, and things go from romantically promising to just confusing. This case of mistaken identity escalates when Blaine begs his roommate to go out with the charming, sandy-haired Zander. When it seems they hit it off, our lonely hero feels love has passed him by again...or did it? Think Cyrano de Bergerac by way of Eating Out, writer/director J.C. Calciano’s first feature film is a hilarious, captivating winner. And the guys aren’t bad either! –Raymond Murray Director: J.C. Calciano Cast: Nicholas Downs, David Loren, Adam Huss, Michelle Laurent, Bob Rumnock, Bruce Gray Screenwriter: J.C. Calciano Producers: Michael Amato, J.C. Calciano Cinematographer: Joshua W. Smith Editor: Cynthia Ludwig Print Source: TLA Releasing

Is it Just Me? is J.C. Calciano’s debut.

Director J.C. Calciano and actor Nicholas Downs are scheduled to be in attendance

Sponsored by:

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Coming Soon

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Centerpiece Screenings

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A Marine Story Fri, July 9 • 7:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 11 • 2:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 East Coast Premiere USA 2010, 95 min

Based on inspirationally true stories; an ex-Marine returns home from the war to start over, but not without crossing paths with a feisty young woman who needs discipline and direction.

It’s 2008 and the war in Iraq is in full swing. Congress is increasing the chatter to repeal “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” on its 15th anniversary. To a decorated Marine Alex Everett (Dreya Weber, The Gymnast), the repeal did not come soon enough. With a fierce gleam in her eye and chip on her shoulder, this attractive, built blonde soldier unexpectedly arrives back into the sleepy desert town where she grew up. During a time when no one is granted leave from active duty, Alex is honorably discharged for conduct unbecoming of an officer—a.k.a accused of being a lesbian. But instead of quietly holding up to figure out her next move, her drill sergeant is asked by the local authorities to help get sharp-tongued, cute Saffron (Paris Pickard) begrudgingly ready for boot camp. As they train in the sweltering summer, it’s a battle of wills to see who can push whose buttons the furthest. A bond is developing, but Alex’s past keeps creeping back, forcing her to deal with the Sapphic rumors and dogmatic prejudice that could shatter everything for both women. Once again skillful director Ned Farr (The Gymnast) and gifted actor/producer Weber team up to create a well-made character study that illustrates how women rise above stringent situations surrounding controversial topics. Out newcomer Pickard shines playing opposite Weber showing both volatility and confidence. Poignant and powerful, A Marine Story is an intricate tale that valiantly stands up to the negative stereotypes and closeted bigotry imposed upon lesbians and gays who courageously serve in our military. –Kelly Burkhadt Director: Ned Farr Cast: Dreya Weber, Paris P. Pickard, Christine Mourad, Anthony Michael Jones, Jason Williams, Deacon Conroy, John Lee Ames, Brad Light Screenwriter: Ned Farr Producers: J.D. Disalvatore, Paris P. Pickard, Dreya Weber Cinematographer: Alexandre Naufel Print Source: J.D. Disalvatore

Ned Farr’s Filmography: The Gymnast (2006)

Sponsored by:

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Philadelphia QFEST 2010

Role/Play Sat, July 10 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 11 • 12:00 • Ritz East Theater 1 World Premiere USA 2010, 86 min

Two young gay men, both on the run from the tabloid press, meet in a Palm Springs resort in this World Premiere screening of Rob Williams’ new film.

When hunky soap opera star Graham Windsor (Steve Callahan; East Side Story, Make the Yuletide Gay) is outed as the result of a gay sex tape scandal, he seeks refuge at an exclusive Palm Springs resort.

But quiet anonymity eludes him when handsome marriage-equality activist Trey Reed (Matthew Montgomery; Redwoods, Pornography: A Thriller) checks in to escape the fallout from his own bitter divorce. As an undeniable passion begins to sizzle between Graham and Trey, they force each other to confront their professional downfalls – and the firestorm each has created in the gay press. Lushly photographed at an actual Palm Springs resort, the film also stars David Pevsner (Adam & Steve) as Alex, the long-suffering innkeeper; Brian Nolan (“The Lair”) as Ricky, a young man with a past of his own; and Jim J. Bullock (“Too Close for Comfort”) as Graham’s frustrated agent, Bernie.

Director: Rob Williams Cast: Matthew Montgomery, Steve Callahan, David Pevsner, Brian Nolan, Matthew Stephen Herrick, Jim J. Bullock Screenwriter: Rob Williams Producers: Rodney Johnson, Matthew Montgomery, Rob Williams Cinematographer: Ruben F. Russ Editor: Mike Justice Print Source: Guest House Films

Rob Williams’s Filmography: Make the Yuletide Gay (2009); 3-Day Weekend (2008); Back Soon (2007); Long-Term Relationship (2006)

Actor/producer Matthew Montgomery and actor Steve Callahan are scheduled to be in attendance

Sponsored by:

Centerpiece Screenings

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The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister Sun, July 11 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 1

Philadelphia Premiere Great Britain 2010, 90 min

Considered by many to be the first modern lesbian, Anne Lister—born in the same era as Jane Austen—was an inspiring 19th-century landowner, industrialist and traveler. A prolific diarist, she detailed her observations on life, and her passionate affairs with other women in over four million words, one-sixth written in secret code!

John Lister, the last in the line of the Lister family, wisely stashed the diaries of his relative Anne behind the paneling of the ancestral home in Shibden Hall, Halifax, Yorkshire, over 150 years ago. Discovered in the 1980s, this Sapphic treasure-trove which took 6-years to decode is the rich source material for this sumptuously produced, BBC period-drama. The story starts with Anne, (Maxine Peake, “Criminal Justice”) looking through her monocular at a woman, Mariana (Anna Madeley), her secret lover and soulmate. United, they savor illicit kisses pressed against an ancient tree. When Mariana succumbs to societal pressure and marries a wealthy landowner, Charles Lawton, Anne is bereft. Finding solace in scholarly pursuits— journal-writing, pistol-shooting and remodeling the vast estate—her libido is soon reenergized when she spies a young pretty parishioner, Miss Browne. When an heiress, Ann Walker, agrees to back a business proposal, Miss Lister has to make some difficult choices to carve out a lesbian life for herself. Writer Jane English (“Sugar Rush”) and director James Kent deserve a standing ovation for resuscitating the true story of this remarkable woman, who only loved “the fairer-sex,” and bringing her vividly back to life, 170 years after her death! –Carol Coombes Director: James Kent Cast: Maxine Peake, Anna Madeley, Susan Lynch Screenwriter: Jane English Producer: Mark Bentley Cinematographer: Lukas Strebel Editor: Ben Lester Print Source: BBC Active

James Kent’s Filmography: 9/11: Phone Calls from the Towers (2009); Margaret (2009); War Oratorio (2007); HG Wells: War with the 4 (2006); Elizabeth David: A Life in Recipes (2006); Looking for Elizabeth (2005); Holocaust: A Music Memorial Film (2005); Philip Larkin: Love and Death in Hull (2003); Witchcraze (2003); Fashion Victim: The Killing of Gianni Versace (2001)

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Philadelphia QFEST 2010

Strapped Sat, July 17 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse Sun, July 18 • 9:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 World Premiere USA 2010, 95 min

A handsome young prostitute learns about life and love during a sex-filled odyssey in an apartment building filled with strange inhabitants.

A routine trick at a man’s apartment propels a cynical hustler into a series of strange and life-changing encounters in this stunningly photographed drama from San Francisco-based Joseph Graham. Tall and lanky with a mop of unruly dark hair, the young man makes for an attractive prostitute – handsome in body, amiable in personality and efficient in sex.

He’s just out to make a buck, one guy at a time.

But this coldly efficient rent boy begins to look at himself in a different way one stormy night when he finds himself lost in a maze-like apartment building. The evening begins with a tryst with a beefy but timid man unused to gay sex. Their “session” becomes surprisingly tender for both. But time is money, and he’s off – that is, he’d be off if he could find the exit. His unexpected odyssey leads him to a series of encounters: there is one with a “straight” guy with issues; a cocaine-fueled queen who thinks he knows him; an older man, hidden away in a leaky attic apartment who assists him on his journey; and a lonely young man who thinks he’s finally found a connection with someone. Sex is the commonality, but out of that commodity comes raw, unguarded emotions for all, even for the hustler. Sad, funny, sexy and touching, Strapped is an unforgettable look into one young man’s moving journey to understanding. –Raymond Murray Director: Joseph Graham Cast: Ben Bonenfant, Nick Frangione, Paul Guerrier, Carlo D’Amore, Raphael Barker, Artem Mishin, Michael Klinger Screenwriter: Joseph Graham Producers: Joseph Graham, Bill Parker Cinematographer: Matthew Boyd Editor: Sharon Franklin Print Source: TLA Releasing

Joseph Graham’s Filmography: Vanilla (2004)

Director Joseph Graham and producer Bill Parker are scheduled to be in attendance

Sponsored by:

Centerpiece Screenings

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Violet Tendencies Sat, July 17 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 1

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 100 min

Meet Violet (Mindy Cohn, “The Facts of Life”) – she’s forty, fabulous, surrounded by beautiful men and living a girl’s New York City dream.

Watch Violet breakdown - she’s forty, single, surrounded by beautiful gay men and is the last fag-hag standing in New York City.

Treat yourself to this wildly hysterical comedy from one of our favorite directors—Casper Andreas (A Four Letter Word, The Big Gay Musical). Amidst the hustle and bustle of New York City streets, the thumping base of the Chelsea club scene, and hordes of boys in tight fitting tees, we meet Violet. A successful PR executive for an NYC-based fashion line, Violet has it all —the job, the friends, the social life.

- When struck with the realization that she is forty, and the only men in her life are gay, this fruit fly goes into panic mode (ultimately resulting in her hunt for a mate). Convinced by her waifish coworker Salome (Kim Allen) that in order to find a man she must abandon the boys of her past; we watch as Violet struggles to change. A slew of bad dates, a gay sexy party thrown by her roommate Luke (Jesse Archer, A Four Letter Word) and numerous other short-stick events leave our heroine broken but not defeated. Writing off the advice of her gay best friend Riley (Samuel Whitten) that she just needs to find her male equivalent – the “fag-stag”, Violet pushes full steam ahead on her mission to pairup. Witty writing, an irreverent plot and a cast you feel you have known for years all make this side-splitting film a must see. Watch as Violet learns that sometimes the thing we search the hardest for is in a place we never expect to find it. –Louis Senofonte Director: Casper Andreas Cast: Mindy Cohn, Marcus Patrick, Kim Allen, Vincent De Paul, Shari Albert, Casper Andreas, Randy Jones, Jesse Archer Screenwriter: Jesse Archer Producers: Casper Andreas, Jesse Archer Cinematographer: Timothy Naylor Editor: Craig Cobb Print Source: Embrem

Casper Andreas’s Filmography: The Big Gay Musical (2009), Between Love & Goodbye (2008), A Four Letter Word (2007), Slutty Summer (2004)

Director Casper Andreas is scheduled to be in attendance

Sponsored by:

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“Philly, Can you hear me?”

She’s a force of nature, a first-class diva and a performer so exceptional she can’t even spell her first name like everyone else! Come celebrate all things Barbra Streisand with Barbra-Palooza, a three-night Barbra blowout co-presented by the Gershman Y and QFest. You can sing along to Funny Girl, enjoy the song stylings of world-famous Barbra impersonator Steven Brinberg and even get a chance to belt out a few of your favorite Barbra tunes with Barbra-karaoke. Whether you’re gay or straight, Jewish or not, this will be one extravaganza you won’t want to miss. —Warren Hoffman

Barbra Karaoke Wed, July 14 • 9:30 • Voyeur There was a time no homosexual (of a certain, em, mature age) would have been caught dead without a much played album of Color Me Barbra or My Name Is Barbra in their record collection. Fast forward several decades and you’re in the midst of a Streisand revival! Come celebrate all things Barbra at Voyeur for a night of karaoke – Streisand is the main event, but if your wig is at the cleaners and that gown in tatters, any classic show tune will work! Like last year’s phenomenally successful karaoke night, the evening will feature celebrity judges, singers of varying talent, booze and a vocally supportive audience.

Steven Brinberg Is Simply Barbra!

Funny Girl Sat, July 10 • 7:00 • Gershman Y USA 1968, 151 min, 35mm Print!

We only had space for one film from Barbra Streisand’s long career and the room heated up with advocates for many of her titles. Should it be Yentl since she cross-dresses in it. No, the Streisand-directed tearjerker Prince of Tides.

How about the classic A Star Is Born with Barbra in love with that hairy bear, Kris Kristofferson? No, if you want a film with an attractive lead, go with The Way We Were with dead-dead gorgeous Robert Redford. Or, What’s Up, Doc? with the handsome/pretty (and pre-scandalous) Ryan O’Neal. Or, maybe a rarity like Hello Dolly. In the end we went with her first film, her most iconic, the role which won her an Academy Award, a film that if the lead changed from Fanny to Freddy and nothing changed, would have made a brilliant gay story of love found and love lost; Funny Girl! And luckily we found a 35mm print for this screening. In reprising her acclaimed stage role as the legendary performer Fanny Brice, and with a performance that enthralled millions of queens, Streisand clowns and sings her way to fame with songs like “My Man,” “People” and “Don’t Rain on My Parade.”

Director: William Wyler Cast: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon

Thu, July 15 • 8:00 • Arts Bank Join Steven Brinberg, the internationally acclaimed Barbra Streisand impressionist, for this special performance of his show, Simply Barbra. The show is so good, even Ms Streisand herself approves. The affectionate homage, peppered with humor, captures vintage Babs from the late ‘60s to the early ‘70s, complete with her famous personality, idiosyncrasies and mannerisms.

Brinberg sings – with uncanny accuracy – some of her most famous hits such as “Don’t Rain on My Parade,” “Evergreen,” “Memories,” “On A Clear Day,” “People” and “The Way We Were.” A wonderfully written, amazingly performed show.

“Almost as luminous as Streisand herself... a remarkably fluid voice... a star of cult status has been born” –Sydney Morning Herald (Australia) “Absolutely brilliant! Affectionate and wickedly funny.” –Time Out New York

Barbra-Palooza Admissions: Barbra Karaoke: $5 General Admission Simply Barbra: $25 General Admission $20 Badge Holders Funny Girl: $10 General Admission $9 PCA Members Gershman Y 401 S. Broad St. Philadelphia, PA 19147

Special Programs Three special Q-Fest events programmed by Philadelphia’s long-running series of alternative film weirdness

Madame X Friday, July 16 • John Wanamaker Bldg, 11th Fl (use Juniper Street entrance) USA 1966, 100 min

AIDS Law Project of PA Benefit Party & Screening of Madame X Introduced by film historian Richard Barrios.

6:00 pm - light food and drink 7:30 pm - film screening Admission: $20 minimum donation (tax deductable).

Festival VIP passes cannot be accepted.

Prepaid reservations recommended.

Tickets and info: AIDS Law Project, (215) 587-9377, www.aidslawpa.org or www.thesecretcinema.com “I’m eating my words, and there’s a damn bitter taste in my mouth!” Hollywood icon Lana Turner plays the title role in this improbable but emotion-filled story.

Holly Parker (Turner), the wealthy but neglected wife of a busy diplomat (the late John Forsythe) has an affair with an egocentric playboy (Ricardo Montalban). When her illicit lover accidentally dies after a late-night tryst, Holly is persuaded to leave the country — and thus save her husband and young child from scandal. Years later, Holly finds herself on trial for murder...and her courtappointed defender turns out to be her own son (Keir Dullea)! Producer Ross Hunter’s lavish version is filled with eye-popping Technicolor, sumptuous gowns and extravagant settings, but the coincidence-filled melodrama might have still seemed old-fashioned even to 1960s audiences. Lana Turner nonetheless contributed a brave and touching performance in one of her final films. –Jay Schwartz “With almost every line a howler, this is a camp special” –Pauline Kael Director: David Lowell Rich Cast: Lana Turner, John Forsythe, Ricardo Montalban, Burgess Meredith, John Van Dreelen, Virginia Grey, Warren Stevens

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This Nude World Fri July 9 • 10:00 • RUBA Club USA 1933, min

Cult film buffs may be familiar with the cycle of “nudie cutie” exploitation films released in the wake of Russ Meyer’s hugely successful The Immoral Mr. Teas, at the very end of the 1950s.

These films offered many moviegoers their first filmed view of naked flesh, with many featuring unexpurgated views of nudist colonies. What is less known is that the same type of films were made over 25 years earlier. This Nude World is a prime example of this genre, and like the later films, was made chiefly to exploit scenes of naked bodies by very independent (and very low budget) filmmakers. The documentary features brisk editing, glib (and campy) narration, and a globe-trekking continuity as it travels from the Catskills through France and into Germany in search of sun worshippers. In each outpost of nudism, countless naked enthusiasts are shown in all their glory, both male and female (as well as children). This Nude World, a quickie exploitation film made to cash in on headlines, likely provided inspiration for new recruits to the lifestyle, at least among those who managed to see it in its original limited release. –Jay Schwartz Director: Michael Mindlin

Program includes the short:

Boy with a Knife (USA, 1956, 19 min, Laslo Benedek) A young Chuck Connors (“The Rifleman”) sets up a club and lures, er...invites some juvenile delinquents to join. Of special interest is a knife-wielding boy with a lot of tension he needs to diffuse. Get to work Chuck! Narrated by Richard Widmark. If you look closely, you’ll see Ken Osmond, who played the hilariously insincere Eddie Haskell in “Leave It to Beaver.”

Richard Barrios and “Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall” Wed, July 14 • 7:15 • William Way Noted film historian and author Richard Barrios presents a special talk and film presentation which looks at portrayals of sexuality throughout the classic era of Hollywood cinema based on his book, “Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall.”

Rapacious dykes, self-loathing closet cases, hustlers, ambiguous sophisticates, and sadomasochistic rich kids: most of what America thought it knew about gay people it learned at the movies. Using carefully selected, often-hilarious clips from a variety of film genres, Barrios will show how much gay and lesbian lives have shaped the big screen. Spanning popular American cinema from the 1900s until today, his presentation will provide a rich and entertaining analysis of how Hollywood has used and depicted gays and the mixed signals it has given us. The rare film clips to be shown will include Edward Everett Horton seducing Douglas Fairbanks in Reaching for the Moon, Marlene Dietrich in sailor’s suit drag in Seven Sinners, Hans Conreid as the prissy piano instructor of The 5,00 Fingers of Dr. T, plus scenes from Caged, Screaming Mimi, The Boys in the Band, and many more.

–Jay Schwartz

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Philadelphia QFEST 2010

Michael Lucas: Lip Service Sat, July 17 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Controversial. Provocative. Shocking. That’s Michael Lucas – and then some. For the last 15 years Lucas has proffered some of the most exciting and best-selling gay adult films in history. From his award-winning takes on Dangerous Liaisons and La Dolce Vita to his ground-breaking 2009 epic Men of Israel, Lucas Entertainment is one of the world’s most recognized and prominent porn studios. But if you’ve only ever seen those famed lips in action yet have never Image from: Men of Israel heard the voice behind them, you’re in for an eyebrow-raising and pulse-pounding earful. Here’s your chance to hear his provocative musings – replete with hardcore film clips and a few of his exclusive pornstar models in attendance – live and in person. From how his birth in Moscow led to an industry debut with renowned director Jean-Daniel Cadinot, to his stances on barebacking, child porn, anti-Semitism, and that “other” summer activity called watersports—Lucas has transcended his notoriety into mainstream pop culture, fashion, activism and politics. So, pucker up and blow – Michael Lucas is about to pay your lips some serious service. —Erik Schut

Please Note: The date in the ad on the next page is incorrect.

The correct date is Saturday, July 17.

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41

RESTAURANT & BAR GUIDE Dinner and a movie — what could be more perfect for a night out?

Center City Bistro St. Tropez Phila. Design Center 2400 Market St. 215-569-9269 www.bistrosttropez.com

Cuba Libre

XIX Nineteen Philadelphia Park Hyatt at the Bellevue 200 S Broad St. (at Walnut), 19th Floor 215-893-1234 www.nineteenrestaurant.com

Palace at the Ben

10 S. 2nd St. 215-627-0666 www.cubalibrerestaurant.com

Ben Franklin House 834 Chestnut St. 267-232-5600 www.thepalaceatheben.com

D’Angelo’s Ristorante Italiano 256 S. 20th St. 215-546-3935 www.dangeloristorante.com

Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House 1426 Chestnut St. 215-246-0533 www.delfriscos.com

JR’s Lounge 1305 Locust St. 215-735-3055 www.jrsphilly.com

Kanella 1001 Spruce St. 215-922-1773 www.kanellarestaurant.com

Knock Restaurant and Bar 225 S. 12th St. 215-925-1166 www.knockphilly.com

Marathon Grill 927 Walnut St. 215-733-0311 www.marathongrill.com

Mixto 1141 Pine St. 215-592-0363 www.mixtophilly.com

More Than Just Ice Cream 1119 Locust St. 215-574-0586

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Woody’s Bar & Restaurant 202 S. 13th St. 215-545-1893 www.woodysbar.com

Old City Café Spice

South Street/ Queen Village Beau Monde/L’Estage 624 S. 6th St.at Bainbridge 215-592-0656

www.creperie-beaumonde.com

La Fourno

35 S. 2nd St. 215-627-6237 www.cafespice.com

636 South St. 215-627-9000 www.lafourno.com

The Prime Rib

City Tavern

Ms. Tootsie’s

Radisson Warwick Hotel 1701 Locust St. 215-772-1201 www.theprimerib.com

138 2nd St. 215-413-1443 www.citytavern.com

1314 South St. 215-731-9045 www.kevenparker.net

Fork Restaurant

Northern Liberties

Sisters 1320 Chancellor St. 215-735-0735 www.sistersnightclub.com

Solefood Loews Philadelphia Hotel 1200 Market St. 213-231-7300 www.solefoodrest.com

Tabu Lounge and Sports Bar 200 S. 12th St. 215-964-9675 www.tabuphilly.com

Tavern on Camac Terra Restaurant 243 S. Camac St. 215-545-0900 www.taverononcamac.com

Q Lounge & Kitchen 1234 Locust St. 215-732-1800 www.qphilly.com

Voyeur Nightclub 1221 Saint James St. 215-735-5772

www.voyuernightclub.com

306 Market Street 215-625-9425 www.forkrestaurant.com

Gigi’s 319 Market St. 215-574-8820 www.gigiphilly.com

Haru Sushi 241 Chestnut St. 215-861-8990 www.harusushi.com

National Mechanics 22 S 3rd St. 215-701-4883 www.nationalmechanics.com

Pizzicato 248 Market St. 215-629-5527 www.pizzicato.com

Prive Restaurant & Lounge 246 Market St. 215-923-8313 www.priveoldcity.com

Q BBQ & Tequila Bar 207 Chestnut St. 215-625-8605 www.qoldcity.com

A Full Plate Café 1009 N. Bodine St. 215-627-4068 www.afullplate.net

Darling’s Diner Piazza at Schmidts 1033 N. 2nd St. 267-239-5775 www.darlingsdiner.com

Bar Ferdinand 1030 N 2nd St. 215-923-1313 www.barferdinand.com

North Third 801 N. 3rd St. 215-413-3666 www.norththird.com

The Ruba Club 414 Green St (215) 627-9831 www.rubaclub.org

Art Museum London Grill 2301 Fairmount Ave. 215-978-4545 londongrill.com

FESTIVAL HOST HOTEL

SPEND THE DAY SEEING FILMS AND STAY THE NIGHT AT THE OFFICIAL FESTIVAL HOTELS When you book hotel accommodations for this year’s Film Festival, please take advantage of special room rates at the host hotels by contacting the properties directly.

Loews Philadelphia Hotel 1200 Market St., CENTER CITY Within the architectural landmark PSFS building, Loews Philadelphia Hotel is a luxury property located in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, within walking distance of practically everything for every guest’s needs—for conventioneers— the Pennsylvania Convention Center; for foodies—the Reading Terminal Market, a down-to-earth food hall; for passionate shoppers—Macy’s in the grande dame of department stores, the Wanamaker Building; for history buffs — City Hall, one of the premier examples of Second Empire architecture in America; for arts and culture lovers — the Avenue of the Arts, featuring the Academy of Music, Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the Wilma Theater, the Philadelphia Theatre Company, and the Prince Music Theater. The city’s “gayborhood,” Rittenhouse Square, Restaurant Row, and other sights and sounds of the city are all nearby.

Loews Philadelphia Hotel is offering a special Festival rate of $139 to the attendees of the 16th Anniversary of Philadelphia QFest.

The rate is based on availability from July 8-19, 2010.

For reservations, www.loewshotels.com/philadelphia Code: QFest10 or call 215-231-7333 for general hotel information.

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One of the friendliest bars in the heart of Philadelphia’s Gayborhood.

Recession Proof HAPPY HOUR Monday-Friday, 6-8pm ALL Drinks $5 or less.

A Night of Industry Monday 8pm to midnight

Movie Nights Wednesday 10pm

Saturday Lunch

Noon to 3pm Sandwiches, Salads and The House Specialty, Baby Back Ribs, seasoned and slow cooked.

Sunday Brunch

Noon to 3pm Hostess Hedda, Bartender Geoff and Kitchen Chef Marty A hearty brunch buffet with all the classics, Mimosa, make-your-own Bloody Mary Bar, all for only $7.50 per person. It’s a great meal!

Special pricing for bar and food for private events, no rental fee, professional staff customize your needs.

1305 Locust St. 215-735-3955 www.jrphilly.com 44

FEST BASICS Get the most out of your festival experience

The Golden Rule: Many screenings sell out Especially the Opening, Closing and Centerpiece films – Plan your Festival schedule ahead of time, and buy tickets as early as possible – or better yet, buy a badge.

But remember – After show time, no one (including badge-holders) is guaranteed a seat!

Ticket Sales...

Getting Here...

Day of show tickets are only available at the venue If you want to buy a ticket for a same-day movie, go straight to the place where that movie will be showing. The tickets for the entire day go on sale one half-hour before the first show of the day at that venue.

Arrive at the theater early

Theater box offices are Cash Only Check your wallet or visit the closest ATM before arriving at the movies – venue ticket sales are cash only.

Advance ticket pickup If you order your tickets in advance, all of the tickets you purchase will be available for pickup at your first movie’s screening venue.

If you don’t pick them up there, you must call the Festival Box Office to re-route the tickets to your next venue – this will not happen automatically.

Keep on top of breaking Festival News Sellouts, screening, event and guest updates are posted and announced regularly at:

www.qfest.com The site features real-time interactive features such as user reviews and personalized Festival calendar options.

Daily E-Newslines We send you breaking Festival news and announcements via e-mail or RSS Feed every morning before breakfast.

Festival Hotline 24-hour automated information is available at 267-765-9800 x701.

To start the film on time, we must seat as many people as possible in a very short time.

Allow plenty of time for your transportation, especially on weekend nights. The Festival Map on the next page shows theaters, party venues, discounted parking and Septa subway stops.

Remember your umbrella The Festival attracts thousands of people, so don’t be surprised by lines that extend outside – and prepare accordingly.

At the Theater...

Seats cannot be held You must be present to take a seat. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. There is no “standing room” admission at any Festival film or program.

We do not show any previews Screenings start within five minutes of the scheduled time – however, the Festival cannot be held accountable for late starts.

We take movies seriously Please silence your wrappers, voices, communication devices and alarms to ensure a quality audience experience.

The venues are staffed by volunteers... ...who can answer many of your questions and make the festival possible by donating their time. Please be patient, and don’t forget to thank them for their efforts.

45

GET YO UR TICKETS HERE! General Alliance Admission Members* $10.00 $9.00

Single Tickets Regular Screenings Opening/Closing Night Film Only

$15.00

$15.00

Opening Night Combination (Film & post-screening party)

$50.00

$45.00

Opening Night Party Only (At the door)

$45.00

$45.00

Closing Night Combination (Film & post-screening party)

$45.00

$40.00

Closing Night Party Only (At the door)

$35.00

$35.00

(Film only, on sale day of show, based on availability)

Sales Locations STARTING JUNE 18: Online: www.qfest.com

By Phone: 267.765.9800 x4 STARTING JUNE 21: at TLA Video Stores

Parties, Events & Combos

(Must be 21 years or older for all parties)

Passes & Badges Festival 10-Pass Cannot be used for Opening or Closing Nights All-Access Badge (Includes All Films & Parties) DAD Badge (good for Danger After Dark Films only)

$90.00

$85.00

$260.00

$235.00

$90.00

$85.00 *for PCA Membership benefits see page 7

Service Fees: There is a $1.00 fee per ticket on all advance sales and $5.00 fee per badge or 10-pass.

Fees waived for PCA Members. (Join the Alliance!)

IMPORTANT! AFTER SHOW TIME, NO ONE CAN BE GUARANTEED SEATS (INCLUDING BADGE HOLDERS)

Noon until 9:00pm daily 1520 Locust St. Rittenhouse Square 215.735.7887 7630 Germantown Ave. Chestnut Hill 215.248.4448 763 Lancaster Ave. Bryn Mawr 610.520.1222 STARTING JULY 8: Ritz East 6:00pm-9:00pm daily 125 S 2nd St.

FESTIVAL MAP VENUES

Marke

t Stree t

1. Ritz East

125 S 2nd St.

2. Ritz at the Bourse 400 Ranstead St.

PB

2

46

Street Walnut Street

PA

1

Front S treet

ut Stre et

Second

400 Ranstead St. $6.50 with validation when parking after 5pm

Chestn Third S treet

B. Bourse Garage Associates (above the Ritz at the Bourse)

Fourth

A. The AutoPark at Old City (above the Ritz East) 2nd & Samson St $6.50 with validation when parking after 12:00pm

Street

DISCOUNTED PARKING

Advance Sales

Iris Prize Festival

All advance orders for weekday shows must be placed by noon on the day of the movie or event, orders for Saturday and Sunday must be purchased by 9pm the night before.

All of your tickets will be waiting for you at the venue of your first screening.

Austin Brazil Chicago Dublin Hamburg Hong Kong Israel London Los Angeles Melbourne Miami New York Philadelphia San Francisco Sydney Toronto

Phone/Internet Badge orders are available for pickup at any TLA Video Location (at left) ONLINE (Credit card sales only) www.qfest.com

BY PHONE (Credit card sales only) Call 267-765-9800 x4 10am-7pm daily (before July 8) 10am-9pm daily (beginning July 8) IN PERSON (All payment methods) See Advance Sales Locations (at left)

Same Day Sales (Venues only) Cash Only Sold only where the film is shown. Subject to availability.

Go to the venue where the film will be shown no earlier than one half-hour before the first Festival screening of the day to purchase same day tickets.

Some Important Details Avoid Sellouts – Plan your Festival ahead of time and purchase tickets as early as possible.

Or better yet, buy a badge.

Please arrive early – After show time no one, not even a badge holder, is guaranteed a seat.

Refunds – All sales are final. No refunds are available unless a screening is cancelled.

Exchanges – All exchanges must be processed in advance. If your tickets are already printed you must make your exchange in person. There are no same-day exchanges or exchanges for past events. We cannot process exchanges online.

Lost tickets cannot be replaced.

Screening updates and ticket availability information is regularly updated on our website at www.qfest.com and on our Festival hotline: 267-765-9800 x701.

How Badges Work All-Access Badges are available in limited quantities. Badge holders must be present at least 20 minutes prior to screenings. They will receive their tickets in a designated VIP line. Badges include admission to all films, including Opening and Closing Night films and parties and access to other select parties.

DAD Badges are good for Danger After Dark films only. Badge holders must be present at least 20 minutes prior to screenings. They will receive their tickets in a designated VIP line.

Phone/mail/Internet badge orders can be picked up at any TLA Video location. If you wish to provide your own passport-sized photo (email jpeg file to jbendik@phillycinema.org), you must pick up your badge at TLA Video, 1520 Locust Street.

How Passes Work Your 10-pass vouchers must be redeemed for tickets to the film of your choice. You can do this when you purchase in ADVANCE (recommended) or at the door (see Same Day Sales). Online buyers: Any unredeemed passes will remain on your account UNTIL your first TICKET pickup at will call — at which time the leftover passes will also be given to you.

Avoid Sellouts!

Yes, we said it again. To check for screening updates and ticket availability, call the Festival Hotline at 267-765-9800 ext. 701, or dial ext. 4 to speak to a service representative.

Cardiff UK 6_9 October 2010

irisprize.org

Produced by:

Principal funder:

Funders:

47 iris_qfest10.indd 1

24/05/2010 12:42

FEST ’10 CALENDAR Ritz East Theater 1 Thu July 8

Ritz East Theater 2

(92 min, pg.76)

7:00 BearCity 9:30 La Mission 12:15 Elena Undone

Sat July 10

(99 min, pg.27) (117 min, pg.64)

5:15 Elvis & Madona 7:30 A Marine Story 9:45 Howl

5:00 BearCity

(99 min, pg.27) (86 min, pg.32)

12:00 Role/Play

(86 min, pg.32)

2:15 Is It Just Me?

4:45 My Normal 7:15 Eyes Wide Open

(93 min, pg.29)

12:15 My Normal 2:30 A Marine Story

(100 min, pg.70)

9:30 Bear City After-Party 7:45 at Tabu Lounge The People I’ve Slept With (pg.13) (95 min, pg.31) (99 min, pg.73) 10:00 This Nude World 10:00 at The Ruba Club Dogtooth (90 min, pg.60) (pg.39) (96 min, DAD) (93 min, pg.74)

(78 min, pg.72) (98 min, pg.69) (93 min, pg.29) (88 min, pg.72) (95 min, pg.31)

5:30 Taxi zum Klo

(97 min, pg.77)

7:45 The Four-Faced Liar 10:00 RoboGeisha 12:15 Dearest Mother

7:00 Funny Girl (98 min, pg.70) at Gershman Y (151 min, pg.38)

(102 min, DAD) (103 min, pg.68)

2:30 Howl

(90 min, pg.60)

4:45 4:45 5:00 Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives Swimming With Lesbians Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride (90 min, pg.77) (99 min, pg.76) (98 min, pg.67) 7:00 7:15 The Secret Diaries ... Anne Lister The String (90 min, pg.33) 9:15 Beautiful Darling...

5:00 La Mission 7:15 Leo’s Room 9:30 Elvis & Madona 5:00 Alex and Leo

Tue Jul 13

(105 min, pg.62)

5:30 Fiona’s Script

2:45 2:30 3:00 You Can’t Have It All Beautiful Darling...

The Last Summer of La Boyita (85 min, pg.59) (93 min, pg.63) (100 min, pg.21)

9:45 9:30 Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives Is It Just Me? (90 min, pg.77)

Mon Jul 12

10pm-12:30am Opening Celebration at Phila. Visitor Center (pg.15)

12:15 12:30 Fierce & Funny (Shorts Program) Piggies (94 min, pg.53) (111 min, pg.23)

7:15 Role/Play

Sun Jul 11

Parties and Events

7:30 7:15 You Can’t Have It All Elena Undone (100 min, pg.21) (111 min, pg.23) 5:00 The String

Fri July 9

Ritz at the Bourse

7:15 Fashion Victim

(85 min, pg.59)

9:30 Fashion Victim

(92 min, pg.76) (102 min, pg.70)

7:30 Handsome Harry 10:00 Deliver Us from Evil

5:00 5:15 The People I’ve Slept With Crush (99 min, pg.73) (117 min, pg.64) (92 min, pg.63) (105 min, pg.62)

7:00 Fiona’s Script 9:15 Dearest Mother

(100 min, pg. 70) (103 min, pg.68)

7:30 Wild About Harry 10:00 Gone with the Pope

5:00 5:15 The Four-Faced Liar Piggies (97 min, pg.66) (98 min, pg.70)

(95 min, pg.71) (93 min, DAD) (75 min, pg.53) 9:15

(95 min, pg.78) Bitchy Mystery (83 min, DAD) (93 min, pg.74)

7:15 7:30 Jean-Michel Basquiat...

LE TIGRE On Tour (88 min, pg.60) (82 min, pg. 71) (102 min, pg.70)

9:30 9:30 10:00 Shut Up and Kiss Me Arias with a Twist...

The Temptation of St. Tony (85 min, pg.75) (88 min, pg.59) (115 min, DAD)

48

Science Theater National Mechanics details at www.qfest.com

Ritz East Theater 1 5:00 Leo’s Room

Wed July 14

7:00 Eyes Wide Open 9:15 Plan B 5:00 I Killed My Mother

Thu July 15

Ritz East Theater 2 (92 min, pg.63) (98 min, pg.69)

5:00 Handsome Harry

Ritz at the Bourse (103 min, pg.71)

7:15 I Killed My Mother

(95 min, pg.28)

5:15 Adrift 7:30 Straight & Butch

9:30 10:00 Taqwacore: Birth of Punk Islam Amer (84 min, pg.77) (111 min, pg.64)

Parties and Events

(110 min, pg.66) 7:15 Richard Barrios and “Screened Out: ...”

(89 min, pg.76) at William Way Center (pg. 39) 9:30 Barbra-Karaoke at Voyeur (90 min, DAD) (pg. 38)

5:00 5:15 William S. Burroughs...

Hermafrodita (95 min, pg.28) (87 min, pg.61)

(96 min, pg.63)

7:15 7:00 7:30 7:15 You Should Meet My Son! From Beginning to End What Now? (Shorts Program) Simply Barbra!

(90 min, pg.78) (96 min, pg.62) (108 min, pg.55) at The Arts Bank 9:30 9:15 10:00 Short, Sexy & Sweet (Shorts Program) Deleted Scenes Enter the Void (89 min, pg.54) (90 min, pg.69) (161 min, DAD)

(pg.38)

5:00 5:00 5:15 You Should Meet My Son! Tales from the Closet (Shorts) Wild About Harry (90 min, pg.78) (88 min, pg.55) (93 min, pg.78)

Fri July 16

7:15 Undertow 9:30 Release 12:15 David’s Birthday

(100 min, pg.64) (87 min, pg.74) (106 min, pg.68)

7:15 The Owls 9:30 Children of God 12:15 Leading Ladies

2:30 2:30 From Beginning to End Edie & Thea...

(96 min, pg.62)

Sat Jul 17

4:45 Out of Annapolis

(66 min, pg.72) (103 min, pg.68) (102 min, pg.71) (91 min, pg.69)

12:00 Plan B 2:15 Deleted Scenes

7:30 Strapped

Sun Jul 18

4:45 Children of God 7:00 David’s Birthday 9:15 Strapped

2:15 2:30 Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay! Bloomington (91 min, pg.73) (100 min, pg.64) (103 min, pg.68) (106 min, pg.68)

4:30 Seeing Heaven 7:00 Leading Ladies

(103 min, pg.64) (90 min, pg.69) 6:30 (87 min, pg.74) Kelly McGillis Reception details at www.qfest.com

(66 min, pg.72) (83 min, pg.67)

5:15 Love Her or Leave Her (Shorts) (111 min, pg.54) (117 min, pg.75) (102 min, pg.71)

7:30 Alex and Leo

(97 min, pg.66)

9:30 10:00 William S. Burroughs...

The Life and Death ... Porno Gang (95 min, pg.34) (87 min, pg.61) (90 min, DAD) 5:00 TBA

Mon Jul 19

(73 min, DAD)

(83 min, pg.67) (95 min, pg.34) 11:00 Michael Lucas 9:30 10:00 After-Party at Voyeur Micheal Lucas: Lip Service Red White & Blue (pg. 41) (90 min, pg.40) (100 min, pg.35) (104 min, DAD)

12:15 12:00 12:15 Shut Up and Kiss Me Arias With A Twist...

The Owls (85 min, pg.75) (88 min, pg.59) 2:30 Undertow

7:30 Madame X (117 min, pg.75) at AIDS Law Project (pg.39)

10:00 Big Tits Zombie 3-D

5:00 5:15 A Conversation w. Kelly McGillis Release (69 min, pg.72) (90 min, pg.17)

7:15 7:15 Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay! Bloomington (91 min, pg.73) 9:30 Violet Tendencies

7:30 Seeing Heaven

7:00 7:00 Flight of the Cardinal TBA (87 min, pg.25) 9:15 TBA

(pg.78) (pg.78) (pg.78)

5:15 TBA 7:30 TBA 10:00 Vengeance

(pg.78) (pg.78) 10pm-1am Closing Festivities at Loews Phila. Hotel (pg.15) (108 min,DAD)

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FILMS BY GENRE African/American: Lesbian Fiona’s Script The Owls What Now? Aging Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement The Owls Activism/Politics Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement Howl Out of Annapolis Swimming with Lesbians Asian Interest Adrift The People I’ve Slept With Art House Beautiful Darling Howl Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child William S. Burroughs: The Man Within Bears BearCity Biography/History Arias with a Twist: The DocuFantasy Beautiful Darling Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement Howl Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child The Secret Diaries of Miss Ann Lister William S. Burroughs: The Man Within Bisexuality/Questioning Children of God Eyes Wide Open Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child The Four-Faced Liar Caribbean Interest Children of God Hermafrodita Comedy: Gay Male BearCity Crush Fashion Victim Fierce & Funny I Killed My Mother Is It Just Me? Oy Vey! My Son is Gay! Role/Play Short Sexy & Sweet Shut Up and Kiss Me The People I’ve Slept With Violet Tendencies You Can’t Have It All You Should Meet My Son!

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Comedy: Lesbian Leading Ladies My Normal Coming of Age Bloomington Fiona’s Script La Mission Leading Ladies Leo’s Room Piggies The Four Faced Liar The Last Summer of La Boyita Dancing/Performance Arias with a Twist: The DocuFantasy Leading Ladies Documentary Arias with a Twist: The DocuFantasy Beautiful Darling Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child Out of Annapolis Straight and Butch Swimming with Lesbians William S. Burroughs: The Man Within Drama: Gay Male BearCity Children of God David’s Birthday Dearest Mother Deleted Scenes Eyes Wide Open Flight of the Cardinal From Beginning to End Handsome Harry Howl La Mission Leo’s Room Piggies Plan B Release Seeing Heaven Strapped Tales from the Closet (shorts) The String Undertow Wild About Harry Drama: Lesbian A Marine Story Adrift Bloomington Elena Undone Fiona’s Script My Normal The Four Faced Liar The Owls The Secret Diaries of Miss Ann Lister

Hate Crimes/Homophobia/ Gay Bashing A Marine Story Children of God Eyes Wide Open Hermafrodita La Mission

Mystery/Thriller Flight of the Cardinal Release

Incest From Beginning to End

Parenting/Family From Beginning to End I Killed My Mother La Mission Undertow Wild About Harry You Should Meet My Son

International: Europe David’s Birthday Dearest Mother Eyes Wide Open Fashion Victim Piggies Release Seeing Heaven The Secret Diaries of Miss Ann Lister The String International: World Adrift Children of God Elvis & Madona From Beginning to End Hermafrodita I Killed My Mother Leo’s Room Plan B The Last Summer of La Boyita Undertow Jewish Interest Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement Eyes Wide Open Howl Oy Vey! My Son is Gay! Latin Interest/Spanish Language Dearest Mother Elvis & Madona From Beginning to End Hermafrodita La Mission Leo’s Room Plan B The Last Summer of La Boyita Undertow Literature/Poetry Howl Military/Don’t Ask Don’t Tell A Marine Story Dearest Mother Out of Annapolis Muslim/Arab Interest The String Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam Music/Musical Leading Ladies Le Tigre: On Tour Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam

Opera David’s Birthday

Philadelphia/Local Interest Embraceable You Faggist.com: The Birth of America’s First Social NetWERK Flight of the Cardinal Straight and Butch What Now? You Can’t Have It All Religion & Family Dearest Mother Elena Undone Eyes Wide Open Retrospective Funny Girl Taxi Zum Klo Romance: Gay Male BearCity Role/Play Shut Up and Kiss Me You Can’t Have It All You Should Meet My Son Romance: Lesbian Bloomington Elena Undone Leading Ladies The Four Faced Liar The Secret Diaries of Miss Ann Lister Trans-Interest/Transgender/ Cross Dressing Arias With A Twist: The DocuFantasy Elvis & Madona Hermafrodita The Last Summer of La Boyita Ticked off Trannies with Knives Youth Bloomington Fiona’s Script The Last Summer of La Boyita Piggies

51

Directo

rs Editi

SATURDAY JULY 10TH 10PM-2AM

oN

DANCE THE NIGHT AWAY WITH HUNDREDS OF WOMEN, BEAUTIFUL SHOT GIRLS, AMAZING DRINK SPECIALS, AND KILLER MUSIC

Official QFest Women's Party The official after-party for the lesbian films MY NORMAL (Sat. July 10th @ 4:45pm @ Ritz East 2) and THE FOUR-FACED LIAR (Sat. July 10th @ 7:45pm @ Ritz Bourse 2)

www.StimulusPhilly.com 52

Shorts Programs

Go Go Reject

Bloodline

Crush

Fierce & Funny

Mon, July 12 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse

Sat, July 10 • 12:15 • Ritz East Theater 2

U.S. Premiere

53

USA 95 min, 2010

Get carried away to the place where love begins in this poignant new collection of shorts by Michael J. Saul. Touching, involving, and fresh —we are privy to an inside view of four very different relationships.

What is it that makes us fall in love? A seemingly unanswerable question—how do we end up with our heart in another’s hand? In Michael J. Saul’s stunning new collection of shorts, Crush, the viewer is brought to the beginning of love – why we feel the way we feel, how far will we go, and what we are willing to do to keep it. The first short in this collection is “Don’t Ask.” Invited into the intimate relationship of an army solider and a civilian, we become part of a couple’s last day together before they are separated by military duty. Touching, natural, and thought-evoking, this short is able to depict a level of emotional abandon that most feature films fall short of. In “Bloodline,” a high school boy’s fixation with a mysterious bad-boy turns into sensual tryst when he learns that sometimes love bites… literally. In the third short, “Strokes,” we watch as an eager young art school graduate and intern gets his fervor knocked down by his demanding, narcissistic boss. As life goes, things are not always what they seem, and our young artist learns many new lessons about life and love. The final short in the collection is “Breathe” – told through the writings of a lovelorn young teen. Simplistic and beautiful, we learn that sometimes just a simple crush could mean the world to someone, when it makes even the hardest days manageable. —Louis Senofonte Print Source: Michael J. Saul

Program Running Time 94 min

If you and your friends are in need of a good laugh, the seven short films in this program are likely to do the trick. Mixing awkward, endearing and completely ridiculous comedy, these are some of the funniest films we’ve found all year.

Gayby

(USA, 2010, 12 min, Jonathan Lisecki) What do you get when a thirty-something gay guy and his best female friend decide to have a baby together the old-fashioned way? One of the most hilariously awkward sex scenes we’ve ever seen! Award-winning director Jonathan Lisecki’s newest short is both poignant and hysterically funny.

Sombrero

(USA, 2008, 12 min, Nathaniel Atcheson) James is an extremely neurotic, average-looking guy. Raymond is a calm, cool and collected cutie pie. Upon their first meeting at a Mexican restaurant, an already-awkward blind date takes an unexpected turn toward the absurd.

Gay Baby (USA, 2010, 9 min, Kevin Kelly) A father struggles with the news that his unborn baby is gay until he visits a store geared toward gay babies and realizes that it might not be such a bad thing.

Everyone is Having Sex… But Ryan

(USA, 2009, 14 min, Brian Pelletier) Poor, lonely Ryan cannot seem to get laid no matter how hard he tries. But, after a few horrible dates and some undesirable help from his oversexed best friend Dustin, Ryan begins to realize that what he is really looking for has been in front of him all along.

Go Go Reject

(USA, 2010, 20 min, Michael J. Saul) Wholesome Daniel Ferguson yearns to leave his job at Yogurt World and fulfill his childhood dream of becoming the Jennifer Beals of male go-go dancing. Now he just needs to convince club owners that one man with a skinny body and passion in his heart can dance just as well as any muscular hunk.

Wig

(USA, 2009, 21 min, Todd Holland) Committed partners Jax & Kent live a happy life together. But, when Jax starts wearing his recently deceased mother’s wig just before her funeral and refuses to take it off, Kent starts feeling that an intervention with family and friends may be in order. Featuring an all-star supporting cast – Judy Greer, Tim Bagley, Jason Dudey, Kim Coles – this short from real-life husbands Todd Holland and Scotch Ellis Loring is both touching and funny.

Sponsored by:

Faggist.com: The Birth of America’s First Social NetWERK (USA, 2009, 6 min, Alejandro Morales) Join webtrepeneur

Brad Dorable and his BFF Fargo as they launch a revolutionary social networking site just for gay men. Faggist.com is a site for guys who go to the hottest nightclubs, wear the trendiest fashion and love music. Party and play in the USA!

54

Philadelphia QFEST 10

Public Relations

You Can’t Curry Love

Love Her or Leave Her

Short, Sexy & Sweet

Sun, July 18 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse

Thu, July 15 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 1

Program Run Time 111 min

Program Run Time 89 min

What is there to be said about lesbian relationships? They are intricate, intense, fervent, sometimes frustrating; and the entire dyke population knows your whole business! This program tackles the complexities of love as well as the romantic and hilarious situations that happen after girl meets girl.

Scorching hot fantasies, first encounters, loving relationships, one-night stands. Whether they’re looking for “Mr. Right” or “Mr. Right Now,” the boys in these shorts are searching for someone special with whom to share their souls.

25 Random Things I Did During My Big Fat Lesbian Depression (USA, 2009, 11 min, Chris J. Russo) It takes a truly

After

Allison, My Love (USA, 2009, 2 min, Richard Paro) What’s the most effective way to stop a hot make-out session dead in its tracks? Call out the wrong person’s name in an uncontrollable outburst of passion.

Thirteen or So Minutes

enlightened individual to turn a shattering break-up into a hysterically funny and insightful short film. Join Chris as she shares her 25 steps to full postrelationship recovery.

Butthole Lickin’

(USA, 2008, 5 min, Kanako Wynkoop) Get a fly-on-the-wall view of one lesbian couple’s highly personal, howlingly funny conversation about hygiene and sexual inhibitions.

Cried Suicide (USA, 2009, 14 min, Lauren Palmigiano) How do you get the attention of an uncaring ex-girlfriend? Fake an attempted suicide, of course! It’s easy! Or not, as is amply pointed out in this hysterically funny short.

(USA, 2009, 13 min, Mark Pariselli) Travel inside the minds of three adorably nerdy young men as they fantasize about a scorching hot straight football player in this colorful and darkly comic adaptation of Dennis Cooper’s poem “After School, Street Football, Eighth Grade.”

(USA, 2008, 14 min, Branden Blinn) Lawrence and Hugh have just met. They both have girlfriends. They’re both straight. Thirteen or so minutes later, however, something has happened and things have changed. Director Branden Blinn piles on the tension in his exciting short about two straight men that succumb to wild sexual attraction.

Last Call

Evelyn Everyone (Australia, 2009, 17 min, Kylie Plunkett) On her 33rd birthday, Evelyn makes a final bid for love in the online world of Second Life. But as she immerses herself in this unreal cyber world, she begins to realize that her fantasy lover is not who she initially imagined.

(USA, 2009, 18 min, Nick Corporon) In an effort to save his relationship with Mark, Gavin has been sober for one year and five months. But fate has something else in mind when he is killed on his way to reconciliation. A mysterious bartender lets Gavin re-live three memories from his life – where we see the quality of his character, his love for Mark, their inevitable heartbreak and his effort to make things right.

Lie Together

You Can’t Curry Love

(USA, 2009, 13 min, Jeanette L. Buck) Margot & Claudia’s argumentative relationship is dissected in this sexually uninhibited short that reveals a strange moment in two people’s lives when “what is,” “what was,” and “what could be,” collide.

Rewind

(Great Britain, 2009, 19 min, Cathie Boyd) Featuring powerhouse performances, this mysterious drama from director Cathie Boyd follows the troubled relationship of two distraught women.

Numerology

(USA, 2009, 3 min, Paula Durette) Director Paula Durette wants to teach you everything that the modern lesbian needs to know about numerology (well… sort of) in just three short minutes.

Public Relations (USA, 2009, 17 min, Gianna Sobol) Summer Bishil (Towelhead) and Wendy McLendon-Covey (“Reno 911!”) star in this Los Angeles-based romantic comedy about how, sometimes, the worst jobs can bring the best people together.

Queer Pet Adventures (USA, 2010, 10 min, Veronique Courtois) Follow the animated adventures of Butch Kitty, everyone’s soon-to-be favorite lesbian cat.

(USA, India, 2009, 23 min, Reid Waterer) A handsome East Indian from London travels to India on business, falls for a local guy and discovers a county he only thought he knew in this Bollywood-inspired romantic comedy from director Reid Waterer.

On the Way to the Videostore...

(Canada, 2009, 6 min, Ryan Halun) After running into his favorite porn star on the way to the video store, Charles, a young bear, decides he will do anything to make first contact. But, a series of failed attempts suggest that fate might be against him and his goal of acting out his pornographic obsessions.

Bedfellows (USA, 2010, 15 min, Pierre Stefanos) How do you know if a one night stand with a stranger will amount to anything more than sex? You don’t. After falling asleep next to an attractive stranger from the bar, Bobby dreams of their potential long and happy life together. Told in the style of a fairy tale, this sweet-natured short takes us through a hypothetical thirty-year romance that may never exist in the real world.

Shorts Programs

The Armoire

55

What Now?

Tales from the Closet

What Now?

Fri July 16 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1

Thu, July 15 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse

Program Run Time 88 min

Program Run time 108 min

Not everyone is out and proud. These four stellar short films follow men and boys who either hide or aren’t completely aware of their sexual identity. This program offers a stark reminder that the closet can be a dark and scary place.

Female filmmakers, in general, are difficult to find. Lesbian filmmakers of color are even harder to find! That’s why, this year, we’re celebrating women of color in this program featuring two excellent shorts and two documentaries – one of which is local.

The Armoire

Back to Life

(Canada, 2009, 22 min, Jamie Travis) Eleven-year old Aaron plays an ominous game of hide and seek with his buddy Tony. But, frighteningly, Tony is never found. The mystery surrounding his disappearance – and the boys’ queer attachment to the armoire in Aaron’s bedroom – may only be revealed through hypnosis. One of the most haunting gay shorts of the year, this visually-sumptuous chiller from acclaimed filmmaker Jamie Travis will keep you on the edge of your seat.

(USA, 2009, 12 min, Desi Del Valle & Hollie Lemarr) In this short from directors Desi Del Valle and Hollie Lemarr, a vulnerable woman grieves the death of her girlfriend after sleeping with her married best friend.

My Name is Love (Sweden, 2008, 20 min, David Fardmar) Love and Sebastian share the same secret. However, they go about expressing it in very different ways. Love is looking to let go of his inhibitions. Sebastian is looking for something a little more sinister. After the two meet by chance on a hot summer night, an exciting flirtation turns into a dangerous encounter in this shocking Swedish short from director David Fardmar. (In Swedish with English subtitles)

Hide (USA, 2009, 21 min, Robert Shelby) After a chance meeting on the Internet, a passionate affair ensues between two sexually repressed married men. Now, they must decide whether to continue their affair in secrecy, cut it off completely, or begin a new life without shame or fear of repercussion.

Night-Time Butterflies (Israel, 2009, 26 min, Tamir Hod) During an evening walk, Yoni, a young Israeli hipster, connects with an old friend at a drag bar and meets up with his late sister’s boyfriend. Soon after, they attempt to use one another in an effort to cope with their shared grief. This sexy and stylish short from director Tamir Hod will linger in your mind long after the final credits roll.

Tracks (USA, 2010, 25 min, Deana Williams) Based on true events, Tracks follows Julie, an 18-year-old African American runaway who reluctantly begins a flirtation with Tasha, a headstrong 15-year-old. Tasha can see through Julie’s attempt to hide the fact that she is extremely lonely and afraid of a life without love.

Soon, a romantic relationship develops that threatens to tear the fabric of their separate worlds.

The Stories We Tell (USA, 2009, 19 min, Rachel Poulain) The Stories We Tell is a documentary that follows four queer women of color in the film industry and celebrates the unique perspectives that they bring to their craft when they pick up the camera and make the films they want to see. Meet Madeleine a seasoned filmmaker who offers the only free filmmaking workshop for queer women of color in the country; follow Yun’s journey toward her first feature-length and awardwinning film; learn how Monica uses experimental filmmaking to advocate for LGBT immigration rights; and finds inspiration from Jackie, a writer, adventuring into in her very first cinematic project.

What Now? (USA, 2009, 50 min, Tiffany Davis) “Coming out of the closet” is a phase that carries the stigmatisms of anxiety, identity crises and painful depression that can consume us at any age. Philadelphia filmmaker Tiffany J. Davis takes on the difficult task of tackling these emotions and asking “what now?” Her subjects are beautiful, verbose, multi-ethnic twenty-something lesbians that come from all walks of life and currently reside in the City of Sisterly Affection. Allazae, Becca, Melantha, Sheena, Megan, Mason, Maria, Ashley and a few more passionate women delve into their familial backgrounds, inspirations, religious views and first physical encounters with other women. They talk about whether or not they are open about their homosexuality in their professional lives, what it’s like encountering people who oppose their lifestyles and how they have found support.

The University of the Arts proudly supports

QFest

The University of the Arts: A leader in educating creative individuals for more than 130 years.

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Photo by Steve Belkowitz

is proud to present

2010 Philadelphia Live Arts Festival Philly Fringe

September 3-18 livearts-fringe.org 215.413.1318

as part of 2010 Philadelphia QFest

Presented by

Sanctuary

Brian Sanders’ JUNK

(Urban Scuba, 2009)

This is where the lost take charge. Performed in the air and across a wall 14’ high and 120’ long, Sanctuary is an exquisite mix of danger, force, and beauty.

Sept 3–5, 9–12, 16–18 / $20–$30 ($15 for students)

Buy tickets at

livearts-fringe.org or 215.413.1318

KEVIN M. LYONS

FUNERAL SERVICE LTD. 202 S. Chester Pike Glenolden, PA 19036 610.583.4400

Kevin M. Lyons, Supervisor Serving the Community for 25 years

57

WWW.

207 CHESTNUT STREET 58

OLDCITY.COM

PHILADELPHIA, PA

19106

T 215 625 8605

The Beats Go On Queer Artists in 1950s-90s New York

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With documentaries on Beat era writers William Burroughs and Allen Ginsberg to Warhol Superstar Candy Darling and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat to performance artist Joey Arias, this series celebrates the lives and work of some of the most influential queer artists in the past 50 years.

“Candy came from out on the Island.

In the backroom she was everybody’s darlin’. But she never lost her head. Even when she was giving head. She says, Hey babe Take a walk on the wild side.”

–“Walk on the Wild Side,” Lou Reed “America I’m putting my queer shoulder to the wheel.”

–Allen Ginsberg “Admittedly, a homosexual can be conditioned to react sexually to a woman, or to an old boot for that matter. In fact, both homo - and heterosexual experimental subjects have been conditioned to react sexually to an old boot, and you can save a lot of money that way.”

–William S. Burroughs “I was 18, and in New York, and starting to reinvent myself. I was following the wrong path until it became the right path.” –Joey Arias “I start a picture and I finish it. I don’t think about art while I work. I try to think about life.”

–Jean-Michel Basquiat “I am a star because I have always felt so alienated and I project this feeling to others.” –Candy Darling “Whoever controls the media, the images, controls the culture.”

–Allen Ginsberg Ultimately Warhol’s private moral reference was to the supreme kitsch of the Catholic Church.”

–Allen Ginsberg How I hate those who are dedicated to producing conformity.

–William S. Burroughs

Arias With Twist: The DocuFantasy Tue, July 13 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 18 • 12:00 • Ritz East Theater 2 Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 88 min

A wildly enjoyable documentary about performance artist Joey Arias and his puppeteer collaborator, Basil Twist.

For those unfamiliar with Joey Arias, this amazingly talented performance artist transcends the limitations of “drag” with his wildly inventive stage performances involving music, theater and surrealistic set design—he was Lady Gaga long before Lady Gaga was born. His distinctly raspy but beautiful voice (think Billie Holiday meets Faye Dunaway’s Joan Crawford); coupled with a curvaceous, provocatively clothed body have hypnotized audiences worldwide.

This celebratory documentary is complex. It not only charts Joey’s accent from a retail employee at Fiorucci through his glam punk performances and on to stage performances. It also encapsulates downtown New York’s explosively creative alternative art scene of the late 1970s and ‘80 (check out early Arias in the documentary Mondo New York), speculates on the creative process and delves into the life and world of his collaborator, master puppeteer, Basil Twist (they worked together on the 2008 NY stage show, “Arias with a Twist”) The cute-as-a-button Basil is much less of a character, but his inventive puppet creations simply amaze. Featuring archival footage of Joey’s mentor Klaus Nomi, snippets from their shows and biting commentary by Michael Musto and Ann Magnuson, this film (a hit at the Berlin Film Festival and Tribeca) thoroughly entertains. –Raymond Murray Director: Bobby Sheehan Cast: Joey Arias, Basil Twist, Ann Magnuson, Kenny Scharf, Oscar Eustis, Cheryl Henson, Kim Hastereiter, Michael Musto, Thierry Mugler Screenwriter: Bobby Sheehan Producers: Bobby Sheehan, Sara Feldmann Sheehan Cinematographers: Bobby Sheehan, Russell Swanson Editor: Bob Whitney Print Source: Working Pictures

Bobby Sheehan’s Filmography: Cayman Went (2009); Seed (2000)

Beautiful Darling:

The Life And Times of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar Sat, July 10 • 2:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 11 • 9:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 85 min

The life of Warhol Superstar, Candy Darling, is lovingly revealed in this poignant and often funny documentary.

Of all the Warhol Superstars, Candy Darling was arguably the most glamorous – on screen and off. She was photographed by Richard Avedon and Robert Mapplethorpe, sung about by Lou Reed, starred in iconic Warhol/Paul Morrissey films (Flesh, Women in Revolt) and acted in a Tennessee Williams play.

But before her unlikely career could take off, Candy died of leukemia in 1974 at the age of 29. Her life and brief career are revealed for a new generation in this loving tribute. Born James Lawrence Slattery, but rechristened into the platinum and very feminine blond Candy, her lust for fame took her to Manhattan where Warhol brought her into the Factory and brief stardom. The documentary is rich with archival footage as well as present-day interviews including friends and fellow Superstars Jackie Curtis and Holly Woodlawn, Fran Lebowitz, John Waters, Paul Morrissey, Warhol Factory regulars Gerard Malanga and Taylor Mead, and most poignant of all, her best friend and roommate Jeremiah Newton. Chloe Sevigny also recites passages from Candy’s letter’s and diaries. For those too young to remember her, this lovely, tender and often funny film will reveal one of the ’60s most memorable characters. –Raymond Murray Director: James Rasin Cast: Penny Arcade, Peter Beard, Jayne County, Jackie Curtis, Fran Lebowitz, Gerard Malanga, Taylor Mead, Paul Morrissey, Julie Newmar, Jeremiah Newton, Nico, Michael J. Pollard, Lou Reed, John Waters, Holly Woodlawn Screenwriter: James Rasin Producers: Elizabeth Bentley, Gill Holland, Jeremiah Newton Cinematographer: Martina Radwan Editor: Zachary Stuart-Pontier Print Source: Beautiful Darling LLC

Beautiful Darling: The Life And Times Of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar is James Rasin’s debut.

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

Howl

Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child

Fri, July 9 • 9:45 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 11 • 2:30 • Ritz at the Bourse

Tue, July 13 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 2

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 90 min

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 88 min

Assembling an all-star cast, directors Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman take viewers on a kaleidoscopic journey through the evolution of Allen Ginsberg’s classic four-part poem “Howl,” and the obscenity trial that ensued over its content.

In Howl, James Franco throws himself into the personage of Allen Ginsberg with passionate abandon, cementing his status as an alternative gay icon. Dismissing the contrived conventions of your average biopic, directors Epstein and Friedman focus on a specific two year period in the writer’s life and manage to capture the essence of Ginsberg, the man, while presenting the poetry and ensuing events that transformed him into a countercultural legend. Based on transcripts of interviews given by Ginsberg, as well as records of the 1957 obscenity trial over his seminal work, Howl employs archival footage and photographs, selective black and white cinematography that lends beat-era authenticity, and absorbingly inventive animation that illustrates Ginsberg’s words in both literal and abstract ways. We’re present for the moment when he first begins writing “Howl,” his first public reading at Six Gallery in San Francisco, and the obscenity trial where an impressive cast – including John Hamm, David Strathairn, Treat Williams, Jeff Daniels and Mary-Louise Parker—portray the legal representatives and “expert” academics who enthrallingly debated the literary merit of Ginsberg’s poem. Most engrossing, though, are the scenes in which Ginsberg talks about the evolution of his writing and his journey of self-discovery. Proudly honest, he reminisces about his mother’s tragic death, his 8-month period in a mental institution, his coming-out to Jack Kerouac, his sexually-charged relationship with notorious lothario Neal Cassady, his loving relationship with long-term partner Peter Orlovsky, and how his natural homosexuality served as a catalyst for self-examination. Though the film depicts a specific time in American history when blue blood social conformity defined the status quo, Ginsberg’s struggle for legitimacy and his desire to express himself openly in 1957 is emblematic of our current struggle for equal rights. Howl examines and celebrates one influential gay artist who challenged hetero-normative conventions and the suppression of free speech.

–Robert O’Neill

A very personal portrait and homage to the artist Jena Michel Basquiat by his close friend filmmaker Tamra Davis.

Born in Brooklyn in 1960 to a Haitian father and Puerto Rican mother, Jean-Michel Basquiat’s career as an artist was both meteoritic and tragically brief.

From his artistic beginnings as a political provocateur, poet, and graffiti artist in the late 1970s under the moniker “SAMO,” to his art-world success in New York, to his death by heroin overdose in 1988, Basquiat was an alluring individual. His life – which included being at the epicenter of the wild 1980s New York art scene and his brilliant collaborations with Andy Warhol – was seen in the biopic Basquiat in 1996, but for something more personal and revelatory, watch this documentary made by his close friend, Tamra Davis. Davis takes full advantage of footage she shot of Basquiat in 1985, facinating scenes of him painting, images of his work, and interviews with his contemporaries—Julian Schnabel, Glenn O’Brien, and Fab 5 Freddy. Through her work, we get to see the man behind the tabloid image. The result is a tender, captivating portrait and homage to a celebrated artist, filmmaker, and misunderstood friend. –Noelle Reilly

Directors: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman Cast: James Franco, Mary-Louise Parker, Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, David Strathairn, Alessandro Nivola, Treat Williams, Aaron Tveit, Bob Balaban, Jon Prescott, Todd Rotondi, Allen Ginsberg (archival footage) Screenwriters: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman Producers: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman, Elizabeth Redleaf, Christine K. Walker Cinematographer: Edward Lachman Editor: Jake Pushinsky Print Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories

Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman’s Filmography: Ten Days That Unexpectedly Changed America: Gold Rush (2006); An Evening with Eddie Gomez (2005); Paragraph 175 (2000); The Celluloid Closet (1995); Where Are We? Our Trip Through America (1993); Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt (1989); The AIDS Show (1986); The Times of Harvey Milk (1984); Word Is Out (1977)

Sponsored by:

Director: Tamra Davis Cast: Jean-Michel Basquiat, Julian Schnabel, Larry Gagosian, Bruno Bischofsberger, Jeffrey Deitch, Tony Shafrazi, Suzanne Malouk, Fab Five Freddy Producers: David Koh, Lilly Bright, Stanley Buchthal, Alexis Manya Spraic Cinematographers: Tamra Davis, Harry Geller, David Koh Editor: Alexis Manya Spraic Print Source: Arthouse Films

Tamra Davis’s Filmography: Keep Your Eyes Open (2002); Crossroads (2002); Skipped Parts (2000); Half Baked (1998); Best Men (1997); Billy Madison (1995); CB4 (1993); Guncrazy (1992)

more information online • www.qfest.com

The Beats Go On Queer Artists in 1950s-90s New York

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within

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Thu, July 15 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 18 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 87 min

The first posthumous documentary about William S. Burroughs, Beat Generation author, artist, drug-addict and queer icon, traces the life of one of the most colorful men of the 20th century. Like Allen Ginsberg, Burroughs writings about homosexuality garnered accusations of obscenity but he and his his works have inspired later generations of alternative artists.

This documentary, possibly the definitive word on the Beat Generation, looks at the life and work of the most fascinating iconoclast of queer culture, William S. Burroughs. It explores the multi-faceted personality of the American literary giant, who celebrated his sexuality, drug addiction, gun obsession and alternative lifestyle, without apology, through his writings in conservative America of the 1950s and 1960s. Heir to the adding machine fortune, the Harvard-educated Burroughs gravitated to the darker side of the psyche, whether his own or the characters in his masterpieces, “Naked Lunch,” “Queer” and “Junkie.” Eventually crowned “the godfather of the Beat generation” he influenced, inspired and supported his fellow artists, including friends Allen Ginsberg, and — later in life— John Waters, Peter Weller and Patti Smith. They all speak of him in endearing terms that we might not associate with a man who always looked cantankerous, cadaverous and uptight in tie and suit. The personal journey “within” one of the greatest authors of all time cracks through the surface and allows us to see a different side of this cultural icon through interviews, archival footage, and rare clips from Burroughs own avant-garde movies. He defined “modern” from beats to punks to rockers to performance artists. “He was like another kind of Bible,” observed Patti Smith. –Thom Cardwell

see what all the chatter is about... www.chatterblast.com facebook.com/chatterblast twitter.com/chatterblast

Director: Yony Leyser Cast: William S. Burroughs, David Cronenberg, Gus Van Sant, Patti Smith, John Waters, Iggy Pop, Laurie Anderson, Bill Ayers, Amiri Baraka, Jello Biafra, Andy Warhol, Peter Weller Screenwriter: Yony Leyser Producers: Carmine Cervi, Ilko Davidov, Yony Leyser Editor: Ilko Davidov Print Source: BulletProof Film Inc.

William S. Burroughs: A Man Within is Yony Leyser’s debut.

Sponsored by:

Cinema Salon

For information: cinemasalon@yahoo.com

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

Focus on: Latin American Cinema Out of repression comes revolt. And with the Catholic Church still exceedingly influential in South America it comes as a no surprise that there is a GLBT explosion in filmmaking today.

We actually had to pass on several other titles, but the ones selected offer a intriguing cross-section of queer life: From homophobia and machismo (La Mission, Undertow); the trepidation of coming out (Leo’s Room); the fluidity of sexual attraction (Plan B); and exploring the spectrum of sexual identity (Hermafrodita,The Last Summer of La Bonita, Elvis & Madona). From the barrios of Los Angeles to the beaches of Peru and the Pampas of Argentina – New Queer Cinema with a Latin twist.

Elvis & Madona

From Beginning to End

Elvis e Madona

Do Começo ao Fim

Fri, July 9 • 5:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Mon, July 12 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 1

Thu, July 15 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sat, July 17 • 2:30 • Ritz East Theater 1

Philadelphia Premiere Brazil 2010, 105 min

Philadelphia Premiere Brazil 2009, 96 min

A ditzy Copacabana drag queen and a butch lesbian fall in love in this enormously enjoyable post-queer comedy/drama.

Just when you thought filmmaking had exhausted showcasing the variations of queer coupling, comes this wildly entertaining and unexpectedly romantic comedy from Brazilian director Marcelo Laffitte.

Madona is an alternately tough and feminine drag queen, tall and fabulously blond she is a hairdresser during the day and a club singer at night. She also endures a tumultuous relationship with João, her thuggish and abusive sometimes boyfriend. Also in Rio’s Copacabana is Elvis, an aspiring young photographer with short dark hair, a swagger and butchness to spare – she’s a bedroom-eye baby dyke. When Elvis gets a job delivering pizza, she meets up with Madona, right after she’s been robbed and beaten by João. They form a friendship, and then with the adage, opposites attract (but in this case reversed) they begin an unlikely romance. Can the two remain together, despite their differences? When you think of it – this is a heterosexual story – that of a man and a woman who fall in love – but Elvis & Madona is queer as queer can be. And it is one of the few films in the festival that should attract both lesbians and gay men… who knows what might happen when the lights go down. (Portuguese with English subtitles) –Raymond Murray

This controversial Brazilian drama follows the love and sexual intimacy between two men… who are half-brothers.

There are not a lot of topics involving consenting adults that can really shock these days but this searing romantic drama about two brothers who love— incestuously – may well be one of them! Set in a sun-burnished Brazil, two boys, Francisco and his younger half-brother (same mother, different fathers) Thomás, are being raised in upper class comfort in Rio by their doting mother. Five years apart, the boys are best friends and unusually close to each other so much so that their intimacy brings vocal concerns from relatives that maybe they are too close. But the parents reluctantly brush away the concerns. Fastforward several years with Francisco and Thomás now strikingly handsome, bronzed young men and their childhood intensity has evolved into a torrid sexual relationship. But when Thomás is offered a chance to train for the Brazilian swim team in Russia for a long period of time, the proposed separation brings fears that their love is threatened. Spectacularly shot amidst the mountains, beaches and grand estates of Brazil, this intense drama does not just live on the controversial subject matter but rather is a strikingly evocative romance of two men fighting against societal conventions. (Portuguese with English subtitles) –Raymond Murray

Director: Marcelo Laffitte Cast: Simone Spoladore, Igor Cotrim, Sérgio Bezerra, Maitê Proença, Buza Ferraz Screenwriter: Marcelo Laffitte Producers: Marcelo Laffitte, Jaime A. Schwartz Cinematographer: Ulrich Burtin Editor: Luiz Guimarães de Castro Print Source: Rendez-Vous Picture

Director: Aluisio Abranches Cast: Gabriel Kaufmann, Rafael Cardoso, Lucas Cotrin, João Gabriel Vasconcellos, Júlia Lemmertz, Fábio Assunção, Louise Cardoso, Jean Pierre Noher Screenwriter: Aluisio Abranches Producers: Aluisio Abranches, Fernando Libonati, Iker Monfort, Marco Nanini Cinematographer: Ueli Steiger Editor: Fábio S. Limma Print Source: TLA Releasing

Elvis & Madona is Marcelo Laffitte’s debut.

Aluisio Abranches’s Filmography: As Três Marias (The 3 Marieas) (2002); Um Copo de Cólera (1999)

more information online • www.qfest.com

Focus on: Latin American Cinema

Hermafrodita Thu, July 15 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse Philadelphia Premiere Dominican Republic 2009, 96 min

Based on a true story and set on the lushly tropical Dominican Republic, Albert Xavier’s Hermafrodita is a powerful drama about love between two people caught in the cross-hairs of sexual identity politics.

Maria (Mariluz Acosta), a nimble-fingered seamstress, leads a quiet life with her grandmother amongst the picturesque mountains of the village of San José de Ocoa. By chance, while traveling home, she meets La Melaza (Garibaldi Reyes), a physically striking man who is fleeing Santa Domingo to live with his aunt and uncle who are in the business of farming sunflowers. Despite her shy persona, Maria and La Melaza soon find themselves irresistibly drawn to each other. While love isn’t meant to tie your stomach in knots with fear, the pressure to take their relationship to the next level is threatening to expose Maria’s secret—born hermaphrodite, she has both female and male genitalia. Her lover is nurturing a heinous secret of his own; it’s the reason why he quickly left the capital city. Inevitably their relationship is bound to take a turn when Maria’s dual-sexuality is revealed. Hailed as the first queer feature from the Dominican Republic, we truly look forward to many more gay and lesbian stories emerging from the small islands of the Caribbean.

(Spanish with English subtitles) –Carol Coombes Director: Albert Xavier Cast: Marilu Acosta, Olga Bucarelli, Isabel Cristina Polanco, Garibaldi Reyes Screenwriters: Sheila Grullon , Fernando Santos Diaz, Albert Xavier Producers: Amarfi Peralta Domiguez, Albert Xavier Cinematographer: Elias Acosta Editor: Adiel Skarmetta Print Source: Belier Entertainment, LLC.

Albert Xavier’s Filmography: Pasaporte rojo (Red Passport) (2003)

Director Albert Xavier is scheduled to be in attendance

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The Last Summer of La Boyita

Leo’s Room

El último verano de La Boyita Sat, July 10 • 3:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Mon, July 12 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Wed, July 14 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1

Philadelphia Premiere Argentina, Spain, France 2009, 93 min

Philadelphia Premiere Uruguay, Argentina 2009, 92 min

It’s the summer of changes, secrets and transformations in this touching coming-of-age story of the passage from childhood innocence to youthful adolescence.

Sexual identity is discovered if not always entirely understood by young friends Jorgelina and Mario in this sun-splashed drama set in 1970s Argentina.

Precocious Jorgelina leaves turmoil of her separating parents and adolescent sister to spend the summer in the lush countryside – to spend her days horseback riding and swimming with her childhood playmate Mario. But she soon begins to realize that Mario is not like the other boys. He is teased by farmhands and she soon not only becomes his protector, but his confident as well as Mario reveals to her that his body doesn’t look like pictures of either men or women. The girl becomes determined to understand both Mario’s condition and his family secrets. The dramatic and emotional tension between the two young friends is expressed subtly (using silent, eye contact and facial expression) as childhood innocence comes to an end. Beautifully shot and powerfully acted, the tender portrayal of an unusual but loving friendship despite much adversity makes the film memorable, honest and important statement about intersexuality. (Spanish with English subtitles) –Thom Cardwell

Coming out is not easy for affable college student Leo in this funny and endearing comedy/ drama.

Managing to be equally touching, funny and sexy, Leo’s Room charts an unusually sensitive journey of self-discovery (and coming out) for a young gay man at a critical crossroads. Easy-going but secretly troubled college student Leo is thrown when his girlfriend – fed up that he can’t get it up – dumps him. He knows he’s gay but can’t seem to admit it to his psychiatrist, his supportive mother, his stoner roommate or even to himself. Internally conflicted, the mop-headed Leo becomes friends with an old female schoolmate, and he re-starts his heterosexual façade. Salvation possibly comes in the person of Seba, a handsome fellow student who wants more than a one-night stand with Leo. While dealing with topics of sexual suppression and self-awareness, the film remains light and often hilariously funny – due in no small part to Martín Rodríguez who plays Leo and Arturo Goetz as his zoned out, televisionaddicted, couch potato roommate who knows a lot more than he’s letting on. A thoroughly enjoyable and sophisticated dramedy from Uruguay. (Spanish with English subtitles) –Raymond Murray

Director: Julia Solomonoff Cast: Guadalupe Alonso, Nicolás Treise, Mirella Pascual, Gabo Correa, María Clara Merendino, Guillermo Pfening Screenwriter: Julia Solomonoff Producers: Maria Teresa Arida, Pepe Salvia, Lucia Seabra, Julia Solomonoff Cinematographers: Lucio Bonelli, Julia Solomonoff Editors: Rosario Suárez, Andrés Tambornino Print Source: M-Appeal

Julia Solomonoff’s Filmography: Hermanas (Sisters) (2005)

El Cuarto de Leo

Director: Enrique Buchichio Cast: Martín Rodríguez, Cecilia Cósero, Gerardo Begérez, Arturo Goetz, Mirella Pascual, Rafael Soliwoda Screenwriter: Enrique Buchichio Producer: Natacha López Cinematographer: Pedro Luque Editors: Guillermo Casanova, Julián Goyoaga Print Source: The Global Film Initiative

Leo’s Room is Enrique Buchichio’s debut.

Sponsored by:

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

La Mission

Plan B

Undertow

Fri, July 9 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 1 Mon, July 12 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1

Wed, July 14 • 9:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sat, July 17 • 12:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Contracorriente

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 117 min

Philadelphia Premiere Argentina 2009, 103 min

Benjamin Bratt delivers the performance of his career as a macho yet loving Latino father who struggles to accept his teenage son’s homosexuality.

Che Rivera (Benjamin Bratt), a Latino ex-con living in San Francisco’s Mission district, has two loves in his life: his son, Jesse (Jeremy Ray Valdez), and detailing low-rider cars. But when Che accidentally discovers some incriminating photographs of Jesse taken at a gay nightclub with an equally cute Caucasian boyfriend, Che responds with repulsion and rage. Efforts to reconcile between the father and son only deteriorate into heated exchanges and even violence, which the empowered Jesse refuses to buckle under. Bratt – long on our radar thanks to turns in Piñero in which he played the titular bisexual poet, Miguel Pinero, and the well-meaning Madonna/Rupert Everett vehicle The Next Best Thing – turns in an award-worthy, complex performance as a man whose homophobia is so deeply ingrained he can’t seem to get past it. The adorable Valdez completely avoids cliché as the headstrong, self-assured, lovable Jesse. Written and directed by Bratt’s brother, Peter, La Mission premiered to standing (and tearyeyed) ovations at 2009’s Sundance Film Festival.

–Lawrence Ferber

A decidedly different kind of sexual comedy—a straight guy plots to make his ex-girlfriend jealous by trying to seduce her new boyfriend.

Complications arise.

How can a drama about two handsome, but straight guys get into a gay film festival? Well, you’ll need to watch this enjoyably subversive Argentinean version of Dangerous Liaisons to find out! One of the most acclaimed Latin American films of the year, Plan B is a witty, involving tale of revenge, deception and pentup desire. Tall, confident wild-haired Bruno is pissed that he’s been dumped by his girlfriend and upset that she’s seeing another guy, Pablo, a sweet metrosexual charmer. Determined to get even and get back his girl, Bruno devises a plan that involves befriending Pablo, making him fall in love with him, and then dumping him in the hopes that his ex will run into his arms again. But something strange happens as the scheme develops. The two guys actually like each other and as they get closer, a strange sexual tension builds – a tension neither one expected. A warm, funny independent sexual comedy that explores two men’s man’s sexuality in a totally refreshing and original way and while a great watch for gay men, should be required viewing for every straight man. (Spanish with English subtitles) –Raymond Murray

Director: Peter Bratt Cast: Benjamin Bratt, Erika Alexander, Jeremy Ray Valdez, Talisa Soto Bratt, Jesse Borrego Screenwriter: Peter Bratt Producers: Alpita Patel, Benjamin Bratt, Peter Bratt Cinematographer: Hiro Narita Editor: Stan Webb Print Source: Alpita Patel

Director: Marco Berger Cast: Manuel Vignau, Lucas Ferraro, Mercedes Quinteros, Damián Canduci, Ana Lucia Antony, Carolina Stegmayer Screenwriter: Marco Berger Producer: Martín Cuinat Cinematographer: Tomas Perez Silva Editor: Marco Berger Print Source: Wolfe Releasing

Peter Bratt’s Filmography: F ollow Me Home (1997)

Plan B is Marco Berger’s debut.

Director: Javier Fuentes-León Cast: Tatiana Astengo, Manolo Cardona, Cristian Mercado Screenwriter: Javier Fuentes-León Producers: Javier Fuentes-León, Rodrigo Guerrero Cinematographer: Mauricio Vidal Editor: Roberto Benavides Print Source: Wolfe Releasing

Program includes the short:

Undertow is Javier Fuentes-León’s debut.

Sponsored by:

Curious Thing (USA, 2009, 8 min, Alain Hain) He’s cute, he’s sweet, he knows you better than anyone else… but, sweetie, he’s straight.

Several gay men reflect on their similar experiences hiding closet crushes from their best buddies.

Fri, July 16 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 18 • 2:30 • Ritz East Theater 1 Philadelphia Premiere Peru 2009, 100 min

Shot in a scenic Peruvian fishing village, Undertow is the emotionally powerful story of a secret love between a married man with a pregnant wife and an openly gay artist.

Profoundly moving, Undertow is a gay romance like none you’ve seen before. Set in a gorgeous Peruvian seaside town, this tender, romantic tale positively radiates love. Miguel (Cristian Mercado) and Mariela (Tatiana Astengo) are a popular couple in their small fishing village. Mariela is expecting a child and all seems well on the surface. The couple are an integral part of a very tight village social structure. The town is so small that most secrets are hard to keep; gossips are always busy. But Miguel has a secret life; he’s having an affair with Santiago, a gay artist, who is scorned by the other villagers. The two are very much in love with one another, but Miguel is torn between the traditions of his village and his love for Santiago.

A tragedy occurs that forces him to make a choice between conformity and amore. Filmed with an eye for detail and rich with emotion, writer/director Javier Fuentes-Leon’s debut film won the coveted World Cinema Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Undertow is the highlight of the year for gay international cinema; it’s a must-see at QFest 2010.

(Spanish with English subtitles) –Scott Cranin

Sponsored by:

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

Best of US and World Cinema It was a very good year for GLBT filmmaking and this admittedly grabbag selection of titles should prove it. We travel the globe to celebrate queer life: From an Italian operatic tragedy (David’s Birthday); late night fun with revengeful Dallas trannies (Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives); queer Muslim musicians (Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam); 16th-Century French gay fashionistas in a tizzy (Fashion Victim); to ballroom dancing divas in Leading Ladies. There are comedies, dramas and inspiring documentaries, so come in from the heat and enjoy the film excitement.

Adrift

Alex and Leo

Choi Voi

Alex und der Löwe

Wed, July 14 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse

Tue, July 13 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 18 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse

Philadelphia Premiere Vietnam 2009, 110 min

A poetic, sensual drama set in Vietnam about a sexually frustrated newlywed who sets off on a journey of erotic desire and sexual explorations.

Set in steamy hot Hanoi, this poetic drama quietly focuses on the unfulfilled longings of a young woman. Three months after meeting Hai, the beautiful Duyen agrees to marry him. The groom thinks she is a simple girl—easy to please. This turns out not to be the case, as even on their wedding night she is faced with disappointment. As her marriage remains unconsummated, Duyen realizes that her husband is more preoccupied with his taxi job, the neighborhood girl downstairs and his ever present doting mother than with her. Frustrated by her husband’s sexual naiveté Duyen turns to her best friend Cam for advice. It is apparent that Cam secretly desires Duyen, so initially it is surprising that Cam introduces the young wife to Tho, a sexual adventurer with a chain of women bound to him (while he is bound to none). Duyen’s infidelity sets off a chain reaction of lust, rage, deceit, revenge and remorse. (Vietnamese with English subtitles) –Dudley Best Director: Bui Thac Chuyen Cast: Do Thi Hai Yen, Linh-Dan Pham, Johnny Tri Nguyen, Nguyen Duy Khoa Screenwriter: Phan Dang Di Producers: Dang Tat Bihn, Claire-Agnes Lajoumard Cinematographer: Ly Thai Dung Editor: Julie Beziau Print Source: The Global Film Initiative

Bui Thac Chuyen’s Filmography: Living in Fear (2005)

World Premiere Germany 2010, 97 min

The sexual games people play —in this case, young hip Berliners — is the subject of this high energy ensemble comedy.

In this German comedy that features six characters in search of love, director Yves Yuri-Garate and screenwriter Andre Schneider bring a light touch to a hip urban tale. Alex (Andre Schneider) walks in on his boyfriend fucking someone else – and out he goes – much to the relief of his friends Tobi (Udo Lutz) and Steffi Graf (Sascia Haj) (and yes, the character not only has the unusual name of the tennis star, she’s a gossiping astrologer therapist). German porn star/ actor Marcel Schlutt stars as Leo, who, after a dinner party, reveals to his girlfriend that he’s got sexual feelings for men and it’s best that they break up. Six weeks later they all have a wild night at a Berlin performance art club. Leo goes out with his friend, who happens to be a patient of Steffi’s and Alex goes out with his friends. Tobi is smitten with a gorgeous waiter, but he loses the power of speech whenever he sees the man. On a wondrous night, Alex meets Leo, and Tobi discovers his waiter (and they go home together). But what about Steffi? Alex and Leo vibrates with the energy of the hip Kreutzberg, Berlin streets and clubs where it was filmed. (German with English subtitles) –Scott Cranin Director: Ives-Yuri Garate Cast: Marcel Schlutt, André Schneider, Sascia Haj, Udo Lutz, Beate Kurecki, Hans Hendrik Trost, Barbara Kowa Screenwriter: Andre Schneider Producer: Andre Schneider Cinematographer: Ütz Editor: Klaus Jablinski Print Source: Vivàsvan Pictures

Alex and Leo is Ives-Yuri Garate’s debut.

Sponsored by:

more information online • www.qfest.com

Best of US & World Cinema

Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride

Bloomington

Sun, July 11 • 5:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Sat, July 17 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 18 • 2:30 • Ritz at the Bourse

Philadelphia Premiere Canada 2009, 87 min

A documentary exploring the role and relevance of Pride Celebrations, detailing the vast differences in Pride movements around the world.

This film covers the diverse range of Pride events along with the political dynamics behind them. From Brazil’s government sponsored events that attract three million participants to Sri Lanka, where “curative rape” is sanctioned as a “cure” for lesbianism, you are reminded that homosexuality remains illegal in roughly 80 countries (punishable by death in seven). As Ken Cooler (Canadian Pride Festival Planner) travels to various locations around the world a ‘Freedometer’ charts each location/country’s LGBT tolerance level. Highlights of the film include interviews with Gilbert Baker – the activist who created the Rainbow Flag, along with Russian organizer Nikolai Alekseev. Alekseev arranged cloak and dagger meetings to stage and quickly disperse a parade in Moscow, where the mayor has banned the Pride parade forever. This 2008 Moscow Gay Pride March will have you cheering and standing on your feet.

Even those who have become jaded toward parades and Pride events will have a lot to reconsider after viewing this inspiring film. –Dudley Best Director: Bob Christie Screenwriter: Bob Christie; Aerlyn Weissman Producer: Morris Chapdelaine Cinematographer: Joshua Rainhard Editor: Steve Schmidt Print Source: Transmission

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East Coast Premiere USA 2010, 83 min

Destined to be a Sapphic classic like Loving Annabelle, a cute former child-star turns college student and embarks on a torrid love affair with a seductive female professor.

It’s the first day of the college semester and a challenging, new direction for adorable, doe-eyed Jackie Kirk (Sarah Stouffer). She is an ex-child-star playing the lead in popular sitcom called “Neptune 26,” but has put all of that behind her now. As the 22-year-old gets acclimated, she meets a foxy, persnickety psychology professor, Catherine Stark (Allison McAtee), who is reminiscent of the classic lesbian vixen on the prowl. She has a notorious reputation as being a “lady killer,” which secretly excites the new kid on campus. But Jackie isn’t innocent either, and when the student and teacher initially hook up sparks fly like it’s the Fourth of July! A lustful and impassioned romance begins, but not without complications and consequences, from Jackie’s overbearing mother and envious classmates. The former actress is asked to re-audition for the role which made her famous, but this causes significant jealously and duress in the couple’s seemingly unbreakable relationship. She is forced to make a decision between launching a comeback or her true love. Both female leads brilliantly play off each other’s strengths, weaknesses and sexual desires which keeps us wanting more. Director Fernada Cardosa offers up an exciting and fresh perspective to the coming-ofage tale while paying homage to cult lesbian classics like the German drama Maedchen in Uniform. Bloomington is certainly not one to miss. –Kelly Burkhardt Director: Fernanda Cardoso Cast: Allison McAtee, Sarah Stouffer, Katherine Ann McGregor, Erika Heidewald, Chelsea Marie Rogers Screenwriter: Fernanda Cardoso Producer: Jason Shumway Cinematographer: George Feucht Editor: Justin Dornbush Print Source: Frontier Studios

Bloomington is Fernanda Cardoso’s debut.

Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride is Bob Christie’s debut.

Program includes the short:

The Love Permit (USA, 2010, 12 min, Christopher Ludgate) Mr. Young wants to experience the joys of love and sex but, in the alternate reality of this political satire, American citizens need permission from the government before they can start a relationship. Luckily, Mr. Young meets a socially radical clerk with plans to take down the system from the inside. more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

Children of God

David’s Birthday

Dearest Mother

Fri, July 16 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 18 • 4:45 • Ritz East Theater 1

Il compleanno

Madre amadísima

Sat, July 17 • 12:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 18 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 1

Sun, July 11 • 12:15 • Ritz at the Bourse Mon, July 12 • 9:15 • Ritz East Theater 2

This tale of an intense romance between an artist and a closeted musician on a small island in the Bahamas finds inspiration in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet.

For those of you lucky enough to have seen Kareem Mortimer’s wonderful short, Float (PIGLFF 2008), you’ll be excited to see the feature debut of this exciting Bahamian filmmaker. Johnny (Johnny Ferro) is an art student in Nassau whose technique is perfect, but he’s creatively blocked. His teacher sends him off to the rural island of Eleuthera where he meets Romeo (Stephen Tyrone Williams), a hot musician. They begin a clumsy dance of attraction and romance. Romeo has a fiancé and is identified as straight, but he’s been known to play with the boys on the side secretly. The Bahamas are bound by religious traditions that discourage homosexuality and end up forcing gay men into the closet. Lena is a pastor’s wife. Her husband demonizes homosexuality to further his career, yet he’s on the DL as well. When Lena discovers that her husband has infected her with VD, he accuses her of infidelities. These characters are all bound together in this intense drama of love, family and secrets. The filmmaker has honored the Bard well with his inspiration. With extraordinary cinematography (on a low budget), a vacation worthy setting, naturalistic actors and a mythic story Children of God is a superb tale of “a pair of star-cross’d lovers.” –Scott Cranin

Philadelphia Premiere Italy 2010, 106 min

Philadelphia Premiere Spain 2009, 103 min

A sexy, over-the-top melodrama set against the operatic score of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde.

A happily married man finds himself sexually attracted to his friend’s ravishingly handsome son. Death in Venice meets Lolita as if directed

by Ken Russell!

A pitch perfect and beguiling ode to the all-encompassing pull of desire, David’s Birthday stands out as an example of gay European cinema at its most potent. Two married middle-aged couples head out to the stunning Italian coast for an ideal holiday in the sun. With both Diego and Shanny, and Matteo and Francesca’s relationship seemingly solid and unflappable, the group of friends settle in for a typically serene beach holiday. But when Diego and Shanny‘s young buff son David arrives, it becomes quickly evident that it is not just the young girls on the beach who are drawn to his Adonis-like beauty. When Matteo finds he too is increasingly struggling to keep his desire under wraps, it becomes clear that things are inevitably heading down an increasingly dangerous path. Pulsating with a raw eroticism (David’s sexuality steams up the screen), David’s Birthday expertly weaves its way toward an operatic crescendo bound to be the talked about for some time. (Italian with English subtitles) –Adam Silver

Director: Kareem Mortimer Cast: Johnny Ferro, Stephen T. Williams, Margaret Laurena Kemp, Mark Richard Ford, Van Brown, William Craig Pinder, Leslie Vanderpool Screenwriter: Kareem Mortimer Producers: Richard LeMay, Kareem Mortimer, Trevite Willis Cinematographer: Ian Bloom Editor: Maria Cataldo Print Source: The Film Collaborative

Director: Marco Filiberti Cast: Alessandro Gassman, Maria de Medeiros, Massimo Poggio, Michela Cescon, Christo Jivkov, Piera Degli Esposti, Thyago Alves, Marianna De Rossi Screenwriters: Deborah De Furia, Marco Filiberti Producers: Caroline Locardi, Agnes Trincal Cinematographer: Roberta Allegrini Editor: Valentina Girodo Print Source: Non-Stop Sales

An older gay gentleman reminisces about his life, his loves and his own beloved mother while dressing and decorating a statue of “the Holy Mother.”

Dearest Mother expertly blends humor, intense homoeroticism and heart-wrenching melodrama within an engrossing, episodic structure. Director Pilar Távora’s tearjerker studies one lovable character’s unwavering devotion to his mother and the way in which their relationship influences his encounters with other men. We are introduced to Alfredito — an older, proudly gay Catholic – as he dresses and confesses to a statue of the Virgin Mary. As Alfredito relays memories, we are treated to visual glimpses of his past: his conception, his birth, altercations with his abusive father, his strict religious upbringing, his time spent cleaning toilets in Franco’s Army, and, of course, his first sexual experience with an exquisitely handsome school buddy named Javi. Most important to him, though, are the fond recollections of moments spent with his beloved mother. Sadly, as confident and self-aware as Alfredito may be, he has not come to accept that his mom will not be around forever. Featuring excellent performances from numerous actors playing the same characters at different stages of their lives, Dearest Mother is a deeply emotional, neatlywoven journey that smartly observes family ties and what it’s like to grow up gay in Spain. (Spanish with English subtitles) –Robert O’Neill

Kareem Mortimer’s Filmography: I Am Not a Dummy (2008); Not Gay (2008); Chartered Course (2007); Eleutheran Adventure (2006)

Marco Filiberti’s Filmography: Poco più di un anno fa (Adored: Diary of a Male Porn Star) (2003)

Philadelphia Premiere Bahamas 2009, 103 min

Director: Pilar Távora Cast: David Lora, Gala Evora, Gloria de Jesús, Jorge Burgos, Nacho Igueño, Santiago Escalante Screenwriter: Santiago Escalante Producer: Pilar Távora Cinematographer: Marc Cuixart Print Source: Urban Films

Pilar Távora’s Filmography: Yerma (1998); Nanas de espinas (1984)

Director Kareem Mortimer is scheduled to attend more information online • www.qfest.com

Best of US & World Cinema

Deleted Scenes Thu, July 15 • 9:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sat, July 17 • 2:15 • Ritz at the Bourse

Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement

Eyes Wide Open

Sat, July 17 • 2:30 • Ritz East Theater 2

Sat, July 10 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Wed, July 14 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 1

North American Premiere USA 2010, 90 min

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 61 min

A chance meeting between two guys develops into a relationship, which the viewer gets to see from beginning to (maybe) end—via a series of fragmented scenes.

Independent filmmaker Todd Verow has created one of his best (and most sexual) films to date with this edgy, fragmented telling of a troubled relationship.

Set in a New York City summer, thirty-something Sean meets the illusive Wolf, an Eastern European immigrant on a West Village pier. What begins as a purely sexual thing, eventually changes into what can best be described as an intense, but dysfunctional relationship. Wolf, a straight-acting prostitute and Sean, a needy, talkative neurotic – are not the best fit for an affair but the two men attempt to make a go of it. When Sean becomes increasingly jealous of his lover’s frequent absences, his paranoia, fueled by drug use, threatens their budding love. Will the two be able to solve their problems and develop as lovers, or was it all just a sexual fling extended way too long? The story is told in a straightforward structure, but Verow adds in additional characters, asides and even an alternative ending! Raw, indy gay cinema at its best. –Raymond Murray

Directed by Susan Muska and Gréta Olafsdóttir, winner of countless awards for Best Documentary at festivals around the world, this moving film is a love story about two remarkable women whose passion and commitment to each other is an inspiration to all.

Edie Windsor and Thea Spyer love to dance. They danced all night the first time they met in 1962, and they have danced happily together through more than 40 years of life, love and loss. Feisty, articulate and adorably in love, the two women, now in their seventies, share with us their wealth of vintage home movies, old photographs, and countless personal anecdotes. Along the way we learn about their involvement in the history of the pre-Stonewall lesbian community in New York from the 1960s onwards and their activism today. Now in the prime of their lives, Edie (who grew up in Philadelphia) and Thea have decided to act on a deeply cherished wish, but they are going to have to fly to Toronto to fulfill it. –Carol Coombes

Director: Todd Verow Cast: David Douglas, Michael Guzman, Brad Hallowell, Ivica Kovacevic, Michael Vaccaro Screenwriter: Todd Verow Producer: Todd Verow Cinematographer: Todd Verow Editor: Todd Verow Print Source: Bangor Films

Directors: Susan Muska, Gréta Ólafsdottir Producers: Susan Muska, Gréta Ólafsdottir Cinematographer: Susan Muska Editor: Gréta Olafsdóttir Print Source: Bless Bless Productions

Todd Verow’s Filmography (selected): The Final Girl (2010); The Boy with the Sun in His Eyes (2009); Between Something & Nothing (2008); Hooks to the Left (2006), Vacationland (2006), Bulldog in the White House (2006), Anonymous (2004), Against (2001), Once and Future Queen (2000), A Sudden Loss of Gravity (2000), The Trouble with Perpetual Deja-Vu (1999), Shucking the Curve (1998), Little Shots of Happiness (1997), Frisk (1995)

69

Subject Edie Windsor is scheduled to attend.

Susan Muska, Gréta Ólafsdottir’s Filmography: The Brandon Teena Story (1998) Program includes the short:

Hens & Chicks (USA, 2010, 15 min, Becky Lane) Raised by two mothers, Hanna knows that there are many different types of families. But, when her friend Marco explains that a rooster is needed in order for a hen to produce an egg, Hanna starts wondering exactly how she was conceived.

Einaym Pkuhot

Israel 2009, 90 min

In a tightly-knit, ultra-Orthodox community in Jerusalem, a married butcher with four children falls in love with a twenty-something young man in this stunningly moving Israeli film.

Powerful and quietly humane, Eyes Wide Open,, Haim Tabakman’s, debut feature is an extraordinary portrait of forbidden love. Aaron (Zohar Strauss) leads a quiet life. Each day he goes from his tidy apartment, where he lives with his four children and his wife Rivka, to work at his butcher-shop. After work, Aaron goes to his synagogue to pray. Aaron is a tzaddik, a righteous man, and when Ezri (Ran Danker), a handsome young man arrives at his shop during a rainstorm looking for shelter, he gives it.

But something more happens as sexual desire develops between the two men. Ezri wants to kiss Aaron, but Aaron tells Ezri that it’s a challenge for them to pray about. Ezri takes Aaron to a spring outside the city where their desire bubbles to the surface. As their gay love is consummated, the marital love between Aaron and Rivka becomes troubled. Insightful and delicate in its storytelling, Eyes Wide Open, is an essential film in the canon of queer filmmaking. With not a wasted word or frame, director Haim Tabakman and screenwriter Merav Doster deserve kudos for this gorgeously wrenching film. (Hebrew and Yiddish with English subtitles) –Scott Cranin Director: Haim Tabakman Cast: Zohar Strauss, Ran Danker, Tinkerbell, Tzahi Grad, Isaac Sharry, Avi Grainik, Screenwriter: Merav Doster Producers: David C. Barrot, Rafael Katz Cinematographer: Axel Schneppat Editor: Dov Shtoyer Print Source: New American Vision

Eyes Wide Open is Haim Tabakman’s debut.

Program includes the short:

Does Not Depend Upon (Israel, 2009, 8 min, Avital Barak, Sie Gal) Tortured by repression, two religious young men face the truth about their sexual identity during an orthodox Yom Kippur ceremony in this visually seductive short.

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

Fashion Victim

Fiona’s Script

The Four-Faced Liar

Rose et Noir

Fri, July 9 • 5:30 • Ritz at the Bourse Mon, July 12 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 2

Sat, July 10 • 7:45 • Ritz at the Bourse Tue, July 13 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 2

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 93 min

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 88 min

A refreshing look at love, break-ups and hot hook-ups. A cute, twenty-something queer Latina daydreamer strives to find herself in this charming coming-of-age tale.

At the heart of Fiona’s Script is a smart, unabashed film that features a beautiful cast of characters filled with strong-willed women of color who collectively protect each other from life’s pitfalls and celebrate its successes. Adorable and shy Fiona (Sonia Montejano) cannot shake her anguish after a recent break-up with her longtime boyfriend. To avoid the situation, this volatile Latina bisexual submerges herself into her unfinished screenplay featuring a lead character, Flavia, whose story begins to whimsically mirror that of its distracted writer. Fortunately for Fiona, her spirited friends continue to encourage her to move on and not be afraid to meet others. Serendipity strikes and sparks fly when she meets a sexy hi-hop dance instructor named L who is a known womanizer. To confuse matters, this seductive tomboy is the one her ex lusted after. Will a bewildered Fiona get out of her head and move on? Will she ever finish her script?

Anyone who has ever fallen in love will relate to this effervescent and poignant work from first-time filmmaker Florencia Manovil. –Kelly Burkhardt

Named after a clock that fails to keep the same time on each of its four faces, The Four-Faced Liar is the Greenwich Village Irish bar that provides the backdrop to this screwball comedy of sexual confusion with lesbian inclinations!

Bridget, who prefers to have a girl of the moment rather than a meaningful relationship, is drowning beers with her best-friend/roommate Trip and his girlfriend Chloe at The Four-Faced Liar. Greg and Molly, childhood sweethearts and new transplants to New York, venture in. Call it destiny, kismet, or being in the right place at the right time, but sparks are instantaneously ignited.

While Greg and Trip bond over sports, Bridget and Molly discover a mutual appreciation for Emily Brontë and Wuthering Heights. As sexual tensions build, Bridget realizes she’s falling in love for the first time with the unavailable, soon to be married Molly. This delightful sexy take on love and life amongst a group of twenty-something friends is crisply shot, tightly scripted and 100% engaging. Writer, producer and principal star Marja-Lewis Ryan is charming, witty and believable as Bridget, and director Jacob Chase proves he is a talent to watch as he masterfully transitions from short to feature length filmmaker. A must-see for any young adult questioning their not-so-platonic friendship! –Carol Coombes

Sun, July 11 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 Tue, July 13 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 North American Premiere France 2009, 102 min

A truly original 16th-century comedy about a gay fashion designer who must make a wedding gown for a Spanish noble. “Project Runway” meets Monty Python in this hilarious farce.

Experience a totally different kind of French farce!

Stylists are fussing over the models; the curtains are drawn; the candles along the runway are lit; the orchestra begins to play; and then it’s the special moment—the models in spectacularly wild clothing walk the runway to the audience’s oohs and aahs.

No, it’s not fashion week at Bryant Park; it’s gay designer Pic Saint Loup’s (star/co-writer/director Gerard Jugnot) fashion show for the rich and famous in 1577 Paris. The Madonna-like show so impresses King Henri III that the House of Pic Saint Loup is selected to make the gown for the wedding of his nephew to the daughter of a Spanish noble. Yet behind the scenes, the esteemed fashion house is in trouble. Age and new fashion trends have caught up to the 60-ish, fussy, always-in-a-tizzy boss. With the designer’s creative well dried up, he’s secretly depending on others for his ideas. Commanded to make the gown, he and his entire staff (including Arabs, Jews and homosexuals) travel to Spain which is in the midst of the Inquisition, not exactly a happy time for the aforementioned people. The overwhelmed designer is about to become a fashionista up to his neck in medieval craziness – what’s a queen to do? (French with English subtitles) –Scott Cranin Director: Gérard Jugnot Cast: Gérard Jugnot, Bernard Le Coq, Juan Diego, Assaad Bouab, Stéphane Debac Screenwriters: Gérard Jugnot, Philippe Lopes-Curval Producer: Fernando Victoria de Lecea Cinematographer: Gérard Simon Print Source: Europacorp

Gérard Jugnot’s Filmography: Boudu (2005); Monsieur Batignole (2002); Meilleur espoir féminin (2000); Fallait pas!... (1996); Casque bleu (1994); Une époque formidable... (1991)

Director: Florencia Manóvil Cast: Deirdre Renee Draginoff, Giovannie Espiritu, James Z. Feng, Mayra Gaeta, Ellen Ho, Kathreen Khavari, Allan Lazo, Caroline Le Screenwriter: Florencia Manóvil Producer: Brynn Gelbard Cinematographer: Jason Mitchell Editors: Jason Barnoski, Jesse Kerman Print Source: Mynah Films

Fiona’s Script is Florencia Manóvil’s debut.

Program includes the short:

Door Prize

(USA, 2009, 7 min, Zsa Zsa Gershick) Zsa Zsa Gershick wrote, directed and stars alongside Beth Grant (Sordid Lives, Donnie Darko) in this funny tale of two very different women who find an unlikely bond while waiting to use the restroom.

Director: Jacob Chase Cast: Lisa Bierman, Daniel Carlisle, Natasha David, Todd Kubrak, Liz Osborn, Jessie Paddock, Emily Peck, Marja Lewis Ryan Screenwriter: Marja Lewis Ryan Producers: Daniel Carlisle, Samantha Housman, Todd Kubrak, Emily Peck, Marja Lewis Ryan Cinematographer: Danny Grunes Editor: Jacob Chase Print Source: Wolfe Releasing

The Four-Faced Liar is Jacob Chase’s debut.

Program includes the short:

Nothing Happened

(USA, 2010, 10 min, Julia Kots) Few conversations are taboo within the walls of an erotic art gallery – except, maybe, one that involves a straight girl asking her best friend to join a threesome with her new boyfriend.

more information online • www.qfest.com

Best of US & World Cinema

71

Handsome Harry

LE TIGRE On Tour

Leading Ladies

Sun, July 11 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse Wed, July 14 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 2

Tue, July 13 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse

Sat, July 17 • 12:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 18 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 2

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 95 min

Fun, frisky and wildly entertaining are just a few adjectives that describe this luminous documentary that follows one of the most illustrious queer punk bands: Le Tigre!

When the pulsating chords hit your ears, your legs start bouncing uncontrollably. Don’t worry; you are experiencing the vibrant, queer, politically-charged, electro-pop sounds created by a powerful punk trio Le Tigre. Like a rocket blasting off—symbolically and literally, LE TIGRE On Tour grabs a hold of you and doesn’t let you go. This riotous documentary follows the feisty musicians from New York City who make up this explosive band—Kathleen Hanna (formerly of Bikini Kill), JD Samson and Johanna Fateman—from their inception to their oscillating rise to stardom. Their candid interviews delve into how they navigated the rocky waters during the height of the underground feminist punk movement. Their empowering female and queer lyrics and political activism led to them being ostracized by other riot grrrl groups and the media. What makes this electrifying documentary so worthwhile is the often-times uproarious behind-the-scenes footage filmed during the height of their career while on their final concert tour for the album This Island.. Whether you are a fan or new to their music, LE TIGRE On Tour truly captures the heart and soul of three talented artists who transcended a musical movement in an inspirational yet amusing way! –Kelly Burkhardt

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 70 min

In this sublimely crafted, performance-driven drama, a closeted Navy vet sets out on a mission to reconnect with the one true love he betrayed and lost.

Divorced 52-year-old Harry (Jamey Sheridan) lives alone in a small East Coast town. He receives a call from a dying Navy comrade, Tom (Steve Buscemi), who’s racked with guilt over something they did to a fellow gay seaman in their youth. Harry begins a road trip, re-connecting with their former buddies. Each reunion proves calamitous, opening a series of Pandora’s boxes that leave everyone shattered and dour, especially Harry, whose clandestine affair with David – seen in flashbacks — and role in his betrayal rises again to the surface. Influenced by John Cassavetes’ 1970s classics Husbands and The Killing of a Chinese Bookie, director Bette Gordon and screenwriter Nicholas T. Proferes (a film teacher at NYC’s Columbia University) keep things low-key yet brimming with tension. Sheridan and his fellow cast are uniformly excellent, including Aidan Quinn, John Savage, Karen Young, Titus Welliver (Man in Black from “Lost”) and Campbell Scott. A poignant drama of remorse, forgiveness and redemption. –Lawrence Ferber Director: Bette Gordon Cast: Jamey Sheridan, Steve Buscemi, Mariann Mayberry, Aidan Quinn, John Savage, Campbell Scott Screenwriter: Nicholas Proferes Producers: Jamin O’Brien, Jamey Sheridan, Marilyn Haft, Eric Goldman Cinematographer: Nigel Bluck Editor: Keiko Deguchi Print Source: Paladin

Bette Gordon’s Filmography: Luminous Motion (1998), Variety (1983)

Director: Kerthy Fix Producer: Le Tigre Cinematographer: Carmen Covelli Editors: Sarah Devorkin, Paul Kloss Print Source: Oscilloscope Laboratories

LE TIGRE On Tour is Kerthy Fix’s debut.

Program includes the short:

You Move Me

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 102 min

Gay and lesbian audiences will discover much to enjoy in this dramady which is chock full of sparkly one-liners, vintage frocks and spectacular dance sequences. Choreographed by, and starring renowned ballroom and Latin dancer Melanie LaPatin and the 2006 winner of “You Think You Can Dance,” Benji Schwimmer.

“Seven months, two weeks and four days,” declares Sheri Campari, an overbearing larger-than-life backstage ballroom matriarch—played with great humor and chutzpah by Melanie LaPatin. While Sheri’s competition days are a distant memory, her determination that the Campari name triumph at the annual South-Eastern Mid West Region Amateur Ballroom Competition is channeled with the ferocity of a tornado through her youngest daughter Tasi. While Tasi goes through the motions of practicing the foxtrot and quickstep with her sister Toni, and with Cedric, her gay dance partner (and Toni’s best friend), she’s nurturing a secret. It’s the reason why her clothes are no longer fitting, she’s pregnant! Toni is too delirious to notice, she’s got a new beau Mona, but she’s not yet found the courage to come-out and tell anybody….just yet. As the competition draws closer, the Campari’s are going to have to re-examine their roles in life and come up with some surprising moves of their own to dazzle the judges.

–Carol Coombes Directors: Daniel Beahm, Erika Randall Beahm Cast: Laurel Vail, Shannon Lea Smith, Benji Schwimmer, Nicole Dionne, Melanie LaPatin Screenwriters: Erika Randall Beahm, Jennifer Bechtel Producer: Daniel Beahm Cinematographer: Peter Biagi Editor: Jonas Bendsen Print Source: Daniel Beahm

Leading Ladies is Daniel Beahm, Erika Randall Beahm’s debut.

(USA, 2010, 12 min, Gina Hirsch) In this pitchperfect comedy two cynical best friends are on a covert mission to retrieve the last of their stuff from the apartment of a dangerously seductive ex-girlfriend.

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

My Normal

Out of Annapolis

The Owls

Sat, July 10 • 4:45 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 11 • 12:15 • Ritz East Theater 2

Sat, July 17 • 4:45 • Ritz East Theater 1

Fri, July 16 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Sun, July 18 • 12:15 • Ritz at the Bourse

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 78 min

Crisp story-telling and lively interview subjects make this documentary about LGBT graduates of the Annapolis U.S. Naval Academy a must-see for non-fiction film-lovers.

Steve Clark Hall’s straight-forward documentary centers on LGBT graduates of the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland as they discuss their sexuality in relation to their service. Eleven alumni speak of their experiences. They represent a cross section of the more than 300 LGBT Annapolis cadets who have come out since their graduation. Many of the subjects still have very strong bonds to the Academy, U.S. Marine Corp, and the U.S. Naval Corps today, despite “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell.” Their stories show that Annapolis played a crucial role in their professional and personal development. All of the interviewees’ stories show the damage that this policy does to people’s lives. Many tell of the disastrous heterosexual marriages they entered into as a result of pressure to conform. While never really mentioning or even discussing it, the film skewers the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy while relating these brave men and women’s personal stories. –Scott Cranin

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 69 min

A sharply written tale of a young dominatrix, who after falling for a woman who disapproves of her whip-snapping profession, seeks a legitimate film career.

Natalie (Nicole LaLiberte) is without question one of the best dominatrices in New York City. With her fiery red hair, striking features and unabashed style she puts her male clients in their place. Though she’s a lesbian, she is content with her profession in which she’s costumed in skin-tight latex, holding riding crops, wielding ball gags. Yet this pro-domme desires a legitimate job in the film industry. It does not help that her domineering Jewish mother pressures her to use her college degree in psychology, while her fellow lesbian co-workers convincingly argue that their profession is “normal,” stating sex workers are really just “alternative” therapists. Headstrong Natalie decides to follow her dreams and collaborates with her pot dealer to write a screenplay about her sexual adventures. All the while, love strikes when a sultry, dark-haired Latina named Jasmine (Dawn Noel Pignuola) enters the picture and declares she’s not happy with her lover’s unconventional job. With snarky wit and a nonchalant attitude towards the sex industry, My Normal is an incredibly sexy and entertaining feature that shows that no matter what your job skills are, you should use them to your advantage when following your dreams. –Kelly Burkhardt Director: Irving Schwartz Cast: Nicole LaLiberte, Ty Jones, Dawn Noel Pignuola, Naama Kates Screenwriters: Abdul Malik Abbott, Renee Garzon, Adam Sales Producers: Abdul Malik Abbott, Phillipa Davis, Renee Garzon, Chip Hourihan, Adam Sales Cinematographer: George Lyon Print Source: Wolfe Releasing

Out of Annapolis is Steve Clark Hall’s debut.

Director Steve Clark Hall and some of the film’s subjects are scheduled to attend.

Program includes the short:

Never Too Late

Irving Schwartz’s Filmography: Perception (2005); Larceny (2004); Swatters (2002) July 11 screening only includes the short:

Shafted

Director: Steve Clark Hall Producer: Steve Clark Hall Cinematographer: Steve Clark Hall Editor: Steve Clark Hall Print Source: Steve Clark Hall

(USA, 2009, 10 min, April Hirschman) Should the butcher lesbian get to keep the sex toys after a break-up? Lindsay doesn’t think so.

(USA, 2009, 8 min, Wendy L. Weinberg) Two hotel maids have lived quietly together in San Francisco for 25 years. When the California Supreme Court grants same-sex couples the right to marry, they decide it’s time to tie the knot. Sadly, before they can hire a florist, Prop 8 is passed. Will they have to head east in search of equality?

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 66 min

Gifted, pioneer filmmaker Cheryl Dunye (Watermelon Woman) is back with yet another landmark masterpiece that fuses a funny, frenetic thriller featuring an all-star lesbian cast with fascinating character study.

Cheryl Dunye’s (2010 Artistic Achievement Award recipient) latest cinematic endeavor The Owls is bold, gutsy and simply brilliant. At the height of its career, the riot grrrl rock band “The Screech” had it all. But that was 10 years ago, and even though their memories are in the distant past, these former queer rockers have a hard time moving on from their broken dreams. Passionate Lily (Lisa Gornick) and compliant Carol (Dunye) are in a stagnant relationship of convenience that will be irrevocably complicated if they decide to have a child. Sexy Iris (Guinevere Turner) is a raging alcoholic who occasionally disappears, and her ex-girlfriend MJ (V.S. Brodie) lives in seclusion in West Hollywood, masturbating to porn. The foursome sporadically gets together, and on one such occasion a pool party chock full of cocaine and booze goes horribly awry when aggressive, brooding Cricket (Deak Evgenikos) shows up. Things quickly unravel and the angry twenty-something disappears. All is seemingly forgotten until a dark, handsome stranger shows up and disrupts all of their lives! On the surface this is a mysterious black comedy, but what is hidden in between the lines is intricate storytelling interwoven with each actor expressing her multifaceted, multicultural character. As Dunye confidently lets the audience into the creative process, she once again brilliantly redefines queer filmmaking. –Kelly Burkhardt Director: Cheryl Dunye Cast: Guinevere Turner, V.S. Brodie, Lisa Gornick, Cheryl Dunye, P. David Ebersole, Deak Evgenikos Screenwriter: Sarah Schulman Producers: Agusta Einarsdottir, Ernesto Foronda, Candi Guterres, Alexandra Juhasz, Molly Sturdevant Cinematographer: Alison Kelly Editor: Agusta Einarsdottir Print Source: The Film Collaborative

Cheryl Dunye’s Filmography: My Baby’s Daddy (2004); Stranger Inside (2001); The Watermelon Woman (1996)

more information online • www.qfest.com

Best of US & World Cinema

Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay!

The People I’ve Slept With

Sat, July 17 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 18 • 2:15 • Ritz East Theater 2

Fri, July 9 • 7:45 • Ritz at the Bourse Mon, July 12 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 2

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 91 min

A wildly funny farce about two Jewish parents who don’t want to believe their son is gay. A great cast headed by the Jewish mother to end all Jewish mothers, Lainie Kazan.

In the farcical tradition of Norman, Is That You?, Mambo Italiano and La Cage aux Folles comes this raucous, star-studded comedy about two determined Jewish parents who will do anything to keep their faygala son on the straight and narrow. The indomitable Lainie Kazan is the brassy and opinionated Shirley, and Saul Rubinek is her long under-her-thumb husband, Martin. Blissfully unaware that the sexual revolution has come and gone, their only wish is that their son marry a nice Jewish girl. When their very successful (and so handsome!) son Nelson reluctantly reveals that his is in fact gay (and on top of that, his lover is a goy!), it sets off a series of actions by his frantically scheming parents to make him understand that it’s just a phase. A terrifically funny cast includes a beardless Bruce Vilanch as a (barely) closeted husband, Jai Rodriguez (“Queer Eye for the Straight Guy”) as the love interest and the burley Vincent Pastore (“The Sopranos”) as Jai’s accepting father. But it is Carmen Electra, who steals every scene she is in, as the blonde bombshell vixen asked by the parents to seduce the son back to heterosexuality. More Jewish than kugels and Manischewitz, Oy Vey delivers the laughs big time. –Raymond Murray Director: Evgeny Afineevsky Cast: Lainie Kazan, Carmen Electra, Saul Rubinek, Vincent Pastore, Jai Rodriguez, Bruce Vilanch, John Lloyd Young Screenwriters: Evgeny Afineevsky, Joseph Goldman, Martin Guigui Producers: Evgeny Afineevsky, Svetlana Anufrieva, Rich Cowan, Igor Zektser Cinematographer: Peter N. Green Editor: Michael Southworth Print Source: New Generation Films Inc

Oy Vey! My Son Is Gay! is Evgeny Afineevsky’s debut.

Sponsored by:

Philadelphia Premiere Canada, Hong Kong 2009, 89 min

From gay director Quentin Lee comes this sparkling comedy about a sex-loving woman who finds herself pregnant and wants to find the father—from her backlist of affairs.

From director Quentin Lee (Drift) comes this story of Angela (Karin Anna Cheung), a free-spirited and promiscuous woman who has just realized every singlegirl’s biggest nightmare –“Whoops I’m Pregnant!”

What’s a girl to do? Lucky for Angela she has her G.B.F. (gay best friend), Gabriel (Wilson Cruz, “My So Called Life”), who urges our frisky little heroine “to take care of it.” Lucky for the “little-nut” inside of her and the film’s comedic progression that Angela’s conservative sister Juliet (Lynn Chen) convinces her to keep the baby, marry the daddy, and become a “normal” member of society. This life-changing decision sets our cast of characters on an uproarious ride perusing her collection of baseball cards (Angela photo documents her past lovers to keep track of them), tracking down those who have taken a spin. This is a “whodunit” baby-daddy comedy fit for our times.

–Louis Senofonte Director: Quentin Lee Cast: Karin Anna Cheung, Wilson Cruz, Archie Kao, Chris Zylka, James Shigeta, Lynn Chen, Elizabeth Sung, Cathy Shim, Stacie Rippy Screenwriter: Koji Steven Sakai Producers: Quentin Lee, Koji Steven Sakai, Stanley Yung Cinematographer: Quyen Tran Editor: Aldo Velasco Print Source: Margin Films

Quentin Lee’s Filmography: 0506HK (2007); Ethan Mao (2004); Drift (2000); Shopping for Fangs (1997); Flow (1996) Program includes the short:

Little Love (USA, 2010, 10 min, Quentin Lee) Quentin Lee (The People I’ve Slept With) also directed this short which explores the complications of friendship and relationships. The closeness between two young lovers and a mutual friend is put to the test when passion take over reason. more information online • www.qfest.com

73

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74

Philadelphia QFEST 10

Piggies Swinki Sat, July 10 • 12:30 • Ritz at the Bourse Tue, July 13 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse

Release

Philadelphia Premiere Poland, Germany 2009, 93 min

A Polish boy gets caught up in the seedy world of child prostitution and its materialistic payoff in this controversial, transfixing drama.

It’s 1990. Living on the Polish side of the Poland/ Germany border, baby-faced 16-year-old Tomek (Filip Garbacz) begins to question whether his dreams of becoming an astronomer will ever come true. Living in poverty, even taking the girl he likes on a date seems impossible. So Tomek turns to the world of “swinki” (aka “piggies”), in which sex is exchanged for cash and materialistic goods from wealthy (and often degenerate) German clients. It doesn’t take long for the intelligent, ambitious Tomek – who boasts a petulant streak that works as much for him as against him – to cross the line and set up his own business pimping other young boys. As with his award-winning 2001 feature Hi, Tereszka, director Robert Glinski fixes his lens on the bleak realities of Poland’s poverty-bound youth. He coaxes astounding performances from his mostly non-professional cast, particularly the lanky Garbacz (14-years-old at the time they filmed). Yet despite the lurid, painful subject matter Piggies depicts, it veers away from tasteless exploitation. (Polish and German with English subtitles) –Lawrence Ferber

Fri, July 16 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sat, July 17 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse Philadelphia Premiere Great Britain 2010, 87 min

Set in a hellish prison where violence and sexual degradation are the norm, a young priest and a prison guard fall secretly in love. From the maker’s of last year’s hit, Shank.

Following the searing urban drama Shank, one of the surprise hits of last year’s QFest, the Bristol, Englandbased creative team have returned with Release, an equally intense and powerful love story set in a hellish men’s prison. Jack Gillie (Daniel Brocklebank), a young priest convicted of a serious crime, is incarcerated.

Angry that his church has abandoned him, he suffers from a lapse of his faith. Yet he attempts to help and befriend his vulnerable cellmate Rook (Wayne Virgo, the lead in Shank). But no amount of comfort can protect Rook (and eventually the priest) from the threatened violence from one particular sadistic inmate. It’s a volitile atmosphere: the guards are either complacent or on the side of the thugs; the female warden is more concerned about power and sex than in maintaining control; and the inmates are restless and agitated. Amidst all of this, Jack’s only beam of hope comes in the form of prison guard Martin (Garry Summers) with whom he begins a passionate but clandestine affair. When tensions rise and violence explodes within the walls, both men’s dreams of escaping together are threatened. Not your usually light weight gay indie, Release makes for a visceral, gut-wrenching affair touching on the subjects of justice, retribution, repression, religion and love.

–Raymond Murray Directors: Darren Flaxstone, Christian Martin Cast: Daniel Brocklebank, Garry Summers, Bernie Hodges, Wayne Virgo, Simon Pearce, Dymphna Skehill Screenwriters: Darren Flaxstone, Christian Martin Producer: Christian Martin Cinematographer: Simon Pearce Editor: Darren Flaxstone Print Source: TLA Releasing

Release is Darren Flaxstone and Christian Martin’s debut.

Director: Robert Glinski Cast: Filip Garbacz, Bogdan Koca, Dorota WierzbickaMatarelli, Piotr Jagielski, Rolf Hoppe, Marek Kalita Screenwriters: Joanna Didik, Robert Glinski Producers: Eike Goreczka, Witold Iwaszkiewicz, Thomas Jeschner, Mario Schneider Cinematographer: Petro Aleksowski Editor: Krzysztof Szpetmanski Print Source: Witold Iwaszkiewicz

Robert Glinski’s Filmography: [Selected] Benek (2007); Unkenrufe (2005); Czesc Tereska (Hi, Tereska) (2001); Kochaj i rób co chcesz (Love Me and Do Whatever You Want) (1998)

Sponsored by:

more information online • www.qfest.com

Best of US & World Cinema

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Shut Up and Kiss Me Tue, July 13 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 18 • 12:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 World Premiere USA 2010, 79 min

Seeing Heaven Fri, July 16 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse Sun, July 18 • 4:30 • Ritz East Theater 2 World Premiere Great Britain 2010, 117 min

A British psychological thriller about a young male prostitute haunted by visions of his long-gone twin brother who he believes was lured into the potentially dangerous world of porn.

Belying its low budget, first-time film director Ian Powell has created a moody, at times creepy, very sexy and intensely atmospheric thriller about a young male prostitute haunted by nightmares which may very well come true. When you are beautiful, someone is always trying to use you or do you harm. Such is the belief of Paul, a young escort who is desired by everyone. Paul has no problem selling his body to the highest bidder, as long as they also take his other unusual gift – that is, when having sex, Paul has visions of his long-lost twin brother, visions that are eerily transferred to the clients. When not tricking, the unhappy Paul searches for his brother who was separated from him when he was a young child. Through a series of chance encounters Paul meets Baxter, a porn director wanting to break into cross-over films. Since Paul thinks his brother may be working in the Adult Film Industry, he agrees to do a porn film if Baxter in turn helps him find his brother.

But his entry into this world becomes more and more intense and potentially dangerous as sexual excesses, nightmarish visions and the possible redemptive powers of love overwhelm him. A captivating commentary on the British escort/porn industry as well as a 21st century variation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. –Dudley Best Director: Ian Powell Cast: Alexander Bracq, Denton Lethe, Maximo Salvo, Anthony Styles, Gunnar Hojem, Andrew Shire, Nic Gilder, Scott Van Der Merwe, Jamie Karl Cross, Piotr Blak, Israel Cassol, Anton Z. Risan Screenwriter: Ian Powell Producer: Anton Z. Risan Cinematographer: Alessio Valori Editor: Ian Powell Print Source: Ian Powell

Ben’s friends think he is catch – smart, successful, sexy…and a commitmentphobe.

Ben thinks he just hasn’t found the one. Find out who’s right.

Straight from the heart, screenwriter/star Ronnie Kerr’s autobiographical romance hits home because it’s his story, and it’s a sweet one. Ben is attractive, successful, and looking for love…in all the wrong places. Failed attempts with video dating, his uproarious friends setting him up, and bad gym run-ins have this perennially single 35-year-old ready to call it quits. He figures maybe romance is just not in the cards for him. Except there is this hot stud who runs by his house each morning as he waters his lawn. It takes a fair amount of courage for Ben to speak with Grey, well actually, he’s pushed into it by his best gal pal Callie, and the chemistry is instant. But there’s one small problem, Grey’s got some commitment issues and Ben’s “a one man guy”. Shut Up and Kiss Me is the classic story of boy meets boy – one of the boys likes to sleep with multiple boys – the first boy wants it all to himself. Fresh, sharp and witty; this one’s a romance for the rest of us. –Louis Senofonte Director: Devin Hamilton Cast: Ronnie Kerr, Scott Gabelein, Kindall Kolins, Joey Russo, Nate Scholz, Jennifer Ruth Jones, Isaac Brantner, David Moretti, Dylan Vox Screenwriter: Ronnie Kerr Producers: Devin Hamilton, Ronnie Kerr Editor: Devin Hamilton Print Source: Ariztical

Devin Hamilton’s Filmography: Delta Delta Die! (2003); Birth Rite (2003); Bleed (2002) Program includes the short:

Seeing Heaven is Ian Powell’s debut.

The Yellow Tent

Director Ian Powell is scheduled to attend

(USA, 2008, 6 min, Rafael Lessa) Two reunited childhood friends share an intimate moment that may change their friendship forever within the comforting confines of a yellow tent.

Sponsored by:

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

Straight & Butch

The String

Wed, July 14 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse

Le fil

World Premiere USA 2010, 89 min

Fri, July 9 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 11 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 2

Sun, July 11 • 4:45 • Ritz East Theater 2

East Coast Premiere Algeria, France, Belgium 2009, 92 min

With an endearing tone, this documentary follows the proud residents of a working class city as they tirelessly work to ensure that they have their place in LGBT history.

Many of us are from blue collar cities. These towns are the backbone of our country, tucked away in various regions of the US. Often, our history, is forgotten because we are not from New York City or San Francisco. Well, the townspeople of Buffalo, NY led by one extraordinary and passionate lesbian, Madeline Davis, decide to not only collect all queerrelated memorabilia, but make their history as well.

At first glance, it appears to be one woman’s crusade gathering rare, vibrant and emotional artifactslike the original recording of “Stonewall Nation” produced by the Mattachine Society, various drag queen costumes, and deeply personal letters from the town’s first transsexual-evolves into a town-wide (out or otherwise) crusade. It is inspiring watching the townsfolk from an impoverished, Rust-Belt city preserve their past for the sake of their future. At the heart and soul of this charming documentary is not the individual stories unfolding on screen, rather its sense of our LGBT community that we share regardless of our station in life. –Kelly Burkhardt

A fascinating locally produced documentary on the making of a peculiarly original photo calendar: of one openly gay man (Butch Cordora) and twelve different straight men posing together in the nude.

Local queer celebrity Butch Cordora (“In Bed with Butch”) came up with an intriguing idea for a calendar: recreate a famous photo for each month and stage them with him (way openly gay) and a different straight man… both in the nude. Apart from the creativity and titillation, the idea also promised to explore the often rocky and often uncomfortable relationship between gay and straight men. This documentary follows the behind-the-scenes making of each photo shoot, from Butch’s efforts to finding 12 willing men to the execution of each photo shoot. But more importantly, it captures the often insightful comments from his straight co-stars on both their willingness to bare all and pose with Butch. Working with different photographers, most notably Tony Ward, the results are striking and provocative – from the re-staging of the Cindy Crawford/kd lang Vanity Fair cover to John and Oko’s iconic nude embrace. But is it the unconventional straight men that provide the best insight and often humor – from the South Street tattoo artist, to the long-haired college student to a quietly tough video salesman. –Raymond Murray Director: Butch Cordora Cast: Tony Ward, Gervase Peterson, Helter Skelter, Butch Cordora, Michael Itkoff, Anthony Borzotta Producer: Butch Cordora Cinematographers: Anthony Borzotta, Kelly Burkhardt, Adam Suchecki Editors: Ryan Suits, Nicole Vergalla Print Source: Butch Cordora

Straight & Butch is Butch Cordora’s debut.

Set in Tunisia, this involving drama is about the love of two young men threatened by Muslim cultural oppression and Western class snobbery.

Class, cultural and sexual differences are explored in this torridly romantic drama co-starring an Italian superstar from the past: Claudia Cardinale. Set in arid Tunisia, tall, quiet Malik (Antonin Stahly), a 30-year-old Parisian architect, returns to his homeland after the death of his father. He’s greeted warmly by his over-bearing, petulant mother (Cardinale) and is immediately confronted with her expectation that he stay and get married. This now strange world of his youth, his mother’s pressure and his barely hidden homosexuality set off anxiety attacks in Malik, who finally finds relief when he meets the darkly handsome handyman, Balil (Salim Kechiouche, Full Speed, Grande école, 3 Dancing Slaves). They begin a tentative relationship, but Islamic mores, a still class conscience society, and the ever-presence of his mother threaten their young love. Le fil is a forbidden love story as well as a character study of people lost in rapidly changing cultures. Don’t miss this engaging, insightful and undeniably sexy drama. (French, Arabic with English subtitles) –Raymond Murray Director: Mehdi Ben Attia Cast: Claudia Cardinale, Antonin Stahly-Vishwanadan, Salim Kechiouche, Driss Ramdi, Ramla Ayari, Ali Mrabet Screenwriters: Mehdi Ben Attia, Olivier Laneurie Producers: Anne-Cécile Berthomeau, Farès Ladjimi, Edouard Mauriat Cinematographer: Sofian El Fani Editor: Chantal Hymans Print Source: TLA Releasing

The String is Mehdi Ben Attia’s debut.

Sponsored by:

Swimming with Lesbians Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 67 min

Director: David B. Marshall Producer: David B. Marshall Cinematographer: Thom Marinni Editor: David B. Marshall Print Source: Blue Sky

Swimming With Lesbians is David B. Marshall’s debut.

Program includes the short:

Embraceable You (USA, 2010, 32 min, Doug Keith) Just about 40 miles north of the city exists an extremely gay friendly small town with residents that welcome people from all walks of life.

Incorporating both the physical and social beauty of the area through interviews and footage, Embraceable You celebrates the open-mindedness of New Hope, PA and its charming and colorful citizens.

more information online • www.qfest.com

Best of US & World Cinema

Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam

Taxi zum Klo Sat, July 10 • 5:30 • Ritz at the Bourse

Wed, July 14 • 9:30 • Ritz East Theater 2

Germany 1981, 97 min

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 84 min

Only marginally queer (but enough for us!), this hard-hitting documentary on the Muslim punk rock scene in the States makes for an eye-opening, sensibilities-shaking, ear-ringing event.

Fundamentalist Muslims stridently disapprove of music and dance. Now throw in banging punk rock sounds, drugs, disaffected Islamic teens and add some wayward sexuality to the mix; it’s enough to give a Mullah a coronary! Taqwacore, a term recently inspired by author (and Catholic-raised) Michael Muhammed Knight is the title of his novel which has been called The Catcher in the Rye for post-9/11 North American Muslim youth. It follows a group of young subversives as they tour the US with their bands and later travel to Pakistan. Nothing is sacred as they stage a lesbian thrash act at an Islamic convention and play not so nice with the American flag.

Yes, in true punk style these delinquents hate everyone! But who could hate their songs like, “I Want To Fuck You During Ramadan,” “Suicide Bomb the Gap,” and “ Hey Hey Guantanamo Bay”. A controversial doc for sure and one which offers a glimpse of alternative queer culture. –Noelle Reilly Director: Omar Majeed Cast: Bobby Naderi, Noureen DeWulf, Dominic Rains, Rasika Mathur, Tony Yalda, Nav Mann, Volkan Eryaman, Ian Tran Producer: Mila Aung-Thwin Cinematographers: Mark Ellam, Zachary Dylan Fay Editors: Maxime Chalifoux, Omar Majeed Print Source: Lorber Films

Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam is Omar Majeed’s debut.

A one-time revival of one of the most successful and notorious gay-themed films of the 1980s: Taxi Zum Klo (Taxi to the Toilet) Want to see what life was like for a sexually promiscuous guy in pre-AIDS times? Check it out.

Long unavailable on VHS/DVD in the US, this ground-breaking, sexually explicit drama is enjoying its 30th anniversary this year (not released in the U.S. until 1981) and we secured the newly re-mastered Director’s Cut from its German distribution company. Frank Ripploh’s witty, autobiographical, social/ sexual, comedy about a West Berlin schoolteacherby-day, sexual adventurer-by-night was a surprise art house hit (attracting gay as well as adventurous straight audiences). The film offered for many their first glimpse of a sympathetic and likeable gay man in the person of the bearded Ripploh. The drama offers the viewer an illuminating warts and all portrait of one man’s gay lifestyle, his conflicting image in a straight-laced profession (schoolteacher) and his relationship with a monogamous lover, who disapproves of his hedonistic promiscuity. Its pre-AIDS depiction of sex includes wonderfully graphic and comic tea room antics and thirst-quenching water sports, scenes that could not be shown in today’s more conservative climate! Funny, charming and unflinchingly honest. (German with English subtitles) –Raymond Murray “The first masterpiece about the mainstream of male gay life.”

–The Village Voice Director: Frank Ripploh Cast: Frank Ripploh, Bernd Broaderup, Orpha Termin, Peter Fahrni, Dieter Godde Screenwriter: Frank Ripploh Producers: Frank Ripploh, Horst Schier, Laurens Straub Cinematographer: Horst Schier Editors: Gela-Marina Runne, Matthias von Gunten Print Source: Pro-Fun

Frank Ripploh’s Filmography: Taxi nach Kairo (1987)

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Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives Sat, July 10 • 9:45 • Ritz East Theater 1 Sun, July 11 • 4:45 • Ritz East Theater 1 Philadelphia Premiere USA 2010, 90 min

A bevy of curvaceous but seriously pissed off trannies take bloody revenge on violent homophobes is this hilarious film, fashioned as a trannie homage to the pulp “classics” of the ‘70s.

Controversial even before its World Premiere screening at the Tribeca Film Festival where GLAAD infamously damned it, TOTWK is actually hilariously harmless exploitative fun – think a transgendered Charles Bronson as Varla in Faster Pussycat Kill!

Kill!. Fashioned in the style of the sleazy 1970s pulp films that populated Center City cinemas like the Milgram, Midtown and Goldman, this uproarious slasher/revenge romp features some seriously not-tobe-fucked with trannies, finger-snapping one-liners, vicious straight male villains, and enough beatings, stabbings and kung-fu style ass-kicking to satisfy. It all begins in a small Dallas nightclub where performers and friends, Mexican bombshell Emma Grashun (Erica Andrews), the fast-talking Rachel Slurr (Willam Belli), the naïve Bubbles Cliquot (Krystal Summers), 36DD Tipper Sommore (Jenna Skyy) and the plussized Pinky La’Trimm (Kelexis Davenport) hang out.

But when a group date with an unsuspecting straight guy leads to one of the beauties being hospitalized, it takes the collective swagger and power of the others to exact trannie justice! And for the PCers out there, if you are still not convinced we should screen the film, just remember – it’s a comedy and it’s the pissed off trannies who have the knives this time and they could be coming after you! –Raymond Murray Ticked-off Trannies Should Get a GLAAD Award!”

–Michael Musto, Village Voice Director: Israel Luna Cast: Krystal Summers, Kelexis Davenport, Willam Belli, Erica Andrews, Jenna Skyy, Tom Zembrod, Richard D. Curtin, Kenny Ochoa, Gerardo Davila, Todd Jenkins, Chase Wade Screenwriter: Israel Luna Producer: Toni Miller Editor: Israel Luna Print Source: La Luna Entertainment

Israel Luna’s Filmography: R U Invited? (2006); The Deadbeat Club (2004); Is Anybody There? (2002)

more information online • www.qfest.com

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Philadelphia QFEST 10

You Should Meet My Son!

Wild About Harry Mon, July 12 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse Fri, July 16 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse

Thu, July 15 • 7:15 • Ritz East Theater 1 Fri, July 16 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 1

Philadelphia Premiere USA 2009, 95 min

A stylishly executed, ‘70s-based period piece, Wild About Harry follows two teenaged sisters as they attempt to come to terms with their semi-closeted father’s homosexuality and their community’s disapproval.

Coping with their mother’s death, straight-laced Madeline, her jovial sister Daisy and their devoted father Harry move to a gorgeous seaside home in Cape Cod during the autumn of 1973. Harry plans to sell American primitive furniture while the girls acclimate themselves to their new school. Things are complicated with the arrival of Harry’s attractive new “business” partner Mr. Gibbs. During a night out, the girls visit the Atlantic House, Provincetown’s historic gay bar. There, Madeline spots her father dancing with Gibbs. Confused and resentful, Maddie seeks comfort in a popular boy who isn’t adept at keeping secrets. As their seemingly friendly community becomes a town without pity, Harry and Gibbs, previously Cape Cod’s most eligible new bachelors, are transformed into social pariahs. Making her feature debut, theater director Gwen Wynne fills the film with colorful costumes, a rockin’ ‘70s soundtrack, and a varied ensemble of performers.

Examining hardships faced by gay parents, even shortly after the progressive movements of the 1960s, this is a touching drama that celebrates the importance of accepting family members exactly as they are. –Robert O’Neill Director: Gwen Wynne Cast: Tate Donovan, Adam Pascal, Danielle Savre, Skye McCole Bartusiak, Josh Peck, Corey Sevier, Susan Anspach Screenwriters: Mary Beth Fielder, Gwen Wynne Producers: Suzan Crowley, James Egan, Mary Beth Fielder, Adam Rosen, Gwen Wynne Cinematographer: Chris Chomyn Editor: Joanne D’Antonio Print Source: Cape Cod Films

Wild About Harry is Gwen Wynne’s debut.

World Premiere USA 2010, 86 min

Family values just the way we love them, and lots of laughs in this wonderfully joyous film about a pair of Southern women who try and set their son/nephew up with the right man.

Probably the sweetest and one of the funniest movies in this year’s festival, Keith Hartman’s feature debut is about the mom and aunt everyone wished they had.

Mae (JoAnn McGee) is a Southern mother who just wants the best for her son Brian (Stewart Carrico).

Mae and her sister Rose (Carol Goans) invite Brian and every single girl in town over most Friday nights to meet Brian., But Brian always brings his “special friend and roommate.” One night the sisters finally catches on – with the help of an “Is You Son Gay?” survey in a magazine. The sisters then change their course and try to find Brian a man. They’ve heard that the Internet is the place, so they ask a teenage neighbor to set up a computer for them. He sends them right to Manhunt, where they’re abruptly sent right to the gay meat-market of the 21st century. But, they’re determined ladies, even if it means hitting the bars and clubs themselves to rustle up a few Mr. Rights. Absolutely charming, You Should Meet My Son is like one of the best “Golden Girls” episodes, if they went gay, I mean even gayer. –Scott Cranin

TBA Mon, July 19 • 5:00 • Ritz East Theater 2 Mon, July 19 • 7:00 • Ritz East Theater 2 Mon, July 19 • 9:15 • Ritz East Theater 2 Mon, July 19 • 5:15 • Ritz at the Bourse Mon, July 19 • 7:30 • Ritz at the Bourse On Mon, July 19 we will reserve slots for the picks of the most popular films of the Festival. You balloting throughout the Festival will help us to present a select group of this year’s best films.

Director: Keith Hartman Cast: JoAnne McGee, Carol Goans, Stewart Carrico, Ginger Pullman, Steve Snyder, Acquah Dansoh Screenwriter: Keith Hartman Producer: Keith Hartman Cinematographer: Jeremy Grant Editor: Donna Mathewson Print Source: Waltzing Penguin Productions

You Should Meet My Son! is Keith Hartman’s debut.

Program includes the short:

The Defenders (USA, 2009, 4 min, Keith Hartman) Hartman also directed this wildly funny political satire about a group of bible-thumping Prop 8 voters who take the idea of “traditional marriage” way too seriously. more information online • www.qfest.com

Q

special preview party Wed, July 7, 6 to 8:30 pm

AxD gallery

featuring:

Michael Biello Michael Broderick Susan Dipronio JD Dragan Laureen Griffin Randy Husava Paul Davis Jones Doron Langberg David Lunt Ashley Payne Larry Wood

265 s 10th st. philadelphia

215.627.6250 a-x-d.com/gallery

july 7 thru aug 7

ueerArt?

sponsors:

QUEERtimes.net fueled by

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Available at

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Introducing Philadelphia magazine’s

BEST GAYBORHOOD of the

CElEBRATinG OnE Of THE CiTY’S mOST viBRAnT nEiGHBORHOODS.

COminG JulY 1 Visit www.Gphiladelphia.com

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A very special thanks to our supporters HOST COMMITTEES

SUPPORTERS

QFest 2010 Jay Arnold & Bruce Campbell Al Besse David Schellenberg, LinguiSearch Joe Soto Kevin J. Lyons Stephen Carlino & Dennis Fee Tavern on Camac, terra

Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Governor Edward G. Rendell Mickey Rowley, Deputy Secretary for Tourism, Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development (DCED) Jane Saul, Pennsylvania Film Office Director Richard Bonds, Executive Director, Tourism Operation and Marketing, Pennsylvania Tourism Office Lenwood Sloan, Director, Cultural and Heritage Tourism, Pennsylvania Tourism Office Larry Farnese, State Senator, 1st District Dwight Evans, State Representative, 203rd District Mike O’Brien, State Representative, 175th District Babette Josephs, State Representative, 182nd District

Barbra-Palooza David Schwartz, Chair Evan Bochetto Elliot Curson John DiPietro & Rich Carbonaro Michael & Jill Feighan John Herzins & Duane Bumb Herb & Sissy Lipton Jim Ounsworth Ruth Perlmutter FUNDERS Pennsylvania Film Office Pennsylvania Tourism Office Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Cultural Fund Greater Philadelphia Cultural Alliance 5-County Arts Fund Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) Dolfinger-McMahon

City of Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter Gloria Casarez, LGBT Liaison, Office of the Mayor City Council Members Blondell Reynolds Brown Frank DiCicco James Kenney Frank Rizzo Jr.

FRIENDS Andrew Auwerda Ed Barnhart Thomas Bell Jerime Black George Bochetto Jill and Sheldon Bonovitch Kristin Borgstrom Sean Buffington Laura Burkhardt Mark Beyerle Janet and Gary Calderwood Chris Calderwood Janice Canfield Donald Chalphin David Chapman Norval Copeland Dan Contarino Shawn Darragh David & MaryEllen DeMarco James Duggan Daniel Dvorak Randal Edelstein Jill & Michael Feighan Leo Fox George Frigo Brian Gagnon Renee Gilinger Mitch Gillette Harry Giordano Joe Green Jeff Guaracino David Haas Fred Haas David Hall Phyllis Halpern Ed Hanlon

Christopher Hayes John Herzins Warren Hoffman Jill Holder Gabriella Iacovetti Martin Jakubczak Donna Katz Jill Katz Joe Kim Bill Kuehn Sue Laks Tom Lamb Malcolm Lazin Meryl Levitz Herb & Sissy Lipton Michael Lucas Amy Lukk Kevin M. Lyons Maia Lystad Michaela Majouin Edward Mastroddi Gary Mastroddi Jay McCalla Steve McCann Joe McCollum Patrick McCormick Ryan McMenamin Kevin Meeker Chad Merriweather Jeffrey Miller Robert Norton Olivia Peiffer Rick Piper Lisa M. Reisman George Reppert Beth Mohan Resta Jamie Reibenbach Carrie Rickey Tre Rios

Karen Cornell Rosenberg Berwyn Rowlands Jimmy Rout Jennifer Shockley Larry Seig Bob Skiba Erica L. Sorenson Alfredo Sosa Dan Soskin Jeffrey Sotland Massimo Squitieri Karl Staven Andy Toy Evan Urbania Guillermo Vega Jonathan Vendrick Brian Wade Garth Weldon David Wagaman Michael Weiss Wendy Weinberg Andy Williams Bill Wood Carolinn Pocher Woody Bruce Yelk Ellen Yin INDUSTRY PARTNERS TLA Releasing Here!/Regent Entertainment Wolfe Video The Film Collaborative New American Vision

The Philadelphia Cinema Alliance

is a nonprofit 501 (c) (3) organization dedicated to producing and promoting QFest, one of the largest Gay and Lesbian Film Festivals on the East Coast. This annual festival, now in its 16th year, showcases the best in gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer film from around the world as a way to foster, support and give access to Independent filmmakers and to encourage and nurture younger ones in the art of filmmaking. PCA hosts American and International guests representing all aspects of the industry, hosts educational panels on diversity, financing, screenwriting and distribution.

Qfest enriches the lives of the region’s growing LGBT community as well as serves the mainstream community though accessibility of the films and opportunities for exchange, awareness and understanding.

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2010 qfest festival staff Artistic Director . . . . . . . . Raymond Murray Managing Director . . . . . . . . Carol Coombes Director of Development . . . Thom Cardwell Creative Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eric Moore Director of Production . . . . . . . . Claire Kohler Co-Directors Media Relations . . . . . . . . . . Matthew Ray, Chelsea McNitt Community Coordinator . . . Morgan Levine Danger After Dark Programmer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Travis Crawford Digital Photo Prep . . . . . . . Stephen Imperato Event Planners: Courtney Custer, Denise Fike, Jimmy Rout Festival Interns: Susan Berry, Crystal Smith, Rith Sorn Festival Office Volunteers Tony Campbell, Norval Copeland, Joe Speakman

Technical Supervisor . . . . . . . . David Burgess Video Projectionists Daniel Pizza, Kevin Jordan Technologies: Patrick Boe, Thomas Carroll, David Chaplin-Loebell, Brian Jones, Dan Maloney, Josh Sager, Anthony Shull Ticketing Manager . . . . . . . . Jennifer Bendik Ticketing Assistant . . . . . . . . . Kaitlyn Bendik Venues/Landmark Theatre: Lisa Bunnell, Drew Falchetta, Lisa Layton, Shawn Knowles Volunteer Coordinator . . . . . . . . . Jason Friel

Film Booker . . . . . . . . . Jennifer Arndt-Johns

Web Design . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . John Smith

Financial/Accounting Staff Jo Borasky, Cher Bryant, John Chong

Festival Trailer Produced by University of the Arts Director/Editor: Wendy L. Weinberg Music: Jared Joseph Voice Actors: John Woodin, Wendy L. Weinberg, David Graham, Thom Cardwell Producer: Karl Staven

Guest Services . . . . . . . . . . . . Carol Coombes Head of Jurors . . . . . . . . . . . . . Brian Gannon Photographer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gail Kamenish Press Assistants: Jameson Paige, Anna Saracino Print Traffic Coordinator . . . . . Che Simmons Program Cover Design/Graphics Brian McManus, Rob Deiters Program Guide Editor . . . Jennifer Steinberg Program Guide Sponsorships & Advertising Sales . . . . Thom Cardwell QFest Feature Film Programmers Kelly Burkhardt, Carol Coombes, Scott Cranin QFest Shorts Programmers Robert O’Neill

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QFest Screening Committee Michael Andrzejewski, Dudley Best, Jayson Bucy, Heather Coutts, Stephen Gillingham, Mario DiMaio, Lawrence Ferber, Alejandro Morales, Robert Moran, Suzi Nash, Louis Senofonte, Ryan Suits

Philadelphia Cinema Alliance Board of Directors Herb Lipton. . . . . . . . . . . Board President Raymond Murray . . . . Executive Director John Herzins . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Treasurer James Houck • Claire Kohler • Irene Lewis Eric Moore • Thom Cardwell

We are powered by volunteers!

Special Thanks to Les Anders, Duncan Busser, Jayson Bucy, Tony Campbell, Pearl Carpel, Stewart Clamen, Will Clinton, Liam Dacey, Lamont Davis, Rudy Fleisher, Linda Greenawalt, Jeff Jenne, Brian Jones, Byron Lee, Ron Marks, Javier Mojica, Lisa Poe, Suzanne Rosin, Allan Spulecki, Jimmy Wall

Guest Services Volunteers Sue Wolko, Jen Hughes, PJ Walkling, Lisa Mann, David Park, Melissa Ford

Venue Volunteers Bruce Alburger, Craig Alner, Jovian Bailey, Lance Bembry, Joe Billingsley, Marcia Bloomfield, Amanda Blumenthal, Dan Bove, Robert Brown, David Bursky, Joy Cannon, Ryan Carson, Crystal Cheepudom, Oktavia Cherry, Doug Chuet, Danielle Cole, Joanna Corcoran, Alila Cornelius-Jordan, Katrina Daniels, Rose Darpino, Jesse Delaney, Galen Dorpalen-Barry, Kent Dwyer, Tom Egan, Luz Eldridge, Steve Elkin, Nancy Fazio, Eva Fernandez, Marjorie Friedman, Juan Gonzalez, Debbie Gowen, Melinda Gulick,

Patrick Haggerty, Chris Haig, Rob Hall, Odelphus Harris, Tracey Heckstall, Warren Hoftman, Billy James, Shareen Jarrells, Vaughn Johnson, Linda Johnson, Ruth Kalinka, Megan Karpinski, Jim Kenkellan, Addie Krasucki, Thom Kriner, Nerissa Lee, Max Lieborsohn, Jermaine Olds Martin, James Mather, Dan McNulty, Jeff Meadows, Sherri Miller, Yulia Molin, Mark Moyer, Anna Murphey, David Nose, Joe Orr, Olivia Patton, Kathleen Paul, Melissa Puchek, Sarah Quaynot, Naiya Renee, Jules Sacerio, Richard Saunders, Jon Schechter, Che Simmons, Sandy Smith, Kathy Staller, Dan Stoiman, Trenita Taylor, Daniel Tharp, Vinh Tran, Beth Treisner, Jackie Tucker, Riff Viana, Shawn Walsh, Brian Watson, Patrick Wilson, Blake Woodward, Philip Yaure, Suzanne Zeager

Ticketing Volunteers Bruce Alburger, Joselito Alicea, Ernie Anziano, Margaret Barton-Fumo, Brittany Coates, Chris Crain, Stephanie Daniels, Jon DiPaolo, Andy Freedman, Ed Hall, Joe Heeney, Andrew Ko, Alex Kohr, Marcy Owens, Sarah Quaynor, Wayne Ritz, Marta Rusek, Eric Selzer, Dan Tharp, Stephen Westover

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thAnks to our coMMunity pArt 12th street Gym, located

in the heart of center city, features a 22 station Hammer Strength circuit, Body Masters cable systems and over 60 quality group fitness classes weekly. With an elegant pool and sauna, full-size basketball and racquetball courts, as well as a landscaped rooftop sun deck, 12th Street Gym is an all-in-one stop for your fitness needs.

204 S. Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tel: (215) 985-4092 Email: 12info@12streetgym.com www.12streetgym.com

Attic youth center,

creates opportunities for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning youth to develop into healthy, independent, civic-minded adults within a safe and supportive community, and promotes the acceptance of LGBTQ youth in society.

255 South 16th Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 Tel: (215) 545-4331 Email: info@atticyouthcenter.org www.atticyouthcenter.org

berk’s Gay Men’s social Group is a source of

social networking open to men of all ages, single or couples, from Berks and surrounding counties. It organizes monthly events designed to build a community of guys with an interest in sharing fellowship with like-minded men.

Email: berksgmsg@aol.com www.myspace.com/berksgmsg

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delaware valley legacy fund (DVLF) strives

to increase philanthropy and grantmaking to support the community needs of the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex (LGBTI) and straight-allied communities. DVLF advances philanthropy for the LGBTI community through endowment building, fundraising, community outreach and education.

1234 Market Street, Suite 1800 Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tel: (215) 563-6417 Fax: (215) 563.6882 Email: info@dvlf.org www.dvlf.org

eastern state penitentiary historic site, inc. works to preserve

and restore the architecture of Eastern State Penitentiary; to make the Penitentiary accessible to the public; to explain and interpret its complex history; to place current issues of corrections and justice in an historical framework; and to provide a public forum where these issues are discussed. Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site, Inc. carries out these activities using the highest standards in educational and public programming, and in conservation.

2124 Fairmount Ave Philadelphia, PA 19130 (215) 236-5111 Email: Terror@EasternState.org www.easternstate.org www.TerrorBehindtheWalls.com

Greater philadelphia professional network (Gppn) seeks to provide

a social, career and business development channel for the gay and lesbian professional community.

For 10 years, GPPN has sponsored regular networking events, speakers, workshops, summertime fun and a newsletter.

Email: events@gppn.org www.gppn.org

Gay & lesbian latino Aids education initiative (GAlAei)

founded in 1989, is a non-profit organization devoted to creating an awareness of the issues that affect Philadelphia’s Latino LGBT communities, especially in the area of HIV/AIDS and other health related issues. GALAEI seeks to demand accountability from all systems that serve Latinos through education, representation, and advocacy.

1207 Chestnut St., 5th floor Philadelphia, PA 19107 Tel: (215) 851-1822 Email: jgarcia@galaei.org www.galaei.org

independent business Alliance (ibA) is the LGBT

Chamber of Commerce for the Greater Philadelphia region. The IBA is a membership-based business advocacy organization dedicated to making the Philadelphia region an influential and diverse LGBT business community with an impact on economic development, equal rights and policy issues. The IBA provides a range of membership benefits, networking and educational events, business de-

pArtners velopment opportunities and special programs to the regional LGBT business community.

March is not a parade or a stroll; it is a demonstration, a proclamation of dignity, strength, and passion.

Independence Business Alliance 1717 Arch Street, Suite 33770 Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-557-0190 email: info@IndependenceBusinessAlliance.com http://www.independencealliance. com

Email: phillydykemarch@gmail.com http://www.facebook.com/ PhillyDykeMarch

l.y.f.e dance troupe

(‘live your fantasy everyday’) is a group of dancers from both the LGBTQ community and hetero community who have been drawn together by their love of dance. Our mission is to bring our love and passion for dance to the community as a whole.

Mazzoni center is the

only health care provider in the Philadelphia region specifically targeting the unique health care needs of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender communities. We provide a full array of outreach, prevention, education, direct medical and care services, psychosocial services, and support groups, as well as legal services, and are dedicated to preserving the dignity and improving the quality of life of the individuals we serve.

21 S. 12th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107 215-563-0652 Email: info@mazzonicenter.org www.mazzonicenter.org

philadelphia dyke March is a radical, feminist

celebration which brings together dykes, queers and allies of different classes, races, genders, sizes, ages, faiths and abilities. Philadelphia Dyke

philadelphia family pride strives to build a community for LGBT parents and children in the greater Philadelphia region through advocacy, education and familycentered events. It seeks to achieve equality through being recognized, accepted, and respected.

PO Box 235 Springhouse, PA 19477 Tel: (215) 600-2864 Email: info@phillyfamilypride.org www.phillyfamilypride.org

reel black

is a full-service film and video production company dedicated to creating and promoting “good movies ’bout Black Folks.”

P.O. Box 12302 Philadelphia, PA 19119 Email: info@reelblack.com www.reelblack.com

stimulus philly

is one of the nation’s most diverse monthly LGBTQ parties. Stimulus exists to provide a welcoming, unique and chic space for all LGBTQ individuals regardless of race, age, class, size, or gender presentation could come together, share a drink and celebrate the brilliant diversity of our community. We are inspired by the depth and beauty of LGBTQ people and aspire to continue to grow with our ever-evolving community.

stir philly Located in the heart

of Rittenhouse Square, the lounge style atmosphere, fresh sounds and friendly faces will allow you to feel right at home. Make Stir your new gay destination. You’ll be sure to find one of your favorite classic cocktails on our daily happy hour menu or tempt your palate with one of Stir’s specialty drinks. Come see for yourself why this is the place to be on the square.

1705 Chancellor St. Philadelphia, PA 19103 215-732-2700 www.StirPhilly.com

trevor project

The Trevor Project is the leading national organization focused on crisis and suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and questioning (LGBTQ) youth.

The Trevor Project operates the only accredited, nationwide, around-theclock crisis and suicide prevention helpline for LGBTQ youth.

866.4.U.TREVOR info@thetrevorproject.org www.thetrevorproject.org

William Way center

seeks to encourage, support, and advocate for the well-being and acceptance of sexual and gender minorities through service, recreational, educational, and cultural programming.

1315 Spruce St. Philadelphia, Pa 19107 Tel: (215) 732-2220 Email: info@waygay.org www.waygay.org

Email: StimulusParty@gmail.com www.Stimulusphilly.com

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Final Cut Friday July 16th 10pm-2am dance the night away with hundreds of women beautiful shot girls amazing drink specials and killer music

Official QFest Women's Party

The Official after-party celebration for Award-Recipient Cheryl Dunye and her film THE OWLS (Fri. July 16th @ 7:15pm @ Ritz East 2)

www.StimulusPhilly.com 86

QFEST 2010 INDEX OF FILMS FEATURE FILMS Adrift. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Alex and Leo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66 Arias With A Twist: The DocuFantasy. . . . . . . . . . 59 BearCity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Beautiful Darling: The Life And Times Of Candy Darling, Andy Warhol Superstar. . . . . 59 Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride. . . . . . . . 67 Bloomington . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Children Of God. . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 David’s Birthday. . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Dearest Mother . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68 Deleted Scenes . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 Edie & Thea: A Very Long Engagement. . . 69 Elena Undone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Eyes Wide Open. . . . . . . . . . . . . 67 Elvis & Madona. . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Fashion Victim. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Fiona’s Script. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Flight of the Cardinal. . . . . . . . . 25 The Four-Faced Liar. . . . . . . . . . 70 From Beginning to End. . . . . . . 62 Handsome Harry. . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Hermafrodita . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 Howl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60 I Killed My Mother. . . . . . . . . . . 28 Is it Just Me? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child. . . . . . . . . . 60 The Last Summer of La Boyita. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 La Mission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 LE TIGRE On Tour. . . . . . . . . . . 71 Leading Ladies. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Leo’s Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63 A Marine Story. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 My Normal. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Out of Annapolis. . . . . . . . . . . . 72 The Owls. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Oy Vey My Son Is Gay. . . . . . . . 73 The People I’ve Slept With. . . . 73 Piggies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Plan B. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Release. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Role/Play. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister. . . . . . . . . 33 Seeing Heaven. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Shut Up and Kiss Me. . . . . . . . . 75

Straight & Butch . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Strapped. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 The String. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76 Swimming With Lesbians. . . . . 76 Taqwacore: The Birth of Punk Islam. . . . . 77 Taxi zum Klo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 Undertow. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Violet Tendencies . . . . . . . . . . . 35 Wild About Harry. . . . . . . . . . . . 78 William S. Burroughs: A Man Within . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61 You Can’t Have It All. . . . . . . . . 21 You Should Meet My Son!. . . . 78 TBA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78

SHORTS PROGRAMS Crush. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Fierce & Funny. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Love Her or Leave Her. . . . . . . . 54 Short, Sexy & Sweet. . . . . . . . . 54 Tales from the Closet . . . . . . . . 55 What Now?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55

Lie Together . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Little Love. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 The Love Permit. . . . . . . . . . . . . 69 My Name is Love. . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Never Too Late. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Night-Time Butterflies. . . . . . . . 55 Nothing Happened . . . . . . . . . . 72 Numerology. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 On the Way to the Videostore....54 Public Relations. . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Queer Pet Adventures. . . . . . . . 54 Rewind. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Shafted. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74 Sombrero. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 The Stories We Tell. . . . . . . . . . 55 Thirteen or So Minutes. . . . . . . 54 Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 25 Random Things I Did During My Big Fat Lesbian Depression . . . . . 54 What Now?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Wig. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 The Yellow Tent. . . . . . . . . . . . . 77 You Can’t Curry Love . . . . . . . . 54 You Move Me. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73

SHORT FILMS

HONOREES AND SPECIAL PROGRAMS

After . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Allison, My Love . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 The Armoire. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Back to Life. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Bedfellows. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Boy with a Knife. . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Butthole Lickin’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Cried Suicide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Curious Thing. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 The Defenders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80 Does Not Depend Upon . . . . . . 71 Door Prize. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Embraceable You. . . . . . . . . . . . 78 Evelyn Everyone . . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Everyone is Having Sex… But Ryan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Faggist.com: The Birth of America’s First Social NetWERK. . . . . . . 53 Gay Baby . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Gayby. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Go Go Reject . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53 Hens & Chicks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71 Hide. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Last Call . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Cheryl Dunye: Artistic Achievement Award in Directing. . . . . . . . . 16 Kelly McGillis: Artistic Achievement Award in Acting . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Matthew Montgomery: Artistic Achievement Award in Acting . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Kathy Wolfe: The Barbara Gittings Award. 19 Barbra-Palooza Barbra Karaoke. . . . . . . . . . . 38 Steven Brinberg Is Simply Barbra!. . . . . . . . 38 Funny Girl. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Secret Cinema Goes Camping Madame X. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39 Richard Barrios and “Screened Out: Playing Gay in Hollywood from Edison to Stonewall” . . . . 39 This Nude World. . . . . . . . . . 39 Micheal Lucas: Lip Service. . . . 40 87 87

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Vengeance Fuk sau Mon, July 19 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse Hong Kong (China), France 2009, 108 min

Ultra-stylish Hong Kong action auteur Johnnie To returns to Danger After Dark with one of his most visually arresting nocturnal bullet-fests to date, as a French chef takes on the triads with revenge on his mind.

After a decade of Danger After Dark, it seems as if Hong Kong director Johnnie To has had at least one film in each year of the program – and deservedly so, for To has become renowned as one of world cinema’s most distinctive and elegant craftsmen of action-thrillers today. With such memorable films as Exiled, The Mission, and the two Election projects, To has not only risen to the ranks of great international neo-noir directors – he has also truly defined the image of the city of Hong Kong on film (yes, even more than Wong Karwai). If Godard had Paris, then To owns Hong Kong, and he displays this in Vengeance more vividly than ever. The plot finds a young French woman attacked by a group of assassins; while she survives, her Chinese husband and children do not, and she summons her father Costello (rock icon Johnny Hallyday) from France to exact revenge in her family’s name. Costello – seemingly just a chef by trade – becomes involved with another group of hitmen (including such Hong Kong crime film legends and To regulars as Simon Yam and Anthony Wong), and the newly assembled cadre of tough guys prepares to wreak havoc. But there remains one problem – the aging Costello is suffering from memory loss, and these psychological gaps are affecting his own grasp on the problem…as well as his new gang’s ability to have complete faith in Costello’s honesty. To provides Vengeance with an engrossing and even melancholy narrative, but the film truly comes to life with the director’s trademark spectacular action sequences – never have slo-mo shootouts looked so much like balletic bloodshed and breathtakingly filmed bedlam. (English, French, Cantonese, and Mandarin with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford Director: Johnnie To Cast: Johnny Hallyday, Anthony Wong, Lam Ka Tung, Lam Suet, Simon Yam, Sylvie Testud Screenwriter: Wai Ka Fai Producers: Michèle Petin, Laurent Petin, Peter Lam, John Chong, Wai Ka Fai, Johnnie To Cinematographer: Cheng Siu Keung Editor: David Richardson Print Source: IFC Films

Danger after Dark Program Pick-up points Atomic City Comics 638 South Street Philadelphia, PA 19147 (215) 625-9613

Brave New World 45 N. Second Street Philadelphia, PA 19106 (215) 925- 6525

Fat Jack’s Comicrypt 2006 Sanson Street Philadelphia, PA 19103 (215) 963-0788

Garden of Earthly Delights 7907 Bustleton Ave Philadelphia, PA 19152 (215) 332-3321

RKO Video Rentals & South Philly comics 1621 East Passyunk Ave Philadelphia PA 19148 (267) 318-7855

Olde City Tattoo 44 South 2nd Street Philadelphia PA (215) 627-6271

Everlasting Art Tattoo Studio 400 south 43rd Street Philadelphia PA (215) 386- 7720

Philly Ink Tattoo 3216 Kensington Avenue Philadelphia PA (215) 426-9977

www.dangerafterdark.com

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DANGER AFTER DARK 2010

10

RoboGeisha

The Temptation of St. Tony

Robo-geisha

Püha Tõnu kiusamine

Sat, July 10 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Tue, July 13 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Japan 2009, 102 min

Estonia, Finland, Sweden 2009, 115 min

One of the most deliriously over-the-top Japanese action/science fiction/ comedies imaginable, RoboGeisha sets an all-time record for the most pure visual insanity and hilarity per screen minute.

A factory manager finds his grip on everyday life spiraling into a chaos that is terrifying…and darkly funny. A mysterious, visually arresting festival favorite from Estonia.

RoboGeisha certainly has a story – and, to writer/director Noboru Iguchi’s credit, it’s an involving tale with strong heroes and villains, and an affecting rivalry/ bond between two sisters – but that’s not why you’re here. You’re here because Iguchi crams in more wild, eye-popping setpieces of hysterical science-fiction/ action/comedy lunacy than any other Japanese film in recent memory. As timid Yoshie and her bullying sister Kikuyakko join the ranks of local girls who are abducted by a sinister corporation, put through vicious training, and eventually transformed into partially mechanized geisha assassins, Yoshie emerges as the strongest of the group. But she and her sister must disregard their differences and unite when they discover that the corporation’s ultimate goals for domination are positively apocalyptic. Iguchi has been working in low-budget Japanese genre pictures for many years but he had an international breakout hit with The Machine Girl (2007), and he is now among the leading filmmakers in a new Japanese wave of imaginative and outlandish action-comedies, alongside fellow director Yoshihiro Nishimura, who handles the special FX for RoboGeisha.

And very special they are, as they include swords and throwing stars thrusting out of armpits and buttocks (“I too have an Ass-Sword!”), machine gun turrets sprouting from breasts, spinning buzzsaws emerging from mouths, a corporate castle transforming into a gigantic, city-terrorizing robot, and Yoshie herself growing wheels to become a shamisen-strumming tank. Not to mention the deadly fried shrimp and “Hell’s Breast Milk” (don’t ask). Bloody, perverse, and often very funny, RoboGeisha works energetically to entertain the most jaded genre fans – and succeeds. (Japanese with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford

A thumbnail description of The Temptation of St. Tony, a truly bizarre and surreal black comedy from Estonia, might make the proceedings sound intimidatingly grim – not only is that not the case, but this actually one of the most inventive and mesmerizing (albeit enigmatic and challenging) films to ever screen in Danger After Dark. Shot in starkly elegant black-and-white, Temptation follows the titular Tony (Taavi Eelmaa, with the face of a great silent comedian) as his humdrum life as a bourgeois factory manager begins to crumble in increasingly bizarre, sinister ways. Attending a rural funeral (the procession for which refuses to acknowledge a fatal car accident that occurs directly in front of them), Tony discovers a collection of severed hands in the forest, and his subsequent Kafkaesque interaction with the police acts as a sort of catalyst for Tony’s discovery of the increasingly random and unhinged world around him (shades of Lynch’s Blue Velvet). Tony encounters mysterious women on the run from both the law and local gangsters, priests who defy gravity and walk up church walls (in a sequence oddly reminiscent of Tarkovsky), a debauched dinner party interrupted by an aggressive beggar, and, finally, a cavernous, decadent bordello/nightclub that resembles a chamber of hell – not to mention the clumsy amateur surgeon with a chainsaw. In his second film, director Veiko Õunpuu draws inspiration from many sources (Bunuel and Pasolini are cited in the closing credits), yet manages to shape these influences into something wholly hypnotic – and surprisingly funny. Temptation of St. Tony is far from a traditional thriller, but the adventurous filmmaking energy on display is positively intoxicating. (Estonian, Russian, English and French with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford

Director: Noboru Iguchi Cast: Aya Kiguchi, Hitomi Hasebe, Takumi Saito, Asami, Cay Izumi Screenwriter: Noboru Iguchi Producers: Naobumi Ashi, Akira Fujita, Kazunari Okuma, Yui Shibata Cinematographer: Yasutaka Nagano Editors: Noboru Iguchi, Hiroyuki Yamada Print Source: FUNimation Entertainment

Director: Veiko Ounpuu Cast: Taavi Eelmaa, Ravshana Kurkova, Denis Lavant, Tiina Tauraite, Sten Ljunggren Screenwriter: Veiko Ounpuu Producers: Katrin Kissa, Kristina Aberg, Jesse Fryckman Cinematographer: Mart Taniel Editor: Thomas Lagerman Print Source: Olive Films

Noboru Iguchi’s Filmography: [Selected] Mutant Girls Squad (2010); Machine Girlite (2009); The Machine Girl (2008); Cat-Eyed Boy (2006) Evil Guy (2004); Onara (Scented Air) (1999); Hard Porno (1997); Kurushime Girl (1997); Sacred Doll (1995)

Veiko Ounpuu’s Filmography: Sügisball (Autumn Ball) (2007)

www.dangerafterdark.com

DANGER AFTER DARK 2010

The Life and Death of a Porno Gang Zivot i smrt porno bande Sun, July 18 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse Serbia 2009, 90 min

Truly shocking and subversive, this tale of a traveling band of anarchist pornographers venturing into snuff filmmaking is an explicit entry to the new wave of Serbian cinema.

While there is no denying that The Life and Death of a Porno Gang is often very graphic and shocking in its sexual content and violence, it would be erroneous to view such transgressive material as empty provocation. Like many recent Serbian films, Porno Gang is also a commentary on the societal chaos and collective trauma of post-Milosevic Serbia. Writer-director Mladen Djordjevic previously helmed a documentary on his country’s sex film industry, Made in Serbia (2005), and here he applies that vérité authenticity to a fictionalized tale set in the same milieu. Frustrated director Marko is forced to flee Belgrade after angering a prominent porn producer, so – driven by ambitious concepts of politicizing pornography, and accompanied by a ragtag troupe of sexually adventurous social outcasts – he hits the road, performing outlandish live shows for bemused rural villagers throughout Serbia. Marko and his ensemble (led by failed actress Una) run into a German producer who convinces them to turn to “snuff” filmmaking, and the group complies by dramatically staging and filming the deaths of desperate and willingly suicidal strangers they encounter in their travels. But the intertwined sex and death drives become too much for Marko and Una to bear. While Djordjevic is creating a harsh portrait of contemporary Serbian society, there is also much dark humor and surreal visual poetry within the film…although that doesn’t make the content any less confrontational, so be warned. As Fantasia festival programmer Mitch Davis commented when he selected this as one of the year’s best films for Twitch, “You likely haven’t heard of this film because...most fests have been too scared to go near it (to be fair, the film does plainly break obscenity codes in many parts of the world).” (Serbian with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford Director: Mladen Djordjevic Cast: Mihajlo Jovanovic, Ana Acimovic, Predrag Damnjanovic, Radivoj Knezevic, Srdjan Jovanovic, Ivan Djordjevic Screenwriter: Mladen Djordjevic Producers: Srdan Golubovic, Jelena Mitrovic Cinematographer: Nemanja Jovanov Editors: Marko Glusac, Milina Trisic Print Source: MegaCom Film

Red White & Blue Sat, July 17 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse USA, Great Britain 2010, 104 min

Equally gripping and grisly, this harrowing character study of loneliness and violence among young lovers in Texas is another unflinching film from Danger After Dark veteran Simon Rumley (The Living and the Dead).

To be honest, even placing Red White & Blue in Danger After Dark is a bit of a spoiler. Much of this new film from U.K. writer-director Simon Rumley – whose The Living and the Dead appeared in the 2007 incarnation of this series – is an incisive, sobering character study of three lonely souls adrift in Austin, Texas. Relocating to the U.S. and focusing on rigorously rendered characters who seem to be functioning within society, Rumley would appear to be moving into the more conventional parameters of American independent cinema. But don’t be lured into relaxing your nerves – when Red plunges into darker waters, it becomes very dark indeed, as Rumley shows what happens when fun and games suddenly become, well, Funny Games. Erica (a fearless Amanda Fuller) is an emotionally damaged drifter who numbs her pain with an endless series of casual, and self-destructive, sexual encounters. She winds up sharing a rooming house (and a job) with the enigmatic military veteran Nate (Noah Taylor), and the two unlikely loners develop a cautious friendship – a bond that is soon tested when one of Erica’s past one-night-stands, hipster musician Franki (Marc Senter), reappears into Erica’s life with some personal trauma of his own. The film then beings to delve into questions of empathy and morality as Rumley escalates the stakes (and the bloodshed that results), and forces the audience to rethink who is truly “good” or “bad” in the most difficult of situations. A somber shocker that is definitely not for the faint of heart, Red White & Blue confirms Rumley as a major force in contemporary horror cinema. —Travis Crawford Director: Simon Rumley Cast: Noah Taylor, Amanda Fuller, Marc Senter, Lauren Scheider, Jon Michael Davis, Sally Jackson Screenwriter: Simon Rumley Producers: Bob Portal, Adam Goldworm Cinematographer: Milton Kam Editor: Richard Chester Print Source: Celluloid Nightmares

Simon Rumley’s Filmography: The Living and the Dead (2006); Club Le Monde (2002); The Truth Game (2001); Strong Language (2000)

Mladen Djordjevic’s Filmography: Made in Serbia (2005)

www.dangerafterdark.com

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DANGER AFTER DARK 2010 Gone with the Pope Mon, July 12 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse USA 1976-2010, 83 min

Enter the Void Thu, July 15 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse France 2009, 160 min

The provocative director of Irreversible returns with the most aggressive, experimental, and psychedelic feature of the year, a mind-blowing journey into the afterlife, as filtered through the neon-bathed Tokyo underworld.

French-raised, Argentinean-born filmmaker Gaspar Noé created an international scandal with his punishing 2002 rape-revenge shocker Irreversible. With his new work, the long-gestating Enter the Void, Noé has crafted a largely nonnarrative and radically abstract film that derives inspiration from such disparate sources as 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Tibetan Book of the Dead to visually explore the journey that awaits each of us in the afterlife. Unfolding in a colorful, neon-drenched Tokyo that already resembles a hallucinatory landscape, the story finds amateur drug dealer Oscar (Nathaniel Brown) reuniting with his long-lost stripper sister Linda (Paz de la Huerta), but his dreams of protecting her are shattered when he is fatally shot in a botched narcotics deal. Yet, this is almost where Noé’s film begins to soar – creatively and quite literally. Void then follows Oscar’s spirit as it hovers above the physical Tokyo that his soul has abandoned, watching over his sister with love. But if this conjures up images of some warm-n’-fuzzy sibling bond that transcends the bounds of time and space, you might want to remember the specifics of Irreversible, and then crank that experimental aesthetic sensibility up to “10”: both in content (explicit sex and brutal violence) and in form (an almost indescribably subjective view of Oscar’s surroundings finds Noé often employing stroboscopic bursts of light, split-second darkness to convey Oscar’s “blinking,” hypnotic and truly visionary digital effects, and much, much more). You may love the film, or you may hate it, but you’ve never seen anything like Enter The Void, and it just may alter your view of cinema. (English, Japanese with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford

Director: Gaspar Noé Cast: Nathaniel Brown, Paz de la Huerta, Cyril Roy, Emily Alyn Lind, Jesse Kuhn Screenwriter: Gaspar Noé Producers: Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua, Olivier Delbosc, Marc Missionnier, Pierre Buffin, Gaspar Noé Cinematographer: Benoit Debie Editors: Gaspar Noé, Marc Boucrot, Jérôme Pesnel Print Source: IFC Films

An outrageous, longlost 1970s American grindhouse bombshell is now completed and released for the first time! A jet-black comedy about organized crime…and the most ambitious kidnapping plot ever.

While mainstream film circles were heaping praise on the Italian-American organized crime sagas of Coppola and Scorsese in the 1970s, nightclub entertainer Duke Mitchell turned to directing, and created two low-budget exploitation films that resemble what The Godfather and Mean Streets would look like if they had actually been made by the very people that inhabited their worlds. Unfinished and unreleased for decades until its 2010 debut, Mitchell’s ultimate opus Gone with the Pope is an outrageous follow-up to his cult favorite Massacre Mafia Style. Mitchell leads a gang of small-time excon goodfellas in a plot to kidnap the Pope (“I want a dollar from every Catholic in the world!”), and as they journey from Vegas to Rome and beyond, Mitchell mixes bloody violence, outlandish sexual encounters, and very politically incorrect humor in a satire on capitalism and Catholicism that is also engrossing in its seedy authenticity. The story behind the discovery and restoration of Pope, previously feared lost, is almost as entertaining as the film itself. Filmed in 1976 as an independent labor of love for Mitchell, he lacked the funds to complete a final cut before his death in 1981, and the film sat untouched in storage until Bob Murawski and Sage Stallone from Grindhouse Releasing (the outfit behind the rereleases of The Evil Dead and Cannibal Holocaust) recovered the unassembled footage and spent years editing the film that Mitchell didn’t live to see.

Murawski, currently Sam Raimi’s editor of choice (yes, this is where your ticket charges to the Spiderman trilogy wound up!), won an Oscar for his work editing The Hurt Locker earlier this year…yet he still claims that his efforts completing Gone With the Pope represent the highlight of his career! —Travis Crawford Director: Duke Mitchell Cast: Duke Mitchell, Peter Milo, Jim LoBianco, Lorenzo Dardado Screenwriter: Duke Mitchell Producer: Duke Mitchell (2010 restoration produced by Bob Murawski and Sage Stallone) Cinematographer: Peter Santoro Editors: Jody Fedele, Robert Florio, Paul Hart, Robert Leighton, Bob Murawski Print Source: Grindhouse Releasing

Duke Mitchell’s Filmography: Massacre Mafia Style (1978)

Gaspar Noé’s Filmography: Irréversible (2002); Seul contre tous (I Stand Alone) 1998)

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www.dangerafterdark.com

DANGER AFTER DARK 2010

Deliver Us From Evil

Dogtooth

Fri os fra det onde

Kynodontas

Sun, July 11 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Fri, July 9 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Denmark, Norway, Sweden 2009, 93 min

Greece 2009, 96 min

A seemingly idyllic small town suddenly transforms into a breeding ground for violence and paranoia in this gripping and often brutal Danish variation on the savagery of Straw Dogs.

Three adults have been raised since birth entirely within the enclosed family estate, but their hermetic captivity is about to be horrifically shattered in this unforgettable and disturbing Greek drama.

One might emerge from Deliver Us from Evil with the sense that a very violent film has just unfolded, but there’s less bloodshed on display than there is in many thrillers – yet the entire film is such a masterful exercise in mounting tension and unease that it ultimately packs a ruthless visceral punch. Like another Danger After Dark title, Red White & Blue, this is also a bleak but precise character study that slowly simmers before reaching an explosive boiling point.

Taking Sam Peckinpah’s classic Straw Dogs as an undeniable inspiration, Danish writer-director Ole Bornedal transports affluent married couple Johannes and Pernille from the big city to a small town, where they plan on settling and raising a family – despite the problematic presence of Johannes’ hard-drinking, truck-driving firebrand brother Lars. When Lars is involved in an accident that kills one of the town’s most beloved residents, Lars avoids responsibility by shifting the blame to Alain, a traumatized Bosnian refugee who is helping Johannes with home renovations. Alain is innocent – but he’s also an outsider in this close-knit community, and as the town’s residents succumb to prejudice, xenophobia, and rage, Johannes is forced to take a stand and choose justice over family loyalty, even as the stakes escalate to frightening and brutal extremes. Bornedal directed one of the most impressive European genre efforts of the 1990s, Nightwatch (1994), but his career was temporarily diverted when he was recruited to helm a long-delayed, ill-advised Hollywood remake of his own film in 1997. But with his two most recent features, Deliver Us from Evil and Just Another Love Story, Bornedal has reemerged as one of Europe’s most electrifying contemporary genre filmmakers. (Danish with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford

One of the most acclaimed films of the past year (in addition to international critical accolades, it won the Un Certain Regard award at Cannes), Dogtooth is a very difficult film to describe – given its experimentation with language, this is perhaps appropriate. Three young adults – two sisters and a brother – have spent their whole lives within the confines of the family estate, and they know nothing of the outside world, from which they have been entirely sheltered: the grounds are surrounded by a massive fence, the phone is hidden from them, their only entertainment consists of home videos of themselves, and all references to the outside have been removed. Their parents have increased the trio’s isolation by teaching them an alternative vocabulary. Words relating to the world “outside,” that the siblings unexpectedly overhear, are given bogus definitions, i.e. a “sea” is actually a chair, a “motorway” is really the wind, etc.

But as his brood’s sexuality becomes an undeniable force, the father brings in a woman from the outside to provide the son with a release – yet her presence also increases the daughters’ sexual curiosity, and her intrusion into the airtight family unit disrupts their twisted dynamic with intense consequences. The second film from Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, Dogtooth has earned comparisons to the work of Michael Haneke through its austere, formally rigorous approach and its willingness to clinically dissect graphic sexuality, aberrant psychology, and unsettling subject matter. But the film is so thematically accomplished, visually assured, and unique in tone that similarities to anything almost seem coincidental. Very close to a masterpiece, Dogtooth also contains scenes of graphic sexuality, and is not for the easily offended. (Greek with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford

Director: Ole Bornedal Cast: Lasse Rimmer, Lene Nystrom, Jens Andersen, Pernille Valentin, Mogens Pedersen Screenwriter: Ole Bornedal Producer: Michael Obel Cinematographer: Dan Laustsen Editor: Anders Villadsen Print Source: Evokative Films

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos Cast: Christos Stergioglou, Michelle Valley, Aggeliki Papoulia, Mary Tsoni, Hristos Passalis, Anna Kalaitzidou Screenwriters: Efthymis Filippou, Yorgos Lanthimos Producers: Yorgos Tsourgiannis, Yorgos Lanthimos Cinematographer: Thimios Bakatatakis Editor: Yorgos Mavropsaridis Print Source: Kino International

Ole Bornedal’s Filmography: [Selected] Just Another Love Story (2007); The Substitute (2007); I Am Dina (2002)

www.dangerafterdark.com

Yorgos Lanthimos’s Filmography: Kinetta (2005); O kalyteros mou filos (My Best Friend) (2001)

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6 DANGER AFTER DARK 2010

Amer

Big Tits Zombie 3-D

Wed, July 14 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

Kyonyû doragon: Onsen zonbi vs sutorippâ 5

Belgium, France 2009, 90 min

Fri, July 16 • 10:00 • Ritz at the Bourse

A gorgeously ultra-stylized homage to the Italian giallo mysteries of the 1960s and 70s, the Belgian/French film Amer is also a hypnotic thriller in its own right.

Japan 2010, 73 min

As obsessive a work of cinematic fetishism as one could ever encounter, Amer (Bitter) is a lovingly crafted homage to the Italian giallo, a subgenre of thrillers that proliferated in the 1960s and 70s – perhaps most famously represented by the cinema of Dario Argento (Deep Red, The Bird with the Crystal Plumage), and notable for their operatically orchestrated murder sequences, ultra-stylized visuals, and perverse eroticism. In their feature debut, Belgian writer-directors Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani have created one of the most meticulously composed “horror” films in years, a delirious widescreen montage of compulsive close-ups, eerie landscapes, and a musical score that is directly derived from the giallo films of decades past. But to categorize Amer as exclusively a meta-cinematic homage runs the risk of underestimating the talents of Cattet and Forzani. The couple has achieved that rare feat of using a source of creative inspiration to craft something unique and visionary. By stripping the characterizations, plot mechanics, and dialogue to a bare minimum – and concentrating their focus on the pure imagery of childhood traumas and nightmares – Cattet and Forzani have delivered a haunting hybrid of experimental film and suspenseful shocker. The “story” follows the beautiful Ana through three stages of her life – childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood – as she comes to terms with both her sexuality and her sinister family in a crumbling villa high atop an unnamed European town. Primal childhood fears turn into the violence of adulthood, and as the black leather gloves and straight razors make their required giallo appearances, Amer emerges as a bold contemporary meditation on the likes of Strip Nude for Your Killer and Your Vice Is a Locked Room and Only I Have the Key. A major achievement in European genre filmmaking. (French with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford Directors: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani Cast: Marie Bos, Delphine Brual, Harry Cleven, Bianca Maria D’Amato, Cassandra Foret Screenwriters: Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani Producers: Eve Commenge, François Cognard Cinematographer: Manu Dacosse Editor: Bernard Beets Print Source: Olive Films

Amer is Hélène Cattet, Bruno Forzani’s debut.

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In this high-voltage Japanese gore-comedy, there are strippers with large breasts. There are hordes of flesh-eating zombies. And there are 3-D glasses. We had you at “hello.”

A full description of the new Japanese horror-comedy Big Tits Zombie 3D seems superfluous – the film’s title not only says it all, but many (including Roger Ebert) noted that it was the best movie moniker to crop up at this year’s Cannes festival market. Everything the name promises, the movie delivers, in excess: beautiful and buxom exotic dancers battling flesh-eating zombies (with chainsaws and samurai swords, of course), comin’ at ya’ in 3-D (in selected scenes). You’re either in it to win it at this point, or you’ve already stopped reading this. The story (stop laughing!) finds stripper Rena (Sora Aoi) arriving at a deserted hot springs resort, where she teams up with fellow dancers Ginko, Maria, Nene, and Dana.

Because all desolate Japanese strip clubs have a Book of the Dead in their basements, this volume is discovered and read aloud by Maria, the “black-clad Gothic-Lolita occultist” stripper of the group. This causes the dead to rise and attack the dancers, leading those bitten to join the ranks of the marauding zombies. Writer-director Takao Nakano is a veteran of bloodbath spoofs, having previously helmed Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy and Sumo Vixens, and – adapting Big Tits Zombie 3D from a popular manga — he brings just the right tone of ludicrous, campy fun to the proceedings. Sora Aoi is one of Japan’s most popular adult video stars, and a mere glimpse of her makes it easy to see why.

As the film’s press release exclaims, “Our new movie is about pretty girls with big tits and zombies and it’s in 3D! It will absolutely be the best movie you have ever seen! Are you ready?” Well? Are you?!? (Japanese with English subtitles) —Travis Crawford Director: Takao Nakano Cast: Sora Aoi, Risa Kasumi, Mari Sakurai, Tamayo, Io Aikawa, Minoru Torihada Screenwriters: Takao Nakano, based on the manga by Rei Mikamoto Producers: Seiji Minami, Hideaki Nishiyama Cinematographer: Kazuaki Yoshizawa Print Source: Klockworx Co.

Takao Nakano’s Filmography: [Selected] Kiseichuu: kiraa pusshii (Sexual Parasite: Killer Pussy) (2004); Bikyonyuu kosupure senshi: Kuinbii Hanii (Queen Bee Honey) (2001); Hana no onna sumô (Sumo Vixens) (1996); ExorSister 1-4 (1994)

www.dangerafterdark.com

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Welcome From the Programmer 2010 brings eleven films to celebrate a decade of Danger After Dark. Creating the program brought with it a myriad of challenges, but – even to this day—perhaps the most difficult part of constructing the series is conveying to people just what the program actually is.

Almost everyone assumes that the program is devoted to horror cinema, and, indeed, that’s a major part of DAD (that acronym wound up sticking around the offices). In years past, the series has unleashed High Tension, The Descent, A Tale of Two Sisters, Ginger Snaps, and dozens of others on cinephiles with a taste for the macabre. We’ve always endeavored to be on the forefront of international genre filmmaking, often presenting premieres of new work by cult favorites Park Chan-wook and Takashi Miike.

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But…Danger After Dark also screened work by Catherine Breillat and Claire Denis, devoted an entire retrospective series to the martial arts productions of the legendary Shaw Brothers studio, presented documentaries on everything from “blaxploitation” movies, vintage French hardcore porn, Japanese S&M erotica, and just generally and gleefully dove into the wildest and most unclassifiable cinematic oddities we could unearth. Taxidermia, Princess, S&Man, Happiness of the Katakuris, anyone? Not to mention the two Japanese genre-benders that have quite possibly defined the Danger After Dark program over the years more than any other films: Suicide Club and Survive Style 5+. Not precisely horror, action, fantasy, comedy or any readily pigeonholed film genre, these two favorites encapsulate the program: bold, experimental, visionary movies that also display a taste for mayhem, madness…and musical numbers. Where will Danger After Dark continue from here?

Well, it’s probably safe to say that the “J-horror” wave of creepy, ghostly schoolgirls won’t be making too many appearances at this point. After all, we need to make room for existentialist Estonian tours into hell, Japanese zombies and large-breasted strippers battling it out in 3D, and Serbian pseudo-snuff porn. See you at the theater…and don’t say we didn’t warn you!

—Travis Crawford

Welcome to Danger After Dark 2010 11 FILMS • 10:00 PM • $10 EA

All films showing at the Ritz at the Bourse in Old City Philadelphia Fri, Fri,July July99 Sat, Sat,July July1010 Sun, Sun,July July1111 Mon, Mon,July July1212 Tue, Tue,July July1313 Wed, Wed,July July1414 Thu, Thu,July July1515 Fri, Fri,July July1616 Sat, Sat,July July1717 Sun, Sun,July July1818 Mon, Mon,July July1919 4

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Dogtooth Dogtooth RoboGeisha RoboGeisha Deliver DeliverUsUsFrom FromEvil Evil Gone Gonewith withthe thePope Pope The TheTemptation Temptationof ofSt. St.Tony Tony Amer Amer Enter Enterthe theVoid Void Big BigTits TitsZombie Zombie3-D 3-D Red RedWhite White&&Blue Blue The TheLife Lifeand andDeath Deathof ofaaPorno PornoGang Gang Vengeance Vengeance www.dangerafterdark.com

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