FRIDAY - SATURDAY - PART 1

FAIR ENOUGH

SAVE ME SAVE ME

SAVE ME ~ CHAD ALLEN AND ROBERT GANT

FRIDAY

premiere night!

CASTING PEARLS

FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO

Fair Enough

Director: Jim Hoppin 5 Minutes, USA

A knock on the door leads to an unusual and important visitor.

Casting Pearls

Director: Andrea James 7 Minutes, USA

Casting Pearls is a short comedic film which illustrates the difficulties transsexual women face in Hollywood via a hectic series of auditions endured by Cassandra, a transsexual actress. Cassandra weathers the horrible, funny and cruel things said by various Hollywood professionals with plucky determination and professionalism, showing that decades of bias can't hold back the real contributions of transgender people to the arts and media.

Save Me

Director: Robert Cary 96 Minutes, USA

ACTOR PRESENT

Save Me is a subtly nuanced and deeply sympathetic look at both sides of one of the most polarizing religious and sexual debates in America: the conflict - and possible reconciliation - between homosexuality and Christianity. Mark (Chad Allen) is a young gay man who is addicted to sex and drugs. After a particularly nasty binge his brother checks him into Genesis House, a Christian retreat in New Mexico miles from anywhere. Run by a compassionate husband and wife team, Gayle (Judith Light) and Ted (Stephen Lang) have made it their life's mission to cure young men of their 'gay affliction' through spiritual guidance. At first, Mark resists, but soon takes the message to heart and begins to bond with his fellow residents...in particular Scott (Robert Gant), a mentor charged with guiding Mark through his conversion. As their friendship evolves into romance, Mark and Scott are forced to confront their true selves, while Gayle and Ted find the values they hold as absolute truths to be threatened. Powerful, restrained performances and a provocative yet believable plot bring light to this contentious subject. Save Me offers healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshair of scripture and sexual identity. • Q&A session with our special guest, Save Me star Robert Gant (Queer As Folk), immediately following screening.

SATURDAY

TO EACH HER OWN

For The Bible Tells Me So

Sponsored By Spirit & Place Director: Daniel Karslake 99 Minutes, USA

Does God really condemn loving homosexual relationships? Is the Bible an excuse to hate? These questions and more are answered in this award-winning documentary, which brilliantly reconciles homosexuality and Biblical scripture – and reveals that religious anti-gay bias is based almost solely upon a misinterpretation of the Bible. Through the experiences of five very normal, Christian, American families – including those of former House Majority Leader Richard Gephardt and Episcopal Bishop Gene Robinson – we discover how people of faith handle the realization of having a gay child or family member. Offering healing, clarity and understanding to anyone caught in the crosshairs of scripture and sexual identity, this landmark film boldly takes on a loaded topic and examines it both intellectually and emotionally; the result may well leave you blinking away a few tears. • Discussion group with Central Christian Church immediately following screening.

Committed

Director: Sarah Mynett 3 Minutes, USA

DIRECTOR PRESENT

This short narrative drama follows two people who candidly talk about their relationship, seemingly built on trust and communication.

To Each Her Own

Director: Heather Tobin 111 Minutes, Canada

DIRECTOR PRESENT

Jess meets Casey, a very openly gay woman and quickly the girls form a strong romantic bond which forces Jess to come to terms with her true sexuality; risking her family and hurting her best friend/husband. • See our in-depth interview with director Heather Tobin on page 22.