Film

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Frameline43 Film Review: “Burn the House Down”

Despite the title’s reference to the original vogue movie PARIS IS BURNING this French documentary serves up a vibrantly haphazard fresh slice of chic. It builds on, rather than just borrows from, the African American ballroom scene. 

If you like your intersectionality joyful, human and juicy rather than dry, theoretical and earnest this stiletto kick against the French establishment is en pointe. It is a behind the scenes exploration of the world of DJ Kiddy Smile following on from his controversial invitation from French President Emmanuel Macron to perform at the Elysee Palace. In the home of French tradition Smile and his immigrant, queer, non-binary entourage were criticized for their unorthodox costumes on the surface but really there was just a rejection of them as being people appropriate to elevate in that venue.  

The invitation to the event followed on from the removal of the word ‘race’ from the French constitution. The excuse was that the word cemented a racial view of the world. The result was that it made it more difficult to talk about racism because people were less able to use the word race. The push back against this attempt to make racism invisible fires the creativity and demand for representation of French immigrants and people of color that the rest of this documentary explores. 

The lush creations of the featured artists are a visual feast whether they are dance, clothing or MAKE UP. The outfits are dazzling. The ballroom look is given a Parisian couture edge that raises it from costume to catwalk. The dance styles claim to be more about waacking (it is OK to look whack) than about vogueing but still the genres traditional drops and duck walks are flawlessly executed.  

The creators and story tellers share their immigrant experience with authenticity, warmth and charm. It is fabulous, talented people trying to get by rather than people getting by trying to be fabulous. An important and not subtle difference.  

Kiddy Smile

As a musician KIDDY SMILE could have taken up more air time in the documentary with his music. He is on a mission to keep the influence of black house music in the foreground of the largely white French EDM scene.  As a black musician he is frustrated that there is an assumption that he plays hip hop. The absence of selfishness in the story telling, however, is one of the big charms of this 44 minute work.

The ballroom scene has been ripped off for its style and looks many times. This particular version in Burn the House Down is not stale or borrowed. It is a fresh translation that moves forward representation with creativity and a little French style.

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Frameline43 Film Review “Tehran : City of Love”

This is the stories of three middle-aged sad and depressed Iranians trying to cope with the reality that love has simply passed them by..  In this very bittersweet comedy from writer-director ALI JABERANSARI we see how these lonely individuals cope with the lack of a romantic relationship .

Overweight Mina (FOROUGH GHAJABAGLI) ironically is the receptionist at a busy beauty clinic which helps people change their bodies.  She uses her job to copy down any good looking man’s phone number and sets about cat-fishing them.  She gets off hiding in the cafe she has arranged to meet her latest handsome victim so she can see their annoyance at being stood up. Her other obsession is ICE CREAM by the bucket load.

Closeted champion bodybuilder Hessam Fazli (AMIR HESSAM BAKHTIARI ) is a trainer who has been reduced to working with elderly men, until one of them suggests that his nephew Arshia (Amir Reza Alizadeh) is training to be a bodybuilder and needs help. Hessam is clearly smitten with the young man, but even when we believe him to be happy he still has such a glum look on his face. 

However the gloomist of the three protagonist is Vahid (MEHDI SAKI) whose job is as a singer at religious funerals in a mosque. He’s estranged from  his fiancée which doesn’t seem to upset him beyond having to break the news to his religious parents. His best friend decides the way out of his depression is to start singing happy songs and gets him booked as wedding singer instead.

Without wishing to post any spoilers here, we can at least say that if you think this is one of those movies that in the end everybody is happy, then you will be disappointed. 

Mina enrolls in a dating class and discovers that ordinary looking men are not that bad.  Hessam’s homoerotic fantasy does not pan out nor does he chance of becoming a film star too., and Vahid falls for the right girl at the wrong time.

The script has more than its fair share of deadpan humor which the three very talented lead actors interpret very well. The film shows how a modern Tehran now deals with the whole concept of finding one’s own relationship than waiting  for one’s parents to arrange one.  However if it is meant to be an argument for the new system, then it is not a convincing one.

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Frameline43 Film Review: “End of the Century”

Lucio Castro’s feature debut End of the Century is an erotic, emotional imagining of a Grindr hookup as memory palace. The film opens in the present as Ocho (Juan Barberini), a poet from New York, cruises the streets and beaches while on vacation in Barcelona. One day, from the balcony of his Airbnb, Ocho sees Javi (Ramon Pujol), a fetching, brawny specimen, his biceps bulging out the sleeves of a KISS t-shirt.

They later do some abortive ogling by the seashore. But fate seems to want them together: When Ocho again spots Javi from his terrace, he works up the courage to call out and invite him up. Turns out Javi is also on vacation (from Berlin) and is staying right next door. After beers and some small talk, the two end up screwing, though Ocho, hilariously, has to run out mid-coitus — and despite being on PrEP (very 2019) — to purchase some condoms.

There’s a pattern for this sort of thing — once beaten off, a half-hearted exchange of WhatsApp contact info and a permanent parting of the ways. But Javi does reach out to Ocho, and over wine and cheese during their second encounter, he casually drops this tidbit: They’ve met before. 

The ensuing flashback, via a breathless smash cut, to Charli XCX’s beloved 1999 beautifully deepens what we’ve just experienced. It almost doesn’t matter that neither Ocho nor Javi look demonstrably different since they carry themselves much more callowly and uncertainly. Ocho, especially, is less noticeably wizened as he arrives during a backpacking excursion at the apartment of a friend, Sonia (Mía Maestro), who turns out to be dating Javi.

Both men are closeted, though an attraction is still palpable. Javi has channeled his anxieties into an in-progress movie about Y2K that he claims he might never finish. Ocho, meanwhile, is so paranoid about sex that a random hookup in a park sends him retching into the bathroom, as well as to a charmingly quaint WebMD page about oral sex and HIV.

Different era, though Castro isn’t longing for one decade over another so much as he’s exploring the porousness of time — the way even a dropped connection can resonate far beyond what we might envision. That guy who you once drunkenly hooked up with to the Flock of Seagulls synth-pop smash “Space Age Love Song” (the film’s finest, sexiest scene) could have been the one. But perhaps it’s enough that he was just one of many?

Life is going to sort you out, regardless, and End of the Century is at its best whenever Castro keeps things thematically and temperamentally woozy. It’s a mark of the writer-director’s generousness that, in the third act, he gifts his two protagonists some bittersweet wish-fulfillment, though it feels oddly conventional given everything that’s preceded.

Aesthetically, the film is much more rigorous, with the compositions by cinematographer Bernat Mestres frequently doing Antonioni-esque dancing about architecture. One shot of Ocho’s head peering out from the top of a modernist building makes the allusion explicit, as does a finale that strains a bit too heavily toward the symphony of absence and alienation that concludes L’Eclisse (1962), though in a much gentler register.

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Frameline43 Film Review: “Making Montgomery Clift”

This is the film that all MONTGOMERY CLIFT fans have waited for since his death at the far too early age of 45, and also the one to introduce to millenials who have never had joy of knowing of his existence, This wonderful queer actor, one of the most handsome Hollywood stars ever, has been the subject of so much scandalous and misleading sensationalism that has overlooked actual real facts that he may have made only 20 movies. but he was actually nominated  for an Oscar for his performance in 4 of them.

The reason for the excitement and relief is that this new documentary is co-directed by the late actor’s nephew ROBERT CLIFT.  He was actually born after his uncle and died, but BROOKES his father, who was Monty’s older brother had been a passionate follower and supporter of his sibling and had hoarded an amazing archive of ephemera of his brother’s career that is beyond any biographer’s dream  Even though Brooke Clift had co-operated with author PATRICIA BOSWORTH in her book Montgomery Clift : A Biography published in 1978, it is now very evident after Robert Clift’s examination of the archives, that he hadn’t shared that much with her.

Monty’s life had always been fodder for the tabloid press because he had always refused to conform.   He passed up several movies at the beginning of his career as he was determined to wait for the right role for his screen debut.  He refused to go under Contract to any one studio which was unheard off in those days, and more importantly on a personal level, unlike other gay actors of the time like CARY GRANT and ROCK HUDSON, he wouldn’t toe the line and marry for the sake of his (and the Studios’) reputation

It meant that when news of the personal issues and demons became public knowledge, the Press didn’t hesitate to make them into scandals whether they warranted it or not.  Rumours , most of the malicious kind, surrounded his life (and death) such as the claim that his mesmerising performance in Stanley Kramer’s ‘JUDGEMENT AT NUREMBERG‘  was him actually having a nervous breakdown during the filming.

In this documentary Clift and his co-director HILLARY DEMMONuse their skills and archived evidence to de-construct all the myths that had misled people to believe that Montgomery Clift’s whole life had been one long melodramatic sad cliche. They by no means attempted to portray him as a saint, but at least by separating the facts from some of the wicked fiction, they give us a portrait of a talented, and sometimes tormented extraordinary actor and man, who we should rightfully recognise as a gay icon who our community are truly proud off.

A word of warning . This rather wonderful documentary will make you want to go back and revisit all of Montys films.  Well it did to us.

Posted by QUEERGURU  at  12:48

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Frameline43’s Robust Full Slate Unveiled: 59 US Premieres, Including 22 World Premieres

 Frameline, the world’s longest-running and largest showcase of queer cinema, is proud to announce the full program for its 43rd annual Festival after unveiling its first 12 titles last month. Frameline43, the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, takes place June 20-30, 2019 in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland. This year’s slate includes 59 films screening for the first time in the US, including 22 world premieres, 8 international premieres, 12 North American premieres, and 17 US premieres. The lineup also contains a record-breaking 22 first narrative features.
 
With last year’s audience reaching over 62,000, Frameline43 will draw film lovers, media artists, and LGBTQ+ communities from the Bay Area and all across the globe to discover the latest slate of queer cinema. Thirty-eight countries will be represented, including China, Argentina, Brazil, Iran, Italy, Romania, Vietnam, India, Guatemala, and Indonesia. Frameline will also welcome a number of high-profile guests during its 11 days of programs, including Trixie Mattel, Angelica Ross, Carol Lynley, Mike Doyle, Bruce Vilanch, Nicole Maines, Brendan Scannell, and Robert Anderson Clift.
 
“Frameline is thrilled to return for our 43rd year, serving as a platform for the world’s finest in LGBTQ+ content. I’m always invigorated by the film artists who present a fresh slate of astounding storytelling each year that continues to educate and inspire us all,” says Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace. “People question the place of film festivals in a now media-saturated culture, but the Festival is about communities: bringing everyone together to celebrate and expand our knowledge of the world around us, as well as ourselves. Frameline’s Festival attendance increased in 2018, and we predict a continued expansion of our audience this year. The LGBTQ+ world has never been quiet; they show up in droves, stomp their feet, and cheer. Frameline43’s outstanding program will continue to demonstrate that there will always be queer film to stomp about.”
 
“I’m ecstatic with this year’s exceptional slate, that the outstanding Programming team has put together,” adds Paul Struthers, Frameline’s Director of Exhibition & Programming. “There are so many discovery titles and an astounding 22 first narrative features at the Festival this year. We are proud to be showing over 50 films that have never been screened in the US, including HISTORY LESSONS, an exquisite dramedy from Mexico about an unusual student-teacher friendship; BIT, which stars transgender superstar Nicole Maines in an LGBTQ+ vampire story; and from Argentina, Berlin International Film Festival fave FAMILY MEMBERS, a beautiful film about siblings and first love that will be making its North American premiere with us. We can’t wait to share our lineup of 174 films from 38 countries with Bay Area audiences in June.”
 
Links for film stills, Frameline branding, and press kits can be found via Dropbox.
 
OPENING NIGHT FILM & GALA:
VITA & VIRGINIA

  • Directed by Chanya Button
  • Sensational star turns by Elizabeth Debicki as Virginia Woolf and Gemma Arterton as Vita Sackville-West bring to dazzling, erotic life one of the great lesbian love affairs of the 20th century in this enchanting blend of literary biography and romantic intrigue—a shimmering costume drama that also features a strong supporting turn from Isabella Rossellini as Vita’s mother. As the two remarkably different novelists begin exploring each other’s minds and bodies, the relationship sparks a creative surge in Woolf, who uses her androgynous lover, Sackville-West, as the muse for one of her greatest novels, Orlando. Vita & Virginia premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

Following VITA & VIRGINIA, join us for our glittering Opening Night Gala at Terra Gallery (511 Harrison Street at First Street). Feast on the sights, sounds, and flavors of the Festival while celebrating with mediamakers, community leaders, industry professionals, and filmgoers alike.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM & GALA:
GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH

  • Directed by David Charles Rodrigues
  • To combat the reemergence of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and hate crimes brought upon by the Trump era, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus boldly toured areas of the southern United States, joined by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, bringing their message of love and inclusion for everyone. Juxtaposing chorus members’ modern-day encounters with historical perspectives, director David Charles Rodrigues chronicles this intense and inspirational journey. Fueled by fantastic music, this dynamic documentary captures the heart and soul of a contemporary civil rights movement. Gay Chorus Deep South premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Documentary.

Following GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH, celebrate the wrap of Frameline43 and Pride 2019 at our Closing Night Party at Oasis (298 11th Street at Folsom Street). Enjoy delicious bites from Curryous Catering and smooth Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails as we announce the winners of the AT&T Audience Awards and the First Feature Award, proudly underwritten by Wells Fargo. Enjoy dazzling live performances by legendary SF drag impresario Heklina, and dance the night away with our Frameline family!

CENTERPIECE PRESENTATIONS:
SID & JUDY – Centerpiece Documentary

  • Directed by Stephen Kijak
  • World Premiere
  • June 2019 marks 50 years since the death of the extravagantly talented and tragically short-lived entertainer Judy Garland, whose perseverance and powerful charisma have made her a gay icon for generations. This revelatory and poignant new portrait, rich with spectacular film clips and rare concert footage, is told through the memoirs—only recently published—of the man who, for a tumultuous decade, was her confidant, producer, and husband, Sid Luft.

BEFORE YOU KNOW IT – Centerpiece US Feature

  • Directed by Hannah Pearl Utt
  • First Feature Film
  • Expected Guests: Director/Star Hannah Pearl Utt, Writer/Actor Jen Tullock
  • Exceptionally funny, smart, and heartfelt, Before You Know It welcomes us into the eccentric Gurner family home, perched atop their business: a community theater in downtown NYC. Type A lesbian Rachel’s responsibilities as the stage manager of both their performances and private lives have kept her from having her own life. But sudden tragedy and the discovery that their presumed-dead mother is a soap opera star throw Rachel and her flighty sister Jackie into more than their usual chaos. Co-writers Jen Tullock and Hannah Pearl Utt star alongside Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin, and Alec Baldwin in this winning comedy, which places the duo’s superb comic timing front and center. World premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

TEMBLORES (TREMORS) – Centerpiece World Cinema

  • Directed by Jayro Bustamante
  • Expected Guests: Actor Juan Pablo Olyslager
  • When confident, sophisticated Pablo (Juan Pablo Olyslager) reveals that he is going to leave his wife and children to live with the man he loves, his affluent evangelical family in Guatemala is ripped apart: soon Pablo’s conservative parents, wife, employer, pastor, and his entire world seem bent on reforming, “converting,” or destroying the errant man. Jayro Bustamante’s (Ixcanul) powerful drama is both one man’s wrenching story and a searing commentary on the impact that religious and social prejudice still wreaks on queer lives. Temblores (Tremors) premiered at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.

A LUV TALE: THE SERIES – Centerpiece Episodic

  • Directed by Kim Oyegan
  • Written and Created by Sidra Smith
  • Expected Guests: Creator/Writer Sidra Smith, Actor Sheria Irving
  • Reminiscent of the classic ‘90s film Love Jones, this Harlem-set series from writer-creator Sidra Smith follows four stunning queer women of color as they navigate their friendships, love lives, and artistic careers. Armed with a bomb soundtrack, starring sure-to-be new favorites and familiar faces like Vanessa Williams and Leon, this sexy show is a must watch.

FRAMELINE43 AWARD: RODNEY EVANS
Frameline will present its most prestigious honor, the 2019 Frameline Award, to visionary filmmaker Rodney Evans, whose films both in narrative fiction and documentary form have explored the histories and worlds of African Americans negotiating sexuality, and the calling of art. We will present a 15th anniversary screening of Evans’ landmark film BROTHER TO BROTHER (a contemporary homage to the Harlem Renaissance) and the award itself will be presented on June 26 at 4:00pm at the Castro Theatre, prior to the screening of Evans’ latest documentary, VISION PORTRAITS, an appreciation of several visually impaired artists. 

SHOWCASE TITLES AT FRAMELINE43

  • BIT – Directed by Brad Michael Elmore – US Premiere – A summer vacation in LA quickly turns into a fight to survive for Laurel (Nicole Maines from TV’s Supergirl), a transgender teenage girl who falls in with a glamorous quartet of queer feminist vampires. Unsure if they want to kill her, eat her, or recruit her, Laurel skeptically tags along with the bloodsucking clique as they rid the streets of predatory men in this wickedly funny, gleefully gory, defiantly postmodern spin on a coming-of-age tale. Expected Guests: Director Brad Michael Elmore, Actor Nicole Maines.
  • BRIEF STORY FROM THE GREEN PLANET – Directed by Santiago Loza – In Buenos Aires, feisty trans performer Tania takes on a bizarre mission: to deliver her grandmother’s extra-terrestrial companion to its home. With her two childhood friends, Tania travels through rural Argentina on a journey where they will discover hidden strengths in themselves and one another. Winner of the Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival, this poetic film fable explores the themes of selfhood, friendship, and the meaning of otherness. Expected Guests: Director Santiago Loza.
     
  • BUTTERFLY – Directed by Alessandro Cassigoli & Casey Kauffman – US Premiere – Irma ‘The Butterfly’ Testa spent her childhood training to achieve her dream: to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, escaping the poorest, most crime-ridden neighborhoods in Naples. But when the most pivotal fight of her life leaves her facing failure, Irma must find a way back to herself—and decide whether life outside the boxing ring can fulfill her dreams as much as life within it.
  • CHANGING THE GAME – Directed by Michael Barnett – Tightly edited and searingly emotional, Changing the Game zeroes in on the explosive fight for trans rights occurring on high school athletic fields across the United States. From racetracks in Connecticut to wrestling arenas in Texas, Michael Barnett’s documentary paints a devastating portrait of bigotry against trans athletes, but it also finds hope in the unlikely allies and advocates who rally fiercely by their sides. Expected Guests: Director Michael Barnett, Subject Mack Beggs.
  • CLEMENTINE – Directed by Lara Jean Gallagher – A serene rural lake is the setting for a volatile connection between two women following a messy and painful breakup. Karen, the cast-aside muse of an older successful artist, invades her ex’s lake house in order to lick her wounds only to unexpectedly cross paths with Lana, a baby-faced blonde from across the lake whose intentions gradually come into focus in this sharply-observed minimalist melodrama, which had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Expected Guests: Director Lara Jean Gallagher, Actor Otmara Marrero.
  • END OF THE CENTURY – Directed by Lucio Castro – What starts as a brief hookup in Barcelona between handsome Ocho and Javi turns into an expansive, time-bending rumination on romance and relationships, a tale that moves over decades and borders in this fascinating, funny and sexy feature debut by Lucio Castro. Expected Guests: Director Lucio Castro.
  • HISTORY LESSONS – Directed by Marcelino Islas Hernández – US Premiere – High school teacher Vero moves through her days with slow deliberation, weighed down by chains of habit and ill health. However, when an electric encounter takes place with the new rebellious student Eva, the incident sparks an unconventional relationship that’s both transgressive and twisted as these two variant souls course-correct their lives. Expected Guests: Director Marcelino Islas Hernández, Actors Verónica Langer and Renata Vaca.
  • STRAIGHT UP – Directed by James Sweeney – World Premiere – Panicking over the thought of spending his whole life alone, Todd turns his back on dating men and dives headlong into a relationship with aspiring actress Rory, his intellectual soulmate. But can a (probably) gay man and a straight woman become a truly happy couple? Quick-witted (with even quicker dialogue) and featuring charming performances from Katie Findlay and writer-director James Sweeney making his feature debut, Straight Up mines the depths of our collective anxieties around loneliness, relationships, and love for the perfect modern thinking-person’s date night movie. Expected Guests: Director/Star James Sweeney, Actors Katie Findlay and Brendan Scannell.
     
  • STRAY DOLLS – Directed by Sonejuhi Sinha – Two young women stuck living and working at a squalid motel will do whatever it takes to escape their suffocating surroundings. However, they may have gone too far when they hatch a plot to rip off their nefarious drug-dealing boss (a deliciously wicked Cynthia Nixon), igniting an avalanche of violence and suspense in this explosive queer buddy crime drama that marks the promising feature debut of acclaimed short film director Sonejuhi Sinha. Expected Guests: Director Sonejuhi Sinha.
  • THIS CLOSE: SEASON 2 – Directed by Stephen Cone & Jordan Firstman – World Premiere – Written with a potent mixture of humor and heartache by Deaf creators and leads Joshua Feldman and Shoshannah Stern and co-starring Nyle DiMarco, Millicent Simmonds, Cheryl Hines, and Marcia Cross, season 2 of This Close offers a universal language of infectious humor and deeply relatable (and often very gay!) drama for the Deaf and hearing communities alike. Join the series creators for an exclusive screening of—and discussion about—the wonderful second season of this beloved and groundbreaking television series. Expected Guests: Creators/Stars Shoshannah Stern and Joshua Feldman.
  • TO THE STARS – Directed by Martha Stephens – In a small Oklahoma farm town in the 1960s, two teenage girls who never quite fit in, strike up a friendship that shocks the whole town and alters their lives forever. A Sundance favorite, beautifully shot in black-and-white, To the Stars gives the grand cinematic treatment to the coming-of-age stories of two young women who grapple with accepting themselves in a town that refuses to. Expected Guests: Director Martha Stephens.
     
  • UNSETTLED: SEEKING REFUGE IN AMERICA – Directed by Tom Shepard – This powerful documentary from acclaimed director Tom Shepard (Scout’s Honor) follows four LGBTQ+ refugees who have fled homophobic violence sanctioned in their home countries. Yet successfully escaping to San Francisco is only one step in a challenging journey to achieve the stability and safety so deeply yearned for. Will each navigate their unique circumstances and ever-mounting odds to not only stay, but thrive? Expected Guests: Director Tom Shepard, Subjects Cheyenne Adriano, Junior Mayema, Subhi Nahas, and Mari N’timansieme.

FAMOUS FACES
As always, the Frameline43 lineup is chock-full of famous names and faces. Beginning with Elizabeth Debicki, Gemma Arterton, and Isabella Rossellini in the opening night feature VITA & VIRGINIA, the Festival will see the likes of Judith Light, Cynthia Nixon, Jeff Daniels, Patricia Clarkson, Angelica Ross, Alec Baldwin, Colin Morgan, and Kate Walsh grace the screens over 11 days.

  • STRAY DOLLS (see Showcase Titles above)
     
  • SELL BY – Directed by Mike Doyle – US Premiere – Actor Mike Doyle makes his feature directorial debut with this sharp, engaging modern-day romantic comedy about a cute gay influencer couple and their BFFs trying to balance their relationships and careers (or lack thereof) in New York City. The fabulous cast—which includes Kate Walsh and the always-enchanting Patricia Clarkson—will have you laughing out loud and pondering the convoluted realities of growing up, selling out, and following your dreams. Expected Guests: Director Mike Doyle.
     
  • GUEST ARTIST – Directed by Timothy Busfield – A misanthropic, gay, alcoholic New York City playwright (Jeff Daniels) descends upon a small town in Michigan to mount his new work but gets hung up at the train station when his driver, an aspiring writer, challenges his jaded outlook in this razor-sharp and moving adaptation of Daniels’ play. Over the course of a snowy Christmastime evening, the two generations face off, trading acerbic, witty dialogue while dissecting each other’s views on art and life. Expected Guests: Producers Michael Alden and Michael Ferdie.
     
  • BENJAMIN – Directed by Simon Amstell – In this uproarious comedy set in hipster London, an up-and-coming indie filmmaker feels the pressure to live up to his early-career promise as he scrambles to finish his (possibly very bad) second film—sending his self-confidence into a nosedive. But when awkward Benjamin (Colin Morgan) meets and falls for an enchanting French musician, he finds his insecurities may torpedo his one chance at happiness. Like its title character, Benjamin is funny, charming, and bittersweetly romantic. Expected Guests: Director Simon Amstell.
  • KING ESTER – Directed by Dui Jarrod – In the days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, Ester, a Black trans woman in New Orleans, is searching for a way out: out of the sex work that leaves her emotionally and physically broken, out from under the judgmental gaze of those she grew up with, and out of Pigeon Town, a neighborhood rife with violence. Beautifully shot with strong ensemble performances, including Pose’s Angelica Ross and The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air’s Janet Hubert, King Ester showcases a gifted storyteller on the rise. Expected Guests: Producer/Star Angelica Ross, Director Dui Jarrod.

ARTIST PORTRAITS
From Hollywood legends and drag superstars to fashion vanguards and visionary performance artists, Frameline43 will feature a wide array of portraits of artists of varying disciplines. In addition to Judy Garland (who can be seen in the Centerpiece Documentary), documentary profiles of the likes of Montgomery Clift, Barbara Hammer, Trixie Mattel, David Wojnarowicz, Eileen Myles, and Jean Paul Gaultier will make their way to the Festival.

  • MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFT – Directed by Robert Anderson Clift & Hillary Demmon – Legendary movie star Montgomery Clift’s life is often painted as tragedy: closeted sexuality, drug and alcohol addiction, that brutal car crash, and his untimely death at age 45. But in this eye-opening new documentary, Clift’s nephew works to dispel the myths surrounding the complicated, exceedingly handsome, and mysterious actor. Revealing previously unseen archival footage, Making Montgomery Clift reexamines the life and work of one of Hollywood’s greatest icons. Expected Guests: Robert Anderson Clift and Hillary Demmon.
     
  • TRIXIE MATTEL: MOVING PARTS – Directed by Nick Zeig-Owens – Both funny and illuminating, this behind-the-scenes exposé of RuPaul’s Drag Race star and country music songstress, Trixie Mattel, offers a glimpse into the backstage drama of a drag superstar. Following Trixie through All Stars, a musical world tour, and the genesis of her Viceland series with Katya, Moving Parts showcases the glitz and glamour of fame as well as its pitfalls when you have a legion of fans watching your every move. Expected Guests: Subject Trixie Mattel, Producer David Silver.
  • QUEER GENIUS – Directed by Chet Catherine Pancake – World Premiere – A deep, affectionate look at the life and work of five remarkable queer artists: the late, legendary filmmaker Barbara Hammer; the inimitable poet, Eileen Myles; Rasheedah Phillips & Camae Ayewa (aka Moor Mother) of the revelatory multimedia Black Quantum Futurism collective; and wildly innovative performance artist Jibz Cameron (aka Dynasty Handbag). Expected Guests: Director Chet Catherine Pancake, Subject Florrie Burke.
  • JEAN PAUL GAULTIER: FREAK & CHIC – Directed by Yann L’Hénoret – In this high-energy backstage extravaganza, visionary fashion designer Jean Paul Gaultier offers an all-access pass into the creation of his lavish and sexy Paris cabaret Fashion Freak Show—a vibrant, eye-popping homage to the icon’s life and work. Joined by such stars as Madonna, Catherine Deneuve, Marion Cotillard, and his longtime muse Rossy de Palma, Gaultier looks back on his upbringing, his inspirations, and his creations: a heartfelt journey through his provocatively fabulous world.
     
  • SELF-PORTRAIT IN 23 ROUNDS: A CHAPTER IN DAVID WOJNAROWICZ’S LIFE, 1989-1991 – Directed by Marion Scemama – In his brief, notorious life, David Wojnarowicz shook up the art world with explicit sexuality and raw dissections of toxic American culture. His powerful works earned the wrath of fundamentalist right-wingers in the years before his 1992 death from AIDS. Marion Scemama’s simmering portrait captures the serious, goofy, anguished, outraged, and horny sides of an essential artist and activist giving voice to unapologetic queerness at the end of the 20th Century.

LATINX SPOTLIGHT
Frameline continues its leadership role in showcasing queer Latinx voices and experiences in this year’s stunning array of narrative features, documentaries, and short films from across the Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking worlds. In addition to the Centerpiece World Cinema feature TEMBLORES (TREMORS) from Guatemala, Frameline43 will feature over 20 films from Latin America and the US addressing the Latinx queer experience.

  • END OF THE CENTURY (Argentina) (see Showcase Titles above)
  • SECOND STAR ON THE RIGHT (Colombia) – Directed by Ruth Caudeli – While her best friends get married, have kids, and flourish in their careers, thirtysomething aspiring actress Emilia lives her life through Britney Spears references, shots of whatever alcohol is closest, and late-night hook-ups. When her free-spirited ways start to catch up to her, how will she respond to the pressures of growing responsibilities and expectations placed upon her? Expected Guests: Director Ruth Caudeli, Writer/Actor Silvia Varón.
     
  • HISTORY LESSONS (Mexico) (see Showcase Titles above)
     
  • SOCRATES (Brazil) – Directed by Alexandre Moratto – A 15-year-old boy living on the fringes of São Paulo seeks a better life despite social and economic hardship after his mother suddenly dies in Alexandre Moratto’s electrifying debut. Navigating tough streets and a steamy romance with a reckless older boy, Socrates’ story—collaboratively produced and scripted with Brazilian youth filmmakers—is of gritty survival, earning the film multiple Independent Spirit Award nominations.
  • THIS IS NOT BERLIN (Mexico) – Directed by Hari Sama – As the country prepares to host the World Cup, two teenage boys discover Mexico City’s hedonistic punk and art scene circa 1986, as well as their own budding sexualities in this Sundance Film Festival sensation. Bored with their private school peers, Carlos and Gera follow Gera’s feminist/anarchist older sister to her synth band’s concert in an underground gay club, which provides the gateway to an enticing world of illicit drugs, naked art protests, and queer revelations.

FIRST FEATURES
In continuing Frameline’s mission to showcase upcoming talent and new voices, this year’s Festival presents a record-breaking 22 narrative feature debuts from a diverse group of filmmakers. This year’s Centerpiece US Feature, BEFORE YOU KNOW IT, as well as showcase titles STRAIGHT UP, STRAY DOLLS, CLEMENTINE, and END OF THE CENTURY, are among the films vying for Frameline’s annual First Feature Award, proudly underwritten by Wells Fargo.

  • SONG LANG – Directed by Leon Le – Set in atmospheric 1980s Saigon, Song Lang is a gritty underworld noir hiding a romantic heart. Hunky, brooding Dung—a debt collector for a local loan shark—finds himself mysteriously drawn to a charismatic young performer in a Vietnamese folk opera troupe. Their bond will lead them into an emotional vortex of operatic proportions in this stunning feature debut, featuring rich scenes from a fading but potent art form. Expected Guests: Director Leon Le.
  • MONSTERS. – Directed by Marius Olteanu – North American Premiere – Unfolding like a mystery in three distinct chapters over the course of 24 hours, Monsters. introduces us to a married couple testing the boundaries of their splintered relationship by seeking connections with strangers. Their encounters—hers with an irritable cab driver, his on an awkward Grindr hookup—will influence their inevitable reunion, when painful decisions must be made in this profoundly incisive, exquisitely acted, and visually dazzling feature debut.
  • CARMEN & LOLA – Directed by Arantxa Echevarría – Good Roma girls don’t smoke, have cell phones, or date; and they definitely don’t fall in love with other girls. Carmen and Lola’s powerful attraction to each other puts them on a collision course with their repressive community outside Madrid in Arantxa Echevarría’s golden-hued romance which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and won the Best New Director Award at the Goyas, Spain’s equivalent to the Oscars.
  • ZEN IN THE ICE RIFT – Directed by Margherita Ferri – Teenage hockey standout Maia adamantly prefers to be called Zen. Sporting androgynous looks, Zen competes on the boys’ team; off the ice, though, Zen is forced to build a wall of isolation to shield the ever-growing onslaught of bullying. But a deepening friendship with beautiful Vanessa threatens to thaw Zen’s ice shell, as new feelings—even new identities—gradually seem possible. This sensitive debut feature is anchored by newcomer Eleonora Conti’s exquisite performance. Expected Guests: Actor Eleonora Conti.
  • MEILI – Directed by Zhou Zhou – North American Premiere – In this transfixing portrait of love and loneliness in a changing China, we follow impulsive Meili, toiling at a dry cleaner’s, cuddling and quarreling with her girlfriend, exploding at her money-hungry brother-in-law. She yearns to escape her stifling—and sometimes violent—everyday. But after her girlfriend abandons her, Meili soon finds herself jobless, friendless, and pushed to the edge of rage. Intimately shot and powerfully performed, Meilireveals one woman’s struggle to hang on to hope.

GENRE STANDOUTS
Putting a fresh, decidedly queer spin on genre, an exciting collection of horror/sci-fi/thrillers featuring LGBTQ+ characters come to Frameline43. Sexy feminist vampires take center stage in Showcase title BIT, while these additional feature films utilize mystery, suspense, an extraterrestrial, and even Freddy Krueger himself to tell their queer stories.

  • KNIVES AND SKIN – Directed by Jennifer Reeder – From the director of Signature Move, with allusions to Heathers and Riverdale, this refreshingly strange and visually compelling coming-of-age drama takes what is expected in a high school movie—jocks and cheerleaders, popularity worries, and fears of dying a virgin—and adds a missing drum majorette, feminist rage, choral arrangements of ‘80s hits, and a lesbian love affair. All these added together culminate in one of the year’s most surreal and surprisingly tender teen mysteries. Expected Guests: Director Jennifer Reeder.
  • SCHOOL’S OUT – Directed by Sébastien Marnier – Exhilarating and surprising from start to unforgettable finish, this cool and menacing thriller which premiered at the Venice Film Festival follows Pierre Hoffman (Elle’s Laurent Lafitte), a handsome gay substitute teacher whose new assignment lands him in an elite private school after one of the teachers departs under unsettling circumstances. When gifted students prove to be difficult and vaguely sinister, Pierre begins uncovering a startling mystery that reveals, above all else, the kids are definitely not alright.
     
  • SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET – Directed by Roman Chimienti & Tyler Jensen – In 1985, Mark Patton landed the lead in the sequel to the blockbuster A Nightmare on Elm Street, thinking he had achieved his dream of becoming a movie star. Instead he found himself, a young closeted gay man, starring in a controversial, subversively queer film, that disappointed audiences and destroyed his career. Thirty years later, Patton comes out of seclusion to embrace the cult film and confront his own demons. Expected Guests: Directors Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen, Subject Mark Patton.
     
  • BRIEF STORY FROM THE GREEN PLANET (see Showcase Titles above)
     
  • LAST FERRY – Directed by Jaki Bradley – North American Premiere – An introverted lawyer heads to Fire Island to let loose but gets much more than he bargained for when a casual encounter with a stranger leaves him drugged. In his impaired state, he finds himself the only witness to a shocking murder in the desolate Meat Rack and must figure out how to escape before the killer finds him in this mesmerizing gay thriller that’s full of twists and turns, shot on location in the Pines. Expected Guests: Writer/Actor Ramon Torres.

LOCAL FLAVOR
Highlighting stories and films central to San Francisco and the Bay Area has always been a strong focus for Frameline, and this year is no exception. The Festival closes with a powerful documentary about the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus, GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH, and features a retrospective of short films from the late Bay Area filmmaker Marlon T. Riggs (Tongues Untied) entitled MARLON RIGGS: NO REGRETS, among other notable films.

  • THANKS TO HANK – Directed by Bob Ostertag – World Premiere – If you’ve ever done anything political and gay in San Francisco—including attend a film at Frameline—you’ve been touched by the life and work of Hank Wilson. In this loving tribute to a man who radically altered LGBTQ+ life and rights in the Bay Area (especially for queer youth in the early days of AIDS), audiences are gifted an impactful and informative glimpse of history changed by Hank’s vision, activism, and organizing. Expected Guests: Director Bob Ostertag.
  • TRANSFINITE – Directed by Neelu Bhuman – Transfinite is a collection of seven locally-shot science-fiction/fantasy short films, skillfully brought to life by a cast of trans and queer actors. Rich with symbolism, the seven stories in this anthology film feature supernatural LGBTQ+ people, from many different cultures, who use magic and supernatural powers to love, teach, fight, and thrive. Beautiful animation and thoughtful camerawork make this omnibus of shorts—filmed in the Bay Area—shine. Expected Guests: Producer Marc Smolowitz.
  • THROUGH THE WINDOWS – Directed by Petey Barma & Bret Parker – World Premiere – With its sky-high windows looking out onto Castro and Market, the landmark bar Twin Peaks stands not only as one of San Francisco’s most beloved establishments but also as a testament to the revolutionary idea that gay people should be seen and celebrated rather than hide in the darkness of alleys and blacked-out windows. Expected Guests: Directors Petey Barma and Bret Parker.
  • WE ARE THE RADICAL MONARCHS – Directed by Linda Goldstein Knowlton – In revolutionary Oakland, queer activists Anayvette Martinez and Marilyn Hollinquest created the Radical Monarchs, a social justice leadership program for girls of color. These kickass women and girls find and express their identity, strength, and sisterhood through community activism. The Radical Monarchs are spreading their wings in the Bay and beyond. The future is female, and the future is now. Expected Guests: Editor Katie Flint.
  • MARLON RIGGS: NO REGRETS – Directed by Marlon T. Riggs – To mark the 25th anniversary of his passing and the 30th anniversary of his landmark essay film Tongues Untied, Frameline will remember the innovative Bay Area filmmaker Marlon T. Riggs with a screening of his rarely seen short films: Anthem, Affirmations, and Non, je ne regrette rien (No Regret).

FRAMELINE43 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS:
KINKY BOOTS: THE MUSICAL

  • Directed by Jerry Mitchell and Brett Sullivan
  • World Premiere
  • Broadway babies and footwear fans rejoice! Come thrill to the world premiere screening of the rousing Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical, in this HD-cinema, live-captured performance from London’s Adelphi Theatre. With a book by Harvey Fierstein and original songs by Cyndi Lauper, the delightful Kinky Boots: The Musical stars original West End sensations Killian Donnelly as shoemaker scion Charlie and Matt Henry as Lola, the feisty drag queen who tries to save the factory with her fabulous fetish-y creations.

MARC HUESTIS: IMPRESARIO OF CASTRO STREET

  • Frameline co-founder Marc Huestis launches his long-awaited memoir Impresario of Castro Street at this exciting multimedia event. His book covers 45 years of San Francisco gay history and two decades of Castro extravaganzas feting such stars as Debbie Reynolds, Karen Black, Patty Duke, and John Waters. This event includes clips from those legendary evenings and in-person readings from Huestis’ juicy memoir by a star-studded cast including Carol Lynley, Bruce Vilanch, Danny Nicoletta, and more!

CONTINUING THE CONVERSATION – INTERACTIVE PANELS:
Frameline43 is proud to present QUEER THAT SCRIPT! HOW FANDOM IS SHAPING TELEVISION, which explores queer fandom and will feature Angelica Ross and director Gabrielle Zilkha, and TROUBLED SANCTUARY: LGBTQ+ REFUGEES, ASYLUM SEEKERS, AND IMMIGRANTS IN THE US, following the screening of UNSETTLED: SEEKING REFUGE IN AMERICA. Director Tom Shepard and the subjects of both UNSETTLED and THE INFILTRATORS will be a part of the panel.

FRAMELINE COMPLETION FUND RECIPIENTS
A total of $25,000 was awarded in this 2018 Completion Fund cycle. Since 1990, Frameline has awarded more than $540,000 to 154 film projects by and about the LGBTQ+ community. Frameline43 presents 3 films and episodics that were finished with assistance from the Completion Fund:

  • KISSING WALLS: SEASON 2 – Directed by Zak Payne – In rapidly changing Chicago, two misfit roommates struggle in the local dating scene as they search for happiness. Cameron finds himself pining for one half of a couple he’s sleeping with while James is desperate for love after weathering a bad breakup. Continuing to explore themes of love, sex, and friendship with a queer, POC lens, season 2 of Kissing Walls proves to be twice as addictive and hilarious.
  • QUEERING THE SCRIPT – Directed by Gabrielle Zilkha – International Premiere – Queer nerd alert! Featuring interviews with Ilene Chaiken (The L Word) and Lucy Lawless (Xena: Warrior Princess, herself!), Queering the Script takes us into the cosplay-wearing, fanfic-writing underbelly of queer fandoms. Undeniably passionate, LGBTQ+ fans don’t just attend conventions and gather autographs; they actively are reshaping film and TV narratives into becoming more queer-inclusive. Expected Guests: Director Gabrielle Zilkha, Producer Stephanie Ouaknine, Subject Angelica Ross.
  • VISION PORTRAITS – Directed by Rodney Evans – The compelling stories of four visually impaired artists—photographer John Dugdale, dancer Kayla Hamilton, writer Ryan Knight, and the filmmaker himself Rodney Evans (Brother to Brother, Frameline28)—are uniquely reflected through Evans’ dual status as filmmaker and subject, showing how each artist has been impacted by their diagnosis and how they have creatively thrived. Expected Guests: Director Rodney Evans.

 
GET YOUR TICKETS NOW – BECOME A MEMBER:
Frameline members are vital to our year-round work in creating change for LGBTQ+ people everywhere. When you join as a member, your generous gift supports emerging filmmakers, our youth education programs to create safer and more accepting communities, and the exhibition of thought-provoking films documenting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences both online and at the Festival. By joining the most respected LGBTQ+ media arts organization in the nation, you invest in our future and also receive an array of exciting benefits. For more information about how you can be a part of the Frameline family, please visit us at www.frameline.org/join

CONNECT WITH US: #FL43 #Frameline43

@framelinefest@framelineframelinefest

About Frameline43: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival:

Frameline43, San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, takes place June 20-30, 2019. Spanning five venues in the Bay Area, the 43rd Festival celebrates the spectrum and intersection of identities that make up LGBTQ+ communities worldwide. Join filmmakers and festivalgoers alike at the biggest showcase of queer media on the planet. Info and tickets: www.frameline.org


About Frameline:

Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s integrated programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the globe. Frameline provides critical funding for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, reaches hundreds of thousands with a collection of over 250 films distributed worldwide, inspires thousands of students in schools across the nation with free films and curricula through Youth in Motion, and creates an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ+ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and additional year-round screenings and cinematic events.

Learn more at www.frameline.org

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OUTwatch – Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival’s “Don’t Blink! It’s Love: Short Films for All” Wraps Up Pride Week

OUTwatch – Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival and Sonoma County Pride will again team up to present collection of short films,“Don’t Blink!  It’s Love: Short Films for All” Sunday, June 9 at 2 p.m. at Third Street Cinema in Santa Rosa. OUTwatch is determined to bring the best of International LGBTQI Cinema to the North Bay.   “Don’t Blink!  It’s Love: Short Films for All” will be an integral part of this year’s Pride celebration, that will happen in Santa Rosa.  OUTwatch will showcase seven entertaining and engaging short films, including three thought-provoking documentaries.

The seven short films that will be screened are: Happy Birthday Marsha  A fictional film that imagines transgender rights pioneer Marsha P. Johnson in the hours leading up the the Stonewall protest. Marguerite An aging woman and her nurse develop a friendship that inspires her to unearth unacknowledged longing that helps her make peace with her past. Femme Rejected for not being ‘masculine’ enough, a young gay man journeys toward self-acceptance with the help of a fabulous drag performer. My Own Wings An exploration of intersex identity and intersex people who are born with a variation from the standard concept of ‘male’ and ‘female.’  Pink Boy Six-year-old Jeffrey loves wearing dresses and performing dance routines, but how will his butch lesbian mom keep him safe in rural Florida. Grace and Betty  When 23 year-old-old Grace decides to come out to her grandmother Betty, she discovers something she wasn’t expecting. I Have Something to Tell You  A photographer creates an acclaimed portrait series when he shoots his friends’ reactions to his telling them a longheld secrete. 

Now in it’s seventh year, OUTwatch is one of the fastest growing film festivals in the North Bay.  This year’s festival will happen in October at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol.  Films will be announced and tickets and festival passes will become available in September.  For more information go to:  www.outwatchfilmfest.org. 

If you would like more information about this topic or to schedule an interview with Co-producers Gary Carnivele, Jody Laine and Shad Reinstein, please call Shad at 707.360.5919 or email shad@outwatchfilmfest.org.  

Calendar Listing 

Sunday, June 9 , “Don’t Blink!  It’s Love: Short Films for All” presented by OUTwatch – Wine Country’s LGBTQI Film Festival and Sonoma County Pride will happen Sunday June 9, 2019. 2 p.m.  The program is comprised of seven important films. Admission: $10. Address:  Third Street Cinema 620 3rd Street, Santa Rosa, CA 95404.   Web site: www.outwatchfilmfest.org.   

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‘Canary’ : a Coming-of-age Musical Set in South Africa in the 1980’s

FIlmmaker CHRISTIAAN OLWAGEN’S enchanting coming-of-age musical dramedy set in his homeland of South Africa takes a trope of extreme obstacles facing gay men in the 1980’s with such an inspired touch that makes this such a sheer joy of a movie.

It’s the tale of teenage Johan Niemand (SCHALK BEZUIDENHOUT) who although he lives in a remote one-horse country town where he is bullied by the local youth for his effeminacy, he is also  encouraged by his gal pals to dress up in drag and dance to the music of his beloved Boy George.  

When he gets drafted to do his compulsory two years Military Service, to avoid having to take part in the War he manages to get accepted into the Canaries which is an Army Church Choir (something of an oxymoron).  Clutching his precious collection on New Wave records he boards the train to the camp and his horrified that the first other recruit he meets is the very flamboyant and very gay Ludolf (GERMANDT GELDENHUYS).  His initial reaction is one of horror fueled by the thought that any association with Ludolf would also out him too.

They do become good friends as they bond over the bullying tactics by their sadistic Platoon corporal who believes that they have too easy a ride as a choir.  A lot of the other members of the his Unit seem to have their own self image issues which manifests in considerable vitriol and hatred amongst them .  Partly spurred on by them all being away from home for the first time, and their own personal securities and the sheer pressure of being part of an ultra-conservative racist society.

Jonah soon develops a friendship with another choir member named Wolfgang (HANNES OTTO) as they have identical tastes in music. They spend a lot of time together and grow closer and eventually fall for each other.  Rather than this be an exhilarating moment for Johan, it actually fills him with panic and guilt as his deeply religious background makes him feel so wretched about his sexuality which he really cannot deny now.

As well as struggling with his own thoughts about the situation, Johan is also petrified about the Army’s rampant homophobia and the drastic consequences that could ruin his future if he was discovered.

This all plays out against a background of a country that is fighting to retain its white supremacy, in which the Choir’s Reverend leader preaches from the pulpit is a war that God wants them to win.

Olwagen’s movie is however far from doom and  gloom as he imbues his script with a real sense of humor, and thanks to his very talented three leading actors, develops characters that are not only extremely likable but ones that we really get engaged in. Bezuidenhout excels as the deeply introspective Johan but in real life is one of South Africa’s most famous stand up comics.

Kudos too for the soundtrack from the Boy George hits that allowed Johan to come out of his shell to the beautiful choral singing that the Canaries toured with whether the troops wanted to hear them or not.

The film is remarkable insight into how gay men struggled with their sexuality in a country that was desperately clinging on  to its immoral past. Olwagen’s wonderfully entertaining tale however fills us with hope that love will in the very end conquer all.

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SF DocFest 2018 Starts May 29

The San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) returns to San Francisco May 29 – June 13, 2019 for the 18th edition of the festival. SF DocFest will screen 48 acclaimed documentary features and 36 short films from around the world at the Roxie Theater and Brava Theater in San Francisco. Full lineup is available at www.sfindie.com. For more information, please visit our website or contact DocFest at 415-662-FEST or email info@sfindie.com. 

Festival Opening Night Film – CASSANDRO THE EXOTICO! 
Director: Marie Losier – France – 73 min – U.S. Premiere
Wednesday, May 29th at 8pm at the Brava Theater
 

Famed for his flamboyant drag, sky-high pompadour, and show-stopping flips, Cassandro’s trailblazing ascent as one of the first openly gay lucha libre wrestlers has resonated for a quarter century. CASSANDRO THE EXOTICO!captures a prize-winning fighter who reinvented a staunchly macho sport, knocking out opponents and coping with a body pushed to its limits. Cassandro’s story—the underdog and a queer icon, simultaneously fragile and mighty—unfolds on both sides of the border. Join us for an after party at the Make Out Room (3225 22nd St) for 60s/70s soul/funk/disco from around the world with DJs Special Lord B, Ben Braken and Bobby Ganush.


Roxie Opening Film – JR “BOB” DOBBS AND THE CHURCH OF THE SUBGENIUS
Director: Sandy K. Boone – USA – 85 min
Thursday, May 30 at 7pm at the Roxie Theater

What started out as an inside joke amongst two self proclaimed weirdos soon becomes much more than they bargained for. Frustrated by the rising consumer-driven culture, out of work pals Douglass St. Clair Smith and Steve Wilcox decide to turn their conservative Southern ideology on its head and invent a new religion all on their own. Spurred by the overreach of religion and zealous televangelists of the day, the pair concoct religious monikers, a newly minted prophet and devise a crusade to expose the conspiracy of normalcy by using humor as the ultimate weapon.

Centerpiece Film – THE BOOK OF THE SEA 
Director: Aleksei Vakhrushev – Russia – 85 min – U.S. Premiere
Thursday, June 6 at 7pm at the Roxie Theater

THE BOOK OF THE SEA tells the story of a family in the indigenous community of the Bering Strait in the Far East of Russia who hunt to provide for their families and village. In the midst of the white expanse of ice they stalk seals and circle whales in their boats waiting for the right moment to use their harpoons. Their story of everyday survival is enriched with vividly animated local myths that at times prevail reality. These elements combine to produce a hybrid animated documentary that provides a haunting testimony of life in the Arctic.

Festival Closing Night Film – I WANT MY MTV 
Director: Tyler Measom & Patrick Waldrop – USA – 86 min
Thursday, June 13 at 7pm at the Roxie Theater

A touchstone in the lives of millions of young people, as well as a home for musicians and filmmakers to display their offbeat sense of artistic vision, upstart music network MTV burst onto televisions in 1981. Its scrappy young hosts, fly-by-the-seat-of-its-pants production, and music mini-movies were like nothing Americans had ever seen before. A nostalgic and thrilling ride, I WANT MY MTV takes us back to the beginning where a seed of an idea quickly flourished into a beloved but often controversial cultural juggernaut. 
Stick around for the closing night party/double feature with I FORGOT WHAT 8 WAS FOR: THE 80s ALT ROCK SING A LONG!

Non-Fiction Vanguard Award: Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce

The San Francisco Documentary Film Festival is pleased to honor documentary filmmakers Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce with the 2019 Non-Fiction Vanguard Award. Blending an approach that embraces both art and entertainment, Argott and Joyce have made films on subjects as diverse as rock bands, nuclear power, legal theft of priceless art collections and who really created Batman. They have become trendsetters in the ongoing documentary renaissance that has taken place in the early 21st century.
 

Fresh from this year’s 2019 Tribeca Film Festival, Argott and Joyce’s latest film, FRAMING JOHN DELOREAN, is a portrait of the notorious automobile executive John Z. DeLorean. This film explores the renegade visionary (or ultimate con man) who revolutionized the automobile industry and whose car nowadays is mainly associated with the film BACK TO THE FUTURE. In addition to insights via interviews, Alec Baldwin plays John Delorean in re-enactments of key scenes in his life, adding to a deep portrait of a brilliant innovator whose Midas touch ultimately disappeared.
 

SF DocFest prides itself in recognizing those unconventional, creative risk-taking filmmakers that are redefining the nonfiction cinematic form and are someone to watch. Please join us Saturday, June 1st at 7pm at the Roxie Theater for a screening of FRAMING JOHN DELOREAN and moderated discussion with the filmmakers, followed by a reception around the corner at 518 Valencia Street. Don Argott and Sheena M. Joyce are the latest filmmakers the festival has recognized. Past honorees include Penny Lane (2018), Jamie Meltzer (2017), Sean Dunne (2016), Robert Greene (2014) and Melody Gilbert (2008).

Local Film Highlights
 

From SOMA based filmmaker Fiona McDougall, BUT I LOVE THE ZINE is a documentary short that highlights Zine culture in the Bay Area as told by several artists. One such artist is writer and publisher V. Vale, a North Beach resident. The film will be shown during the Shorts 3: We Have This in Common program on Saturday, June 8th at 12:15pm and Tuesday, June 11th at 7:00pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater.
 

CIRCLES tells the story of Eric Butler a Hurricane Katrina survivor and pioneer of the restorative justice movement. He relocates and finds work at an Oakland, California high school enforcing his no-nonsense approach to counseling vulnerable Black and Latino teenagers. Shot over two years, the film follows Butler’s impassioned efforts to nurture troubled youth and keep them in school, fighting racial discrimination by replacing snap suspensions and expulsions with gritty, intimate and honest mentoring. Filmmaker Cassidy Friedman and producer Becca Vershbow are married and are based in Alamo Square in San Francisco. Subject Eric Butler and his son Tre Thomas live in Hayward. CIRCLES will be screened on Saturday, June 1st at 2:30pm at the Roxie Theater.
 

From Marin County based filmmaker Liz Canning, MOTHERLOAD is a crowdsourced documentary about a new mom’s quest to understand and promote the cargo bike movement in a gas-powered, digital and divided world. As Liz explores the burgeoning global movement to replace cars with purpose-built bikes, she learns about the bicycle’s history and potential future as the ultimate “social revolutionizer.” Her experiences as a cyclist, as a mother, and in discovering the cargo bike world, teach Liz that sustainability is not necessarily about compromise and sacrifice and there are few things more empowering, in an age of consumption, than the ability to create everything from what seems to be nothing. The film will play on Sunday, June 9th at 4:45pm at the Roxie Theater.


In the early 1980’s, a small group of dedicated Bay Area headbangers shunned the hard rock of MTV and Hollywood hairspray bands in favor of a more dangerous brand of metal that became known as thrash. From the tape trading network to the clubs to the record stores and fanzines, director Adam Dubin reveals how the scene nurtured the music and spawned a movement. MURDER IN THE FRONT ROW is told through powerful first person testimony and stunning animation and photography. The film is a social study of a group of young people defying the odds and building something essential for themselves. Featuring interviews with Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, Death Angel, Possessed and many more! Narrated by Brian Posehn. MURDER IN THE FRONT ROW will be screened on Friday, May 31st at 9:15pm and Tuesday, and again on June 4th at 9pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater.

From Oakland resident Ken Paul Rosenthal, WHISPER RAPTURE is an intimate portrait of cellist-vocalist Bonfire Madigan Shive, who transforms her lifelong experiences with hearing voices and suicidal despair into punk-influenced chamber music. Featuring six original Bonfire music compositions vividly animated by luminous images from natural and urban environments, this visually inventive doc-opera radically re-frames the way we think, speak and feel about mental distress. WHISPER RAPTURE screens on Wednesday, June 5th at 9:15pm and Friday, June 7th at 9:15pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater.

World Premieres
 

An unusual combination of disorientation and euphoria occurs in the hours leading up to the birth of expectant mother Angelle’s first child. 36 HOURS is an immersive and tender document of quiet love, celebrating the natural processes of life and the labor involved in existence. 36 HOURS will make its world premiere on Monday, June 3rd at 7pm at the Roxie Theater. This film will be shown with the documentary short EVERYTHING YOU WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SUDDEN BIRTH.
 

In DUSTY GROOVE: THE SOUND OF TRANSITION, Chicago vinyl buyer Rick Wojcik walks us into the homes – and stories – of strangers, digging through their jazz, soul, and hip hop records, purchasing their once-prized possessions. Each seller shares a common reason: they face a major life transition. The documentary is a collection of intimate narratives, akin to a record album of songs. About love, loss, and our deep personal connection to music. DUSTY GROOVE will make its world premiere on Saturday, June 8th at 4:45pm and will be screened again on Monday, June 10th at 9pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater.
 

Under a code of absolute discretion, guests are invited into the House of the Latitude, a place where truth and fiction are indistinguishable. IN BRIGHT AXIOM follows participants through dark mazes to a place where a powerful spell is cast, and ultimately broken, as we witness the unforeseen consequences of a daring social experiment. This San Francisco story makes its world premiere on Friday, June 7th at 7pm at the Roxie Theater.
 

The Young Marines teach obedience and loyalty above all else. THE RECRUITS explores the societal influences that lead young people to conform to or reject military doctrine, raising questions about education, militarization, and the perpetuation of violence. THE RECRUITS makes its world premiere on Saturday, June 8th at 4:45pm and will be screened again on Wednesday, June 12th at 7pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater. This film will be shown with the documentary short GUY HIRCEFELD, A GUY WITH A CAMERA.

U.S. Premieres
 

The festival is also thrilled to present the U.S. premieres of the following films:
 

ANBESSA is a coming-of-age story that creates a new perspective on the myth of progress. A curious ten-year-old and his mother have been displaced from their farmland on the outskirts of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, by the construction of a condominium. As they watch the buildings take shape, this lyrical film exposes the hope and tension engulfing the country. ANBESSA makes its U.S. premiere on Sunday, June 2nd at 9:15pm and is screened again on Friday, June 7th at 4:45pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater.
 

BREAKING THEIR SILENCE: WOMEN ON THE FRONTLINE OF THE POACHING WAR makes its U.S. premiere on Friday, June 7th at 7pm at the Roxie Theater. This film examines how wildlife trafficking and illegal poaching are threatening the world’s population of wild animals. Leading conservation efforts and the fight against criminal poachers are bold, courageous women committed to preventing the extinction of Africa’s most vulnerable animals.
 

CANDICE makes it’s U.S. premiere on Sunday, June 2nd at 7pm and is shown again on Thursday, June 6th at 7pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater. Candice Vadala aka Candida Royalle began her career as an adult performer and in her thirties began to direct her own films focusing on women’s sexual pleasure, becoming the “godmother of feminist porn.” In her sixties when confronted with an ovarian cancer diagnosis, she is eager to tell her story in her words.
 

A GROWING THING makes its U.S. premiere on Sunday, June 2nd at 2:30pm and is screened again on Wednesday, June 5th at 7pm, both screenings at the Roxie Theater. This film documents women in a South African township that are empowering themselves to provide financial support for their families and community through a project selling their embroidered goods. Jabulile is part of a small group learning leadership skills and facing the challenges of eventually running the collective to affect change in their community.
 

UNFINISHED SENTENCES looks at how a filmmaker daughter and her writer father navigate the conflicting issues of their relationship: race and art, adoration and disappointment, success and failure. Until he dies and in her grief, she discovers that his poetry and prose transcend death, allowing her to hear his voice again and find a way back to herself. UNFINISHED SENTENCES makes its U.S. premiere on Saturday, June 1st at 4:45 pm at the Roxie Theater.

Parties and Special Events

There’s a lot of reasons to go to this year’s SF DocFest, but none other than their funky-fun parties! This year’s parties feature:
 

Breakfast Club Bingo includes screening, bingo card, and prizes! $10/advance $12/door (21up)

Dance Craze $14/advance $15/door or $20 for double feature with PICK IT UP! SKA IN THE 90’S (all ages)

I Forgot What Eight Was For: The 80s Alt Rock Sing-Along $14/advance $15/door or $20 for double feature with I WANT MY MTV (all ages)
 

Mission BAG (Bad Art Gallery) – A whole new collection of dumpster-dived art awaits at the June edition of the MISSION B.A.G. (Bad Art Gallery). Hilarious catalog notes, paintings curated from only the finest flea markets, thrift stores and back alleys. Join the festival for complimentary beverages, groovy music and bad art! Free, a 21up event.

General Information about DocFest
 

Presented each year by SF IndieFest, the San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) returns to San Francisco at the Roxie Theater, Brava Theater, and 518 Gallery. The festival runs May 29th to June 13th. Regular tickets are $14/advance, $15/door. Opening Night Film tickets (includes after party) are $18/advance, $20/door (21up). The AllFestPass, good for all screenings and parties at the Film Festival, is $240. Passholders jump to the front of the line at all screenings. 5Film vouchers are $65, 10Film vouchers are $120. These discount vouchers are only available and only redeemable at sfindie.com. Tickets are now available at sfindie.com and at 415-552-5580. For more info, contact DocFest at 415-662-FEST or info@sfindie.com. 

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‘Mr Leather’: Daniel Nolasco Demystifies Brazil’s Leather Community

DANIEL NOLASCO’s intriguing documentary “Mr. Leather”  is a very affectionate profile of Brazil’s growing  gay leather community. He kicks off his tale with a highly amusing parody that hints at some dark political intrigue that ended up making Barbudo the very first winner of the Mr Leather title, and now the de-facto organiser of the second ever competition that is the subject of the film.

Thirteen years ago when the mysterious  Mr D started the first leather night in Sao Paolo only one other person turned up.  Barbudo.  Now it is one of the most important leather parties in the country.  As Nolasco’s camera trails the four contestants vying for the title we  get the feeling that this is still quite an intimate affair where everyone knows everyone else.

At the Leather Dinner that precedes the competition everyone is decked out in their fiercest leather finery but there is such a spirit of bonhomie which is the first of the many myths that this documentary dispels.

Nolasco profiles each of the four hopefuls mixing their words with some nifty camerawork which doesn’t just flatter them but makes for very entertaining viewing. One of the best parts is when he has them display their considerable leather wardrobes complete with all the accessories which is quite the eyeopener for people (like us) who were convinced they wore the same outfit all the time.

Also what brought a large grin to our faces was seeing each of them being interviewed by a female radio journalist who seemed not only versed in what they wore but in the very  minute detail of what they did (sexually) too.

Where the film (and the contest) really succeeds however is demystifying the leather community to us on the outside.  Not just about the S.S.C code (Sane, Safe & Consensual) but the fact that they regard homosexuality as being too closely based on heteronormality, and so they feel that is another closet they need to come out to become a leatherman and a fetishist.

Though several of them still regard Tom of Finland as some sort of Patron Saint, it is very obvious that the Brazilian leather community has moved on a great deal since then.  Not just how they dress and look but their whole attitude to being part of a forward thinking group that intermingles much more.  Some belong to BLUF (Breeches, Leather Uniform & Fetish)  which evidently is a booming group with the community.

All in all the climax in the Eagle Bar the night of the competition is a joyous uplifting occasion as we had got to know all four of the candidates by now, and want to join their celebrations/

With a fabulous upbeat soundtrack and some very creative camerawork Nolasco not only succeeded in shedding some of the myths around the leather community, but he made it seem like something that people watching it will really want to join.

Unmissable

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Judy Garland Comes to Frameline43 in World Premiere Documentary, Plus Gala Selections Revealed

Frameline, the world’s longest-running and largest showcase of queer cinema, is pleased to announce its first slate of high-profile programs and pre-sales—including Opening Night feature VITA & VIRGINIA, Closing Night feature GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH, and Centerpiece selections including the World Premiere of SID & JUDY—for Frameline43: San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival, which takes place June 20-30, 2019 in San Francisco, Berkeley, and Oakland. The complete Frameline43 program will be unveiled on Tuesday, May 21.

“Frameline is thrilled to return for our 43rd year, serving as a platform for the world’s finest in LGBTQ+ content. I’m always invigorated by the film artists who present a fresh slate of astounding storytelling each year that continues to educate and inspire us all,” says Frameline Executive Director Frances Wallace. “People question the place of film festivals in a now media-saturated culture, but the Festival is about communities: bringing everyone together to celebrate and expand our knowledge of the world around us, as well as ourselves. Frameline’s Festival attendance increased in 2018, and we predict a continued expansion of our audience this year. The LGBTQ+ world has never been quiet; they show up in droves, stomp their feet, and cheer. Frameline43’s outstanding program will continue to demonstrate that there will always be queer film to stomp about!”

Paul Struthers, Frameline’s Director of Exhibition & Programming, selected 12 films to announce early and begin pre-sales to Frameline Members and the public. “Alongside the exceptional Frameline Programming team, we have curated a Festival that really has films about and for all of the LGBTQ+ communities,” Struthers says. “These twelve features offer a perfect appetizer for what Frameline43 has in store. We will be screening over 170 stories from all over the world, including award-winning titles, exciting world premieres, and some very special presentations…”
 

OPENING NIGHT FILM & GALA:

VITA & VIRGINIA – Thursday, June 20

  • Directed by Chanya Button
  • Sensational star turns by Elizabeth Debicki as Virginia Woolf and Gemma Arterton as Vita Sackville-West bring to dazzling, erotic life one of the great lesbian love affairs of the 20th century in this enchanting blend of literary biography and romantic intrigue—a shimmering costume drama that also features a strong supporting turn from Isabella Rossellini as Vita’s mother.  As the two remarkably different novelists begin exploring each other’s minds and bodies, the relationship sparks a creative surge in Woolf, who uses her androgynous lover, Sackville-West, as the muse for one of her greatest novels, Orlando. Vita & Virginia premiered at the 2018 Toronto International Film Festival.

Following VITA & VIRGINIA, join us for our glittering Opening Night Gala at Terra Gallery (511 Harrison Street at First Street). Feast on the sights, sounds, and flavors of the Festival while celebrating with mediamakers, community leaders, industry professionals, and filmgoers alike.

CLOSING NIGHT FILM & GALA:

GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH – Sunday, June 30

  • Directed by David Charles Rodrigues
  • To combat the reemergence of anti-LGBTQ+ laws and hate crimes brought upon by the Trump era, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus boldly toured areas of the southern United States, bringing their message of love and inclusion for everyone. Juxtaposing chorus members’ modern-day encounters with historical perspectives, director David Charles Rodrigues chronicles this intense and inspirational journey. Fueled by fantastic music, this dynamic documentary captures the heart and soul of a contemporary civil rights movement. Gay Chorus Deep South premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival.

Following GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH, celebrate the wrap of Frameline43 and Pride 2019 at our Closing Night Party at Oasis (298 11th Street at Folsom Street). Enjoy delicious bites from Curryous Catering and smooth Tito’s Handmade Vodka cocktails as we announce the winners of the AT&T Audience Awards and the First Feature Award, proudly underwritten by Wells Fargo. Enjoy dazzling live performances by legendary SF drag impresario Heklina, and dance the night away with our Frameline family!

CENTERPIECE PRESENTATIONS:

SID & JUDY – Centerpiece Documentary – Wednesday, June 26

  • Directed by Stephen Kijak
  • World Premiere
  • June 2019 marks 50 years since the death of the extravagantly talented and tragically short-lived entertainer Judy Garland, whose perseverance and powerful charisma have made her a gay icon for generations. This revelatory and poignant new portrait, rich with spectacular film clips and rare concert footage, is told through the memoirs—only recently published—of the man who, for a tumultuous decade, was her confidant, producer, and husband, Sid Luft.

BEFORE YOU KNOW IT – Centerpiece US Feature – Monday, June 24

  • Directed by Hannah Pearl Utt
  • First Feature Film
  • Exceptionally funny, smart, and heartfelt, Before You Know It welcomes us into the eccentric Gurner family home, perched atop their business: a community theater in downtown NYC. Type A lesbian Rachel’s responsibilities as the stage manager of both their performances and private lives have kept her from having her own life. But sudden tragedy and the discovery that their presumed-dead mother is a soap opera star throw Rachel and her flighty sister Jackie into more than their usual chaos. Co-writers Jen Tullock and Hannah Pearl Utt star alongside Judith Light, Mandy Patinkin, and Alec Baldwin in this winning comedy, which places the duo’s superb comic timing front and center. World premiere at the 2019 Sundance Film Festival.

TEMBLORES (TREMORS) – Centerpiece World Cinema – Tuesday, June 25

  • Directed by Jayro Bustamante
  • When confident, sophisticated Pablo reveals that he is going to leave his wife and children to live with the man he loves, his affluent evangelical family in Guatemala is ripped apart: soon Pablo’s conservative parents, wife, employer, pastor, and his entire world seem bent on reforming, “converting,” or destroying the errant man. Jayro Bustamante’s (Ixcanul) powerful drama is both one man’s wrenching story and a searing commentary on the impact that religious and social prejudice still wreaks on queer lives. Temblores (Tremors) premiered at the 2019 Berlin International Film Festival.

A LUV TALE: THE SERIES – Centerpiece Episodic – Thursday, June 27

  • Directed by Kim Oyegan
  • Written and Created by Sidra Smith
  • Reminiscent of the classic ‘90s film Love Jones, this Harlem-set series from writer-creator Sidra Smith follows four stunning queer women of color as they navigate their friendships, love lives, and artistic careers. Armed with a bomb soundtrack, starring sure-to-be new favorites and familiar faces like actors Vanessa Williams and Leon, this sexy show is a must watch.

FRAMELINE43 SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS AND STANDOUTS:

BIT – Saturday, June 22

  • Directed by Brad Michael Elmore
  • US Premiere
  • A summer vacation in LA quickly turns into a fight to survive for Laurel (Nicole Maines from CBS’s Supergirl), a transgender teenage girl who falls in with a glamorous quartet of queer feminist vampires. Unsure if they want to kill her, eat her, or recruit her, Laurel skeptically tags along with the bloodsucking clique as they rid the streets of predatory men in this wickedly funny, gleefully gory, defiantly postmodern spin on a coming-of-age tale.

END OF THE CENTURY – Friday, June 21 and Saturday, June 29

  • Directed by Lucio Castro
  • First Feature Film
  • The mysteries of romantic connection, the challenges of a long-term relationship, the allure of personal freedom—these topics and more are explored in Lucio Castro’s sexy, funny, and moving feature debut. With fascinating temporal shifts and a picturesque Barcelona setting, End of the Century explores the relationship between handsome Ocho and Javi over different decades and, possibly, different realities. The film made its world premiere at the New Directors/New Films Festival in New York City. 

KINKY BOOTS: THE MUSICAL – Saturday, June 22

  • Directed by Jerry Mitchell and Brett Sullivan
  • World Premiere
  • Broadway babies and footwear fans rejoice! Come thrill to the world premiere screening of the rousing Tony and Olivier Award-winning musical, in this HD-cinema, live-captured performance from London’s Adelphi Theatre. With a book by Harvey Fierstein and original songs by Cyndi Lauper, the delightful Kinky Boots: The Musical stars original West End sensations Killian Donnelly as shoemaker scion Charlie and Matt Henry as Lola, the feisty drag queen who tries to save the factory with her fabulous fetish-y creations.

TRIXIE MATTEL: MOVING PARTS – Tuesday, June 25

  • Directed by Nick Zeig-Owens
  • West Coast Premiere
  • Both funny and illuminating, this behind-the-scenes exposé of RuPaul’s Drag Race star and country music songstress, Trixie Mattel, offers a glimpse into the backstage drama of a drag superstar. Following Trixie through All Stars, a musical world tour, and the genesis of her Viceland series with Katya, Moving Parts showcases the glitz and glamour of fame as well as its pitfalls when you have a legion of fans watching your every move. Trixie Mattel: Moving Parts premiered at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Trixie Mattel (Brian Firkus) will be in attendance for a Q&A following the screening. 

YOU DON’T NOMI – Thursday, June 27

  • Directed by Jeffrey McHale
  • West Coast Premiere
  • Local icon Peaches Christ joins a collection of critics, writers, and fans for an enlightening and entertaining reassessment of the once celebrated Hollywood disaster that has risen like a queer phoenix from the ashes: Paul Verhoeven’s Showgirls. Is it a misunderstood masterwork, misogynist trash, unintentional camp, or a combination of all three? You Don’t Nomi offers an array of insight and wit as it explores one of San Francisco’s favorite movies. You Don’t Nomi had its world premiere at the 2019 Tribeca Film Festival. Screening hosted by drag sensation Peaches Christ.

KATTUMARAM – Sunday, June 23 and Thursday, June 27

  • Directed by Swarnavel Eswaran
  • West Coast Premiere
  • First Feature Film 
  • In a small Indian village ravaged by a tsunami, Singaram is a fisherman working hard to care for his orphaned niece Anandhi, a local school teacher. Despite constant pressure from her uncle and the conservative society, Anandhi refuses to be married off. It isn’t until a new friendship with a fellow female teacher blossoms that people begin to suspect why.

GET YOUR TICKETS NOW – BECOME A MEMBER:

Frameline members are vital to our year-­round work in creating change for LGBTQ+ people everywhere. When you join as a member, your generous gift supports emerging filmmakers, our youth education programs to create safer and more accepting communities, and the exhibition of thought­-provoking films documenting LGBTQ+ lives and experiences both online and at the Festival. By joining the most respected LGBTQ+ media arts organization in the nation, you invest in our future and also receive an array of exciting benefits. For more information about how you can be a part of the Frameline family, please visit us at www.frameline.org/join

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