NY LGBT Health Month Screenings

Don't forget our FREE screenings next Thursday, March 24 at the Cinema Theatre. ImageOut celebrates New York LGBT Health Awareness Month by bringing back two great films from our 2010 lineup. Check out the details here.

UNDERTOW Stays at the Little

UNDERTOW, ImageOut 2010's Audience Award winner for Best Narrative Feature, stays for a second week at the Little Theatre on East Avenue in downtown Rochester. However, it is only screening once every night. It does get a matinee screening this Saturday and Sunday. Please check the theater's website for UNDERTOW's screening schedule.

Support GLBT cinema in Rochester so theater operators will be encouraged to book them for local screenings.

Berlin Adventures

Follow what I have been watching and what's keeping me busy in Berlin. Check out my entries at Siegessaeule blog.

Variety Article on Berlinale

Preparing for my annual trip to Berlin, which signals the "official" start of ImageOut programming, is not as simple as packing outfits for this fabulous event. One has to come prepared with a game plan on how to survive the tight and crazy film festival schedule, and how to find the LGBT films in the European Market. It's always very challenging ... stressful enough to cause a couple of breakouts. I'll be traveling again to Berlin this Thursday and I hope to have more time to blog about the goings on at the festival.

In the meantime, here's an interesting article on LGBT films at Berlinale. Enjoy!

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From Variety Magazine:


Berlin's gay cinema picks drive niche biz
Fest's sidebar often spotlights gay issues
By Gregg Goldstein

The Berlinale has been the preeminent film festival for the best in international LGBT cinema for decades. But in recent years, it's also solidified its role as the de facto market for dozens of queer film festival programmers and film buyers from around the world. "It's the one time of the year the entire international LGBT film festival community is together," notes Outfest exec director Kirsten Schaffer.

The story of how the Berlinale emerged as the main queer film fest mecca goes back to at least 1980, when the late Manfred Salzgeber (a Berlin cinema owner who often showcased gay fare) was assigned to create what became the Panorama section for cinema that bridged the gap between experimental and mainstream fare.

"Manfred felt working on emancipation on a wider scale and working on sexuality as a strong force in culture and politics needed to be addressed more," recalls Wieland Speck, a gay filmmaker who joined the fest as Salzgeber's assistant in 1982 and took over as Panorama's director a decade later. "After doing this for three years or so, queer filmmakers from all over the world realized there was a focus happening here every year, so the creme de la creme of gay cinema began coming to the Berlinale."

"It's pretty significant that LGBT films are shown in this very public, very A-list kind of way. They embrace diversity," notes former NewFest director and current Sundance programming associate Basil Tsiokos. "Although things have gotten better elsewhere, years ago these films often didn't have a chance to play at such a prestigious global venue (other than Berlin)."

Many recall the early, unofficial gathering of programmers that took place in a Berlin gay bookstore, where queer films that didn't meet the Berlinale's standards were shown and discussed. There, in 1987, Speck established the Teddy Awards, which have grown into an essential tool for programmers and a valuable networking opportunity for each year's eight-member jury.

"It's like the gay Oscars," says former Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival director Vicci Ho. "It's the most significant (LGBT) film award out there, and it's still the first award we (look to) when we program our own festivals."

A key to Berlin's powerful role in helping LGBT film fests internationally is the Panorama programmers meeting, which has grown to attract some 150 programmers from all over the world who trade information and resources. Before the Internet matured in the late '90s, notes Outfest's Schaffer, "it was the only way to connect with international sales agents, distributors and filmmakers with LGBT films." Out of this meeting, and also inspired by Outfest's Legacy Project, the Berlinale has launched the work-in-progress "Queer Academy." It is now expanding from an Internet database of Teddy winners and gay history to initiate efforts to find and preserve lost works from gay filmmakers.

The Berlinale is also making history by helping create gay film fests where they never existed before, and shore up support for new fests under political attack.

"We helped initiate the first queer film festival in Warsaw three years ago, and the first one happening now in Hungary," says Speck. "This year, the queer film festival in Jakarta was attacked by Muslim forces, so we write letters bringing the support of the Berlinale and the Goethe Institut."

Most recently, their presence helped St. Petersburg launch its first queer film program after authorities used various excuses to shut down similar events for two years. "It's like a diplomatic thing," explains Speck. "With us there, it's more difficult to do something against them."

While Panorama is the main source for the Berlinale's LGBT features, what's remarkable is the amount of similar fare in other sections, another key in making Berlin a must-visit destination.

"It's still the best place to go to see a wide selection of LGBT films," says Schaffer, "because in addition to Panorama, which has a huge number of gay films, Forum often includes a lot, the main competition has some, and even (youth film section) Generations often has a couple of queer-themed films."

There may be no film festival with a more useful guide for LGBT film programmers and buyers. As vet film consultant Bob Hawk notes, the fest issues a "Queer List" marked with an "L," "G," "T," "GS" (for gender studies/role models) and/or "C" (for context), denoting a film's emphasis. And when sellers are less than eager to highlight a film's LGBT content in its one-sentence market guide description, often for fear of ghettoizing their project or alienating buyers, programmers will discuss their detective work on these films with each other to uncover diamonds in the rough.

So why has Berlin strengthened its preeminent role for LGBT content instead of, say, losing that spot to a glossy North American festival like Sundance or Toronto, each of which are now headed by openly gay men? Aside from Berlin's history of gay liberation and openness that can be traced to the early 20th century, one key is its official sales market. "I know other fests like Cannes have markets, but there seems to be more gay content than anywhere else," notes Schaffer.

TLA Entertainment head Ray Murray theorizes that the market's strong LGBT emphasis may come down, especially in recent years, to simple economics.

"A lot of the problem is that Sundance is more American-oriented, and the quality of American independent gay filmmaking is pretty low now because there's not a lot of money available in subsidies" in contrast to subidies available in Europe, he says. "Production is also down a lot. When U.S. festivals get those selections, it's easy to pass on them."

THE WITNESSES at the Dryden

Screening at the Dryden tonight at 8pm is THE WITNESSES (Les Témoins) by André Téchiné. ImageOut audiences may recall that this French film had its New York State Premiere at our 2007 Film Festival. THE WITNESSES is a compelling drama about promiscuity, friendship, love, loyalty, and betrayal set against the onslaught of the AIDS epidemic in mid-80s Paris. If you missed it in 2007, make sure to catch this rare chance to see the film on the big screen.

Click here for screening information.

HENS & CHICKS ImageOut Award

Becky Lane (director) and Noni Korf-Vidal (editor) proudly show off their ImageOut Award Certificate for sharing the 2010 Best Independent Short Film Audience Award for their film HENS AND CHICKS. They also split the $500 cash prize with another local short film, YOU BELONG WITH ME.

2011 ImageOut Gives Back!

Join us for an afternoon of FREE great movies at the Cinema Theatre this Saturday! ImageOut brings back the best short films from our 2010 Festival lineup (these are your Top 9 vote-getters!) and a favorite feature film, A MARINE STORY, for another round of screenings. The filmmakers gladly agreed to let us offer these screenings for free. It's our way of saying "Thank You!" for your support and for making 2010 a huge success for us. We hope you'll join us again in making 2011 another great year of educating and entertaining through LGBT films.

We are also selling a very limited number of Dreya Weber DVDs (THE GYMNAST and A MARINE STORY) signed by the actress herself. You can get your copy for only $20. A MARINE STORY is not yet available in the DVD market. Sales of these DVDs will help out the indie filmmakers to produce their next film.

See you at the movies!

Black Swan

OK, I have seen this startlingly dark film twice now and it haunts me daily. I really can't think of the right words to describe it beyond...intense. During my first viewing, I think I held my breath during the final 30 minutes. And I seriously needed a nap after it was finished. The second time through was only slightly less intense. I think I will be processing this one for a long time to come.

Who among our tribe has seen this? Any thoughts? Awards predictions?

HOWL on DVD/Bluray

ImageOut 18 Opening Night feature, Howl, is being released on DVD/Bluray today. The film features a very mature performance by James Franco. Unfortunately, the film is overshadowed by Franco's higher profile film and critical darling, 127 Hours, for which he is already guaranteed an Oscar nomination. Oops, I hope I didn't jinx that for him. Ha!

ImageOut: 18 and Still Blooming

After screening 87 films from all over the world (including a rare gem from the Bahamas!), hosting numerous visiting filmmakers and actors, and selling more than 8700 tickets, ImageOut secured yet another victory with the huge success of our annual October film festival, now in its 18th year. At the risk of sounding like a broken record, this Festival just keeps getting better each year.

Opening Night set the tone for the 10-day event with energy and enthusiasm. Both featured Gala films sold out, forcing procrastinating ticket buyers to form long lines for limited “Rush Only” admission. Granted, our second feature of the evening sold out long before the Opening Night festivities began, but hopefully anyone who didn’t score themselves a seat will remember the lesson next year! Following the screenings of The Four-Faced Liar and Howl, guest actors headed by writer Marja-Lewis Ryan and Academy-Award-winning filmmaker Jeffrey Friedman engaged and embraced their audiences in entertaining and informative Q&A sessions. Mr. Friedman and his absent co-director Rob Epstein are also this year’s recipients of the prestigious ImageMaker Award for their outstanding contribution to LGBT cinema. The festive and joyous atmosphere continued at the nearby Eros Bar & Restaurant for the Opening Night Party, stretching this already long day into the wee hours of the morning.

The rest of the Festival schedule kept the pace zooming along with great films screening to packed audiences and garnering their highest approvals. Most importantly, people enjoyed seeing friends from the community, not to mention, meeting new ones, and being able to mingle with our fabulous guest artists. ImageOut has truly become a cultural force to reckon with around these parts.

Here are some of this year’s highlights:

• The impressive list of guests included hot and popular LGBT personalities like Casper Andreas, Jesse Archer, Cathy DeBuono, and Jill Bennett, along with new-to-the-scene artists such as Paris P. Pickard, Adam Huss, Keith Hartman and Israel Luna.

• Oscar-nomination hopeful Undertow received an enthusiastic and emotional reception, helping it win the ImageOut Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature.

• Local short films are back with a vengeance receiving high marks during the Flower City Flicks Program. An independent jury gave Judgment Day the Mary Elizabeth Knight Award for Best Local Short. The crowd votes favored both You Belong With Me and Hens and Chicks in a rare tie for the Audience Award for Best Short Film (of the entire festival!). The Rochester area is bursting at the seams with artistic talent!

• The personal struggles bravely shared in the Archive Night documentary, Word is Out: Stories of Some of Our Lives, still resonate with the audiences of today.

• Making the Boys, Audience Award winner for Best Documentary Feature, brought back memories from a tumultuous era and gave our younger audience members some good lessons to carry home with them.

• Festival selections screened in 5 venues this year including theatres at RIT and U of R, enforcing our commitment to reaching out to everyone. The screening at U of R was a wonderful way to help the University celebrate their Meliora weekend and the 40th anniversary of the campus student pride group.

• 5 sold out shows including both Opening Night and the Closing Night films.

While potentially disastrous problems like digital equipment malfunction and a last-minute party venue change threatened to disrupt the Festival proceedings, our resourceful and hardworking team of volunteers ensured that everything ran as smoothly as possible. Kudos to each and every one of you!

Unfortunately, there is not really a lot of time to bask in this year’s achievements as planning for our 19th year begins immediately. Let’s hope we continue the tradition of besting the previous year’s accomplishments as we get even closer to celebrating two full decades of success. Check the ImageOut festival website and blog to see how you can help make next year an even bigger successful event!

~ Michael Gamilla
Programming Director

2010 Best Narrative Feature - ImageOut Audience Award

After the first weekend of ImageOut 18, the conversations among Festival pass holders and many audience members were dominated by one discussion: Which film is better, Undertow or A Frozen Flower? But as more wonderful films were presented during the Festival's 10-day run, several other favorites were thrown in the mix: Children Of God, A Marine Story, and even our Closing Night film, The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister. Yet no one could quite surpass the emotional hold of the heart-wrenching magical and tender love story between Santiago and Miguel. Congratulations to filmmaker Javier Fuentes-León for bagging the 2010 Audience Award for Best Independent Narrative Feature at ImageOut 18 for his debut feature film, Undertow. He receives a Certificate of Recognition and $750 worth of Kodak film stock. We wish him luck in his quest for an Oscar nomination!

The rankings of the films aren't so important, it seems. Because almost all the films were rated highly by the audiences -- beyond "Good." It's even a little too crowded at the top. But here they are anyway.

(1) 4.86 Undertow (Contracorriente)
(2) 4.81 A Marine Story
(3) 4.77 Children of God
(3) 4.77 The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister
(5) 4.73 The Last Summer of La Boyita
(5) 4.73 We Have To Stop Now
(5) 4.73 FIT
(8) 4.72 Wild About Harry
(9) 4.68 Elena Undone
(10) 4.67 You Should Meet My Son!
(11) 4.65 A Frozen Flower
(11) 4.65 Oy Vey! My Son is Gay!
(13) 4.61 BearCity
(14) 4.55 The People I've Slept With
(15) 4.53 Purple Sea
(16) 4.52 Is It Just Me?
(17) 4.50 The Four-Faced Liar
(18) 4.48 Leading Ladies
(18) 4.48 I Killed My Mother
(20) 4.47 Howl
(21) 4.42 Ticked-Off Trannies with Knives
(22) 4.38 Violet Tendencies
(23) 4.34 From Beginning to End
(24) 4,32 The String
(25) 4.24 Room in Rome
(26) 4.16 He's Such A Girl
(27) 4.09 To Faro
(28) 4.05 Eloise's Lover
(28) 4.05 Plan B
(30) 2.37 The Owls

Congratulations to all the filmmakers who shared their films with us. And HUGE thanks to those who joined us here in Rochester during the festival. You have all made our event even more special. Your generosity and amazing energy were all appreciated!

2010 Best Documentary - ImageOut Audience Award

Wow! This category was a nail biter. From my conversations with the audiences during the Festival, two documentary titles were being mentioned the most: Making the Boys and Holding Hands. So imagine my surprise when out of nowhere, Lost in the Crowd came within a hundredth of a point of winning the coveted title of Best Independent Documentary Feature at ImageOut 18. That screening went well and the Q&A with filmmaker Susi Graf was enlightening and inspiring. But in the end, Making the Boys captured the audience's hearts. Congratulations to filmmaker Crayton Robey for winning $750 worth of Kodak film stock and a special Certificate of Recognition from ImageOut. It took me 1.5 years to finally bring this movie to Rochester, but it was worth the wait. Here's how you voted for the documentary films.

(1) 4.83 Making the Boys (Documentary Centerpiece)
(2) 4.82 Lost in the Crowd
(3) 4.78 Holding Hands
(4) 4.70 Two Spirits: Sexuality, Gender and the Murder of Fred Martinez
(5) 4.68 Word Is Out (Archive Night)
(6) 4.60 Out of Annapolis
(7) 4.51 Sex in an Epidemic
(8) 4.24 Riot Acts: Flaunting Gender Deviance in Music Performance
(9) 4.18 The Adonis Factor

As you can see, all of the films rated beyond "Good." It was a great year for documentary films at ImageOut 18.

2010 Best Short Film - ImageOut Audience Award

In an incredible display of how much our selections for the Flower City Flicks shorts program have improved over the years, You Belong With Me and Hens & Chicks tied for the Best Short Film Audience Award at ImageOut 18. It's the first time that a local film won this award, and it's even more amazing that two of them actually shared that honor. Separated by mere thousandths of a point, their final scores tied after rounding off the numbers. Boarding Pass, a film that made everyone cry, from the Safe Space youth shorts program was the favorite until the surprising numbers turned up for the local shorts. Here are the Top 30 short films from ImageOut 18.

(1) 4.83 You Belong With Me
(1) 4.83 Hens and Chicks
(3) 4.64 Boarding Pass (Pasaje)
(4) 4.63 Door Prize
(5) 4.60 The Queen
(6) 4.54 Go Go Reject
(7) 4.45 Gay Baby
(8) 4.43 Gayby
(9) 4.41 Curious Thing
(10) 4.35 Last Call
(11) 4.31 You Move Me
(11) 4.31 Non-Love Song
(13) 4.30 The Armoire
(14) 4.27 Public Relations
(15) 4.26 25 Things I Did During My Big Fat Lesbian Depression
(16) 4.24 Tech Support
(16) 4.24 Judgment Day
(18) 4.21 My Name is Love
(19) 4.15 Queer Pet Adventures #1: Salsa's Coming Out
(19) 4.15 Queer Pet Adventures #4: Doggie's Makeover
(21) 4.14 Waiting 4 Goliath
(22) 4.13 Ms. Thing
(23) 4.11 Queer Pet Adventures #2: BK's Adoption
(24) 4.10 After
(25) 4.09 Everyday To Stay
(26) 4.07 Gently
(27) 4.04 I Want Your Love
(28) 4.01 Professor Godoy
(29) 3.98 Cried Suicide
(30) 3.96 Queer Pet Adventures #5: Leather Night

Congratulations! And thanks to all the generous filmmakers who agreed to be a part of ImageOut this year.

Program 44: The People I've Slept With

Our 18th annual festival draws to a close with our final feature: The People I've Slept With. Funny, silly, and sexy, this film is a great way to spend a Sunday evening!

This screening begins at 9pm at the Little Theater.

Program 43: Plan B

Love has so many surprises. Prepare to be charmed by the sweet and tender story of Bruno and Pablo as they journey to unchartered emotional territories in Plan B.

Program 42: He's Such A Girl

ImageOut is proud to host the US Premiere of He's Such A Girl. I hope you enjoyed it!

Program 41: Safe Space (Youth Shorts)

In many of the programs this year, I've mentioned how the films have been so timely in tackling some of our LGBT issues that have recently made the headlines. But I also think it's because these same issues have been persistent and ever present. I am proud to present a collection of short films about our youth who choose to create their own safe spaces, even to simply escape their realities sometimes.

Program 40: The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister

Well that was a positively amazing Closing Night film and party! Loved that there were tons of energy from the audience, which I must say has been pretty much how the past 9 days have been. I think we have just outdone ourselves.

It was great to introduce a strong, feisty and interesting character in Miss Anne Lister to ImageOut.

Program 39: Is It Just Me?

Is it Just Me? begins at 4:00 at the Dryden theater. Actor (and dream boy) Adam Huss is our guest for the program and Q&A following the screening.

Find out why this is one of the hottest and funniest romantic comedies in this year's LGBT film festival circuit.

Program 38: A Marine Story

Paris Pickard, star of A Marine Story, will be joining us for the film's New York State Premiere today. Q&A to follow the film.

Our Spotlight Feature begins at 3:30 at the Cinema Theater.