WE WERE HERE Returns to ImageOut on Thursday

If you missed the amazing documentary, WE WERE HERE, when we showed it at the Festival last October (eventually winning the Audience Award for Best Documentary), make sure to take advantage of this rare second chance to see it on the big screen in Rochester once again. ImageOut brings back this popular and poignant documentary about the personal stories of survivors of the early years of AIDS in San Francisco.

This FREE screening is ImageOut's way of celebrating LGBT Health Awareness Month. Come to the Little Theatre 1 on Thursday, March 22 at 6:30pm for this important event. A panel discussion follows the screening.

Volunteers will also be selling tickets in person at the theater lobby for our April 13 Kate Clinton event. Tickets are selling fast so make sure to buy yours soon! And tell your friends to come join you for a fun evening!

Kate Clinton Tickets Now On Sale!

Tickets for our April 13 Kate Clinton event are now on sale! Check out our website to buy your tickets online or for more information on other ticket outlets or the event itself.

This is our big fundraising event for our 20th Anniversary and we need all your help to make this landmark year a huge success. Thanks for your support and please spread the word!

Festival Favorites Screen Next Week

ImageOut is kicking the year off on a high note with a "Best of the Festival" screening of Loose Cannons (Mine vaganti), our 2011 Audience Award winner for Best Independent Narrative Feature.

A hilarious comedy of manners, Loose Cannons revolves around Tommaso, the youngest son of the wealthy Cantone family, proprietors of a successful pasta factory in Lecce, Italy. Tomasso has returned home in the wake of news that his father has finally decided to retire and is prepared to hand over control of the factory to him and his older brother, Antonio. Never desiring to have any part of the family legacy, Tomasso has readied an exit strategy for himself: he’ll come out to the entire family over dinner, ensuring his conservative father will shut him out of the business entirely. But before Tomasso gets a chance to deliver his well-rehearsed speech, Antonio throws a wrench into the works by dropping a bombshell of his own, revealing to the family that he’s gay. In an instant, Tomasso’s worst nightmare comes true as he is made the new factory boss. Chaos (and many laughs) ensue as the reluctantly dutiful son tries everything in his power to get out of his familial responsibilities.

Loose Cannons will be preceded by I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone (Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho), this year’s Audience Award winner for Best Independent Short Film. Probably the sweetest and most charming short we’ve ever shown, I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone is a tender love story about Leonardo, a blind school boy who falls for the new boy in class, failing to realize that his closest friend, Giovana, has long been harboring feelings for him.

If you missed our Closing Night presentation of Loose Cannons or I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone when it screened as part of our men’s shorts program, Happy Endings, now is your chance to enjoy them as they were meant to be seen. Bring along a friend or two and share the best of what ImageOut has to offer.

I Don’t Want To Go Back Alone and Loose Cannons will screen on February 23 at 6:30 at the Cinema Theater. Tickets are $8 and will be on sale at the door.

Advocate: 2011 - Great Year for Trans People

The Advocate lists 14 reasons why 2011 is a great year for trans people. Read the full article here.

Incidentally, 2011 is also a great year for films tackling trans issues and experiences at ImageOut -- from mainstream dramas like GUN HILL ROAD and ROMEOS to cult classics like HEDWIG AND THE ANGRY INCH; from relevant documentaries like PHOTOS OF ANGIE to musicals like Israel's MARY LOU. And let's not forget the obscure French noir thriller QUEEN BITCH. We definitely had a lot to offer this year.

But our pièce de résistance, if you will, is trans actress Harmony Santana gracing us with her gorgeous presence and attended the Festival for four days. She was on hand for the screenings of her two films, GUN HILL ROAD and EATING OUT: THE OPEN WEEKEND.

Miss Santana makes The Advocate's list of reasons at #3.

ROC the Day and Support ImageOut

Great day to be generous in Rochester! So many organizations are participating in ROC the Day. It's 24 hours of unprecedented giving. We are hoping that you will keep ImageOut in mind as you make your donations. Our Board Chair, Paul Allen, is matching donations dollar for dollar up to $200. Your ImageOut donations will help us continue providing our ImageOutreach services.

Click here to donate.

As usual, thanks for your continue support of the Festival and we will see you in 2012 for our exciting 20th Anniversary!

2011 ImageOut Audience Award Winners

Congratulations to all the winners!

Best Independent Narrative Feature
LOOSE CANNONS (Mine vaganti)
Directed by Ferzan Ozpetek



Best Independent Documentary Feature
WE WERE HERE: The AIDS Years in San Francisco
Directed by David Weissman and Bill Weber



Best Independent Short Film
I DON'T WANT TO GO BACK ALONE (Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho)
Directed by Daniel Ribeiro



Mary Elizabeth Knight Special Award
Outstanding Flower City Flicks Filmmaker
Becky Lane (POKER FACE)


Check back later for detailed voting results for each category.

WEEKEND Comes to the Little Theatre

Check out what everyone is raving about! So glad that the romantic drama WEEKEND is finally here in Rochester. New York Times loved it and I'm pretty sure you will connect to the story of two gay guys who meet and find so much more over one weekend.

We were so ready to highlight this film in our recent ImageOut lineup but the distributors changed their plans for the Rochester market. So I hope everyone can support this film when it opens at the Little tonight (Friday, Oct. 21). Here's what our Adam Lubitow wrote for the program book. (I'm glad we are finally able to publish it!)


"Extended eye contact across a crowded dance floor, a few too many refills at the bar, and a game of follow the leader into the men’s room; all familiar, telltale signs that a one-night stand is imminent. Russell has no reason to expect anything more when he wakes Saturday morning with Glen in his bed and only a hazy recollection of the previous night’s events. Ever the gracious host, he brings his new friend a cup of coffee, and soon the pair is lounging amongst the bed covers, chatting and slowly piecing together their encounter.


They appear to be complete opposites; Russell an introverted romantic, still timid about his sexuality and still closeted in some areas of his life, while Glen is vehemently against getting into a relationship and determined to let the entire world know that he sleeps with other men. Despite their differences, they each find the other appealing enough to make plans to see each other again. They get together again, and the two become fast friends. But just when it appears that they may be on the cusp of something more, Glen reveals that he’s moving to the U.S. when the weekend is out. Armed with the knowledge that their time together is limited, they do their best to make every moment count. They drink, drug, and talk their way through the weekend, making their way from pub to bedroom and back again, and in so doing, form a bond that will come to mean more to each other than either could ever have anticipated.


Like a decidedly more queer take on Before Sunrise, Weekend is an unflinchingly honest and emotional love story, raising thought-provoking questions about identity, sexuality, love, and the importance of living a life that’s open and authentic."

WARNING: This film contains some nudity, sexual situations, and heavy drug use.

Eating Out: The Open Weekend

Just as sexy, just as hilarious, and five times as gay as its predecessors, Eating Out: The Open Weekend finishes off our 19th Annual Festival with a BANG!

Writer/Director Allan Brocka, along with actors Daniel Skelton, Michael Vara, Harmony Santana, Chris Salvatore, and Aaron Milo are our Special Guests for the evening!

Program 45 begins at 9:15pm at Little Theater 1.

Hannah and the Hasbian

Has•bi•an (haz-bee-uh n) – a woman who HAS been a lesbian

Sardonic, quirky, and utterly lovable, Hannah and the Hasbian takes a light-hearted look at love, identity, sex, and relationships (not necessarily in that order) with trademark Australian wit and wisdom. Join Briegh, Hannah, and their hysterical, hyper-sexual engaged, not engaged, pregnant, not pregnant, roommate Dinka on a whirlwind trip down lesbian lovers’ lane.

Program 44 begins at 7pm in Little Theater 1.

Mary Lou

Directed by Eytan Fox (director of past ImageOut favorites The Bubble and Yossi & Jagger) and originally aired on Israeli television as a four-part mini-series, Mary Lou is highly entertaining, with glamorous drag queens, fabulous musical numbers, and plenty of drama. Ultimately, though, the message of Mary Lou may be that in order to be true to yourself, you first must find yourself.

Mary Lou is part of our Youth Project Film Series and begins at 3:30pn today at the Little Theater 1.

Gone

When Aeryn Gilleran visited his mother Kathy in Ithaca, NY in September of 2007, the trip was fairly routine: they went to Aeryn’s favorite place, the Cornell Plantations, watched movies with family, and of course stocked up on his favorite clothes from JC Penney. But there were also bigger plans on the table – Aeryn was trying to convince his mother to sell her home and move to Vienna, where he worked for the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). But fate had other plans. Kathy had no way of knowing when she dropped Aeryn off at the airport on September 20 that it would be the last time she would ever see her son.

Gone begins at 1pm at Little Theater 1.

Photos of Angie

Angie’s family, friends, and allies within the transgender community speak with surprising candor and strength about the young woman whom they had come to know over time. Sadly, Angie’s story is not a singular one, as violence against transgender people is still a very real problem in the United States (and around the world). This touching documentary pays respect to a lovely young woman, and a crisis of the heart for all.

Photos of Angie is part of our Youth Project Film Series and begins at 11am at the Little Theater.

Loose Cannons- Closing Night Feature

Filled with an eccentric cast of memorably funny characters with their own distinct voices and personalities, openly-gay Ozpetek presents a light-hearted family dramedy in Loose Cannons that is guaranteed to fill the Dryden theater with chuckles and laughter, while mocking stereotypes and dishing out critiques on homophobia and old-fashioned values. Beautifully shot throughout, the film culminates in an impressive marriage of fantasy and reality showing us a glimpse of how things should be. Loose Cannons makes you appreciate family, be it the one you are born into or the one you choose to surround yourself with. And it will definitely make you fall in love with Italy.

Don't forget Viva! the closing party at Village Gate after the film.  Tickets are available for film & party, film only, and party only as well.

The Green

Featuring extraordinary performances from a cast of recognizable faces that includes Julia Ormond (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) and Illeana Douglas (To Die For), The Green is an engrossing and heartbreaking drama that forces audiences to question the fragility of the lives we spend so long trying to build for ourselves.

The Green  screens at  4pm today at the Dryden Theater.

We Have To Stop Now Season 2

You loved them in season 1 (screened to a packed and enthusiastic audience at ImageOut 18), and now they are back for more fun, fighting, and couples therapy in We Have to Stop Now season 2.

This season brings new life and new adventure to the whole gang: Dyna and Kit buy (and have to put together) an “adult swing” to put some new spice into their love life, to hilarious results; Kit’s pothead sister Cindy becomes an unexpectedly salient source of wisdom, decides to start wearing pants more often, and makes a few life discoveries of her own.

An Ordinary Family

An Ordinary Family casts a simple yet profound spell. In the end, this film will remind you that family bonds are powerful and complicated, and that no family is truly ordinary.

An Ordinary Family begins at 1:30pm today at the Dryden Theater.

Actor Chad Anthony Miller will be in attendance for the screening and to take your questions.

Hit So Hard: The Life and Near-Death Story of Patty Schemel

Hit So Hard rocks just as hard as Hole ever did. Anyone who ever jumped into a mosh pit in the 90s will appreciate this powerful documentary about Patty Schemel, the out lesbian drummer of the ultimate 90s (mostly) girl grunge band.

Rock out with ImageOut at 1:30 at the Cinema Theater.

Safe Space

Dear baby gays,
Someday being yourself and being allowed to love whomever you want won’t require having to change the world first. It’s already getting better.

Safe Space (youth shorts) begins at 11:30 at the Dryden Theater. This program is part of our Youth Project Film Series and is free to all under 21.

Longhorns

ImageOut is excited to shine a spotlight on writer/director David Lewis (Rock Haven, Redwoods) as he tries his hand at romantic comedy and, in the process, delivers one of the funniest raunchy gay sex comedies in recent years. Complete with offensive wardrobe and eighties-inspired original songs by H.P.Mendoza (Colma: The Musical, Fruit Fly), Lewis also helms a convincing period piece. Kudos to a competent handsome cast led by Jacob Newton and Derek Villanueva who is willing to drop trousers and go full monty. What more can you ask for?

The New York State premiere of Longhorns, one of our Spotlight Features, begins at 10pm at the Cinema Theater. Director David Lewis and lead actor Derek Villanueva will be in attendance.

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same

The Cinema is the perfect setting for the hilariously crazy Codependent Lesbian Alien Seeks Same. At 7:45 join us for a good time with a campy 50's B-movie homage/spoof complete with classic special effects and music. This ImageOut There! selection is perfect for everyone (no gore or violence in this one).

Earthling Lisa Haas (lead actor) will join us for the screening and Q&A after the film.

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same is one of our Spotlight Features.