Prism 34 program 2021

PRISM 34 AUSTIN’S PREMIER LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL SINCE 1987

Front Cover

PRISM, aGLIFF’s 34th Annual LGBTQ+ Film Festival is made possible through generous grant support from:

PLATINUM SPONSORS

GOLD SPONSORS

SILVER SPONSORS

Sponsors

Thank You to Our Sponsors

CONSULATE PARTNERS

BRONZE SPONSORS

COPPER SPONSORS

3

Sponsors

MEDIA SPONSORS

COMMUNITY SPONSORS

Your Stories Are Our Stories.

4

aGLIFF_Ads V7.indd 1

We are proud to support aGLIFF in amplifying LGBTQ+ voices and stories, helping bring us all towards a global community where we truly feel most at home*.

*If you’re looking to refinance, buy or sell your next home contact Douglas Plummer at: douglas.plummer@ilawpc.com | 512.459.1110 7/28/2021 11:04:24 AM

Learn more about becoming a member at agliff.org/members.

HOLLYWOOD INSIDER MEMBERS Bears Rebecca & Erin Fonté

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER MEMBERS Casandra Alston Todd & Joseph Hogan-Sanchez Donald Mason Ryan Rushing Mark Webb

PRODUCER MEMBERS Karen Bates Mallory Bowes-Brown Jerry Garza Dana Markus-Wolf Tom Mays Tracy Peck Jamie Southerland Tobi Taub & Deb Seaman Sarah Tennyson Eugene & Steven Supulveda

BUSINESS MEMBERS Becky & Liz Arreaga, The Arreaga Agency - Farmers Insurance Alan Kent Barnette, Prima Dora Gift Shop Debbie Barrera, Realty Austin Broker Associate Alfred Engstrand, Alfred’s Catering Celeste Gustafson, Celeste’s Natural Kitchen

Todd Hogan-Sanchez, Gonzo Strategy Austin Sascha Asghari, Laser & Electrolysis Studio, Inc.

DIRECTOR MEMBERS Hans Bengtson Bob Dailey Scott Dinger & Joe Zubia Ann Hudspeth Lindsay Lege

FAN MEMBERS Sarah Beckley Jacob Biggerstaff Sandra Bravo Megyn Busse Christopher Carr Donna Jean Castillo Rosalyn Clifton Will Cowden David De La Fuente Pam Dozler Dustin Dwiggins Jamie Eaton Laura Gadd Ed Gillen Roger Grape Iain Gray

Dawn Green Chelsea Hall & Julie Howard Stephanie Hanna-Chambers Kinsey Holloway Chase Kincannon Austin King Kurt Lewchuk Mario Leyva C. Andrew Martin & Lev Baesh David Massey Hannah Mathes Cara McConnell Melissa “Mela” Meyer Sherry Morgan David Munns Terry M. Neal Anna Nguyen Robyn Paxman Lois Rodriguez Ryan Rose Blake Tierney Tony Tucci Trecillian Vaughan Minh Vu Wyatt Walker Bruce Weatherford Julie Welch Tim Young

Members

We could not do what we do without the generous support of our members. We consider each of them part of our aGLIFF family.

5

Why Roger Beasley?

You’ll find a family of dealerships that are proud to provide customers with a buying and ownership process that cares about you. It will always be simple, straightforward and honest.

Mazda named

2021 BEST CAR BRAND FOR THE 6TH CONSECUTIVE YEAR

2021

www.usnews.com - Nov. 17, 2020. 2021 Best Vehicle Brand Awards. The awards recognize the brands whose vehicles perform the best on an overall basis within four major categories of the U.S. News vehicle rankings: Cars, SUVs, Trucks and Luxury.

MAZDA

rogerbeasleymazda.com

CENTRAL • SOUTH • GEORGETOWN

Mon - Sat 8:30AM - 8:00PM

866-779-8409

The 2021 Mazda CX-3, CX-5, CX-9, Mazda6, Mazda3 Sedan & Hatchback and the CX-30 (built after September 2020) have all been named a 2021 IIHS Top Safety Pick+.

ROGER BEASLEY ONLINE EXPRESS STORE

THURSDAY, AUGUST 26 FROM 9:30PM-11:30PM Urbanspace Interiors Showroom 301 West Avenue, Ste 100 Included with aGLIFF membership or Festival badge General Admission $50.00 at the door (pending availability) After the North American premiere of BLITZED, the excitement of PRISM 34’s 80’s infused opening night continues with a star-studded post-screening party at the Urbanspace Real Estate + Interiors showroom. Bites by El Alma Restaurant and sips by Tito’s Handmade Vodka, Milam & Greene Whiskies, Bud Light, Michelob Ultra, Karbach Love Street, Altstadt, Austin Eastciders, and Topo Chico. Come to relive the revolt against Reagan and Thatcher, donning your neon nostalgic threads and ready to dance to digital oblivion.

Part 2: Unnecessary Sequels FRIDAY, AUGUST 27 AT 10:00PM watch.eventive.org/agliff Admission $15 or free with aGLIFF membership or Festival badge.

In a world where every movie has a sequel... WE NEED MORE! Fallout Comedy presents the live gameshow where in this special queer-infused edition four funny queer people pitch their (probably not) great queer sequel ideas to three queer industry type people (hopefully also funny).

DJ Mel’s Living Room Dance Party (Virtual/Livestream) SATURDAY, AUGUST 28 FROM 6:00PM-10:00PM twitch.tv/thedjmel Available free worldwide (donation to aGLIFF suggested) Notoriously recognized as “Obama’s DJ,” DJ Mel has performed at Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits Music Festival, Bonnaroo, and a bunch of events attended by President Obama. When the clubs shut down, DJ Mel moved the party online and made his Saturday Night Living Room Dance Party a worldwide success. We’re thrilled he has agreed to return to this year’s festival with another Pride-themed online party.

W Austin Hotel 200 Lavaca Street Free and open to everyone 21+ Tired of dancing in YOUR living room? Join aGLIFF in the “Screen Room” at the W Austin Hotel for an in-person livestream of the Living Room Dance Party! DJ Mel’s LRDP will be on the screen and his mix will be piped throughout the W’s living room lounges and bar. Come hang out with other aGLIFFer’s to network, dance, and let loose.

Festival Events

Opening Night Party

Bourbon & Barbecue Fundraising Event MONDAY, AUGUST 30 FROM 6:00PM-9:00PM la Barbecue 2401 E Cesar Chavez Included with Director, Business, Producer, Executive Producer, and Hollywood Insider aGLIFF memberships. $75.00 for Fan level members and Festival badge holders. $100.00 General Admission.

Limited capacity. All proceeds benefit aGLIFF. We’re combining two things that speak to the hearts of true Texans - bourbon and barbecue!

This exclusive evening will consist of a specially curated pairings of bourbon from Milam & Greene and meat from la Barbecue. Learn about the crafts-WO-manship behind both these awardwinning businesses and their exquisite products.

7

Festival Events

Milam & Greene: Created by Marsha Milam (co-founder of the Austin Film Festival), whiskey expert and Master Blender Heather Greene, Kentucky veteran Master Distiller Marlene Holmes, and Chief Brewer Jordan Osborne, Milam & Greene have truly shaken up the industry by harnessing a deep passion for whiskey and openly embracing a multitude of traditional and innovative ways to make a stunning spirit under one label. la Barbecue: Like the badass bosses they are, LeAnn Mueller and her wife Ali Clem serve up mouth-watering barbecue that honors the legacy of LeAnn’s father Louie (founder of Taylor’s famous Louie Mueller Barbecue). Their barbecue has become an essential Austin staple with special blends of salty and savory rubs and they recently moved into their new location on East Cesar Chavez complete with a Studio 54-themed restroom!

The evening will benefit aGLIFF’s year-round programming and ensure LGBTQ+ stories continue to be told on screens big and small.

The Big Queer Quiz Thing LIVE! TUESDAY, AUGUST 31 FROM 7:00PM-9:00PM Tent: Austin Eastciders Restaurant/Bar on Barton Springs Rd. + Online 1530 Barton Springs Road Included with aGLIFF membership or Festival badge.

General Admission: $25.00 team entry fee (1-6 players) America’s premier provider of corporate and private trivia events will present The Big Queer Quiz Thing Live! at PRISM 34. Play in person at Austin Eastciders Restaurant & Bar on Barton Springs Road or at home online. Gather your team (and their brains), as Quizmaster Noah Tarnow tickles your mind with a fully produced quiz show on all things LGBTQ+. History, entertainment, and more; featuring unique video and audio puzzles, and hope for non-geniuses: Smart-Ass Points for wrong-but-funny answers.

8

Pre-register your team for the in-person event to reserve a table at Austin Eastciders and get your first pint on us!

Queer Black Voices Fundraising Event WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1 FROM 6:00PM-10:00PM George Washington Carver Museum 1165 Angelina Street Included with Director, Business, Producer, Executive Producer, and Hollywood Insider aGLIFF memberships. $50.00 for aGLIFF Fan level members and Festival badge holders. $75.00 General Admission for dinner and screening, $20.00 General Admission for s creening only To ensure Queer Black creatives are represented as a part of the PRISM Film Fest every year, aGLIFF launched the Queer Black Voices Fund in 2020. aGLIFF is proud to award three filmmakers grants from the fund to show their films at PRISM 34. This special evening will celebrate their work and raise money for the fund. Guests will have an opportunity to meet the filmmakers, view their short films, and hear from each of them about the inspiration behind the films and their creative process. Followed by a screening of Nathan Hale Williams’ adaptation of the George M. Johnson’s memoir manifesto ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE as performed by Jenifer Lewis (Black-ish), Dyllón Burnside (Pose), Bernard David Jones (The Mayor) and Thomas Hobson (Sherman’s Showcase).

The evening includes a catered dinner by Hoover’s with beverages and spirits from our many partners.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 AT 5:00PM watch.eventive.org/agliff Included with aGLIFF membership or Festival badge. $95.00 VIP Experience includes a Dixie’s Happy Hour Tupperware kit + the opportunity to be a part of the “studio” audience for an interactive experience with Dixie.* $15.00 General Admission This is not your mother’s happy hour or Tupperware Party! Dixie Longate makes her triumphant return to Austin with an exclusive live interactive “aGLIFF Happy Hour with Dixie Longate.” Open to everyone as a single ticket event, this unprecedented virtual affair will be an evening of shenanigans as Dixie mixes a few of her favorite drinks and brings along some of her favorite Tupperware. *Must reserve your ticket by no later than Friday, August 27 at 5:00 p.m. to allow for shipping of your Tupperware kit.

Dirty Queer Story Time FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 3 AT 10:00PM watch.eventive.org/agliff

Silent Cinema Disco SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 4 FROM 9:00PM-12:00AM W Austin Hotel 200 Lavaca Street Included with aGLIFF membership or Festival badge. $20.00 General Admission Austin Silent Disco is teaming up with aGLIFF and the W Austin Hotel to present a unique event that celebrates cinema while you get your dance on. Wanna get Footloose? Got the Saturday Night Fever? Pick your flick and the mix that makes you move at the Silent Cinema Disco!

Closing Weekend Drive-In & Drag SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 5 AT 7:00PM Pioneer Farms 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive Included with Director, Business, Producer, Executive Producer, and Hollywood Insider aGLIFF memberships.

Lawn seats included with Fan level aGLIFF Memberships or Festival badge. $25.00 per vehicle for Fan, Memberships or Festival badge.

Included with aGLIFF membership or Festival badge.

$40.00 per vehicle General Admission.

$10.00 General Admission

We close out the fest with what promises to be the best Sh*t Show of your life—San Francisco drag queen extraordinaire D’Arcy Drollinger’s “Shit & Champagne,” a wacky send-up of 70’s sexploitation flicks. The night ends with a LIVE in-person post-film talkback with Drollinger and a drag show curated by local icon Nadine Hughes & Co., both in the open air dance hall.

Up late? Dive into the dirty as a collection of up and coming queer actors tease and titilate you with selections from whatever they find particularly provocative. Short stories, poetry, diary entries, classic erotica, porn mag letters to the editor, nothing is off limits, and nothing is censored. Adults Only (clearly) and leave your suburban values behind.

Festival Events

aGLIFF Happy Hour with Dixie Longate!

$20.00 General Admission lawn seats.

Food trucks, concessions, and a bar on-site.

No outside food or beverage. Service pets only.

Lot opens at 5pm for tailgating.

9

PHOTO BY EVA WONG FROM PEXELS

Ride with Pride.

P ROU DLY S U P P ORT I NG a GL I F F

CYCLISTLAW PERSONAL I NJ U R Y L AW

YOU’VE GOT A BIKE? WE’VE GOT YOUR BACK. MOTORCYCLIST, BICYCLIST, & PEDESTRIAN PERSONAL INJURY LAW W W W. C Y C L I S T L A W. C O M

Todd Hogan-Sanchez, Interim President Casandra Alston, Past President Hunter Coleman, Treasurer Lois Rodriguez, Secretary Dax Dobbs Jeremy Teel Kelly Maines Lenore Shefman Minh Vu Riana Lynn Sarah Tennyson Sinda Mitchell Wayne Maines The Board of Directors governs and guides the vision of the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival and supports the implementation of key strategic goals from fundraising to programs. To learn more about the Board of Directors, or to apply to join the Board, contact Bears Rebecca Fonté.

aGLIFF Family

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

T E X A S B O O K F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 1 OCTOBER 25–31

|

BENEFITING TEXAS LIBRARIES AND LITERACY

Join us for a hybrid Festival with Benjamin Alire Sáenz David Bowles • Sandra Cisneros • Logen Cure • Justin Deabler Mary Gaitskill • Gabriela Garcia • Nathan Harris • ire’ne lara silva Elizabeth McCracken • Raj Patel • William Sibley Amor Towles • Colson Whitehead • Cecily Wong and many more!

L A U R A B U S H, H O N O R A R Y C H A I R | V I VA T E X A S R I V E R S! B Y C L E M E NT E G U Z M A N PRESENTED BY

Bears Rebecca Fonté, Artistic Director Nicole Shiro, Press Relations Hannah Huang, Volunteer Coordinator Joseph Werle/Crunch Tax Services, Accounts Payable Austin King, Assistant Programmer Aaron Yeats, Grant Writer Andrea Mendoza, Festival Designer Rona Ebert, Graphics Jeannie Lozano, Graphics The Label Collective, Program Design

PROGRAM SELECTION COMMITTEE Wendy Callier, B E Allatt, Deborah Davison, Sara Tennyson, Mark Webb, Joy Ruth, Stephanie Hanna-Chambers, Lori Thomas, Will Lindus, Jody Slagle, Heather Bishop, Eddie Bracamontes, Jamie Corum, Magdalene Burger

QUEER BLACK VOICES COMMITTEE Jeremy Teel (chair), Jeaux Anderson, Ashley Robinson

MARKETING COMMITTEE Minh Vu (chair), Justin Stevens, Lois Rodriguez, Todd Hogan-Sanchez, Nicole Shiro, Bears Rebecca Fonté, Rick Sanchez

11

Letter From the Pres.

Hi, festivalgoers Welcome to PRISM 34. Thank you for attending and supporting this exceptional film festival. We have gone to great lengths to ensure our entire community can take part. Whether you are ready to mask up and attend a screening at the theater, take part in one of our special events, or want to stay home and binge movies on our virtual platform - these twelve days are a celebration of our stories.

Many of us have a personal connection to LGBTQ+ films. I’ve heard moving stories from aGLIFF members about how the first time they were able to connect with their true identity was by relating to a character or story they saw at an aGLIFF screening. For me, a shelf of VHS tapes in my 20s and 30s was where I turned when I needed to lift my spirits, laugh, or be reminded that being gay is something to be celebrated. Some of the movies on that shelf included Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss, Trick, Pricilla Queen of the Desert, The Broken Hearts Club, and Beautiful Thing – which we will celebrate this week with a 25th Anniversary screening. Those films helped me through some dark times and in a lot of ways saved my life.

Queer film also inspires change and that is more important than ever. Continued attacks on our Transgender family make bringing their stories to screens critical. The racial tension in the country means we must double down to ensure artists of color have an outlet to express their experiences.

LGBTQ+ actors are being told they will not be believable as straight characters and then get overlooked for roles portraying queer people.

We are as committed as ever to offering a diverse collection of films that address these issues.

The Queer Black Voices Fund that we launched at last year’s festival will allow us to celebrate the work of three remarkable filmmakers at a special reception this year. And we will host over two dozen LGBTQ+ writers, directors, and actors during the festival, allowing them to get audience feedback, network with one another, and find new ways to collaborate.

It is an exciting time to be a part of aGLIFF. But we cannot do this without the support of our community. We have launched a campaign to raise $250,000 to search for a qualified Executive Director and invest in the tools and staff to support our mission of growth. We need to increase our member and donor bases and engage the business community and film industry to accomplish our goals.

If you are already a member or have contributed to aGLIFF this year, thank you. We need your help to invite others to do the same. We are asking badge holders and single ticket buyers to consider donating or becoming a member. Becoming an aGLIFF member is the best way to help us offer the quality content you have come to expect and supports our year-round programming. You can become a member for as little as $25/month at agliff.org/members.

We are thrilled you have joined us for PRISM 34. We hope you have as much fun watching the films and attending events as we have had putting it all together. Thank you for your continued support to ensure that LGBTQ+ stories continue to be represented on film.

In gratitude,

12

Todd Hogan-Sanchez Interim Board President & Development Chair, aGLIFF

7/26/2021

aGLIFF-ad-resized.png

1/1

N OW R EOP E N E D

PHOTO BY DAVID BRENDAN HALL

See you at the movies, Bears Rebecca Fonté Artistic Director

Letter from Artistic Dir.

https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/FMfcgzGkZZnHzTfWTdGnXrcMlvRLZkDq?projector=1&messagePartId=0.1

First, I must thank the board for entrusting me to lead the next phase of this storied festival. When I joined the board in 2017 the initial task then Board President Tracy Peck gave me was overseeing our 30th anniversary preparations.

In putting together a short documentary, I had the opportunity to sit down and talk to so many people tied to the evolution of aGLIFF – people like Bob Dailey, Frank Hui, and Aaron Yeats, and of course, our founder Scott Dinger, who couldn’t have imagined the number of lives his festival would touch in its now 34 years. My own story is intertwined with the organization – when I joined the board I was still in the closet. It was through aGLIFF programming that I had first saw myself on screen. I’ve been an ardent fan of the festival and the last two programmers, Curran Nault and Jim Brunzell, so to get to step into a dream job like this is a little daunting. I could not have done it without the support of the Program Selection Committee, whom I challenged to look at films a little differently this year. Our categories are also a little altered. I think whether a movie is a narrative or documentary is less important than the stories inside them. I also sought out films that told singular stories, reflecting a wider lens on the queer experience. I love romance, and I love coming-of-age, but I also love violence, and sex, and questionable protagonists you aren’t sure if you should root for. I hope you see something you’ve never seen before. Finally, I want to thank two people I could never have made it through this year without, my wife Erin Fonte, and Todd Hogan-Sanchez whose vision for the future of aGLIFF is something I am excited to be working toward.

13

Ways to Give

We need your support to create meaningful programming for the lives of LGBTQ+ people.

It is an exciting time for aGLIFF as we rose to meet the challenges of the last eighteen months by: • Producing a remarkable virtual festival; • Launching the Queer Black Voices Fund; • Doubling the size of our Board of Directors; • Moving our Queer Spectrum monthly screening series online (and then back in person in July); • Hiring a new Artistic Director who is highly regarded in the festival industry, a member of the Film Festival Alliance, and a prominent member of the LGBTQ+ community in Austin after four years on the Arts Commission;

We have done this without a full time paid staff or Executive Director.

The absence of someone to maintain the day-to-day relationship building that is necessary for the organization to grow has been holding us back. We need to raise money to begin a search for a qualified candidate to lead aGLIFF into its next chapter.

• Launching an online mini-festival during Pride 2020 and made it an annual occurrence this year.

How can you help?

BECOME A MEMBER Don’t just say that you support LGBTQ+ cinema — confirm it with a TAX-DEDUCTIBLE donation!

By becoming a member you are supporting the festival, our year round community screenings and programs, and bringing our diverse communities together for entertainment and enlightenment.

For as little as $25 a month, you will help us maintain a space for LGBTQ+ storytelling in Austin, while also providing vital resources and training to young and aspiring LGBTQ+ filmmakers.

For membership levels, see https://www.agliff.org/members.

BECOME A SPONSOR As a partner, an organization with local, national and international reach, you will receive year-round benefits suited to your company or organization. From customized activation packages, branded festival lounges, programming co-sponsorships, print advertising and more, aGLIFF gives each of its partners an unique way to market target audiences, including our sizable fan bases.

To explore ways we can partner, contact us via email at sponsorship@agliff.org

BECOME A VOLUNTEER

14

aGLIFF provides many creative and fun volunteer opportunities for anyone with a passion for community and cinema. During the festival and throughout the year, we always look forward to having new volunteers join our team. To be added to our Volunteer Mail Call email list, email volunteer@agliff.org and we’ll be in touch with the many ways in which you can participate, including helping to screen films for next year’s festival.

Jury

Scott Dinger — For the ninth straight year, aGLIFF audiences will select the Audience Award (aka the “Hum-Dinger” Award) in honor of aGLIFF founder, Scott Dinger. Dinger, a true pioneer, started aGLIFF in 1987 at a time when LGBTQIA culture had few public outlets. aGLIFF thrived under Dinger’s leadership as Artistic Director from 1987-2004, and each Artistic Director who follows works under his rainbow shadow. aGLIFF acknowledges Dinger’s tremendous contribution to our community in creating a space, and an audience, for queer cinematic expression within Austin and the greater Texas community.

SHORTS JURY Erin C. Buckley is a writer-director whose digital series PLATONIC is available on YouTube. The New York Times called the series “a bite-size version of ‘Girls’ or ‘High Maintenance.’” PLATONIC was nominated for The 2021 Queerties for Best Digital Series, and lead actor Summer Spiro was nominated for Best Performance. Erin’s short film CC DANCES THE GO-GO premiered at Frameline, had its Southwest premiere at aGLIFF, and is playing at festivals nationally and internationally in 2020/2021.

Shawn Cotter is Executive Director of Wicked Queer in Boston where he started as a location manager and then served as Operations Manager and Director of Programming. He is an experimental handmade filmmaker whose Super 8mm films have shown internationally.

Gary Jaffee is former Austinite, now Brooklyn-based writer/director of film and theatre and a 2020 Outfest Screenwriting Lab Fellow for his upcoming first feature OUR LAST SUMMER. His three short films SUNSET (2017), NEXT LEVEL SHIT (2019), and LAST SUMMER WITH UNCLE IRA (2020) all had award-winning international film festival runs — all three played at aGLIFF. In Austin, he was Artistic Director of Tutto Theatre Company, and received the B. Iden Payne Award for Outstanding Director for THE DUDLEYS: A FAMILY GAME and the Austin Critics’ Table Award for Best Drama for SPIRITS TO ENFORCE.

DOCUMENTARY JURY Susan Sandler’s screenplays and teleplays include the Golden Globe nominated CROSSING DELANCEY and FRIENDS AT LAST, as well as projects for Sony Pictures, Twentieth Century Fox, Disney, TNT, and Columbia. Her work for the stage has been produced in New York, at major theatres across the country, and around the world. She is a full time professor at NYU Tisch School of the Arts Kanbar Institute of Film & Television, where she also guides the Fusion Film Festival, celebrating women in film, TV, and new media. Her feature documentary, JULIA SCOTTI: FUNNY THAT WAY premiered at the Nantucket Film Festival, played at NewFest, aGLIFF, Bentonville, Sebastopol, and is now available across all major digital platforms.

15

Jury

Kristal Sotomayor is a bilingual Latinx documentary filmmaker, currently in post-production on EXPANDING SANCTUARY, a short documentary about the historic end to police surveillance organized by nonprofit Juntos and the Latinx immigrant community in South Philadelphia. They are also indevelopment on the animated short docufiction film called ALX THROUGH THE LABYRINTH that takes a dive into the Alice In Wonderland-like reality of contracting COVID-19. Kristal serves as the Programming Director for the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, Awards Competition Manager for the IDA Documentary Awards, Co-Founder/Journalist for ¡Presente! Media, and are on the Editorial Board for the film journal cinéSPEAK. Mari Walker recently premiered her debut narrative SEE YOU THEN at SXSW. Now heading into its 11th festival, it has won three awards, including Best Narrative Feature at the Sun Valley Film Festival and is currently rated at 96% on RottenTomatoes. Mari’s film THE SOUL OF A TREE won Best Short Documentary at the Kerry Film Festival in 2016. SWIM, her first narrative short, won an Audience Award at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival.

NARRATIVE JURY Jenn Brown is Executive Director of the St. John’s International Women’s Film Festival in Newfoundland, Canada, one of the longest-running women’s film festivals in the world dedicated to showcasing, celebrating, and developing women filmmakers.

Ryan Spahn is an openly gay actor, writer, and director originally from Troy, Michigan. His independently produced features and shorts - NORA HIGHLAND, WOVEN, GRANTHAM & ROSE, HE’S WAY MORE FAMOUS THAN YOU, ROUTER, WHO WE WERE, and THE HYPERGLOT - have played Slamdance, LA Film Festival, Palm Springs, aGLIFF, and NewFest amongst others. Ryan is a graduate of The Juilliard School, and will appear in the upcoming seasons of Modern Love (Amazon) and The Bite (CBS Spectrum Originals), and has been published by Rotten Tomatoes, American Theatre Magazine, and USA Today.

Jonathan Wysocki is a filmmaker whose award-winning debut feature, DRAMARAMA, premiered at the San Francisco International Film Festival.

He is a Sundance Screenwriters and Directors Labs Fellow as well as an Advisor for Sundance Co//ab. Wysocki’s 5 award-winning short films include A DOLL’S EYES, which screened at 50 festivals on 6 continents and was translated into 8 languages. Previously, Wysocki worked as a feature programmer for the LA Film Festival, as a producer on the indie features THE HAMMER and THRASHER ROAD, and for major studios such as MGM and ABC.

16

Virtual

Other than opening night, closing night and the Queer Black Voices reception, films will screen at the Galaxy Theater, 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd., Austin TX 78752. Food and drink (including beer and wine) will be available. Tickets may be purchased prior to the screening at https://agliff.eventive.org/schedule or at the Festival Box Office. Members or Badge Holders must ‘pull’ a ticket through the same system, although once logged in, they will not be charged.

Print out your ticket or access your receipt on your phone for entrance at the theater.

Tickets may be purchased or ‘pulled’ at https://watch.eventive.org/agliff. Tickets for virtual screenings will become available once the film has screened in person. Members will be able to pull tickets one day prior. The best way to handle questions or issues with the virtual platform is to first visit https://watch.eventive.org/help and access their live chat support feature at the bottom of the page. The Eventive team is more likely to be able to help you with technical issues than a member of our staff.

FAQ Are all films available both in person and virtually?

No, some films are only available in person, and some are only available virtually.

How many tickets will be available to the virtual screenings?

By agreement with our distributors, we have 200 ‘tickets’ for each film. The number of virtual tickets will be 200 minus the number of tickets used for the In Person screening.

Seating is limited for in-person screenings and virtual screenings may sell out. Please plan your schedule and know when tickets to the films you want to see will be available.

How will seating work at the Galaxy?

All screenings will have open seating although members and badgeholders will be let in first.

How long will I have to watch my virtual screenings?

Once you purchase or ‘pull’ a ticket, you will have five days to use it. After that, the ticket will go void and you will have to get another ticket.

Once you begin a film, you will have 3 days or 72 hours to finish it.

All your tickets, both In Person and Virtual, will be visible at https://agliff.eventive.org/tickets — just make sure you are logged in first. In fact, last year we found that most issues arose from the patron not being logged in, or accidentally logged in to a different account than the one used to register the membership, badge, or ticket.

All films are unrated, parental guidance recommended for anyone under 15.

COVID-19 Response

How to Access

In Person

The health and safety of festival goers, staff, volunteers and filmmakers is aGLIFF’s highest priority. We will continue to consult with the various venues where in-person screenings and events are scheduled as well as monitoring the latest CDC, City of Austin, and state recommendations surrounding COVID and the delta variant. Attendees will be asked to adhere to any protocols required by a host venue. We have reduced capacity at some of our venues as a precaution. It is strongly advised that people attending in-person screenings and events be vaccinated and wear masks at all times unless seated with food or drink.

As conditions change, aGLIFF will adjust protocols and guidelines. Visit agliff.org/health-safety for the most current information before attending events.

We understand that some people may not feel comfortable attending in-person events at this time.

We encourage you to enjoy our virtual platform which will include most of the film lineup as well as some fun virtual events to keep our community connected. Learn more at agliff.org/prism.

17

Queer Spectrum 18

Queer Spectrum is a monthly series of screenings and events curated by aGLIFF for our community and free for our aGLIFF members.

Through this series, aGLIFF continues to be a platform celebrating LGBTQ+ stories and films year-round.

A Queer Spectrum Screening Pass is available for $100.

Here is a taste of what made its Texas premiere with us this year.

from Cured

from Boy Meets Boy

from Tahara

from Workhorse Queen

from Summertime

Youth ages 13-18 are welcome to attend free of charge, spending five days immersed in learning the filmmaking process and participating in various roles to complete a short film project which is screened at the annual film festival in August!

We want to empower our youth with a platform for self expression in a highly instructive curriculum.

Students learn the entire movie making process, including but not limited to pitching, screenwriting, storyboarding, casting, acting, lighting, sound, cinematography, editing, and adding titles.

QYMP

In collaboration with the Austin School of Film, aGLIFF hosts the Queer Youth Media Project (QYMP) each summer.

Sign-ups for the 2022 camp will open in February.

19

Queer Black Voices Fund

To ensure that queer Black creatives are ALWAYS represented as part of the Prism Film Fest every year, aGLIFF launched the Queer Black Voices Fund in 2020.

Created in response to the events surrounding the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and Javier Ambler, among other incidents between police officers and African Americans, the QBV Fund covers the costs associated with submitting and showing qualified films as part of Prism and aGLIFF’s year-round programming. A portion of all entry fees goes back into supporting the fund.

“From this point forward, we will always have Black stories told at aGLIFF,” then Board President Casandra Alston said, “when you’re hearing a story from the people who are part of that community, the story is that much more enriched.”

This year aGLIFF has to awarded three films $500.00 each and has covered all costs involved with submitting and showing their films as part of the PRISM 34, including travel expenses to bring filmmakers to Austin to attend the festival and participate in live forums, Q&A sessions, or other special events.

2021 QBV GRANTEES

Feed Me

20

The 2021 QBV films will be shown Wednesday, September 1st at the George Washington Carver Museum.

Director: Soma Okoye

Pure

Director: Natalie Jasmine Harris

Smoke, Lilies, and Jade

Directors: Deondray and Quincy LeNear Gossfield

Music And Dance Shorts.................. p 51

At The End Of Evin............................ p 36

My Fiona............................................. p 32

Animated Shorts................................ p 50 Avant Garde Shorts........................... p 52 Beautiful Thing................................... p 39 Beyto................................................... p 31 Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids Story ..... p 23 Boulevard! A Hollywood Story.......... p 24 Boy Culture........................................ p 45 Building A Bridge............................... p 33 Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same.............................. p 29 Erika Lust Collection......................... p 37 Everybody's Talking About Jamie.... p 42 Everything At Once (Todo A La Vez) ................................. p 40 Films Of Fred Halsted, The............... p 37 Find Your Way Out............................. p 47 Finding Each Other............................ p 47 Finding Me ......................................... p 46 Finding Your Future........................... p 48 Firebird............................................... p 42 Forgotten Roads (La Nave Del Olvido) ......................... p 36

My Best Part...................................... p 32 My First Summer............................... p 32 Nimby - Not In My Backyard............ p 37 No Shorts........................................... p 52 North By Current............................... p 34 Not Knowing...................................... p 32 Novice, The........................................ p 44 P.S. Burn This Letter Please............. p 41 Poppy Fields...................................... p 44 Queendom.......................................... p 44 Raw! Uncut! Video!............................ p 41 Rebel Dykes....................................... p 34

Film Index

All Boys Aren't Blue........................... p 39

Saint Narcisse.................................... p 36 Sexplanation, The.............................. p 34 Sex, Revolution & Islam.................... p 34 Shit & Champagne............................. p 25 Storm After The Calm....................... p 49 Tove..................................................... p 41 We Are Just Guests........................... p 49 We Need To Do Something............... p 39 Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story...... p 41

Gemmel & Tim .................................. p 33 Greenhouse, The .............................. p 36 Indie Series ....................................... p 50 Invisible.............................................. p 33 Jump, Darling..................................... p 31

Kiss Me Kosher................................. p 42 Leading Ladies.................................. p 31 Little Girl............................................. p 33 Love, Spells, And All That................. p 31 Mädchen In Uniform.......................... p 40

Building communities around film!

Metamorphosis.................................. p 44

INDIE MEME IS A PROUD COMMUNITY PARTNER OF

Mulholland Drive................................ p 40

JOIN US FOR IMFF-INDIE MEME FILM FESTIVAL

Made On The Rooftop....................... p 42 Mini-Features..................................... p 50

AGLIFF & PRISM 34

BRINGING A SLICE OF SOUTH ASIA TO AUSTIN

indiememe.ORG

21

22

THURS 8/26 AT 7:00PM // THE PARAMOUNT THEATRE UK | 90 min.

North American Premiere

DIRECTORS AND WRITERS: Bruce Ashley, Michael Donald

PRODUCERS:

Ian Penman, Andy Woodford

FEATURING:

Boy George, Midge Ure, Gary Kemp, Rusty Egan, Marilyn, Princess Julia, Andy Polaris, Robert Elms, Chris Sullivan, Stephen Jones, Dylan Jones, La Roux, Michele Clapton, Darla-Jane Gilroy, Fiona Dealey and Steve Dagger.

1979 Britain. Strikes. Blackouts. Racism and Homophobia.

The Blitz, a small London venue, provided a home for a generation of working class and art school teenagers who would go on to define the look, the sound, the style, and attitude of the ‘80s. Inspired by Roxy Music and David Bowie and driven by a gender-bending, genre-busting desire to make it, these penniless superstars in the making – including members of Culture Club, Spandau Ballet, Visage, Ultravox and Sade herself – would go on to change the face of fashion, music and culture across the world. This is their story.

“It didn’t matter if you were gay, or straight, what colour you were, everyone was a misfit who just wanted to dress up, dance and be together. Not to mention the 80s was a breakthrough era when it came to personal expression and the Blitz Kids were a huge part of that.”

Opening Night film

Blitzed: The 80s Blitzed Kids Story

Co-Director and Co-Writer Bruce Ashley

23

Centerpiece Film

Boulevard! A Hollywood Story SAT 8/28 AT 7:00PM // THE GALAXY SA | 2021 | 85 min.

Southwest Premiere

DIRECTOR AND PRODUCER: Jeffrey Schwarz

From aGLIFF Multi-Film Alumni Jeffrey Schwarz (I Am Divine, Tab Hunter Confidential) comes the strange but true story of the FIRST musical version of Sunset Boulevard. For Gloria Swanson, the iconic star of Sunset Boulevard, both the movie and the character of Norma Desmond provided a renewed spotlight. Seeing in Norma a portal back to the stardom she once commanded as a silent screen superstar, Swanson began to envision a musical stage adaptation of the film.

Enter, Dickson Hughes and Richard Stapley, two struggling songwriters (and also a romantic couple) looking for their big break. Playing Joe Gillis to Gloria’s Norma Desmond, they threw caution to the wind and joined forces to bring the musical to life, beginning a journey that would alter the course of their lives. Also complicating matters was the fact that Gloria set her sights on handsome Richard Stapley, resulting in a classic love triangle.

“I have gone through a long apprenticeship. I have gone through enough of being a nobody. I have decided that when I am a star, I will be every inch and every moment the star! Everybody from the studio gateman to the highest executive will know it. “ Gloria Swanson in 1922

24

SUN 9/5 AT 7:00PM // PIONEER FARMS USA | 90 min.

Southwest Premiere

WRITER & DIRECTOR: D’Arcy Drollinger

CAST:

Seton Brown, Manuel Caneri, Leigh Crow, D’Arcy Drollinger

San Francisco drag queen extraordinaire D’Arcy Drollinger makes her big screen debut in feature adaptation of his stage play, a wacky send-up of ‘70s sexploitation flicks.

Drollinger stars as Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White, a charismatic stripper who finds herself in danger after her fiancé and half-sister are both murdered. When the cops refuse to investigate, Champagne takes matters into her own perfectly manicured hands to find answers. As she uncovers an evil plot connecting mega retail chain store Mall-Wart to a discount escort service, Champagne has no choice but to go undercover.

Closing Night Film

Shit & Champagne

“The crude humor is carefully layered with Abbott & Costello-style wordplay, sophisticated drag wisecracks, and fight scenes skillfully choreographed with cartoon sound effects. There is also plenty of subtle intellectual humor thrown in among the litany of poop, vagina, and penis jokes.”

SFIST review of the original stage play, 2015

25

Schedule

8/26 Thursday

8/29 Sunday

PARAMOUNT THEATRE

THE GALAXY

7PM

9:30PM

Blitzed: The 80s Blitz Kids Story F Opening Night Party E

AVAIL. @9AM Avant Garde Shortss SV AVAIL. @9PM Boy Culture 1 FV

Mädchen in Uniform A

8/27 Friday THE GALAXY

4:30PM

We are Just Guests S Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story F

Finding Eachother S Building a Bridge F Everybody’s Talking about Jamie F Rebel Dykes F

7PM Invisible F

9PM

Not Knowing F St. Narcisse F

AVAIL. 9AM

We Need to Do Something F Firebird F

2PM Part 2: Unnecessary Sequels E AVAIL. 9PM Metamorphosis FV

We are Just Guests S P.S. Burn This Letter Please F

7PM The Novice F 9PM Firebird F

8/30 Monday

We Need to Do Something F

LA BARBEQUE

AVAIL. 9AM

Indie Series SV Music and Dance Shorts SV

7PM

Bourbon and Barbeque Fundraising Event E

Todo A La Vez FV No Shorts SV

AVAIL. 9AM

Love, Spells, and All That F Nimby - Not in My Backyard F

AVAIL. 9PM

8/28 Saturday THE GALAXY

11:30AM 2PM

Finding Me S

4:30PM

Leading Ladies F P.S. Burn This Letter Please F

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same A

AVAIL. 9PM

Boy Culture 3 FV The Films of Fred Halsted FV Finding Me S

8/31 Tuesday AUSTIN EASTCIDERS

7PM

Big Queer Quiz Thing E

7PM Boulevard!

AVAIL. 9AM

9PM

AVAIL. 9PM

Leading Ladies F Building a Bridge F

AVAIL. 9AM

6PM AVAIL. 9PM

26

11:30AM 2PM 4:30PM

A Hollywood Story F Love, Spells, and All That F Nimby - Not in My Backyard F Animation Shorts SV Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story F DJ Mel’s Living Room Dance E Boy Culture 2 FV Erika Lust Collection FV

At the End of Evin FV Finding Eachother S Not Knowing F

KEY S = Shorts F = Feature V = Virtual Only A = Anniversary E = Event

Virtual In-person

9/4 Saturday

WASHINGTON CARVER MUSEUM

THE GALAXY

7PM

QBV/All Boys Aren’t Blue SF Queer Black Voices Fund Dinner E

AVAIL. 9AM Invisible F

AVAIL. 9PM

Rebel Dykes F St. Narcisse F Boy Culture 4 FV Raw! Uncut! Video! FV The Storm After The Calm S

9/2 Thursday THE GALAXY

4:30PM

7PM

Forgotten Roads (La Nave Del Olvido) F Sex, Revolution & Islam F

11:30PM 2PM 4:30PM

Finding Your Future S

7PM

Jump, Darling F Litte Girl F

My Best Part F

My Fiona F Queendom F

9:30PM

10PM

Mulholland Drive A Made on the Rooftop F Silent Disco E

AVAIL. @9AM Tove F

Poppy Fields F .Kiss Me Kosher F

AVAIL. @9PM Finding Your Future S

My Best Part F North by Current F

9:30

Kiss Me Kosher F Poppy Fields F

9/5 Sunday

Gemmel & Tim F The Greenhouse F

THE GALAXY & PIONEER FARMS

AVAIL. 9AM

Forgotten Roads F

AVAIL. 9PM

Mini-Features SV Find Your Way Out S Sex, Revolution & Islam F Litte Girl F

QBV/All Boys Aren’t Blue F

THE GALAXY

The Sexplanation F The Storm After The Calm S

7PM Tove F

Beyto F

9:30PM

North by Current F Find Your Way Out S

AVAIL. @9AM Gemmel & Tim F

The Greenhouse F

5PM Dixie’s Happy Hour E AVAIL. @9PM Boy Culture 5 FV Queendom F

The Sexplanation F

10PM

Dirty Queer Story Time E

My First Summer F Beautiful Thing A

Drive In & Drag: Shit & Champagne EF

AVAIL. @9AM My Fiona F Beyto F

AVAIL. @9PM Boy Culture 6 FV

9/3 Friday 4:30PM

11:30PM 2PM 7PM

Schedule

9/1 Wednesday

My First Summer F Jump, Darling F

VENUES The Galaxy 6700 Middle Fiskville Rd Paramount Theatre 713 Congress Ave la Barbeque 2401 E Cesar Chavez Austin Eastciders 1530 Barton Springs Rd Washington Carver Museum 1165 Angelina St Pioneer Farms 10621 Pioneer Farms Drive Virtual https://watch.eventive.org/agliff See How to Access (pg. 17) for more information.

27

28

SAT 8/28 AT 2:00PM // GALAXY USA | 2011 | 76 min.

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Madeleine Olnek, 2021 aGLIFF LEGACY HONOREE CAST: Jackie Monahan, Susan Ziegler, Cynthia Kaplan, Alex Karpovsky, Dennis Davis

Madeleine Olnek

When three bald lesbian aliens are sent to Earth from Zotz to have their hearts broken so that their strong emotions won’t contribute to destroying their planet’s ozone layer, one of them connects with Jane, a tender soul working at a stationery store. Meanwhile, there are two government agents—men in black—monitoring Jane as she starts to become closer to a woman who the men feel does not belong on this planet.

LEGACY AWARD

Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same

Multi-aGLIFF alumni Madeleine Olnek (Wild Nights With Emily, The Foxy Merkins) celebrates the 10th anniversary screening of her singular SciFi comedy and will be aGLIFF’s 2021 LEGACY HONOREE. Past aGLIFF honorees include Yen Tan, Rose Troche and Jim Fall.

29

21-015 CG Austin Advert V2.pdf 1 30/07/2021 15:41:22

The Consulate General of Ireland in Austin is proud to support the screenings of

Cailín Álainn

A White Horse Outside the Box

at aGLIFF 2021 in partnership with

GAZE dfa.ie/austin |

30

@IrelandCGAustin

Leading Ladies

The Narrative Feature Competition.

The best of the freshest films on the fest circuit today.

Colombia | 81 min.

Southwest Premiere

Beyto FRI 9/3 AT 7:00PM Switzerland | 98 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Gitta Gsell WRITERS: Gitta Gsell, Yusuf Yesilöz CAST: Burak Ates, Dimitri Stapfer, Ecem Aydin, Beren Tuna, Serkan Tastemur Talented swimmer, motivated apprentice: Beyto is in the midst of life, with a bright future ahead of him. One would think. But when the only son of a Turkish migrant family falls in love with his coach Mike, an ideal world falls to pieces. Ashamed, his parents see only one way out: they lure Beyto to their home village to marry him off to his childhood friend Seher. Beyto finds himself in a disruptive love triangle: How can he get back to Mike without destroying Seher’s future?

Jump, Darling SAT 9/4 AT 7:00PM Canada | 90 min.

Southwest Premiere WRITER & DIRECTOR: Phil Connell CAST: Cloris Leachman, Thomas Duplessie, Linda Kash, Jayne Eastwood After a disastrous missed debut at a Toronto drag club, aspiring actor Russell, aka Fishy Falters, bails on his bougie boyfriend to takes shelter in the Canadian countryside. Finding peace with his grandmother Margaret (Academy Award winner icon Cloris Leachman in her final role), Russell discovers a woman facing her own mortality and regretting chances not taken fifty years ago. When Fishy relaunches herself at a local pub, Russell rediscovers his own sparkle.

SAT 8/28 AT 4:30PM

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Ruth Caudeli CAST: Diana Wiswell, Silvia Varón, Ana María Cuellar, Marcella Robledo, Ana María Otálora

Films

Fabrications

A welcome dinner is the excuse to discover that we always keep a secret from who know us the best. Five points of view that show that each of these five girls tries, as best they can, to lead their own lives. Some lies have been saved for years, other were hidden for months… But many of them will come to light during this special meeting. Guilt affects everyone in different ways.

In Spanish with English Subtitles

Love, Spells, and All That SAT 8/28 AT 9:30PM Turkey | 96 min.

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Ümit Ünal CAST: Selen Uçer, Ece Dizdar, Aysenil Samlioglu, Damla Ersan As teenagers, Eren, daughter of a powerful member of the parliament, and Reyhan, the daughter of Eren’s family’s housekeeper, had a forbidden love affair. When their relationship was discovered, Eren’s family sent Reyhan and her father away and Eren to a boarding school in Europe. The film starts twenty years later, as Eren returns to the island paradise for the first time.

Could the love spell Reyhan put on her twenty years ago be reason for Eren’s return?

In Turkish with English Subtitles

31

Fabrications

Fabrications cont’d...

My Best Part

SUN 9/5 AT 11:30AM

SAT 9/4 AT 2:00PM

Australia | 78 min.

Southwest Premiere

France | 108 min.

Southwest Premiere

WRITER & DIRECTOR: Katie Found

DIRECTOR: Nicolas Maury WRITERS: Maud Ameline, Sophie Fillières, Nicolas Maury CAST: Nicolas Maury, Nathalie Baye, Arnaud Valois Nothing is going right anymore for Jérémie’s comedy and acting career. His love life hits a bleak streak due his rampant jealousy. Between insufficient funds on his credit card, the cuts and bumps he’s nursing, and his existential doubts, he swirls deep inside the vortex of his Paris-based depression. So he flees to the country to reset with his slightly invasive mother and lick his wounds. Hoping to find new romance with mum’s hunky (and straight) assistant, he spends the summer preparing for an audition he doesn’t feel right for — Springtime Awakening. “Am • still the right age to play a tormented, suicidal teen?”

In French with English Subtitles

My Fiona SAT 9/4 AT 4:30PM USA | 86 min.

Southwest Premiere WRITER & DIRECTOR: Kelly Walker CAST: Jeanette Maus, Corbin Reid, Elohim Nycalove, Sara Amini, Ryan Garcia, April Lang

32

My First Summer

Best friends for life, Jane and Fiona have done everything together since kindergarten, until Fiona unexpectantly commits suicide. Left devastated and adrift, Jane’s only path to peace is helping Fiona’s widow Gemma care for their young son Bailey. Polar opposites, the two women have nothing in common save for their shared grief and love for Fiona. But as Jane’s help offers some stability, Gemma can’t help being drawn to her and an unexpected intimacy builds between them.

CAST: Markella Kavenagh, Maiah Stewardson, Harvey Zielinski, Steve Mouzakis Stranded on a remote property after her mother’s death, 16-year-old Claudia is torn from isolation when Grace, a spirited local teen, appears in the garden like a mirage, a breath of fresh, sugary air.

The pair form an intimate bond, finding in each other the support, joy, and human connection that only first love can bring. But summer can’t last forever and their idyllic peace is a fragile one as the adult world closes in and threatens their secret summer love.

Not Knowing SUN 8/29 AT 7:00PM Turkey | 96 min.

Southwest Premiere Writer & Director: Leyla Yilmaz Cast: Emir Ozden, Senan Kara, Yurdaer Okur High School water polo star Umut has no response when stories start circulating that he is gay. The rest of the team bullies him relentlessly despite the baselessness of the rumor. While his parents Selma and Sinan cope with their tiring marriage, Umut suddenly disappears to clear his head. While Selma and Sinan look for their son, they realize that they have actually lost themselves. Facing an uncertain future, they must come to terms with not knowing any of the answers.

In Turkish with English Subtitles

The Documentary Feature Competition.

The best of the freshest films on the fest circuit today.

Building a Bridge SUN 8/29 AT 2:00PM USA | 96 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTORS: Evan Mascagni, Shannon Post The tragic 2016 Pulse nightclub shooting in Orlando and the apparent apathy of his peers prompted Father James Martin, a New York-based priest, author, and journalist to pen the book, Building a Bridge, and sent him on a journey to make the Catholic Church more accepting of the LGBTQ+ community. That publication and his subsequent appearances on outlets as diverse as Colbert and Fox News made him something of a celebrity, beloved by many and denounced by those who claim he’s a heretic.

Gemmel & Tim THURS 9/2 AT 9:30PM USA | 76 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Michiel Thomas Gemmel Moore, a 26-year-old gay Black male, died of a meth overdose at the home of white West Hollywood Democratic party donor Ed Buck.

18 months later, 55-year-old Timothy Dean, also Black, also gay, died in the same home. Toxicology showed an overdose of methamphetamine mixed with alcohol. The coroner checked “accident” on his report. Ed Buck described each man as his ‘friend.’ The deaths sent shockwaves through LA’s LGBTQ+ community and particularly West Hollywood, LA’s gay Mecca. The ensuing media circus cooked up a spicy concoction of sex, drugs, race and politics. Ed Buck had two indulgences, donating to Democrats and soliciting Black men to ‘party and play’ with methamphetamine. But this is not just his story, this is the story of Gemmel and Tim and their parallel walks of life as told by the

friends who loved them, and about Los Angeles, a place where someone is always willing to take advantage of someone else’s struggle to survive.

Invisible SUN 8/29 AT 7:00PM USA | 107 min, Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: T.J. Parsell Featuring: Ruthie Foster, Bonnie Baker, Linda Ronstadt, Emmylou Harris, Pam Tillis Country music is finally coming out of the closet.

The contributions of lesbian singer-songwriters are generally not the first thing that come to mind in the arena of country music, but some of the greatest hits in the genre are the work of these badass women writing, producing, and persevering in an extremely traditional and corporate industry that requires most to keep their authentic selves secret for fear of committing career suicide.

Chronicles

Chronicles

Little Girl SAT 9/4 AT 7:00PM France | 85 min.

DIRECTOR: Sébastien Lifshitz Before the age of three, Sasha began telling her parents, “When I grow up, I’ll be a girl.” When her mother Karine told her that wasn’t possible, Sasha was devastated, prompting Karine to reevaluate her ideas about her child, gender identity, and what might be possible. As society fails to treat her like the other children her age – in her daily life at school, dance lessons or birthday parties – her family fights for her to find acceptance.

In French with English Subtitles

33

Chronicles

Chronicles cont’d...

North by Current

FRI 9/3 AT 4:30PM

FRI 9/3 AT 9:30PM

USA | 81 min.

Southwest Premiere

USA | 85 min.

Southwest Premiere

DIRECTOR: Alexander Liu

DIRECTOR: Angelo Madsen Minax Three years after the unexplained death of his niece Kalla, artist and filmmaker Angelo Madsen Minax returns to his Mormon family’s home in a small town in Michigan. His sister Jesse, clinging to the stability of motherhood after years of addiction problems, and her partner David, who has his own demons, cannot escape the shadow of suspicion for the death of their daughter. As Minax films his family’s chaos, his own story rises to surface; his transition, first put before his family nine years ago, is still very much a source of upheavel.

Rebel Dykes SUN 8/29 AT 4:30PM UK | 82 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTORS: Harri Shanahan, Siân Williams Brought together by peace camp protests, a tight-knit group of friends - the Rebel Dykes combined political activism and BDSM, leathers and chains and world class hedonism, all topped off with an in-your-face sex positivity much to the annoyance of the Rad Fem lesbian movement and the terror of straight mainstream society.

A mash-up of animation, archive footage and interviews convey the story of a trailblazing scene full of squatters, kinky nightclubs, anti-Thatcher rallies, AIDS protests and the fierce ties of chosen family. This is an astonishingly honored peek into a departed past populated by those who not only lived out their politics but lived to tell the tale.’

34

The Sexplanation

WRITERS: Leonardo Neri, Alex Liu Like many youth in the 90s, Alex’s school taught that sex before marriage was wrong. His classes showed shocking childbirth videos and all-toographic images of people with untreated HIV/AIDS. Because he knew he was gay, these tactics worked to suppress his sexuality. Now in his 30s and out of the closet, embarks on a quest to put the ‘D’ in documentary and right the wrongs of his all-American sex education, no matter how awkward it gets. As the film unravels decades if not centuries of misteaching here in North America, Alex explores his past sex-shame as he searches for answers from scientists, researchers, educators, politicians, church officials and even his own parents.

Sex, Revolution & Islam THUR 9/2 AT 4:30PM Norway | 81 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Nefise Özkal Lorentzen As a young Muslim girl in Berlin, Seyran Ateş grew up under the shackles of Islamic repression.

A Turkish-German lawyer, author, feminist, and one of the first female imams in Europe, Seyran has dedicated herself to reforming Islam, opening the first mosque with no gender segregation and educating and empowering LGBTQ Muslim youth to embrace their sexuality. In return, two fatwas were issued against her, she has received uncountable death threats, and has been living under constant police protection for several years.

In Turkish, English, German, Chinese, and Norwegian with English Subtitles

Chronicles “We need, in every community, a group of angelic troublemakers.”

– Bayard Rustin Have fun angels, & Heather Greene love, Marsha Milam

35

peQuliar

peQuliar Quirky films that mix Horror, SciFi, Fantasy and Gothic elements with LGBTQIA+ themes. These are special films, meant to be broken apart and looked at sideways.

At the End of Evin

In Spanish with English Subtitles

TUES 9/1 AT 9:00PM

Saint Narcisse

Iran | 78 min.

Southwest Premiere

SUN 8/29 AT 9:30PM

WRITERS & DIRECTORS: Mehdi Torab-Beigi, Mohammad Torab-Beigi CAST: Mehdi Pakdel, Ra’na Azadivar, Ali Baqeri Moving from a small town to Tehran, Amen dreams of gender reassignment surgery. When she meets Naser, a rich man promising to pay for her surgery it comes with one condition.

Apparently, Amen has a very similar voice to Naser’s daughter, Annie, who is about to inherit her grandmother’s house and Amen must play Annie in front of the grandmother. However, as the days drag on and Amen trains to be Annie, she begins to suspect Naser and the others are hiding the truth about Annie’s disappearance. Desperate for her surgery, how far is she willing to go?

In Farsi with English Subtitles

Forgotten Roads (La Nave del Olvido) THURS 9/2 AT 4:30PM Chile | 72 min.

Southwest Premiere WRITER & DIRECTOR: Nicol Ruiz CAST: Rosa Ramírez, Romana Satt, Gabriela Arancibia

36

underground bar catering to the town’s hidden community of renegades and misfits. In the gossipy town, their budding relationship can’t stay a secret for long. As Claudina sees love’s horizons expanding, she must choose between the traditional role of grieving widow she understands and the open road ahead of her.

In a religious and conservative rural town obsessed with UFO sightings, Claudina tries to break out of the lonely routine she’s fallen into since her husband’s death. Moving in with her grandson and her daughter Alejandra, she meets the neighbor Elsa, an independent and married woman who moonlights as a lounge singer in the

Canada | 101 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Bruce LaBruce WRITERS: Bruce LaBruce, Martin Girard CAST: Félix-Antoine Duval, Thomas Niles, Tania Kontoyanni In 1972 Canada, Dominic, a handsome young man enjoys snapping Polaroids of himself and gazing into the mirror. When he hears his birth mother is still alive, he embarks on a road trip reunite. Not only does he discover her living with another woman, but he also learns of the existence of his twin brother, living in a monastery lead by a depraved priest. As swears to save him, the two beautiful, identical brothers soon become embroiled in a strange web of sex, revenge and redemption.

In English and French with English Subtitles

The Greenhouse THURS 9/2 AT 9:30PM Australia | 85 min.

Southwest Premiere WRITER & DIRECTOR: Thomas Wilson-White CAST: Jane Watt, Camilla Ah Kin, Rhondda Findleton Still grieving the death of her mother Lillian, Beth discovers a portal to the past in the forest surrounding her family property. On the cusp of her widowed mother Ruth’s sixtieth birthday and the homecoming of her dysfunctional siblings,

Queerzploitation Sex! Blood! Death! More Sex! A grab bag of killers and kinks! Not your Gay Grandpa’s aGLIFF. Erika Lust Collection SAT 8/28 AT 9:00PM Valentin, Pierre and Catalina Bruce LaBruce | 2018 | 27 min.

Female Pleasure Circle Erika Lust | 2019 | 45 min.

Rico Rico Maximus Skaff | 2021 | 14 min.

Like a Butterfly Maximus Skaff | 2021 | 13 min.

Girl Gang Charlie Benedetti | 2021 | 24 min.

Swedish erotic film director, screenwriter and producer, Erika Lust made her debut with indie erotic film The Good Girl in 2004. Since then, she has been instrumental in promoting the aims of the feminist pornography movement through capturing the female gaze and focusing on female pleasure. Adhering to an ethical production process that sets her company apart from mainstream pornography sites, she has stressed the importance of paying for porn to ensure safe working conditions and fair wages for sex workers. In 2013, she started the crowdsourced porn series XConfessions, in which viewers leave anonymous confessions on the project’s website.

Each month, Lust handpicks two stories and turns them into cinematic short films. In 2015, a theatrical cut of XConfessions was screened both at the Raindance Film Festival in London and at the Chicago International Film Festival.

The Films of Fred Halsted MON 8/30 AT 9:00PM L.A. Plays Itself 1972 | 55 min.

Sex Garage 1972 | 35 min.

Sextool 1975 | 80 min.

Southwest Premiere of restorations Fred Halsted’s L.A. Plays Itself was gay porn’s first masterwork: a sexually explicit, autobiographical, experimental film whose New York screening left even Salvador Dalí repeatedly muttering “new information for me.” Halsted, a self-taught filmmaker, shot the film over a period of three years in a now-vanished Los Angeles, a city at once rural and sleazy. Although his cultural notoriety at one point equaled that of Kenneth Anger or Jack Smith, Halsted’s star waned in the 1980s with the emergence of a more commercial gay-porn industry. After the death from AIDS of his long-time partner, lover, spouse (and tormentor) Joey Yale in 1986, Halsted committed suicide in 1989.

Nimby - Not in My Backyard SAT 8/28 AT 9:30PM Finland | 94 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Teemu Nikki

Queerzploitation

Beth is swept away by visions of their adolescence and re-lives the moments that defined her. Despite Ruth’s warnings, and as real-world tensions grow between the siblings, Beth becomes mesmerized by the past; but the past is not the paradise she believed it to be.

WRITERS: Teemu Nikki, Jani Pösö CAST: Youssef Asad Alkhatib, Almila Bagriacik Mervi and her girlfriend Kata leave the safety of liberal hipster Helsinki for rural Finland to come out to Mervi’s parents. After a year living together, Kata is surprised to find out Mervi once was straight and dated a neo-Nazi. The ex-boyfriend can’t accept that Mervi is with a person both the wrong color and gender. The real threat appears when Kata’s parents arrive from Berlin and the local skinhead boss finds out that a black Muslim celebrity politician has come to town. Oh, and also Mervi’s parents have been living in an open-bisexualswinger-relationship for 20 years. As the bigoted town lays siege to their house, the two families band together to fight for their lives.

In Finnish, English, and German with English Subtitles

37

Queerzploitation

The Consulate General of Canada is a proud sponsor of aGLIFF. YOUR NORTH STAR TO FILMS FROM CANADA IN THE U.S. Discover films and series each month. https://canadanow.us/

C ering r c munity every day of e year!

PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE PRISM 34TH FILM FESTIVAL

www.thearreagaagency.com

38

We Need to Do Something FRI 8/27 AT 9:30PM

actors representing Johnson at different stages of their life, Nathan Hale Williams captures a dramatic reading that serves as a firsthand account of trials, tribulations, and triumphs that have made Johnson into the person they are today.

USA | 97 min.

Southwest Premiere

Beautiful Thing

DIRECTOR: Sean King O’Grady

SUN 9/5 AT 2:00PM

WRITER: Max Booth III CAST: Sierra McCormick, Vinessa Shaw, Pat Healy, Lisette Alexis, John James Cronin For teenager Melissa, family dysfunction is the norm. When a freak tornado traps Melissa inside the family home’s bathroom with her parents and younger brother, those rifts only intensify. And as their confinement within the increasingly-moreclaustrophobic-by-the-hour lavatory stretches to multiple days, Melissa replays private moments with her girlfriend Amy in her head. But there’s more than just hard feelings threatening the family.

Something evil is beyond the walls, toying with them. Is this the family’s reckoning at the hands of a higher power? Or was it unintentionally triggered

by Melissa and her girlfriend?

Witness Aiming our lens at our own history, either through retrospectives, or stories pulled from the past.

All Boys Aren’t Blue WED 9/1 AT 7:00PM USA | 40 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Nathan Hale Williams

UK | 1996 | 96 min.

On 35mm by special arrangement with Sony Pictures Classics DIRECTOR: Hettie Macdonald

Witness

Queerzploitation cont’d...

WRITER: Jonathan Harvey CAST: Linda Henry, Glen Berry, Scott Neal, Tameka Empson Jamie and Ste navigate the difficulties of growing up gay and working class in a society that rarely values anyone who is either. Ste’s drug-dealing brother beats him up. His dad is an alcoholic who makes Ste cook for him. Jamie’s mum Sandra, a pub manager, is dating a washed-up, weedsmoking hippie half her age who says things like “I saw a video about Woodstock once.” And at school, Jamie is bullied for being an oddball outcast who can’t play football. Next door is Leah, a young black woman who has been expelled from school and spends her free time taking drugs and groaning about how “there’s fuck-all to look forward to.”

And that’s before anyone finds out Ste and Jamie are gay.

Jonathan Harvey, screenwriter and playwright of the original work, joins us via zoom for the 25th anniversary of this important film, originally intended for television broadcast only, but so well-received it was subsequently released in cinemas.

WRITER: George M. Johnson CAST: Dyllon Burnside, Jenifer Lewis, Bernard David Jones, Thomas Hobson Both a primer for teens eager to be allies as well as a reassuring testimony for young queer men of color, Journalist and activist George M. Johnson’s memoir covers topics such as gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, structural marginalization, consent, and Black joy. With four

39

Witness

Witness cont’d...

Mulholland Drive

Everything at Once (Todo a la Vez)

SAT 9/4 AT 9:30PM

FRI 8/27 AT 9:00PM

USA | 2001 | 147 min.

Spain | 102 min.

Southwest Premiere

WRITER & DIRECTOR: David Lynch

DIRECTOR: Alberto Fuguet Paco and Manolo, partners in work and life, are the iconic Catalan photographers behind Kink Magazine, an underground fanzine known for its intimate homoerotic aesthetic. “Every photographer is a voyeur,” they admit, as they empower their subjects to expose themselves and bare their souls through the camera lens.

In Spanish with English Subtitles

Mädchen in Uniform THURS 8/26 AT 9:00PM Germany | 1931 | 98 min.

DIRECTOR: Leontine Sagan WRITERS: Christa Winsloe, Friedrich Dammann CAST: Emilia Unda, Dorothea Wieck, Hedy Krilla After the death of her mother, teenage Manuela is sent off to a boarding school run by the autocratic Fräulein von Nordeck. Initially withdrawn from the other girls, Manuela is drawn out of her shell by the beautiful and sympathetic young teacher, but when her fondness for her teacher turns into a romantic attachment, it becomes a school-wide scandal.

40

Ninety years ago, this groundbreaking film became the first international hit with a sympathetic portrayal of a lesbian relationship. In Romania its popularity inspired a ‘longstockings and kissing’ cult. In the United States, the film was first banned, then released in a heavily cut version after Eleanor Roosevelt spoke highly of the film. The Nazis attempted to burn all of the existing prints. Director Sagan and many others associated with the film fled Germany soon after the banning. Most of the cast and crew were Jewish, and those who could not escape Germany died in the camps.

In German with English Subtitles

CAST: Naomi Watts, Laura Harring, Justin Theroux, Ann Miller, Mark Pellegrino, Robert Forster A mysterious brunette soon to be known as Rita (Laura Elena Harring) dodges a bullet, staggers out of her crashed car, and descends from the Hollywood Hills into the jewel-like city below to find refuge in an empty apartment. She’s suffering from amnesia, which makes her the perfect foil for the resident, Betty (Naomi Watts), who arrives the next morning—blond, perky, and inanely optimistic—from rural Ontario with stars in her eyes. For Betty, Rita’s mystery only enhances her appeal. “It’ll be just like in the movies. Pretending to be someone else,” Betty says, suggesting they call the police to confirm Rita’s crash.

“The worst movie I’ve seen this year is Mulholland Drive, a load of moronic and incoherent garbage from David Lynch that started out as a rejected TV pilot and predictably ended up at the New York Film Festival, where pretentious poseurs sit with their eyes glued to any screen as long as the projector is still running.”

Rex Reed, 2001 See it once again on the big screen for the 20th anniversary.

P.S. Burn This Letter Please SAT 8/28 AT 4:30PM USA | 101 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTORS: Michael Seligman, Jennifer Tiexiera A box of letters, held in secret for nearly 60 years, ignites a 5-year exploration into a part of LGBT history that has never been told. The letters open a window into a forgotten world where being yourself meant breaking the law and where the penalties for

Raw! Uncut! Video!

WED 9/1 AT 9:00PM USA | 79 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTORS: Ryan A. White, Alex Clausen Legendary leatherman Jack Fritscher met Mark Hemry in 1979 at Harvey Milk’s birthday party – and the two fell head over heels in love. When the AIDS epidemic swept through San Francisco, the couple left the city to begin a new venture: turning a RURAL ranch in Sonoma County into a safe-sex porn studio that offered viewers new sexual possibilities in an age of plague. Casting rugged non-professional models to explore their unique erotic fantasies onscreen, the studio explored a wild array of queer kinks – and helped champion sex-positivity in the porn industry.

Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story FRI 8/27 AT 4:30PM USA | 62 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Aaron Bear NARRATION: Zachary Quinto One of the first employees at Microsoft, Ric Weiland found wealthy and influence at an early age, but he never felt like he deserved it. To quiet the nagging doubt, he turned to philanthropy.

Out and proud since the 70’s, Ric was a champion of gay rights. During his life, he donated more than 20 million dollars to fund more than 60 non-profit organizations. His efforts to establish representation and resources for the LGBT community still have a profound impact today.

Weiland committed suicide by gunshot on June 24, 2006. Besides his longstanding HIV diagnosis, he suffered from clinical depression. This is a portrait of his life.

Witness

“masquerading” as a woman were swift and severe.

The government sought to destroy them, then history tried to erase them, now they tell their story for the first time.

Tove FRI 9/3 AT 7:00PM Finland | 103 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Zaida Bergroth WRITERS: Eeva Putro, Eeva Putro, Jarno Elonen CAST: Alma Pöysti, Krista Kosonen, Shanti Roney Helsinki, 1945. The end of the war brings a new s ense of artistic and social freedom for painter Tove Jansson. Modern art, dizzying parties and an open relationship with a married politician: her unconventional life puts her at odds with her sculptor father’s strict ideals. Tove’s desire for liberty is put to the test when she falls for theatre director Vivica Bandler. As she struggles with her personal life, she finds creative success with the Moomin books starring a family of white, round trolls with large snouts influenced by the upheavals of war and Jansson’s depression during the war years. But as she finds her artistic identity, she never seems to find herself.

In Swedish, Finnish, English, and French with English Subtitles

41

Refractions

Refractions Expressions of daily life from cultures around the globes and across time.

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie SUN 8/29 AT 4:30PM USA | 2021 | 120 min.

Advance Screening DIRECTOR: Jonathan Butterell SCREENPLAY AND LYRICS: Tom MacRae SONGS COMPOSED BY: Dan Gillespie Sells CAST: Max Harwood, Sarah Lancaster, Lauren Patel, Sharon Horgan, Richard E. Grant Inspired by true events, this film adaptation of the award-winning hit musical from London’s West End, stars newcomer Max Harwood about Jamie New, a teenager in a blue-collar town who dreams of a career ambition as a fierce and proud drag queen.

Despite the endless support from his best friend Pritti, his loving mom, and his mentor, local drag legend Miss Loco Chanelle, it’s not all rainbows for Jamie. His bigot father, a terf-y career advisor, and the school bully bring the thunder and rain all over his pride parade. Anthemic and vibrant musical numbers drive the plot as Jamie steps out of the darkness into the spotlight.

Firebird FRI 8/27 AT 9:30PM UK, Estonia | 107 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Peeter Rebane WRITERS: Tom Prior, Peeter Rebane CAST: Tom Prior, Nicholas Woodeson, Oleg Zagorodnii

42

Soviet Air Force private Sergey counts the days till his military service ends. When daring fighter pilot Roman arrives at the base, Sergey’s life turns upside down. Driven by curiosity, Sergey and Roman navigate the precarious line between love and friendship as a dangerous love triangle forms between them and Luisa, the secretary to the base

Commander. As the walls close in, they risk their freedom and their lives in the face of an escalating KGB investigation. Based on a true story.

Kiss Me Kosher THURS 9/2 AT 7:00PM Germany, Israel | 105 min.

Southwest Premiere WRITER & DIRECTOR: Shirel Peleg CAST: Moran Rosenblatt, Luise Wolfram, Rivka Michaeli After a string of not-too-serious ex-girlfriends, Israeli Shira has finally found real love with Maria, a German who has uprooted her life to be with Shira in Tel Aviv. The two women plan to marry… eventually. But when Shira’s family inadvertently discovers the engagement, wedding plans kick into high gear. Even Maria’s parents insist on a big ceremony, and when they get to Israel, the two families awkwardly try to overcome their cultural and religious differences.

In Arabic, English, German, and Hebrew with English Subtitles

Made on the Rooftop SAT 9/4 AT 9:30PM South Korea | 85 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Kim Jho Gwang-soo WRITER: Yeom Moon-gyeong CAST: Hong Nae Lee, Jung Hwi, Lee Jeong-eun Ha-neul break ups with his uptight and closeted boyfriend, leave their beloved cat Ari behind and filling Seoul sounds of heartbreak. As in any classic boy-loses-boy (and cat) rom-com, who comes to the rescue but the BFF? Ha-neul gets sympathy, fashion advice and a rooftop retreat from his bestie, ‘BongBong,’ a rising online celebrity who has his own commitment issues.

“I’m going to be cool from now!” Ha-neul declares and then tries to reconcile with his ex.

In Korean with English subtitles

Workshops & Classes from 1800s Texas

Onsite & Virtual History Tours. Special Events. Private Rentals

See PioneerFarms.org

5501 N. Lamar Blvd. ATX www.ebookwoman.com

Refractions

TEXAS FOLK ARTS SCHOOL

therepubliq austin | texas | usa

43

Refractions

Refractions cont’d...

Poppy Field

Metamorphosis

THURS 9/2 AT 7:00PM

SUN 8/29 AT 9:00PM

Romania | 82 min.

Southwest Premiere

Philippines | 83 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTOR: Jose Enrique Tiglao WRITERS: J.E. Tiglao, Boo Dabu CAST: Gold Azeron, Iana Bernardez, Dylan Ray Talon 15-year-old Adam, a rough-and-tumble boy born to a conservative pastor, gets his initiation into puberty upon the arrival of a transfer student, Angel, an older girl with a dark past. Adam and Angel get along well but as they start to hang out, Adam begins to menstruate. It turns out that he was born with both male and female genitalia, intersex. This is the start of a uncomfortable journey of self-discovery where Adam explores the spiritual and physical limits of gender identity and the ambiguities of fate and desires.

In Tagalog and English with English subtitles

The Novice FRI 8/27 AT 7:00PM USA | 94 min.

Southwest Premiere WRITER & DIRECTOR: Lauren Hadaway CAST: Isabelle Fuhrman, Amy Forsyth, Dilone, Kate Drummond, Jonathan Cherry, Charlotte Ubben Alex Dall is a queer college freshman, unremarkable in her studies and unseen by those around her.

She’s a solitary soul searching for excellence.

In rowing she finds her purpose, it gives her identity, it awakens a monster. This is not a feel-good sports movie; this is a cinematic descent into self-induced sadistic obsession. Conjuring up Damien Chazelle’s “Whiplash” and Darren Aronofsky‘s “Black Swan,” Alex’s pursuit of perfection doesn’t want for an abusive instructor.

However, the psychological and physical punishment comes only from The Novice herself.

44

DIRECTOR: Eugen Jebeleanu WRITER: Ioana Moraru CAST: Conrad Mericoffer, Alexandru Potocean, Radouan Leflahi Planning to spend a romantic weekend with his long-distance boyfriend, Christi’s tender reunion is cut short when he is called in to handle a crisis at work. A member of the Bucharest police force, Christi is sent to quell a protest at a local movie theater, where a far-right group has interrupted the screening of a queer film. As tensions between the homophobic protesters and the audience mount, Christi, closeted to his fellow officers, begins to spiral out of control when he spots a former fling in the crowd.

In Romanian, English, French with English Subtitles

Queendom SAT 9/4 AT 4:30PM France | 62 min.

Southwest Premiere DIRECTORS: Marco Novoa, Simon Vivier The Paris ballroom scene has grown enormously over the past several years. As France grapples with the Covid crisis, three artists working in this resurgent subculture struggle with day-to-day challenges as they keep their eye on the throne.

Misha, of the famed House of LaDurée balances studying for his high school exit exam and for two important balls. Romain believes drag is a form of political activism. Cookie Kunty, his drag queen alter ego, will be acting in their 2nd short film this year, hoping to take drag mainstream and reach as wide an audience as possible. Le Filip, a 25-yearold drag queen stand-up comic, is busy writing and putting together his first one-queen show.

Beautiful cinematography and intimate profiles pull the queens to the front of the runway.

In French with English Subtitles

One story, in parts, ready to reboot and binge.

Boy Culture THURS 8/26; SAT 8/28; MON 8/29; WED 9/1; FRI 9/3; SUN 9/5; STARTS AT 9:00PM USA | 86 minutes (over 6 episodes) DIRECTOR: Q. Allan Brocka WRITERS: Matthew Rettenmund, Q. Allan Brocka CAST: Derek Magyar, Darryl Stephens, and Jason Caceres. With guest stars Steve Grand, Doug Spearman, Dalila Ali Rajah, JeanCarlos Carias, Jonathan Lisecki, Ralph Cole Jr, and Joel Michaely

Episodic

Episodic Full Series Premiere

In 2006, Stephen Israel produced Director Q. Allan Brocka’s critically acclaimed film version of the novel Boy Culture, following ‘X,’ a thriving escort entangled in romantic relationships with both his two roommates and an older, enigmatic client.

Fifteen years later the entire cast returns to pick up the story. Out of hustling for years, X’s business skills are a bit rusty. Unwillingly taken under the wing of a barely legal twink, X soon finds himself playing pupil to a snarky kid.

45

Shorts

Finding Me

Undressed USA | 10 min.

SAT 8/28 AT 11:30AM

DIRECTOR: Elina Street

A collection of American Short Films about who we are and what to do about it.

A woman does not know how to tell her girlfriend about the new activity she has found to empower herself.

Thơ USA | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Jake Villadolid, Heather Muriel Nguyễn An asexual woman narrates her experience with relationships and intimacy.

Roadkill USA | 15 min.

DIRECTOR: Aliza Brugger Charged with cleaning up dead animals in her small town, one woman offers shelter to another in a routine job that leads to a romantic connection.

Vestirse USA | 9 min.

DIRECTOR: John E. Kilberg

Reasons to Stay USA | 5 min.

DIRECTOR: Shaina Rose Woolley, Ezra Li When a young, gay man is caught in the depths of depression, a beautiful angel visits him to urge he continue experiencing life.

Break In USA | 16 min.

DIRECTOR: Alyssa Lerner Hanging out with a friend late at night, a woman accidentally texts erotic fan fiction to her workplace crush prompting them to try and break in to delete the message before her coworker wakes up.

A person considers their dress and makeup when going to lunch with their parents openly for the first time.

Peace USA | 11 min.

YEAR 10 SEPTEMBER 22-25, 2021 AUSTIN, TEXAS

DIRECTOR: Adomako Aman A down-low queer relationship really questions what it means to be at peace.

Good Night USA | 11 min.

DIRECTOR: Eric Shahinian

MARGARET CHO

BOB THE DRAG QUEEN

JAMES ADOMIAN

HANNAH EINBINDER

After a good date, two men try to overcome their insecurities and be physically intimate with each other.

2 Weeks USA | 9 min.

DIRECTOR: Victoria Negri When an actress realizes she is asexual, it causes difficulties in her personal and professional relationships.

46

MOONTOWERCOMEDYFEST.COM

SUN 8/29 AT 11:30AM

On the Ride USA | 14 min.

DIRECTOR: Jen McGowan

A collection of (mostly) American Short Films (with single serving of maple leaf) about the search for companionship and comradery in this big queer world.

A man bicycles to the house of someone he does not know, drawn by their hidden, shared connection.

Feed Me USA | 3 min.

DIRECTOR: Fawzia Mirza

DIRECTOR: Soma Okoye Sights, sounds, tastes, and smells of the romantic realm liberated from narratives of struggle and/or oppression. A bit of Pleasure Activism.

And Then USA | 17 min.

DIRECTOR: Jenn Ravenna Tran Unable to sleep while visiting Tokyo, an artist meets a beautiful woman from the Japanese countryside prompting the two to explore art, identity, and their desire for one another.

Waking Up USA | 14 min.

Noor & Layla Canada | 13 min.

Structured as the stages of Muslim prayer, the relationship between two women unfolds in reverse chronological order.

The D*ck APPOINTMENT USA | 10 min.

DIRECTOR: Mike Roma An anxious man attempts to get over his ex with dating app hookups and the search for amazing cuddling.

Find Your Way Out FRI 9/3 AT 9:30PM

DIRECTOR: James Patrick Nelson

A collection genre shorts to make you think, look twice, or turn your stomach.

A man sits at the bedside of his comatose uncle after a medical emergency, wondering about their shared queerness and connection.

The Philippines | 12 min.

Love in the Time of Corona USA | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Lila Schmitz After two people match on a dating app, they come up with a creative, modern solution to find sexual pleasure while social distancing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Honey and Clover: A Recipe for Disaster USA | 14 min.

Shorts

Finding Each Other

How to Die Young in Manila DIRECTOR: Petersen Vargas

A young man tries to meet the escort he has hired but instead comes across grisly murder scenes.

Bootstrapped USA | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Katy Erin A woman meets her time-traveling self in a desperate bid to save her relationship with her girlfriend and the very state of future existence.

DIRECTOR: Andrea Maxwell

Sundown Town USA | 10 min.

The stars of a cheesy, ‘90s kids show try to reconcile their feelings for each other and rabid, nostalgia-laden fans.

DIRECTOR: Mylo Butler A trip home is disrupted after making a pit stop in a mysteriously unwelcoming town.

47

Shorts

Finding Your Way Out cont’d...

Finding Your Future

Operator Ireland | 11 min.

SAT 9/4 AT 11:30AM

DIRECTOR: Jonathan Hughes

A collection of (mostly) American Short Films (with one each from Mexico and Israel) about that treacherous time when we pass from youth to adulthood, no matter when that happens.

A customer service agent takes calls and selfishly obsesses over his ex’s engagement ignoring the apocalypse happening around him.

The Cruise USA | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Richard Louprasong One Halloween a couple parks at an old cruising spot and tell the urban legend of the serial killer who supposedly haunted these woods in this ode to vintage porn and ‘70s slashers.

Limina Canada | 12 min.

DIRECTOR: Dan Abramovici A man moves between the events of his life out of chronological order, finding surprising parallels and interpretive dance.

Friend of Sophia USA | 5 min.

DIRECTOR: Alden Peters

April’s Last Memories Mexico | 20 min.

DIRECTOR: Nancy Cruz Orozco Before one of them moves away, two teenage girls say goodbye and reveal their feelings for one another.

Stephen & James: Best Girlfriends USA | 5 min.

DIRECTOR: Dave Quantic Two partners enjoy breakfast pastries and having sex with their friends.

Marigolds USA | 9 min.

DIRECTOR: Cristoforo Magliozzi, Lane Michael Stanley

In a future tech dystopia, a woman attempts to seek out an illegal, intimate experience with an android woman.

At a Halloween party a young teenager tries to figure out how to tell her father the partner he will meet for the first time is not the man he expects but a young woman.

New Flesh for the Old Ceremony USA | 13 min.

Pure USA | 13 min.

DIRECTOR: Elizabeth Rakhilkina Two women find a rather unique way to grow closer after a violent incident with their pets.

DIRECTOR: Natalie Jasmine Harris On the eve of her cotillion, a Black girl grapples with her queer identity and her purity.

Virgin My Ass Israel | 17 min.

DIRECTOR: Adar Sigler One friend asks another to top him for the first time so he may experience bottoming.

Elle USA | 22 min.

DIRECTOR: Nicole Vanden Broeck

48

A young teenager considers how to confess her feelings to her best friend before she moves away in mid-90s Southern California.

FRI 8/28 AT 4:30PM

The Storm After The Calm FRI 9/3 AT 4:30PM

Travelers and Lodgers in the LaQuinta of life’s rich highway & I wanna to ride it all night long.

Everything before now is just preface.

Time to flip pages into the unknown.

Edén Spain | 23 min.

What is a Woman? Norway | 15 min.

DIRECTOR: Guillermo Osorto

DIRECTOR: Marin Håskjold

While packing up their childhood home, one man tries to express his desire for his best friend’s cousin without ruining their relationship.

A trans woman in a changing room sparks a heated discussion about femininity and womanhood.

Frozen Out USA | 5 min.

DIRECTOR: Hao Zhou

Before the Eruption Spain | 10 min.

Shorts

We Are Just Guests

DIRECTOR: Roberto Pérez Toledo

A Chinese immigrant writes home to their sister about struggling with their identity.

After several years apart, a group of childhood friends go on a hike and, for the first time, one of them appears as their authentic self.

Cailin Alainn (Pretty Girl) Ireland | 12 min.

Identibye Iran | 15 min.

DIRECTOR: Megan K. Fox

DIRECTOR: Sajjad Shahhatami

Kevin finds himself for once at a cross dress disco, but only briefly.

A woman considers gender-affirming surgery, knowing it will end her marriage and relationship.

On My Way Belgium | 23 min.

DIRECTOR: Sonam Larcin

Memoirs of the (Non)existent Me Brazil | 15 min.

Meeting and helping a Nigerian immigrant fleeing a homophobic hate crime causes tension between an openly gay man and his closeted, married lover.

After a transwoman’s murder, her friends are left with memories and one last battle with her father.

Complicated Israel | 23 min.

Spring in Autumn Iran | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Isak Kohaly

DIRECTOR: Ghasideh Golmakani

A gay, Israeli man struggles to be comfortable with his body and his anxiety while living with his intense, loving mother and her endless supply of workout mixes.

A trip to the World Cup incites an Iranian woman to leave her husband and pursue a relationship with another woman.

DIRECTOR: Thiago Kistenmacker

Between Us Canada | 18 min.

DIRECTOR: Cailleah Scott-Grimes Two trans people in a relationship try to negotiate their own insecurities and fears around living in a small town and pursuing their careers.

49

Shorts

The Storm After The Calm cont’d...

Mini-Features

A White Horse Ireland | 11 min.

THURS 9/2 AT 9:00PM

DIRECTOR: Shaun O’Connor

Bite-size versions with the same character and conflict caloric count as a main course entree.

A girl phones her home but cannot tell her parents where she is.

Indie Series FRI 8/27 AT 9:00AM Just a taste, then you can go find the rest of it online… or help fund it.

Four FruitBites USA | 9 min.

DIRECTOR: Dave Quantic Four subjects give short glimpses into their lives as genderfluid and nonbinary individuals.

The More Things Change USA | 16 min.

DIRECTOR: Debra F. Simone A trans woman tries to balance her personal life, her passion for making video games, a demanding office job, and people who don’t pay attention to parking signs.

Fabiu Austria | 30 min.

DIRECTOR: Stefan Langthaler A man taking care of his bedridden wife finds himself attracted to the at-home nurse hired to help.

Grey USA | 32 min.

DIRECTOR: Matthew Colston Two lost people finding comfort in an unexpected relationship.

Smoke, Lilies, and Jade USA | 28 min.

DIRECTORS: Deondray Gossfield, Quincy LeNear Gossfield A Harlem Renaissance writer grapples with his attraction to another man and how to make important, socially conscious art.

Animated Shorts

Taffy USA | 5 min.

SAT 8/28 AT 9:00AM

DIRECTOR: Jon Bryant Crawford

Some light-hearted, some more think pieces, this represents the best of LGBTQIAnimation.

While photographing an older man, a young artist reconsiders his own understanding of queer history.

Platonic: Straight Friend Interlude USA | 6 min.

DIRECTOR: Erin C. Buckley Olive meets up with her straight friend Alixa.

Turns out she’s not so straight.

Outside the Box Ireland | 5 min.

DIRECTOR: Janet Grainger We’re not a box. We don’t have sides. One side fits all!

Chado United Kingdom | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Dominica Harrison A child has trouble adjusting to her mother’s new girlfriend.

Nude Triumphant United Kingdom | 9 min.

DIRECTOR: Leo Crane

50

Inspired by conversations with nude models, one person’s journeys to self-fulfillment by baring their whole selves for art students.

Lipstick Jodi: do/SAY USA | 4 min.

DIRECTOR: Augustus Hinton

DIRECTORS: Jackson Ezinga, Jeen Na

A closeted teenager visualizes deflecting questions about his sexuality in high school as a fighting video game - complete with buff, shirtless combatants.

A music video for the indie band Lipstick Jodie about letting go of the past, even if it means you have to burn it all down.

Jan Julius: Manor Holes High Rise USA | 4 min.

DIRECTOR: Nick McKernan

MeTube: August sings ‘Una furtiva lagrima’ Austria | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Daniel Moshel

Genderqueer and nonbinary superheroes fight gentrification in this music video.

A kaleidoscope of science fiction and pop-opera full of kink and killer robots saving the galaxy with the power of vibrato.

Freak of Nature USA | 2 min.

Pointe A2B USA | 6 min.

DIRECTOR: JP Schiller

DIRECTORS: Natasha Adorlee, Max Sachar

A platypus tries to figure out if they are a beaver or a duck in this winking search for gender identity.

Two men dance together through classical art.

Shorts

Closet Combat USA | 3 min.

Mother Bunker Australia | 5 min.

DIRECTOR: George Metaxas The future human/robot apocalypse can be a drag.

Music & Dance Shorts FRI 8/27 AT 9:00AM

8/5/2021

Austin LGBT Chamber.png

A quick sampling of song and movement captured with the unconventional lens.

Lana Kaiser Germany | 14 min.

DIRECTOR: Philipp Gufler German Idol contestant Lana Kaiser defied traditional notions of gender and sex and the media and celebrity culture mercilessly devoured her. This documentary aims to grant her agency.

Jan Julius: Manor Holes High Rise USA | 4 min.

DIRECTOR: Nick McKernan Animated Genderqueer and nonbinary superheroes fight gentrification.

51 https://mail.google.com/mail/u/1/#inbox/KtbxLwGkKgNtQkbLpJsZZqNgQBxNVXGCqV?projector=1

1/1

Shorts

Avant Garde Shorts THURS 8/26 AT 9:00AM

DIRECTOR: Todd Verow

Is it a film? Is it an art piece? Is that a penis?

You never know what you find in this assortment of inventive filmmaking not bound by narrative.

Black-and-white images flash by in a kinetic, cinematic experience of the summer of 2020.

Ishtar United Kingdom | 7 min.

DIRECTOR: Mia Georgis

Lilies USA | 10 min.

DIRECTOR: Joni Renee Whitworth

A montage of genderqueer and nonbinary people explores a Babylonian myth and the joys of eyeshadow.

The media and games people distracted themselves with during the height of the COVID-19 lockdown are used to relate the experiences of unemployment, love, and fear.

Show for Ghosts USA | 22 min.

Carol USA | 7 min.

DIRECTORS: James Medley, Em Haverty A genderfluid performance artist wrestles with modern anxieties around politics, spirituality, and kids cartoons, featuring a special appearance from God.

Hajun Blossoms USA | 5 min.

DIRECTOR: Krissy Mahan Todd Haynes’ Carol was the best-reviewed film of 2015. This is not that Carol.

“No Shorts” FRI 8/27 AT 9:00PM

DIRECTOR: Ji Yoon Kim

As in there’s some naked people up in this jam.

Sexy with a bit of story, and lots of kink.

A young person questions the strict religious teachings surrounding sexuality and gender at home.

Fisherman Germany | 10 min.

A Bronx Story USA | 20 min.

DIRECTORS: Gabriel Peña, Bell Soto A dialogue-less exploration of the relationship between two men and their love, resentment, sensuality, and anger.

Fluid Bound USA | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Roberto Fatal Body, identity, and artistic representations of the self from a Two Spirit, Mestizo perspective.

The Sanctity of Love USA | 2 min.

DIRECTOR: Alí Meyer

52

Covid Summer USA | 3 min.

Art history and classical painting used to recontextualize history into a more representative, queer narrative.

DIRECTOR: Nicky Miller While fishing one day, a man has a sexual encounter with a man that comes out of the water before being joined by a few more.

Love X Bites Myanmar | 18 min.

DIRECTORS: M. Noe, Yupar Momo Two women must quarantine in a hotel room after traveling in the middle of the COVID-19 outbreak, leading to a sexual encounter and a violent conclusion.

Untie USA | 8 min.

DIRECTOR: Lane Michael Stanley Two members of a polyamorous group try a new kink together for the first time.

Aimee Victoria USA | 11 min.

before Sex, Revolution and Islam

Director: Chyrstee Pharris

Unity Mosque USA | 7 min.

Two deaf women of color find their relationship tested during the pandemic.

DIRECTOR: Nicole Teeny

The Leaf USA | 4 minutes Director: William J. Zang Voice messages from his family and news footage explore the challenges faced by a gay, Chinese immigrant in the height of the pandemic.

before Queendom The Beauty President USA | 10 min.

A mosque in Toronto is committed to gender equality and queer-affirming practices.

before Yes I Am: The Ric Weiland Story

Shorts

before Forgotten Roads

El Velorio USA | 4 min.

DIRECTOR: Julia Maddox One man seeks out a way to honor his lover after dying from COVID-19.

DIRECTOR: Whitney Skauge 28 years on, Terence recalls his Democratic presidential primary run as his drag persona Joan Jett Blakk to raise awareness around social equity and the HIV/AIDs crisis.

8/6/2021

Intero aGliff v1 .jpg

53

54

Diversity makes for a better cocktail party.

Back Cover (Tito’s Handmade Vodka Ad)