Frances Lee’s GOD’S OWN COUNTRY is Opening Night selection and
Daniel Powell & Elizabeth Rohrbaugh’s BECKS is
the Closing Night Selection
Special Anniversary retrospective screenings include James Ivory’s
MAURICE, Ellen Spiro’s GREETINGS FROM OUT HERE, Heiner
Carow’s COMING OUT, and Jeffrey Schwarz’s WRANGLER: ANATOMY OF AN ICON
Daniel Powell & Elizabeth Rohrbaugh’s BECKS is
the Closing Night Selection
Special Anniversary retrospective screenings include James Ivory’s
MAURICE, Ellen Spiro’s GREETINGS FROM OUT HERE, Heiner
Carow’s COMING OUT, and Jeffrey Schwarz’s WRANGLER: ANATOMY OF AN ICON
GOD’S OWN COUNTRY, BECKS
Austin, TX (August 1, 2017) – The Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) today announced the official selections for the celebrated LGBTQ film festival’s 30th edition. Screening exclusively at Alamo Drafthouse Lamar (1120 S. Lamar Blvd.) on September 7-10, aGLIFF will bookend its impressive slate of films with two award-winners, with Frances Lee’s GOD’S OWN COUNTRY selected as the Opening Night presentation, and Daniel Powell and Elizabeth Rohrbaugh’s BECKS set for the Closing Night slot. This year’s edition of Austin’s longest running film festival will showcase 39 feature-length films (24 narrative, 15 documentary), and 54 short films (40 narrative, 7 documentary, and 7 animated).
Among a film festival jam-packed with highlights are special anniversary screenings, led by a 30th Anniversary screening (following a 4K restoration) of James Ivory’s classic MAURICE, a special presentation of Clyde Peterson’s stop-motion animated feature, TORREY PINES, with a live musical accompaniment by Seattle-based band, Your Heart Breaks, Austin encore screenings, several award-winners from the festival circuit, and aGLIFF’s highly anticipated 4th annual secret screening, which this year will feature a first-time appearance by the film’s director.
MAURICE, TORREY PINES
aGLIFF Program Director Jim Brunzell, said, “Working non-stop for the past eight months, attending various film festivals, doing endless research and watching countless films, celebrating this year’s aGLIFF’s anniversary, we’ve worked extremely hard in making sure we’re delivering something a little extra for our dedicated members, patrons, and film fans. This being our 30th year, this has made us happily dig a little deeper to create some special moments for everyone – whether they have come to aGLIFF for years now, or they are just discovering us after all this time. Our gala selections certainly rise to that occasion, and our retrospective choices this year really demonstrate the timelessness and timeliness of this festival’s programming for three decades now to what we believe is one of the best slates of films in aGLIFF’s storied history."
Frances Lee’s stunning feature film debut, GOD’S OWN COUNTRY won the World Dramatic prize for Best Director at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, as well as the Audience Award at Frameline, The film follows a sheep farmer who copes with his isolated, lonely existence working on his family’s remote farm in Yorkshire by drinking and having casual sex, until his family hires a handsome Romanian migrant worker, Gheorghe, to help with the next lambing season. Gheorghe inspires Johnny to confront feelings of love and the idea of being loved for the first time in his life, which could change Johnny’s life forever. GOD’S OWN COUNTRY will screen on Thursday, September 7.
The Closing Night presentation, Daniel Powell and Elizabeth Rohrbaugh’s charming dramedy BECKS, recently won the Best US Fiction Award at the 2017 Los Angeles Film Festival. Inspired by the life of singer/songwriter Alyssa Robbins, the film centers on Becks (Lena Hall), a musician who leaves Brooklyn to move back to her hometown in St. Louis to live with her religious mother (Christine Lahti). As she navigates her hometown, playing for tip money in an old friend's bar, an unexpected relationship begins to take shape with a married woman (Mena Suvari). The film will be preceded by Marion Hill’s short film, BIRD OF PREY. Co-presented by the Austin Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (AGLCC), BECKS and BIRD OF PREY will screen on Sunday, September 10, with Powell & Rohrbaugh in attendance.
APRICOT GROVES, THE RING THING, SATURDAY CHURCH
Selections for aGLIFF’s Narrative Competition this year include; Pouria Heidary Oureh’s feature debut, APRICOT GROVES, the first LGBTQ film in Armenia’s history, which is a stunning portrayal on how many LGBTQ Armenians fear being socially outcast by their friends and families, causing them to keep their sexual orientation or gender identity private; Carla Cavina’s EXTRA TERRESTRES (Co-presented by the Cine Las Americas), about an astrophysicist trying to re-establish a relationship with her old-fashioned father, while informing him that she’s preparing to marry another woman; Christopher Schaap’s PROM KING, 2010 (Co-presented by the Austin Film Festival), about a young gay man, who yearns for an old Hollywood-style romance, while navigating a dating world that is everything but that; William Sullivan’s THE RING THING, which focuses on a lesbian couple and the unexpected pressures placed upon them and issues revealed now that the reality of their pending nuptials is looming; and Damon Cardasis’s SATURDAY CHURCH (Co-presented by the Q-Austin & TENT), a multiple award-winner (Best First Feature at Frameline and the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film at Outfest), which is musical journey for a 14 year-old gay transvestite in the inner city, dealing with the death of his father, and the strict puritanical “rule” of his sister, while his mother works extra shifts to makes ends meet.
ANATOMY OF A BALLET DANCER, THE LAVENDER SCARE, SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP
The Documentary Competition includes; Arshad Khan’s ABU about a gay émigré from Pakistan, who traces his journey from that country to Canada and his realization that he is gay via clips from Bollywood films, animation, and home movies; David Barba and James Pellerito’s ANATOMY OF A MALE BALLET DANCER, which profiles Marcelo Gomes, a dancer with American Ballet Theater in New York City for almost 20 years; Josh Howard’s THE LAVENDER SCARE, the first documentary film to tell the little-known story of the United States’ government’s campaign to identify and fire all employees suspected of being homosexual, which began in 1953 under President Eisenhower; Anthony Caronna and Alexander Smith’s SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP, which traces the influence that cultural icon Susanne Bartsch had on youth, nightlife, and New York City; and Julie Sokolow’s WOMAN ON FIRE (Co-presented by the TENT), which paints a heroic portrait of courage under fire about Brooke Guinan, NYC’s first openly transgender firefighter.
In addition to the 30th Anniversary screening of Ivory’s MAURICE,, aGLIFF will also screen special anniversary presentations of Heiner Carow’s COMING OUT (1989), the winner of the Berlin Film Festival’s Silver Bear, is the first, and only, film about gay life ever produced in communist East Germany, and was a personal choice to screen this year from aGLIFF founder Scott Dingler to celebrate aGLIFF’s history. Other highlights from the retrospective selections are; Ellen Spiro’s documentary GREETINGS FROM OUT HERE (1993), where the filmmaker memorably visited landmarks, events and characters, including Mardi Gras, Gay Pride in Atlanta, the Gay rodeo, Dollywood, Miss Miller's Eternal Love and Care Pet Cemetery, and the Short Mountain Radical Faerie sanctuary, to address the impact of AIDS in the rural South, the politics of being gay in the South, and the relationship between the gay and civil rights movements; and Jeffrey Schwarz’s WRANGLER: ANATOMY OF AN ICON (2008), about the openly gay superstar who conquered the straight adult world and legitimate theater.
A VERY SORDID WEDDING, SIGNATURE MOVE
Other films being brought back for encore screenings in the city to celebrate the Austin Gay and Lesbian Film Festival’s anniversary are; Del Shores’s comedy A VERY SORDID WEDDING, where an anniversary memorial service at the same bar where the Baptist Church is planning an "Anti-Equality Rally" to protest the advancement of same-sex marriage has put everyone on a collision course for shenanigans and fireworks in typical Shores fashion; Kathryn Fairfax Wright’s BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL (Co-presented by The Q Austin), which takes a look at the popular entertainer known for his popular YouTube channel, RuPaul’s Drag Race, and Kinky Boots on Broadway; Jennifer Reeder’s entertaining and inspiring, SIGNATURE MOVE (Co-presented by the Austin Film Society), about an unlikely lesbian relationship between a Pakistani Muslim and a headstrong Mexican woman, which returns to Austin after selling out screenings at SXSW and nabbing the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at Outfest; and Jennifer M. Kroot’s THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN, which examines the life and work of one of the world's most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels have inspired millions to claim their own truth.
AFTER LOUIE, THE FEELS, TOM OF FINLAND
Additional narrative highlights include; Vincent Gagliostro’s AFTER LOUIE, starring Alan Cumming as a man exploring the contradictions of modern gay life; Travis Matthews’s Austin and Texas lensed psychological thriller DISCREET (Co-presented by the OUTsider Film Festival), about an an eccentric drifter, who returns home to discover that his childhood abuser is still alive. Jenée LaMarque’s THE FEELS, centered around a weekend getaway of a group of friends celebrating a lesbian couple’s impending marriage and Dome Karukoski’s TOM OF FINLAND (Co-presented by the Midtown Title), which dramatizes the life story of cult-artist Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, and the events that influenced his iconic homoerotic drawings.
CHAVELA, THE FABULOUS ALLAN CARR
Among the other documentary standouts are; Catherine Gund and Daresha Kyi’s CHAVELA (Co-presented by the Cine Las Americas & Mercury Mambo), the Audience Award-winner for Best Documentary at Frameline, which takes viewers on an evocative, thought-provoking journey through the iconoclastic life of game-changing artist Chavela Vargas; Academy Award® nominated director David France’s THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON (Co-presented by the TENT), which centers on self-described “street queen” Marsha P. Johnson, who was a legendary fixture in New York City’s gay ghetto; and Jeffrey Schwarz’s THE FABULOUS ALLAN CARR (Co-presented by the Austin Film Society), about the infamous Hollywood producer, manager, and marketing genius.
Film festival passes and tickets are on-sale now. VIP Passes are $300, Film passes are $125, and Student passes are $50. Individual Tickets are $10. For more information aGLIFF, go to http://agliff.org. To purchase passes or tickets, go to: http://agliff.org/
The 2017 Austin Gay & Lesbian Film Festival official selections:
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION
GOD’S OWN COUNTRY
Director: Frances Lee
Country: UK, Running Time: 104min
Johnny Saxby (Josh O’Connor) works long hours in brutal isolation on his family’s remote farm in the north of England. He numbs the daily frustration of his lonely existence with nightly binge-drinking at the local pub and casual sex. When handsome Romanian migrant worker Gheorghe (Alec Secareanu) arrives to take up temporary work on the family farm, Johnny suddenly finds himself having to deal with emotions he has never felt before. An intense relationship forms between the two which could change Johnny’s life forever.
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
BECKS
Directors: Daniel Powell, Elizabeth Rohrbaugh
Country: USA, Running Time: 91min
BECKS is a charming dramedy about moving on and growing up. After a crushing breakup with her girlfriend, Brooklyn musician Becks (played by Tony winner Lena Hall) moves back in with her Midwestern mother (Christine Lahti). As she navigates her hometown, playing for tip money in an old friend's bar, an unexpected relationship begins to take shape with a married woman (Mena Suvari).
Preceded by:
BIRD OF PREY
Director: Marion Hill
Country: USA, Running Time: 18min
A young girl makes herself indispensable to a woman trapped in a loveless marriage.
NARRATIVE FILM COMPETITION
APRICOT GROVES
Director: Pouria Heidary Oureh
Country: Armenia, Running Time: 79min
Aram (Narbe Vartan in a commanding debut performance) is of Iranian/Armenian heritage, but immigrated to the United States where he met his fiancée. They have been living together, but want to honor their families that are back in Armenia and Iran. When he returns to Armenia to have a traditional Armenian proposal ceremony with his brother, who has made all the arrangements and his fiancé’s family, Aram becomes nervous about not doing all the traditions correctly and not making the desired impression with his fiancé’s family, and the many obstacles they face.
EXTRA TERRESTRES
Director: Carla Cavina
Country: Puerto Rico, Running Time: 113min
Astrophysicist Teresa is getting married and comes home after being out of touch with her family for over a decade. At first her father doesn't recognize her, but Teresa wants to establish a relationship that probably rarely existed, given his old-fashioned ways. Only, the fact is, she is marrying another woman, which is not the easiest thing to tell, and her secret starts unraveling all the other family secrets. Meanwhile he's having difficulty with the government and people trying to close down his chicken operation, since he's beating the big operators and they don't like it. And what to do with that genius, introverted grandchild whose best friend is one of the chickens? Coming to terms with all this may prove difficult.
PROM KING, 2010
Director: Christopher Schaap
Country: USA, Running Time: 102min
Young, gay, and yearning for the same fairy-tale romance seen in classic Hollywood films, Charlie navigates the New York City dating scene of icky online encounters, seedy back rooms, and cute freshman boys who "aren’t really out" in an effort to find his own love story.
THE RING THING
Director: William Sullivan
Country: USA, Running Time: 113min
From the creative team behind THAT’S NOT US (aGLIFF28), THE RING THING is a timely romantic drama for the LGBTQ community and something many couples and families are struggling with especially now that marriage equality is a reality. Sarah (Sarah Wharton) and Kristen (Nicole Pursell) have been in a committed relationship for many years, but Sarah is reluctant to actually get married, now that same sex marriage is legal. Sarah is making a documentary about gay marriage and divorce to try to reconcile her feelings about matrimony. Kristen, who's ready to tie the knot, sees a future version of her life with Sarah where career and passion threaten to pull the women apart.
SATURDAY CHURCH
Director: Damon Cardasis
Country: USA, Running Time: 82min
Winning Best First Feature at Frameline and the Grand Jury Award for Outstanding Actor in a Feature Film (Luka Kain) at Outfest, SATURDAYCHURCH’s musical journey finds self-reflection through song, dance and acceptance. Life in the inner city is tough enough as a 14 year-old when your father has died and his strict puritanical sister takes over running the home while your mother works extra shifts to support the family. It's nearly impossible when you add being gay and transvestite. Director Damon Cardasis shows this difficult world through the wide eyes of young Ulysses (an extraordinary Kain) as he connects with others and discovers a refuge where he can come into his own.
Preceded by
WALK FOR ME
Director: Elegance Bratton
Country: USA, Running Time: 10min
WALK FOR ME is a contemporary coming out story where Hassan Kendricks explores his trans identity as a part of NYC's underground ballroom scene and the night his mother catches him in drag.
DOCUMENTARY FILM COMPETITION
ABU
Director: Arshad Khan
Country: Canada/Japan/Pakistan/Saudi Arabia/Thailand, Running Time: 80min
Arshad always knew he was different. Soon after emigrating from Pakistan to Canada with his parents and sister, Arshad realized he was gay. Merging clips from Bollywood films, animation, and home movies that capture awkward teen phases as well as significant life revelations, Arshad narrates his own cathartic journey, alongside his entire family’s.
ANATOMY OF A MALE BALLET DANCER
Directors: David Barba, James Pellerito
Country: USA, Running Time: 83min
Marcelo Gomes has been a dancer with American Ballet Theater in New York City for almost 20 years. Since his childhood in Brazil, he has aspired to dance the great roles in classical ballet, and he has succeeded. But a dancer’s career is short. Men in ballet typically achieve their physical peak around the age of 30, but Gomes may last another ten years as the hero in ballets such as Swan Lake, Giselle, and Romeo and Juliet. Praised as a singular combination of dancer, actor, and technician, Gomes has matured as an artist, while his body is still responsive to the killing demands of classical dance. The rare male dancer who relishes partnering work, he has a precise and selfless devotion to making female dancers look exquisitely ethereal that is deeply appreciated by his collaborators. From rehearsal halls to the stage, this is an intimate look at a warm and engaging artist who, while achieving his wildest dreams, knows that his moment in the spotlight is fleeting.
THE LAVENDER SCARE
Director: Josh Howard
Country: USA, Running Time: 76min
THE LAVENDER SCARE is the first documentary film to tell the little-known story of an unrelenting campaign by the federal government to identify and fire all employees suspected of being homosexual. In 1953, President Eisenhower declared gay men and lesbians to be a threat to the security of the country and therefore unfit for government service. In doing so, he triggered the longest witch hunt in American history. Over the next four decades, tens of thousands of government workers would lose their jobs for no reason other than their sexual orientation. The actions of the government had an unintended effect. They inadvertently helped ignite the gay rights movement. In 1957, after thousands had lost their jobs, a Harvard-trained astronomer named Frank Kameny became the first person to fight his dismissal. His attempts to regain his job evolved into a lifelong fight for the rights of LGBT people.
SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP
Directors: Anthony Caronna, Alexander Smith
Country: USA, Running Time: 86min
SUSANNE BARTSCH: ON TOP traces the influence that cultural icon Susanne Bartsch had on youth, nightlife, and New York City. Personalities of the party scene, including Amanda LePore and RuPaul, speak to Bartsch’s influence. As do Bartsch’s husband, gym owner David Barton, and her son, who help to reveal Bartsch for who she is when the lashes come off. The film also shines a spotlight on the AIDS epidemic, queer communities of the 1980s, and queer communities today.
WOMAN ON FIRE
Director: Julie Sokolow
Country: USA, Running Time: 84min
This portrait of courage under fire celebrates NYC’s first openly transgender firefighter. For Brooke Guinan, fighting fires runs in her blood – both her father and grandfather served in the FDNY. But as a transgender woman, her path to service has not been without obstacles. Transitioning from male to female in what is still an overwhelmingly macho profession proves a challenge for her coworkers and her family, while her boyfriend reckons with the impact of Brooke’s newly public profile on his parents.
RETROSPECTIVE AND ANNIVERSARY FILMS
COMING OUT (1989)
Director: Heiner Carow
Country: East Germany, Running Time: 113min
The first, and only, film about gay life ever produced in communist East Germany, this tender, moving coming out story premiered the very night the Berlin Wall came down and won the Silver Bear at the 40th Berlin International Film Festival in 1990. As a boy, Philipp was strongly attracted to his best friend, but he's put that behind him in order to live within the "norm." He meets a shy girl who falls hard for him, and soon the couple is sharing an apartment. But Philipp cannot deny his passionate desire for a young man he meets in a concert ticket line. COMING OUT maps Philipp's liberating journey toward saying "yes" to his true self.
GREETINGS FROM OUT HERE (1993)
Director: Ellen Spiro
Country: USA, Running Time: 60min
On her journey, filmmaker Ellen Spiro visits memorable landmarks, events and characters, including Mardi Gras, Gay Pride in Atlanta, the Gay rodeo, Dollywood, Miss Miller's Eternal Love and Care Pet Cemetery, and the Short Mountain Radical Faerie sanctuary. Throughout her trip, she stops to interview gay men and lesbians demonstrating the wide range of Southern lives, from Rita, a retired military officer, now a drag queen in New Orleans, to Iris, a black lesbian living in a bus in the Ozarks. The subjects in GREETINGS FROM OUT HERE address the impact of AIDS in the rural South, the politics of being gay in the South, and the relationship between the gay and civil rights movements.
MAURICE (1987)
Director: James Ivory
Country: UK, Running Time: 140min
Maurice Hall (James Wilby) and Clive Durham (Hugh Grant) find themselves falling in love at Cambridge. In a time when homosexuality is punishable by imprisonment, the two must keep their feelings for one another a secret. After a friend is arrested and disgraced for “the unspeakable vice of the Greeks,” Clive abandons his forbidden love and marries a woman. Maurice, however, struggles with his identity and self-confidence, seeking the help of a hypnotist to rid himself of his undeniable urges. But while staying with Clive and his wife, Maurice is seduced by the affectionate and yearning servant Alec Scudder (Rupert Graves), an event that brings about profound changes in Maurice’s life and outlook.
WRANGLER: ANATOMY OF AN ICON (2008)
Director: Jeffrey Schwarz
Country: USA, Running Time: 85min
With piercing blue eyes, unruly blond hair, a chiseled physique and cocky swagger, Jack Wrangler was a god. Forging a gay sexual revolution, he wasn’t the typical object of homoerotic desire but an intelligent, full-bodied, self-confident stud. Exulted for his 80-plus adult films, the openly gay superstar even conquered the straight adult world and legitimate theater. And off-screen his life was equally sensational – at 33 he married 55-year-old songstress Margaret Whiting. Packed with rare footage, celebrity interviews, and witty commentary by Wrangler himself, this is an unfiltered portrait of an iconoclast who broke all the rules.
aGLIFF ENCORES
A VERY SORDID WEDDING
Director: Del Shores
Country: USA, Running Time: 109min
It's 2015, seventeen years after family matriarch Peggy tripped over G.W.’s wooden legs in Sordid Lives, and life has moved into the present for the residents of Winters, Texas. In the wake of the Supreme Court decision in favor of marriage equality, the Sordid saga continues. An anniversary memorial service is being planned in honor of Peggy at the bar while the Southside Baptist Church is planning an "Anti-Equality Rally" to protest the advancement of same-sex marriage. Both events are to take place on the same night, so the beloved cast of colorful characters are all on a collision course for shenanigans and fireworks at the church and everyone’s favorite bar on the big night. Along the way a bisexual serial killer shows up, a drag queen country medley gets performed and a beauty salon versus the bigots battle turns getting your hair done into the front lines of the equality battle. Friendships are tested and families are reunited as fear and bigotry are confronted with acceptance and understanding on the way to a surprise wedding with (almost) everyone in attendance. Starring: Bonnie Bedelia, Leslie Jordan, Caroline Rhea, Dale Dickey, Emerson Collins & Whoopi Goldberg.
BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL Co-Presented by The Q Austin
Director: Kathryn Fairfax Wright
Country: USA, Running Time: 100min
Maybe you know him from his popular YouTube channel, or from his stint as a judge on RuPaul’s Drag Race, or even from his run as Lola in Kinky Boots on Broadway. BEHIND THE CURTAIN: TODRICK HALL by documentarian Katherine Fairfax Wright follows entertainer Todrick Hall as he prepares for the ambitious project of planning, promoting, and touring an original musical based on his Straight Outta Oz album, burdened with a limited budget and tight timelines. We also learn about the difficulties Todrick faced growing up black and gay in a small Texas town, and how he channeled these hardships into his music and his work ethic. This gripping portrait of Todrick Hall showcases a man of many talents who has catapulted his name and his career into the spotlight through an inspiring blend of passion and determination.
SIGNATURE MOVE
Director: Jennifer Reeder
Country: USA, Running Time: 80min
After selling out screenings at SXSW and nabbing the U.S. Grand Jury Prize at Outfest, Director Jennifer Reeder’s entertaining and inspiring film returns to aGLIFF30 with its dominating moves and heart on its sleeves laughs. Zaynab (co-writer/co-producer, Fawzia Mirza, also featured in the documentary shorts program with THE STREETS ARE OURS: TWO LIVES CROSS IN KARACHI) is a Pakistani Muslim and has her work cut out for her dealing with her very traditional Mother that lives with her and can't tear herself away from her soaps. Alma (Sari Sanchez) is a headstrong Mexican woman that is very open about who she is and what she wants out of life. These women from two very different backgrounds meet and try to figure out common ground to stand together on…oddly enough…some of this involves Lucha wrestling.
Preceded by
TWO BIRDS
Director: Caitlin Stickels
Country: USA, Running Time: 8min
Two awkward and shy women in a coffee shop find each other attractive, but they both need some help in making each other notice one another.
THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN
Director: Jennifer M. Kroot
Country: USA, Running Time: 89min
THE UNTOLD TALES OF ARMISTEAD MAUPIN examines the life and work of one of the world's most beloved storytellers, following his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels have inspired millions to claim their own truth. Jennifer Kroot's documentary about the creator of TALES OF THE CITY moves nimbly between playful and poignant and laugh-out-loud funny. With help from his friends (including Neil Gaiman, Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen and Amy Tan) Maupin offers a disarmingly frank look at the journey that took him from the jungles of Vietnam to the bathhouses of 70's San Francisco to the front line of the American culture war.
NARRATIVE FILMS
A DATE FOR MAD MARY Co-Presented by the Consulate General of Ireland
Director: Darren Thornton
Country: Ireland, Running Time: 82min
'Mad' Mary McArdle returns to Drogheda after a short spell in prison - for something she'd rather forget. Back home, everything and everyone has changed. Her best friend, Charlene, is about to get married and Mary is to be her maid of honor. When Charlene refuses Mary a 'plus one' on the grounds that she probably couldn't find a date, Mary becomes determined to prove her wrong. A DATE FOR MAD MARY is a tough and tender story about friendship, first love, and letting go of the glory days.
A PROMISE OF TIME TRAVEL Co-Presented by Other Worlds Austin
Director: Craig Jessen
Country: USA, Running Time: 88min
A chance encounter with an estranged friend draws a bookstore clerk into a plot to steal a time machine. But as she confronts the ghosts of her past, she makes a discovery that has dire implications for her future.
Preceded by
LOST TRACK OF TIME
Director: Queer Youth Media Project
Country: USA, Running Time: 7min
AFTER LOUIE
Director: Vincent Gagliostro
Country: USA, Running Time: 96min
AFTER LOUIE explores the contradictions of modern gay life and history through Sam (Alan Cumming), a man desperate to understand how he and his community got to where they are today.
B & B
Director: Joe Ahearne
Country: UK, Running Time: 87min
Gay Londoners Marc and Fred plan for a weekend of mischief, baiting the Christian owner of a remote Christian B&B. Events take a deadly turn when another guest arrives, who they think might have something more sinister in mind.
BROTHERLY LOVE
Director: Anthony Caruso
Country: USA, Running Time: 119min
A Brother in the Catholic Church must choose between his vow of chastity and the man he loves.
DISCREET
Director: Travis Matthews
Country: USA/Brazil, Running Time: 81min
From writer/director Travis Mathews (INTERIOR. LEATHER. BAR.) returns with this Austin and Texas filmed psychological thriller. After years in hiding and struggling to control his demons, an eccentric drifter Alex (Jonny Mars) returns home and discovers that his childhood abuser, the center of his pain, is still alive. Armed with this knowledge, the drifter plots his revenge, all the while navigating the perilous land of masculine fragility in modern-day America.
THE FEELS
Director: Jenée LaMarque
Country: USA, Running Time: 88min
This intimate hangout movie chronicles the weekend getaway of a group of friends celebrating lesbian couple Andi (Constance Wu, Fresh Off the Boat) and Lu’s (Angela Trimbur, THE FINAL GIRLS) impending marriage. The trip is full of dancing, drinks, and laughs, but isn’t without its fair share of drama. Lu’s strained relationship with her older sister (played by writer/director Jenée LaMarque), who is currently going through a divorce, becomes a main point of contention over the weekend, and the presence of Andi’s lothario male friend Josh (Josh Fadem, Better Call Saul) doesn’t help. During a wild night of partying, a spontaneous drug-riddled conversation reveals that Lu, contrary to Andi’s belief, has never had an orgasm. The tension among the group grows as secrets are revealed and relationships―both romantic and platonic―are put to the ultimate test.
HELLO AGAIN
Director: Tom Gustafson
Country: USA, Running Time: 105min
Ten lost souls slip in and out of one another’s arms in a daisy chained musical exploration of love’s bittersweet embrace. A film adaptation of LaChiusa’s celebrated musical, originally based on Schnitzler’s play La Ronde.
Preceded by
A CIRCLE OF DIAMONDS
Directors: Michael Biello, Dan Martin, and Barbara Proud
Country: USA, Running Time: 4min
Also preceded by:
2000 YEARS OF DRAG: A MUSICAL ODYSSEY
Directors: Dorian Electra, Imp Queen
Country: USA, Running Time: 3min
SOMETHING LIKE SUMMER
Director: David Berry
Country: USA, Running Time: 114min
Benjamin Bentley is the only guy at his Texas high school with the courage to come out of the closet, dooming himself, he believes, to a life of loneliness. Putting up with the bullies and his classmates’ whispered condemnations keeps him from pursuing his dream of being a singer, despite the encouragement of his best friend, Allison. Instead, Ben spends his summer vacation stalking the handsome athlete who just moved to town, Tim Wyman.
TOM OF FINLAND
Director: Dome Karukoski
Country: Finland, Running Time: 115min
From shunned to celebrated, this is the story of cult-artist Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, and the events that influenced his iconic homoerotic drawings. After the trauma of serving in WWII, Tuoko finds no peace at home as he has to go to increasingly greater lengths to hide his homosexuality, even from his family. As the secret affairs and police crackdowns wear on him, he commits more deeply to his art, drawing inspiration from the uniforms that oppress him. Director Dome Karukoski brings him to life, creating a moving portrayal of the man behind the legendary images.
TORREY PINES
Director: Clyde Peterson
Country: USA, Running Time: 60min
TORREY PINES is a stop-motion animated feature film by director Clyde Petersen. Based on a true story, the film is a queer punk coming-of-age tale, taking place in Southern California in the early 1990's. Raised by a schizophrenic single mother, Petersen's life story unfolds in a series of baffling and hallucinated events. With a mother fueled by hallucinations of political conspiracy and family dysfunction, Petersen is kidnapped at the age of 12 and taken on a cross-country adventure that will forever alter the family as they know it.
Preceded by
TWO WAYS
Director: Queer Youth Media Project
Country: USA, Running Time: 5min
DOCUMENTARY FILMS
CHAVELA
Directors: Catherine Gund, Daresha Kyi
Country: USA/Mexico, Running Time: 90min
Winning the Audience Award for Best Documentary at Frameline, CHAVELA takes viewers on an evocative, thought-provoking journey through the iconoclastic life of game-changing artist Chavela Vargas. Centered around never before-seen interview footage of Chavela, shot 20 years before her death in 2012, and guided by the stories in Chavela's songs, and the myths and tales others have told about her - as well as those she spread about herself - the film weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.
CLAMBAKE
Director: Andrea Meyerson
Country: USA, Running Time: 95min
CLAMBAKE, an exciting new documentary from award-winning filmmaker Andrea Meyerson, charts the growth of Women’s Week in Provincetown, from its inception to becoming the thriving lesbian mecca it is today. The film takes viewers on a fascinating 30-year journey, through archival footage, interviews with celebrities and founders, and current events and performances.
THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON Co-Presented by TENT
Director: David France
Country: USA, Running Time: 105min
Academy Award® nominated director David France’s (HOW TO SURVIVE A PLAGUE) new documentary centers on self-described “street queen” Marsha P. Johnson, legendary fixture in New York City’s gay ghetto, who along with fellow trans icon Sylvia Rivera, founded Street Transvestites Action Revolutionaries (S.T.A.R.), a trans activist group based in the heart of NYC’s Greenwich Village. THE DEATH AND LIFE OF MARSHA P. JOHNSON celebrates the lasting political legacy of Marsha P. Johnson, while seeking to finally solve the mystery of her unexplained death.
THE FABULOUS ALLAN CARR Co-Presented by Austin Film Society
Director: Jeffrey Schwarz
Country: USA, Running Time: 90min
Armed with a limitless Rolodex and a Benedict Canyon enclave with its own disco, Allan Carr threw the Hollywood parties that defined the 1970s. A producer, manager, and marketing genius, Carr built his bombastic reputation amid a series of successes including the mega hit musical film GREASE and the Broadway sensation LA CAGE AUX FOLLES, until it all came crashing down after he produced the notorious debacle of the 1989 Academy Awards.
NO DRESS CODE REQUIRED
Director: Cristina Herrera Borquez
Country: Mexico, Running Time: 92min
Bórquez’s memorable doc follows a same-sex couple, Víctor and Fernando, as they fight for the right to be married in their home town of Mexicali, Baja California. A rallying cry for equality and a testament to the power of ordinary people to become agents of change.
REBELS ON POINTE
Director: Bobbi Jo Hart
Country: Canada, Running Time: 90min
Once upon a time, the ballet was considered part of popular culture. Today, many call it an elitist art form dominated by women with a specific body type. Countering all these trends, New York City’s Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo is again opening the art form to a wider audience. By mixing high art with clever camp, the talented drag ballerinas of this dance troupe skillfully bring ballet classics to stages worldwide. Through their unique blend of humor and talent, the Trockaderos have amassed a dedicated following in countries like Japan, Canada and Scotland.
TRANS YOUTH
Director: Rebecca Adler
Country: USA, Running Time: 84min
This intimate documentary filmed over three years centers on five trans young adults navigating the exhilaration and disappointment of growing older in the southern city of Austin, Texas.
Preceded by
OUT OF MY MIND
Director: Queer Youth Media Project
Country: USA, Running Time: 5min
SHORTS PROGRAMS
ANIMATION SHORTS
(TRT: 77min)
CUDDLEFISH
Directors: Cheryl Briggs, Brianna Jaeger, Jared Bittner
Country: USA, Running Time: 6min
IN A HEARTBEAT
Directors: Beth David, Esteban Bravo
Country: USA, Running Time: 4min
LOOPER: FARFISA SONG (INTRODUCING MUSTARD & KETCHUP)
Director: Iain Gardner
Country: UK, Running Time: 3min
THE MAN WOMAN CASE
Director: Anais Caura
Country: France, Running Time: 44min
THE NIGHT CLEANER
Director: Blair Fukumura
Country: Canada, Running Time: 5min
TAILOR
Director: Calí dos Anjos
Country: Brazil, Running Time: 9min
VIOLET & JUNE
Director: Linnea Ritland
Country: Canada, Running Time: 6min
COMEDY SHORTS
(TRT: 88min)
BRITNEY-HOLICS ANONYMOUS: A SPEAR-ITUAL AWAKENING
Director: Jerell Rosales
Country: USA, Running Time: 10min
HAYGOOD EATS!
Director: Hazart
Country: USA, Running Time: 5min
HEADS OR TAILS
Director: Eva von Schweinitz
Country: USA, Running Time: 9min
I DON’T BELIEVE IN IT
Director: Neil Fennell
Country: USA, Running Time: 9min
LEADBEATER
Director: Tyler Peterson
Country: USA, Running Time: 17min
PLUS ONE
Director: Peter Knegt
Country: Canada, Running Time: 8min
THE SWIMMING POOL
Director: Carlos Ruano
Country: Spain, Running Time: 10min
THREE IS A PARTY
Directors: Aden Wexberg, Nickolas Grisham
Country: USA, Running Time: 7min
TIPPING POINT
Director: Stephanie Young
Country: Canada, Running Time: 7min
THE YOGA BRIDGE
Director: Michael Orlando
Country: Canada, Running Time: 6min
DRAMATIC SHORTS
(TRT: 98min)
CHRISTINE
Director: Jessica Adler
Country: USA, Running Time: 10min
ENCUERTRO
Director: Florencia Manovil
Country: USA, Running Time: 16min
THE GIRL IN THE GREEN DRESS
Director: Johanna Goldstein
Country: USA, Running Time: 15min
HEADSPACE
Director: Jake Graf
Country: UK, Running Time: 4min
HUEVOS RANCHEOS
Director: Brian C. Miller Richard
Country: USA, Running Time: 11min
THE NEWS TODAY
Director: Lisa Donato
Country: USA, Running Time: 12min
PLEASE HOLD
Director: Jerell Rosales
Country: USA, Running Time: 15min
SUNSET
Directors: Katie Ennis, Gary S. Jaffe
Country: USA, Running Time: 15min
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
(TRT: 96min)
ALEPH MELBOURNE – CELEBRATING 20 YEARS
Director: Michael Barnett
Country: Australia, Running Time: 9min
BAYARD & ME
Director: Matt Wolf
Country: USA, Running Time: 16min
BEAR IN A BEDROOM
Director: Albert Koomen
Country: Australia, Running Time: 7min
ESCAPING AGRA
Director: Pallavi Somusetty
Country: USA, Running Time: 23min
LITTLE POTATO
Director: Wes Hurley
Country: USA, Running Time: 13min
THE NAKED BODY
Director: Diego Carvalho Sá
Country: Brazil, Running Time: 22min
THE STREETS ARE OURS: TWO LIVES CROSS IN KARACHI
Director: Michelle Fiordaliso
Country: Pakistan, Running Time: 16min
INTERNATIONAL SHORTS
(TRT: 72min)
DUSK
Director: Jake Graf
Country: UK, Running Time: 15min
GOLDEN BOYS
Director: Jill Riley
Country: Canada, Running Time: 8min
MOMO
Director: Yun Joo Chang
Country: South Korea, Running Time: 16min
PICKING UP
Director: Nicholas Christo
Country: Australia, Running Time: 13min
SCAR TISSUE
Director: Nish Gera
Country: Netherlands, Running Time: 14min
WHAT ABOUT SHELLEY
Director: Kyle Reaume
Country: Canada, Running Time: 13min
LATE NIGHT & SEXY SHORTS
(TRT: 92min)
A BED DAY
Director: Peter Knegt
Country: Canada, Running Time: 5min
DAWN OF THE DEAF
Director: Rob Savage
Country: UK, Running Time: 11min
DEMONS
Director: Jesse Klein
Country: USA, Running Time: 11min
DEVIL WEARS A SUIT
Director: Eli Mak
Country: Australia, Running Time: 20min
EGGS, ZOMBIES AND BACON
Director: Sherry-Yiyang Shi
Country: USA, Running Time: 13min
REDMOND HAND, PRIVATE DICK
Director: Todd Selby
Country: USA, Running Time: 12min
RUSALKA
Director: Wes Hurley
Country: USA, Running Time: 8min
SECRET SANTA SEX PARTY
Directors: Charles Lum, Todd Verow
Country: USA, Running Time: 12min
ABOUT THE AUSTIN GAY AND LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL
aGLIFF - The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival – was founded in 1987 and became a 501(c)3 in 1995. This year we celebrate 30 years of programming for the Austin community. aGLIFF has grown tremendously in size and scope from a short four-day run of four films primarily focused on coming out and AlDS to a multifaceted nonprofit organization with year-round community programs culminating in our annual film festival program with over 100+ films depicting a myriad of issues across cultures, race, immigration status, class, gender identity and expression, age, and religion.
Our goals:
To create positive and visible film programs relevant to lives of LGBTQ+ identified people
To educate the community about LGBTQ+ issues
To produce and promote the best in LGBTQ+ community building events
To support and partner with other organizations to enlighten the public
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