In Brief: Girls Lost (2015) NewFest 2015

Closing night film of this years NewFest is GIRLS LOST about three young girls who end up being able to become boys, thus setting up all sorts of complications.

Working on several different levels this film, based on the award winning novel by Jessica Schiefauer, GIRLS LOST has three put upon girls growing a strange plant who's nectar will turn them into boys until they next fall asleep. Finding a certain amount of freedom the trio find that experiencing life as boys helps them in their regular lives. However complications arise as they fall in with some less savory young men and one of the girls falls for one of the guys while she is in her male identity.

A good little film explores not only what its like to be a kid of a certain age but also raises all sorts of issues about gender, sexuality and who we really are inside. The cast of teens is first rate with the three leads completely disappearing into their characters. The film also looks and feels wonderful managing to evoke both the real world as well as one where something magical really could happen.

You'll notice that I am not doing a large review of the film and that is intentional. The reason behind this is that seeing the film as part of New Fest the film was saddled with a great deal of baggage concerning  the obvious LGBT themes that the film kicks up and I don't think that's entirely fair. Yes the themes and plot threads are there but watching the film it was clear that the film is greater than being just a LGBT film. There is something about the way the issues raised that the film should speak to a wide audience. Watching the film I knew I was seeing something more universal, and that I shouldn't be forced to see it through one prism.  For that reason I want to see the film again and see it on it's own stand alone terms and not one imposed by the NewFest write up.

A solid and decidedly very good film it is recommended when it plays tomorrow at NewFest here in New York

For tickets and more information on tomorrows screening go here.

Fassbinder: To Love Without Demands (2015) NewFest 2015

Christian Braad Thomsen uses his many interviews with prolific director Rainer Werner Fassbinder, as well as interviews with friends and family in order to make what can only be a truly amazing portrait of the director and his psyche. This is a look at the man and his films that is completely unlike any other film biography of anyone I've ever seen.

For those who don't know Fassbinder was a German film director who made films ove an extremely brief period of time. Working over roughly a 15 year period made and /or appeared something on the order of sixty films plus two television series.He also wrote and starred in works for the theater. When he died a friend said he died of an overdose of work because he never stopped creating. He was so influential that his work helped to reinvent German and European cinema. (If you don't know his work go to the Criterion collection and buy everything they have released)

Thomsen's film is a one of a kind masterpiece. A portrait of the mind and soul of Fassbinder the film kind of throws out your typical film biography in that the film isn't full of clips from Fassbinder's films. yes there are clips, but they are not willie nillie ones. they are carefully chosen to illustrate a particular point.More often than not we see stills from the films which allows the endless audio of Fassbinder to be heard with out distraction.

Perhaps the center piece of the film is an interview Thomsen did with Fassbinder at Cannes in 1978. The interview was done the morning after a night of hard partying and Fassbinder was clearly hungover. Sitting with a huge glass of whiskey the director talks about a variety of subject that apparently never had before. Thomsen thought the director looked terrible and was so afraid that he came off badly that he buried the footage, never looking at it for over 30 years. However when he went back to look at it he found that he had a real treasure.

For me the joy of the film is that it makes me want to go back and re-watch all of Fassbinder's films again. Seeing the director talk about his life and ideas suddenly made all of his films snap magically into focus. I suddenly began to understand what he was doing and why. Additionally I want to see this film again because I know I missed stuff. I love when a film is not a one and done sort of film. I love that you have to go back and study it. Since Fassbinder's films are like that I find it delightful that his biography is that way as well.

This is an absolute must see for any fan of the director or anyone who love cinema.

The film play tomorrow night at NewFest in New York. For tickets and more information go here. I've read that the film will be hitting VOD and the usual outlets once the festival circuit is done.

The hung over Fassbinder in Cannes 1978

In Brief: The Girl King (2015) NewFest 2015

THE GIRL KING is film that has me very mixed. Being touted as the first film to really look at the sexuality of Queen Christina of Sweden (it plays tomorrow at the LGBT NewFest in New York City) but it's handling is so matter of fact that if people weren't making a big deal about it it wouldn't really register on the radar. While I highly approve of the film simply adding it to the mix of Christina's life, I also realize that if it wasn't trumpeted this film would very rapidly fall between the cracks and disappear.

Following the life of Christina from before her coronation on through her abdication, THE GIRL KING is a kind of sumptuous looking PBS film that really should have been a mini-series. Reducing down the court intrigue to a few key points the film never has the meatiness that one would have liked. I was kind of hoping to see more of Christina's battles across the board. To be honest so much was going on in her court that you could make a many season mini-series out of it and not have to add in anything.

One of the biggest problems with the film is that it is in English. While I delighted that I could watch the film and take in all of the visual delights without having to glance at the words at the bottom of the screen, I was kind of cringing at some of the verbal twists the script required the actors to perform. The problems with the script is that it was written in French and then translated into English where a cast of largely non-English speaking actors delivered the lines. While this no doubt made the film more salable across the globe it also made for very uneven performances with some actors not getting the inflections right.

I need to point out I don't hate or even remotely dislike THE GIRL KING. I think it's a solid little film that looks absolutely stunning. My reservations about the film come more from disappointment rather than anything else. I wanted something more about the films subject. Additionally while I love that the film deftly handles Christina's sexuality, I really hate that it is being brought to the forefront since to me there is more to the film than that. I very much do recommend the film for those wantinfg a very good film, especially a well dressed one.

Coming to theaters in December. The film screens tomorrow the 25th at NewFest in New York City and tickets and more information can be had here.

Sisters of the Plague (2015) NewFest 2015

Jo, a young woman who leads ghost tours in New Orleans begins to experience weird visions after her father moves in with her and her girlfriend. Needing answers she begins to look into the drowning death of her mother as relationships crack and reality fragments.

Great looking, well acted film plays at times as if it is a cinema verite documentary as we watch very real characters interact. If I had stumbled up the film not knowing what it was I would have sworn it was a real life story, particularly in the scenes between her and her dad. Many of the images conjured up in the film are ethereal and creepy. As a visual exercise the film can be first rate.

The trouble is the script never generates and real tension or scares. To be certain there is a creepiness during some scenes but the film never seems to pull it all together enough to make you feel like the screenwriters know whats going on. Weird event follows weird event follows visit to witch or psychic.  I'm not sure if the filmmakers were going for mood or sense. Yes they create a mood, but the film never seems to have any sense. Dreams may have their own logic but at least things follow I'm not sure that happens here. I tuned  out about a half an hour in and other than during the odd moment I never really engaged with the film past that point.

The bits that work make this an intriguing misfire,

The film plays Sunday the 25th at 530. For tickets and more information go here.

A first pass by Peter Greenaway's Eisenstein in Guanajuato (2015) NewFest 2015

Peter Greenaway seemingly bursts gloriously back to life with a film about one of film's greatest directors going to Mexico in order to make a movie. Moving away from Dutch artists Rembrandt and Goltzius and his frequent use of tableaux in order to make a film that is living and breathing and is very much the very definition of a motion picture.

Nominally the story of what happened when Sergei Eisenstein went to Mexico after failing to make a film in Hollywood. The  film is less concerned with  the making of QUE VIVA MEXICO than it is with Eisenstein's sensual and intellectual awakening he had with Palomino Canedo.  At the start Greenaway says that the film could be called THE TEN DAYS THAT SHOOK EISENSTEIN, a sentiment stated at the end of the film by Eisenstein himself. We watch as the two men become close and then are broken apart by various forces at play in Mexico and the making of the film.

I can not in good conscious begin to discuss the film on an intellectual and thematic level. Where I had attempted it with some of his recent films, the Rembrandt duo (NIGHTWATCHING and REMBRANDT J'ACCUSE) and GOLTZIUS AND THE PELICAN COMPANY, in the current case the film is much too complex and much too distracting (in a good way) for me to have actually even begun to grasp everything that is going on. In it's way the film hearkens back to the TULSE LUPER films which had a great deal going on visually and thematically and dared you to keep up. Both in this film and the TULSE LUPER movies Greenaway has made complex tales that need to be digested as complete entities and not picked apart as pieces.

Adding to the problem is that the viewing of the film I saw was tied to the NewFest screening of the film that happened last night. I did not have the time to really sit with the film as I would have liked in order to full comprehend it's complexities.I had one pass to get it all in and it was sink or swim, with little chance to notes, I had to jjust let the film wash over me.

What amazed the hell out of me was the technical virtuosity with which Greenaway attacked the filmmaking process. Using just about every trick in the book the director breaks the almost static bonds of his previous films in order to make a film that you have to watch with new  eyes. Where GOLTZIUS and NIGHTWATCHING (and even some of his other films) seemed to be almost plays performed on a platform in a room where characters come and go in an approximation of theater, here Greenaway is out in the world in real locations. Where in the earlier films the camera was almost motionless, here it is constantly moving and circling. Even the shots that aren't in motion have action, multiple image, or over lays added to them. Its as if Greenaway is taking his many recent lectures to heart and reinventing how he shows us the world. EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO is a glorious celebration of cinema and the craft of cinema and of those that went before. Greenaway may claim cinema is dead but in giving us a feast like EISENSTEIN he simply proves it's become something else when manipulated by a master.

This is the sort of Greeaway film that made me fall in love with him some thirty years ago.

And to be fair, this is a film that is not going to be for all audiences, never mind the full frontal male nudity and sex, this is, as I said above a complex film that is actually about something, love loss, humanity done in a way that challenges and delights it's audience...

...which leads me to a slight digression this is possibly the most emotional of the director's films. Somewhere along the way Greenaway stated that he makes films more for the head than the heart, which is a very true statement. There is a coldness and an order to films like THE COOK,THE THIEF... or  DROWNING BY NUMBERS or BELLY OF AN ARCHITECT.  The world is ordered. Greenaway if playing with ideas not emotions One need only watch the constant reliance on the controled universes that are his "stage bound" films  (BABY OF MACON, GOLTZIUS, PROSPERO'S BOOKS and others) to see this.  Here,, however there is real emotion as Eisenstein awakens a part of himself  that he had kept asleep. The injection of emotion into the film makes the end of the film touching in a way that the earlier films never were. The world is not truly controled and ordered, we are, for one of the few times in Greenaway's 45 year career in the real world among real people where anything and and will happen. Yes Greenaway is in control of the images, but I never felt he was in control of the characters, they were entirely at the mercy of their feelings.

I adore this film with my heart as well as my head.

After only one viewing I don't know what I fully think of the film nor do I know what it's fully all about, however I don't think I would be far off in saying that it is the work of a master film director working at the top of his game. It is in a way a reinvention if not of cinema then of his own private cinema. It is a film that I am looking forward to seeing again and again once the film hits American screens in January when Strand Releasing blesses us with the film.

NewFest Starts Thursday

Forget that this is a LGBT film festival and just realize that this is a festival with great films- come on this has a new Peter Greenaway, Todd Haynes CAROL (which will be an Oscar darling) and THE GIRL KING and a Fassbinder doc. If you can go do so. I'm trying to work out my schedule o I can get to a few films.

All the ticket info and such is here.

This is the press release with all the details:

NEWFEST, NEW YORK'S LGBT FILM FESTIVAL, ANNOUNCES LINEUP FOR THEIR 27TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL
Runs October 22-27
•
The New York Premiere of Peter Greenaway’s “Eisenstein in Guanajuato” Kicks Off Opening Night; U.S. Premiere of “Girls Lost” Set for Closing Night;
Todd Haynes’ “Carol” is Festival Centerpiece

The festival is in partnership with Outfest, and presented by HBO


New York, NY (September 21, 2015) – NewFest, in partnership with Outfest, today announced the lineup of their 27th annual celebration of the year’s best LGBT films from around the world. The program of nearly 100 narrative features, documentaries and shorts runs October 22-27 at the newly renovated Bow Tie Chelsea Cinemas, and at the recently completed screening room at The LGBT Community Center in New York City. The festival is presented by HBO.

Opening night will see the New York premiere of legendary filmmaker Peter Greenaway’s EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO, a visually stunning, sexually explicit celebration of pioneering Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein’s gay coming of age during a trip to Mexico in the 1930s. The cinematic masterpiece, which had its world premiere to wide acclaim at the Berlinale this year, has been hailed as one of the finest films of Greenaway’s long, illustrious career. Called “outrageously unconventional and deliriously profane” by Variety, the film is sure to be the talk of the opening night party!

Closing out the festival on the 27th is Alexandra-Therese Keining’s GIRLS LOST, a thrilling story about three bullied girls who are drawn into a wild and chaotic journey when they find a magical plant whose nectar temporarily transforms them into boys. Fresh off its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, where it received critical acclaim, Kreining’s bold and stylish coming-of-age tale is a fascinating exploration of sexuality, identity and desire across the LGBT spectrum.

This year also features Centerpiece film CAROL, Todd Haynes’ highly-anticipated and award-winning lesbian romance starring Cate Blanchett and Rooney Mara which won the 2015 Cannes Best Actress award for Blanchett, as well as the Queer Palm.

Other narrative highlights this year include the New York premiere of Matt Sobel’s chilling and suspenseful thriller TAKE ME TO THE RIVER (called “one of the great discoveries of the 2015 Sundance Film Festival” by Indiewire), starring Logan Miller, Robin Weigert, Richard Schiff and Josh Hamilton; the New York premiere of Mika Kaurismäki’s sumptuous period piece THE GIRL KING, about the rise and fall of Sweden’s lesbian Queen Christina; the 2015 Sundance World-Cinema Directing Award-winner THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE; and FOURTH MAN OUT, a hilarious and heartwarming twist on the coming-out genre starring Evan Todd, Chord Overstreet (GLEE) and Kate Flannery (THE OFFICE) that won the Audience Award for Dramatic Feature Film at this year’s Outfest Los Angeles.

Another major highlight of this year’s event is the world premiere of Executive Producer Eve Ensler and Katherine Fishers’ upcoming HER STORY, a web series written by transgender activist Jen Richards (I AM CAIT) and writer/actor Laura Zak (#HASHTAG) and directed by Sydney Freeland (DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST), focusing on the dating lives of Trans women in Los Angeles, followed by a panel about the series. Also featured is a SAG-AFTRA panel discussion on the evolution of transgender representation in film and television, to be moderated by trans activist Tiq Milan.

While the mainstream media seemingly embraced trans identities and lives this year, NewFest has set out to dig deeper, looking for fresh stories and unique characters. Highlights include LA VISITA (THE GUEST), a beautiful Chilean drama featuring a breakout lead performance by trans actress Daniela Vega; the documentary PEACE OF MIND about well-known transmale artist and activist Flo McGarrell’s untimely death during the 2010 Haiti Earthquake; and a TRANS SHORTS program featuring the acclaimed shorts A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE and Cheryl Dunye’s BLACK IS BLUE.

Two additional trans documentary programs, TREASURE: FROM TRAGEDY TO TRANS JUSTICE, MAPPING A DETROIT STORY, and the 25th anniversary screening of the rarely-seen documentaries THE SALT MINES and THE TRANSFORMATION offer a chance for audiences to reflect on how much work still needs to be done to protect and empower trans people of color.

“Our world is almost impossibly diverse,” said NewFest programmer Adam Baran, “and as a film festival, it is our duty to showcase that world as best we can. From people of color to youth films to more films by and about women, we want to illuminate as many aspects of the LGBTQ experience as possible.”

Another addition to the festival is an exciting new partnership with New York’s newly renovated LGBT Community Center, which will feature three days of screenings from Sunday, October 25 - Tuesday, October 27.

"We're thrilled to be back downtown this year with a far more expanded festival and on more screens than in recent years," said Robert Kushner, NewFest's Executive Director. "I couldn't be more proud of the program our team has put together in partnership with Outfest, and through our wonderful, new partnership with The LGBT Community Center, our programming is sure to reach a wider and more diverse audience."

Other special events include a can’t-miss Master Class with acclaimed filmmaker Ira Sachs (LOVE IS STRANGE, KEEP THE LIGHTS ON) who will sit for an illuminating discussion about the joys and challenges of being a queer filmmaker, as well as a panel on “The Renaissance of Women In Entertainment,” moderated by New York Women In Film & Television’s Executive Director Terry Lawler.

And because NewFest lands one week before Halloween this year, the festival will present its first ever Queer Horror Night aimed at LGBT horror fanatics, featuring three terrifying tales: Jorge Torres-Torres’ SISTERS OF THE PLAGUE, Jim Hansen’s YOU'RE KILLING ME, and Marçal Forés’ EVERLASTING LOVE, which won the Jury Award for Outstanding International Dramatic Feature at Outfest LA this year.

Olympic champion Greg Louganis will be on hand for a special screening and discussion of HBO's BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS, while other notable faces and names in this year’s festival films include: Cate Blanchett, Rooney Mara, Sarah Paulson, Kyle Chandler, Bette Davis, Mae West, Chord Overstreet, Kate Flannery, John Waters, Rose Troche, Stacie Passon, Harmony Santana, Robin Weigert, Josh Hamilton, Clea Duvall, Josephine Decker, Drew Droege, Jack Plotnick, Chi Chi La Rue, Jeff Stryker, Amanda Lepore, Michael Musto, Zachary Quinto, Mike McCreedy, Carrie Brownstein, Patty Schemel, Macklemore, Shirley Manson, Janet Mock, Irm Hermann, Harry Baer, Lea DeLaria, Felicia “Snoop” Pearson, Casey Legler, Jen Richards and many more!

Tickets for NewFest will go on sale Wednesday, September 30th. A pre-sale to NewFest Members begins on Thursday September 24th. Opening and Closing Night tickets, which include an after-party as well as the screening, are $50 and $40 respectively; $40 and $30 for NewFest Members. The Centerpiece Film is $20; $16 for NewFest Members. For all other screenings, tickets are $16; $12 for students and seniors (62+); $12 NewFest Members. Visit www.NewFest.org/2015 for details as well as complete film festival information.

About NewFest
NewFest is dedicated to bringing together filmmakers and audiences to build a community that passionately supports giving visibility and voice to a wide range of representations of the LGBT experience. We are committed to nurturing emerging LGBT and allied filmmakers. We support those artists who are willing to take risks in telling the stories that fully reflect the diversity and complexity of our lives. For more information, visit NewFest.org.

ABOUT OUTFEST
Founded by UCLA students in 1982, Outfest is the world’s leading organization that promotes equality by creating, sharing and protecting LGBT stories on the screen. Outfest builds community by connecting diverse populations to discover, discuss and celebrate stories of LGBT lives. Over the past three decades, Outfest has showcased thousands of films from around the world, educated and mentored hundreds of emerging filmmakers, and protected more than 35,000 LGBT films and videos.

ABOUT HBO
Home Box Office, Inc. is the premium television programming subsidiary of Time Warner Inc. and the world’s most successful pay TV service, providing the two television services – HBO® and Cinemax® – to approximately 122 million subscribers worldwide. The services offer the popular subscription video-on-demand products HBO On Demand® and Cinemax On Demand®, as well as HBO GO®and MAX GO®, HD feeds and multiplex channels. In April 2015, HBO NOWSM, the network’s highly anticipated standalone premium streaming service, began providing audiences with instant access to HBO’s acclaimed programming in the U.S. HBO NOW is available directly through Apple or Optimum Online for a monthly subscription. Internationally, HBO branded television networks, along with the subscription video-on-demand products HBO OnDemand and HBO GO, bring HBO services to over 60 countries. HBO and Cinemax programming is sold into over 150 countries worldwide.


2015 NEWFEST NYC LGBT FILM FESTIVAL LINEUP

GALA FILMS

EISENSTEIN IN GUANAJUATO - Opening Night Gala
Dir/Scr: Peter Greenaway, Netherlands, 2015, 105 min

Acclaimed director Peter Greenaway (THE COOK, THE THIEF, HIS WIFE & HER LOVER) serves up perhaps the finest film of his esteemed career with this bold, sexually explicit celebration of pioneering Russian filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein’s gay coming-of-age during a trip to Mexico in the 1930s. Free of Soviet constraints, the visionary director discovers his wild side upon meeting and bedding a gorgeous tour guide, experiencing the power of romance for the first time. Greenaway’s lavishly produced and deliciously taboo film kicks dust in the face of the rickety biopic genre with the help of stunning sets and costumes, impressive cinematography, and an opulent Prokofiev-inspired score.


GIRLS LOST – Closing Night Gala
Dir/Scr: Alexandra-Therese Keining, 2016, Sweden, 105 min, In Swedish with English subtitles

For our closing night film, we’re thrilled to present this wildly original teen adventure tale from Sweden, fresh off its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival. BFFs Kim, Momo and Bella are bullied by boys at school while their teachers do nothing. On top of that, Kim secretly confesses to Bella she thinks she was born in the wrong body. So when the trio finds a magical plant whose nectar temporarily turns them into boys (with working genitalia), it offers them the thrilling chance to experience freedoms they’ve never known. But when Kim becomes addicted to the plant and pursues a dangerous relationship with a local boy she thinks might be gay, it puts everyone at risk. Though GIRLS LOST is sure to enter the pantheon of lesbian teen films alongside titles like TIMES SQUARE and SHOW ME LOVE, the film is sure to be beloved by gay, trans, and bisexual fans as well. Wherever you fall on the LGBT spectrum, you’re sure to be talking about this exciting new film for a long time to come.


CAROL – Festival Centerpiece
Dir: Todd Haynes, Scr: Phyllis Nagy, 2015, USA, 118min

In 1950’s New York, a department store clerk (Rooney Mara) and an alluring woman in a loveless marriage (Cate Blanchett) find themselves in an unexpected love affair. But as they grow closer together, their illicit relationship brings significant challenges. Acclaimed director Todd Haynes’ (FAR FROM HEAVEN) extraordinary adaptation of Patricia Highsmith’s “The Price of Salt” is sure to be a major Oscar contender, with Blanchett, Mara, Kyle Chandler and Sarah Paulson turning out incredibly nuanced performances. Don’t miss one of the most highly anticipated movies of the year.


U.S. DRAMATIC FEATURES

DRIVING NOT KNOWING
Dir/Scr: Dylan Hansen-Fliedner, Dane Mainella, Jay Jadick, Benjamin Davis, USA, 2015, 85 min
Will and Lee make beautiful music together, but Lee can’t cope with his unreciprocated feelings for his sexually confused friend. A year after they part ways, a drunken voicemail message inspires Lee to invite Will to the country for the weekend. It’s the small details of human interaction and attraction that make this fresh and formally ambitious tale so compelling, transporting us to a place where love and conflict threaten to disrupt the still waters.

EVERLASTING LOVE
Dir: Marçal Forés, Scr: Vincente de la Torre, Spain, 2014, 69 min In Spanish with English subtitles
Teenage passion turns twisted in this unconventional horror film from director Marçal Forés (ANIMALS). When a hot-daddy teacher encounters his student in the cruising zone of a local park, the two begin a steamy affair. But when the older man’s interest cools, it’s the student who gives the teacher a lesson he’ll never forget. Calling to mind both STRANGER BY THE LAKE and NBC’s HANNIBAL, EVERLASTING LOVE will leave you both turned-on and terrified.

FOURTH MAN OUT
Dir: Andrew Nackman, Scr: Aaron Dansick 2015, USA, 95 min
Just like his small-town bros, auto mechanic Adam enjoys drinking beer, watching hockey and inappropriate bodily functions. But Adam also likes guys. A hilarious and heartwarming spin on the coming-out comedy, FOURTH MAN OUT observes what happens whens Adam tells his friends he’s gay – and they decide to help him find a boyfriend. Winner of the 2015 Dramatic Feature Audience Award at Outfest, this bawdy comedy features Chord Overstreet (“Glee”) and Kate Flannery (“The Office”).

HENRY GAMBLE’S BIRTHDAY PARTY
Dir/Scr: Stephen Cone, 2015, USA, English, 87 min
Henry Gamble is a Christian teen who has become skilled at hiding his sexuality from his ultra-religious parents and the devout, anti-gay community that surrounds them. When Henry’s parents throw him a pool party for his 17th birthday, tensions erupt, passions flare, and secrets threaten to float to the surface. Director Stephen Cone (THE WISE KIDS) has crafted a gripping and fascinating portrait of a closed community struggling with emerging desires in modern times.

NAZ AND MAALIK
Dir/Scr: Jay Dockendorf, USA, 2014, 86min
Two young, black, gay Muslim boys begin an affair they must keep hidden from their Brooklyn community. But when an undercover FBI agent incorrectly assumes the pair is involved in a criminal enterprise, this sweet ode to love soon transforms into a serious and timely study of racism and religion in everyday America. In his observational and intimate debut, writer-director Jay Dockendorf proves himself an exciting new voice in independent cinema.

SISTERS OF THE PLAGUE
Dir: Jorge Torres-Torres, Scr: Jorge Torres-Torres, Jason Banker, USA, 2015, 74 min
Jo (Josephine Decker) enjoys leading haunted house tours around New Orleans. But when her father moves into the house she shares with her girlfriend, terrifying supernatural things start really happening. Seeking a medium’s help, Jo finds she is facing something way beyond her control. Jorge Torres-Torres’ intensely creepy debut echoes the cult classic POSSESSION in evoking horror from a fractured romantic relationship. Fans of last year’s lesbian horror hit LYLE are sure to love this.

TAKE ME TO THE RIVER
Dir/Scr: Matt Sobel, 2015, USA, 95 min
Artistic, brash, short-shorts wearing teen Ryder plans to come out to his conservative Nebraska relatives at their family reunion, much to his mother’s (Robin Weigert, CONCUSSION) dismay. But when his uncle (Josh Hamilton) suspects him of a mysterious transgression involving his 9-year-old cousin, he discovers that some family secrets might be better left untouched. Matt Sobel’s chilling, superbly-acted directorial debut unfolds in a tense atmosphere of mounting dread that contrasts with its stunning cinematography and idyllic setting.

THOSE PEOPLE
Dir/Scr: Joey Kuhn, USA, 2015, 89 min
Impressionable young painter Charlie is consumed with best friend and longtime crush Sebastian, whose father’s Bernie Madoff-esque scandal has left him penniless. Sebastian’s coping mechanism is non-stop hedonism, and he insists Charlie join him on his self-destructive ride having sex, drinking and partying at his father’s massive penthouse. Manhattan’s Upper East Side provides the gilded backdrop for a tale of entitlement, privilege, and the potentially disastrous repercussions on young lives and loves.

YOU’RE KILLING ME
Dir: Jim Hansen, Scr: Jim Hansen, Jeffery Self, USA, 2015, 88 min
In this hilarious (and very bloody) horror comedy, George (Jeffery Self) is an internet comedy star whose friends only speak two languages: irony and sarcasm. So when George’s deranged new boyfriend Joe tells him he’s a serial killer, George thinks it’s a joke and plays along, unknowingly encouraging Joe to keep killing – until his increasingly suspicious friends start disappearing. Cult comedy favorites Drew Droege, Jack Plotnick and Mindy Cohn round out the body count.


INTERNATIONAL DRAMATIC FEATURES

THE GIRL KING
Dir: Mika Kaurismäki, Scr: Michel Marc Bouchard, Finland, Canada, Germany, Sweden, 2015, 106 min, in English, French, and German with English subtitles
In 1933, Greta Garbo could only hint at lesbianism in her famous Hollywood historical drama about Sweden’s Queen Christina. This lavish and romantic re-imagining is not so coy, as the queer queen invites her beautiful handmaiden to be her “bed-warmer”, refuses to wear dresses or marry, and then must face the consequences from the conservative political establishment. Anyone addicted to historical dramas like WOLF HALL and REIGN is sure to love this sumptuous and sexy period piece.

LA VISITA (THE GUEST)
Dir/Scr: Maurício López Fernández, Argentina, Chile, 2014, 82 min, In Spanish with English subtitles
After her father’s unexpected death, Elena returns home for the first time in years. Her arrival shocks the household, who last knew her as a quiet, unassuming young man. As everyone struggles to make sense of Elena’s presence during the weekend, Elena struggles to come to terms with her past and the father who never really knew her. Director Mauricio López Fernández’s enthralling first feature is anchored by trans actress Daniela Vega’s remarkable lead performance.

LIZ IN SEPTEMBER
Dir/Scr: Fina Torres, Venezuela, 2015, 100 min, Spanish with English subtitles
In Fina Torres’ acclaimed Venezuelan adaptation of Jane Chambers’ groundbreaking 1980 play “Last Summer at Bluefish Cove”, strong-willed womanizer Liz refuses to call attention to her health issues. When she meets the equally troubled Eva, the two sense a powerful chemistry that goes beyond anything either have felt in past romances. Both have secrets to hide, and yet their connection leads them down an unexpected path where their views of love and life change forever.

PORTRAIT OF A SERIAL MONOGAMIST
Dir/Scr: Christina Zeidler, Canada, 2014, 83 min
As much as Elsie loves her women, what she really relishes is a fast, easy breakup. Long regarded as a highly successful and self-proclaimed serial monogamist, Elsie finds her stride in running free from commitment – until she develops feelings for a recent ex. Diane Flacks proves a sexy and magnetic leading lady throughout this charming romantic dramedy, demonstrating to audiences why girls keep risking their sanity for a woman all too happy to break hearts.

THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE
Dir/Scr: Alanté Kavaïté, France/Lithuania/The Netherlands, 2015, 88 min, In Lithuanian with English Subtitles
Winner of the World Cinema Directing Award at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, Alanté Kavaïté’s THE SUMMER OF SANGAILE is one of the year’s most visually stunning and romantic films. A chance meeting in the Lithuanian countryside brings two restless young women close – the angst-ridden Sangaile, who dreams of becoming a pilot, and the beautiful, fearless fashionista Auste. But they must take a leap of faith together if they want to find love and self-fulfillment.

WHILE YOU WEREN’T LOOKING
Dir: Catherine Stewart. Scr: Vanessa Herman, Amy Jephta, Matthew Krouse, Nodi Murphy. South Africa, 2015, 75 min, English
The complex political and racial climate of South Africa is beautifully encapsulated in this drama about the tension between liberal bourgeois ideals and working-class realities. Affluent mixed-race lesbian couple Dez and Terri struggle to maintain their own desires while reining in their rebellious daughter Asanda. When Asanda falls for a girl from a different background, Dez and Terri must face their own hypocrisies and secrets, which threaten to unravel the seemingly perfect world they’ve crafted.


DOCUMENTARY FEATURES
COMING OUT
Dir: Alden Peters, USA, 2015, 72 min
When Alden Peters finally makes the decision to come out, he brings a camera to film each conversation, hoping it will keep any negative reactions at bay. As Peters captures the surprising reactions to his revelation, he also explores the recent phenomenon of young LGBTQ kids coming out to their loved ones on YouTube. Featuring interviews with experts like Janet Mock, COMING OUT is a heartwarming exploration of a common experience across queer generations.

DESERT MIGRATION
Dir/Scr: Daniel F. Cardone, USA, 2015, 80 min
The introduction of the protease inhibitor “cocktail” meant that an HIV/AIDS diagnosis was no longer an automatic death sentence – but what of the men who expected to die only to discover they would survive? This illuminating documentary introduces us to a group of such men, all of whom have found a community in Palm Springs where they continue to thrive after living with HIV for three decades. The town’s enigmatic allure empowers their ongoing pursuit of a long, happy life.

FASSBINDER: TO LOVE WITHOUT DEMANDS
Dir/Scr: Christian Braad Thomsen, 2015, Germany, 109 min, In German with English subtitles
Between 1966 and 1982, the great gay German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder made 44 films, many of which featured LGBT stories and characters, including QUERELLE, FOX AND HIS FRIENDS and THE BITTER TEARS OF PETRA VON KANT. Director Christian Braad Thomsen had many opportunities to interview Fassbinder over the years, and using these never-before-seen discussions, plus interviews with members of Fassbinder’s company, Thomsen crafts a complex and brilliant analysis of the queer auteur’s controversial, all-too-brief life.

FINDING PHONG
Dir/Scr: Swann Dubus, Tran Phuong Thao, Vietnam, 2015, In Vietnamese with English subtitles
This uplifting documentary follows Phong, a Vietnamese transwoman, over the course of a year in which she comes out of her shell while preparing to undergo gender confirmation surgery, which causes conflict with her elderly parents. Mixing traditional documentary and personal documentary formats (Phong uses her own camera to record daily video diaries which reveal her innermost hopes and fears), FINDING PHONG observes a complex yet ultimately inspiring journey of the self.

GAZELLE: THE LOVE ISSUE
Dir/Scr: Cesar Terranova, Brazil/French Polynesia/USA, 2014, 93 min
Paulo is an HIV positive Brazilian flight attendant who travels the world, but at night he becomes Gazelle, an NYC clubkid queen famous for serving truly outrageous looks. But when his health is compromised and other ghosts from the past surface, Paulo must transform himself again in order to heal. Featuring appearances by Amanda Lepore, Joey Arias, Flawless Sabrina, Michael Musto, Kenny Kenny and more, GAZELLE is an exuberant portrait of a truly original character.

THE GLAMOUR AND THE SQUALOR
Dir: Marq Evans, Scr: Marq Evans, Jeff Gilbert, USA, 2015, 80 min
Before iTunes killed rock radio, Seattle DJ Marco Collins took it to its apex by breaking artists like Nirvana, Beck, Garbage and Weezer during the grunge-era of the 1990’s. But despite Collins’ remarkable career, addiction and sexual repression pushed his personal life to the brink. Weaving interviews with alternative icons like Shirley Manson, Carrie Brownstein, Mike McCready and pop star Macklemore alongside archival conversations with Kurt Cobain, director Marq Evans illuminates an unsung gay musical hero.

ORIENTED
Dir: Jake Witzenfeld, United Kingdom, Israel, 2015, 79 min, in Hebrew and Arabic with English subtitles
This captivating documentary follows three gay Palestinian friends struggling with problems both personal and political. Fadi feels guilt-ridden about dating a Zionist; Khader struggles with the desire to leave Israel; Khaeem worries about coming out to his family. Determined to make a change, they form a non-violent, cultural resistance group making viral content for gender and national equality. Though it may not change the world, sharing their personal struggles helps them to deal with living their multifaceted identities.

PEACE OF MIND
Dir/Scr: Cary Cronenwett, USA, 2014, 77 min. Creole, English with English subtitles
Cary Cronenwett’s portrait of the late transmale artist-activist Flo McGarrell is a stirring meditation on collaboration, longing and loss. While adapting Kathy Acker’s “Kathy Goes to Haiti,” to star artist Zackary Drucker, McGarrell was killed in the 2010 Haitian earthquake. Using footage shot for McGarrell’s film, past collaborations and interviews with the queer Haitians McGarrell mentored at the FOSAJ arts center, Cronenwett blends documentary with lush image-making and a startlingly emotional interiority.

THE SALT MINES & THE TRANSFORMATION
Dir(s):Susana Aikin, Carlos Aparicio, USA, 1990/1995, In English, Spanish with English subtitles, 105 min
In 1990, director Susana Aikin told the stories of three homeless Latina trans women she befriended, all living on Manhattan’s west side piers and hustling to support their drug habits. THE SALT MINES aired on PBS and opened America’s eyes to this marginalized segment of society. One year later, diagnosed with HIV, one of Aiken’s subjects was given help by a church at the cost of renouncing her trans identity. This dramatic change is heartbreakingly depicted in THE TRANSFORMATION. Join Aikin and representatives from local trans activist organizations as we revisit these staggeringly powerful documentaries, and then discuss the obstacles that still exist for trans women of color today.

THE SAME DIFFERENCE
Dir/Scr: Nneka Onuorah, 2015, USA, 78min
Nneka Onuorah’s fascinating documentary examines what happens when African-American lesbians discriminate against each other over violations of the strict code that separates butches from femmes. Onuorah breaks down the rules (no long hair, makeup, getting pregnant) then talks to women who’ve been on the receiving end of hate for crossing these lines. Onuorah shows how these behaviors reproduce the homophobic oppression of the straight world, while looking for solutions in compelling discussions with community members including THE WIRE’s Felicia “Snoop” Pearson.

SEED MONEY
Dir/Scr: Michael Stabile, USA, 2015, 69 min
Michael Stabile’s sexually charged documentary takes viewers back to the 1980’s, when Falcon Studios, the biggest gay porn company in the world, dictated the fantasies of gay men everywhere. The complicated man behind Falcon was Chuck Holmes, who struggled with both FBI persecution and AIDS. Stabile skillfully traces Holmes’ wild and chaotic story via archival footage and interviews with some of porn’s biggest names and fans, including Jeff Stryker, Jake Shears, John Waters, Chi Chi LaRue and more.

TREASURE: FROM TRAGEDY TO TRANS JUSTICE, MAPPING A DETROIT STORY
Dir/Scr: Dream Hampton, 2015, USA, 63 min
In 2011,Treasure, a black trans teen from Detroit who sometimes did sex work, was found brutally murdered. Though it was initially assumed to be a hate crime, it turned out Treasure was killed by a drug dealer she informed on after police threatened to send her to a men’s prison. Without fetishizing the details, this powerful documentary examines the crime and the way her loved ones have turned themselves into activists to ensure something like this never happens again.

THE YEAR WE THOUGHT ABOUT LOVE
Dir: Ellen Brodsky, USA, 2014, 68 min
This emotionally powerful documentary profiles True Colors, a remarkable LGBTQ youth theater group in Boston where performers act out their own stories with wit and candor for local schools. From a trans teen kicked out of her home to a Christian standing up to his church, these adolescent artists share their most painful and proud moments. When the Boston Marathon bombing occurs near their studio, the troupe become even more determined that the show must go on.

WHEN BETTE MET MAE
Dir/Scr: Wes Wheadon, USA, 2015, 64 min
In 1973, Wes Wheadon attended a party where legendary actress Bette Davis would first meet the equally iconic Mae West. Wheadon brought along a tape recorder and wound up capturing mutual admiration between the two stars, along with discussions on romantic relationships, censorship, and what they really thought of their drag queen imitators. This unique documentary – a must for fans of the two stars – brings that evening to life in a clever and compelling fashion.

PANELS AND SPECIAL EVENTS
BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS + A CONVERSATION WITH GREG LOUGANIS
Dir: Cheryl Furjanic, Scr: Cheryl Furjanic, Karen Sim, Will Sweeney, USA, 2015
With unprecedented access to trailblazing openly gay Olympic champion Greg Louganis, BACK ON BOARD reveals the complicated life of an athlete whose grace, beauty, and courage sparked a worldwide fascination with diving. This intimate portrait chronicles his public triumphs and private struggles as an HIV-positive sports icon as he re-emerges on the world stage to combat prejudice, promote tolerance, and return to the diving world. Followed by a conversation with Greg Louganis himself!

HER STORY: WORLD PREMIERE + PANEL DISCUSSION
Dir: Sydney Freeland, Scr: Jen Richards, Laura Zak, 2015, USA, 65 min
HER STORY is a groundbreaking, much buzzed-about new series about two trans women who have given up on love when chance encounters offer them hope. With an impressive pedigree including director Sydney Freeland (DRUNKTOWN’S FINEST), writers Jen Richards (I AM CAIT) and Laura Zak (#HASHTAG) and Executive Producers Eve Ensler and Katherine Fisher, Her Story promises to be one of the most exciting trans shows of the year. Join us for a sneak preview followed by a Q&A with the creators.

MASTERCLASS: IN CONVERSATION WITH FILMMAKER IRA SACHS
Ira Sachs burst onto the queer film scene with THE DELTA (1996), but when he started telling straight stories he won awards and Hollywood attention. It wasn’t until 2010 that Sachs realized he needed to tell queer stories again, which resulted in the acclaimed dramas KEEP THE LIGHTS ON (2012) and LOVE IS STRANGE (2014). Filmmakers and film fans alike are invited to join us for an illuminating conversation with last year’s NewFest Visionary Award recipient about his career, the joys and challenges of being a queer filmmaker, and how to tell one’s truth on film.

THE RENAISSANCE OF WOMEN IN ENTERTAINMENT: PANEL DISCUSSION
Presented in partnership with New York Women in Film And Television. Moderated by Terry Lawler.
In a year where the spotlight is firmly on female filmmakers, women in entertainment take the stage to share their stories. Expect to hear anecdotes, insights, and advice as well as uncensored reactions to the recent media coverage addressing women in film. New York Women In Film & Television’s Executive Director Terry Lawler moderates a conversation that you won’t want to miss, featuring Writer/Director/Producer Rose Troche (THE L WORD, GO FISH), Writer/Director Stacie Passon (CONCUSSION), documentary filmmaker Nneka Onuorah and more. With the support of the Alliance of Women Directors and Film Fatales.

TRANS HOLLYWOOD PANEL
Presented in partnership with SAG AFTRA. Moderated by Tiq Milan.
Join a candid discussion about the evolution of transgender representation in film and television. The media is abuzz with trans representation. Some have called this a revolutionary development, while others in the trans community have expressed skepticism. SAG AFTRA’s National LGBT Committee discusses the pros and the cons of the “trans”-formation of mainstream media with a panel of trans actors and moderator Tiq Milan. Featuring Harmony Santana (GUN HILL ROAD), Michelle Hendley (BOY MEETS GIRL) and more.

SHORTS PROGRAMS

CRUISING SHORTS
This deliciously dirty collection of sexy gay shorts revolves around that age-old gay pastime: cruising! Turn off GRINDR and SCRUFF and join us for some late night fun… Includes: PIX, HATTIE GOES CRUISING, POP-UP PORNO:M4M, THE TRICKS LIST, HOLE, JUST A FEW THINGS, CATHARSIS, LIMANAKIA.

IN YOUTH IS PLEASURE: SHORTS
When you’re young everything seems really intense: Your first kiss, your first heartbreak, your first time expressing yourself as you really are. In this collection of mixed shorts, you’ll see how LGBTQ youth navigate the alternatively thrilling and treacherous path toward adulthood. Includes: AN AFTERNOON, CHARLOTTE, HOUSE NOT HOME, READ ALOUD, MONA, TREMULO, PEACOCK.

PLATINUM SHORTS
NewFest’s experimental shorts showcase transports you to the other side with Charles Atlas, Milli Vanilli, Xina Xurner, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, M Lamar, a heavy dose of glitter and RuPaul’s Drag Race. Includes: COLOR NEUTRAL, UNTITLED (AM I PRETTY MOMMY?), ADVENTURES OF PEPPRE ANN AND FROENDS, BERLIN MIX LIVE, DEAR LOU SULLIVAN, FORMER MODELS, THE LAMPS, THE FALL OF COMMUNISM, SURVEILLANCE PUNISHMENT AND THE BLACK PSYCHE PART TWO OVERSEER, SASHAY AWAY.

QUEERER THAN FICTION: DOC SHORTS
Stories of strength, struggle and survival come to life in this compelling program of nonfiction shorts about LGBT people fighting back against oppression, revisiting moments from their past, and trying to unravel complex mysteries. Includes: THE LITTLE DEPUTY, DYLAN, AFTER SILENCE, IN THE HOLLOW, SEX, POLITICS AND STICKY RICE, BEDDING ANDREW, GAYSIANS, A LEGACY OF DEVOTION, WHO STOLE THE RUBY SLIPPERS?

TRANS SHORTS
This compelling collection of narrative and documentary shorts looks beyond the trans stories embraced by the mainstream media to highlight trans and gender non-conforming individuals charting bold and complex paths. Includes: FIRST NIGHT OUT, A PLACE IN THE MIDDLE, THE FRIEND FROM TEL AVIV, FLOAT, BROCKINGTON, BLACK IS BLUE, OYA: SOMETHING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO WEST AFRICA.

WILD HEARTS: SHORTS
In this collection of the best dramatic shorts on the LGBT festival circuit, you’ll meet people navigating passionate relationships including lesbian actresses, an anorexic trans man, and two gay Chilean lovers. Includes: ACTRESSES, BROTHER ON LOW, LIKE HOPE, RELAPSE, MA/DDY, SAN CRISTOBAL.