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GLBT Highlights of the 2007
As the leaves start to fall off the trees and the beach
residents break out the sweatshirts and sweaters, the thoughts turn
towards the Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival.
November 7 – 11. This year The Festival will be celebrating its
tenth year with an amazing array of films, and as always, with a great
selection for the GLBT audience.
2007 GLBT FILMS
ANOTHER WOMAN
Liberally based on a true story, this superb drama tells the
moving and provocative tale of Lea, a male-to-female transsexual. Lea’s
story is a mystery to those at her job, including Greg, a colleague
who’s attracted to her. A business trip to Paris, where the family she
left behind lives, results in dramatic consequences for everyone in her
life. Featuring an outstanding ensemble cast, Another Woman is a
fascinating drama about family, secrets and honesty.
BLACK, WHITE + GRAY
Influential art collector Sam Wagstaff established the market
for photography and launched the career of his lover, bad boy photographer
Robert Mapplethorpe. Reveling in New York’s 1970s gay underground,
Wagstaff was, until his AIDS death in 1987, a catalyst for the collision
of fine art, fashion and club life. Stunning photographs and insightful
interviews (including, most poignantly, rock icon Patti Smith) make Black,
White + Gray a penetrating portrait of a man whose aesthetic impact
continues to be felt.
BRAND UPON THE BRAIN!
Surreal, satiric and surprisingly touching, Brand Upon the
Brain! looks at the secret lives of families in a work that is equal parts
childhood reminiscence, Expressionist horror movie, and teen detective
serial. Brand Upon the Brain! is a dark fairy tale of a boy and his sister
who live on a mysterious island lighthouse/orphanage run by their
diabolical parents. Their every move is vigilantly watched over by their
overbearing and tyrannical mother. When mysterious markings start to
appear on the orphans, the children are thrown into the darkest regions of
revelation and repression. Their tale spins dangerously out of control as
the terrible secrets of their family are laid bare.
THE BUBBLE
Celebrated Israeli director Eytan Fox (Walk on Water, Yossi
& Jagger) returns to the festival with a modern-day gay Romeo and
Juliet set in a hip Tel Aviv neighborhood far from the surrounding
conflict. When sexy Israeli Noam falls for hot young Palestinian Ashraf,
Noam and
his roommates help Ashraf stay in Tel Aviv illegally. Will
love conquer all? The bubble of their utopian dream soon bursts amid the
tragic reality of current Middle East politics.
THE CURIOSITY OF CHANCE
In this madcap homage to John Hughes teen comedies, Chance
Marquis, an openly gay, decidedly eccentric teenager, faces the scariest
ordeal imaginable—he’s the newbie in high school. With oddball
outcasts, a hunky straight jock, a homophobic bully and equal portions of
big hair, teen angst, ‘80s kitsch, pop music and drag queens on a
mission, Russell Marleau’s charming feature debut makes revenge of the
nerds a sweet treat for anyone who’s ever felt like an outsider.
ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE
Imbued with the spirit of the early-’90s riot grrrl
movement, with its indie rock soundtrack and do-it-yourself activism, Itty
Bitty takes a daring and entertaining journey through the subculture of
feminist politics. Anna is an
adorably mousy, uninformed receptionist at a plastic surgery clinic.
However, under the tutelage of flirtatious femme anarchist Sadie, Anna
leaps into a Feminism 101 crash course, becoming part of Sadie’s radical
lesbian feminist collective, Clits in Action, a.k.a the C(i)A. Seeking
“to reclaim public space for women,” the C(i)A challenges the status
quo with art, DIY infiltration and activism in a fashion clearly inspired
by the Guerrilla Girls. Sex and politics commingle in Anna’s mind as she
becomes attached to the seductive Sadie, who happens to be questioning her
long-term relationship with her older girlfriend/sugar mama. Despite
finding herself deep within a personal and political struggle, Anna
spearheads the C(i)A’s ultimate covert operation, resulting in some
hilariously revolutionary extremes.
NINA’S HEAVENLY DELIGHTS
Nina Shah returns home to Scotland after the sudden death of
her father, which reunites her with two childhood friends, Bobbi, a
fabulous drag queen, and the beautiful Lisa, a part owner of the Indian
restaurant Nina’s family owns. Nina finds herself faced with the twin
challenges of preparing to compete in a national curry competition and
dealing with her intense romantic attraction to Lisa. Pratibha Parmar (Khush,
Warrior Marks) makes her narrative feature debut with this charming and
sumptuous romantic-comedy.
SHELTER
Writer/director Jonah Markowitz’s Shelter rides to shore
with a sexy, authentic and highly accomplished love story rarely seen in a
first feature. San Pedro’s picturesque Vincent Thomas Bridge provides
the visual and metaphoric backdrop for Zach, an artist and tagger who
aspires to a life beyond this sleepy, working-class beach town. Zach
spends his days frying eggs in a dead-end job at a diner and taking care
of his nephew Cody, whose mother Jeanne is busy with her loser boyfriend.
In his free time Zach sketches portraits and skates the streets of San
Pedro, stenciling his signature “crane” on any blank space he can
find. He has little time for on-again, off-again girlfriend Tori. When his
best friend’s older brother, Shaun, played by Brad Rowe from Billy’s
Hollywood Screen Kiss, returns home to cure a case of writer’s block,
Shaun and Zach begin hanging out as surf buddies. The electricity between
them is undeniable and they soon become lovers, disrupting Zach’s
reality. As Zach struggles to make sense of his sexuality and his feelings
for Shaun, he is forced to choose between supporting his dysfunctional
family and pursuing his own dreams. With an outstanding script expertly
brought to life through stellar performances and striking cinematography,
Shelter is a gorgeous, captivating film that is, at its heart, a story
about family.
SPIDER LILIES
Winner of the 2007 Berlin Film Festival’s Teddy Award for
best feature, Spider Lilies is an intricate story of love between two
young women. Jade is a naughty webcam girl who is reunited with her
childhood crush, gorgeous and repressed tattoo artist Takeko. Both women
are obsessed with a spider lily flower design that’s linked to painful
memories that keep the two women apart—but also might be the key to
bringing them closer.
TIED HANDS
Dan Wolman’s impressive drama sensitively but
unsentimentally focuses on the determined efforts of a mother to care for
her dying adult son. When Uzi, whose once-lithe dancer’s body is now
ravaged by AIDS, runs out of marijuana, his mother, Pnina ventures into
the streets of Tel Aviv to find him enough to ease his suffering through
the night. Her search does not go smoothly, veering from the darkly comic
to the unexpectedly dangerous, but along the way, she confronts old truths
that may bring her closer to Uzi. Gila Almagor shines as the complex Pnina,
while Tadmor Ido impresses in the difficult role of Uzi.
THE WALKER
A contemporary drama set in Washington, D.C., The Walker
centers around Carter Page (Woody Harrelson), a well-heeled and popular
socialite who serves as confidant, companion, and card partner to some of
the capitol’s leading ladies. These pampered women are married to the
most powerful men in America, and when their husbands are too busy running
the country to attend to their wives, they turn to their “gay best
friend,” Carter, for warmth, wit, and wisdom. Carter’s loyalty is
tested when his dearest friend (Scott Thomas) finds herself on the brink
of a scandal that could destroy her reputation and her husband’s career.
Offering to cover for her, Carter suppresses incriminating evidence, only
to find himself the chief suspect in a criminal investigation. Suddenly,
this well-connected man-about-town is a pariah, hounded by the police and
forced to find the true culprit and clear his name. More importantly, he
must re-examine whether it is important to be accepted by a society based
on betrayal, hypocrisy, and corruption.
THE WITNESSES
Paris, summer 1984. Manu arrives in Paris, where he shares a
cheap hotel room with his sister Julie. He strikes up a joyous, chaste
friendship with Adrien, a wealthy doctor in his early fifties who opens
Manu’s eyes to a different way of life. On a trip out on a speedboat,
Adrien introduces Manu to Sarah and Mehdi, a young couple who have just
had their first child. An unplanned love affair and the onset of the AIDS
epidemic —seen by the media and in the collective imagination as a
shameful, modern-day plague—upset the ordered tranquility of their
individual destinies. Each of them becomes a protagonist in— and witness
to—a contemporary tragedy, where those who don’t die may emerge
stronger, but not undamaged.
10% SHORTS
Prada Handbag—An outsider, a young woman finds her niche
when she lands a job at a kooky drag bar and assumes the new identity of
Prada Handbag. It’s
Muriel’s Wedding meets Priscilla— Queen of the Desert in this glitzy,
glam cinematic extravaganza which ravishes the eye and warms the heart.
Casting Pearls—A short comedic film which illustrates the difficulties
transsexual women face in Hollywood.
We see a hectic series of auditions endured by Cassandra, a
transsexual actress. Cassandra weathers the horrible, funny and
cruel things said by various Hollywood professionals with plucky
determination and professionalism, showing that decades of bias can’t
hold back the real contributions of transgender people to the arts and
media. Airplanes—Airplanes is the story of two teenage girls who
secretly hook up one day at a traveling carnival. Although their
encounter is brief, like an airplane it’s bound by gravity, and doomed
to return to earth. Their
relationship is explained through metaphors of flight, flying and planes
yet beauty and simplicity remain. Kali
Ma—When an Indian mother finds out her son is the victim of a merciless
bully, she channels the Hindu goddess of creation, preservation and
destruction and delivers her own brand of vigilante justice in Kali Ma.
The Saddest Boy In The World—Timothy Higgins, picked last for the team,
is the saddest boy in the world. Friendlessness, suburban complacency and
prescription drugs have conspired against the youngster to make this his
worst year yet. Musical Chairs and birthday cake can’t save him now—at
his ninth birthday party, Timothy prepares for a show-stopping suicide.
Pariah—In this award winning short, a Bronx teen unsuccessfully juggles
multiple identities to please her friends and family.
FILMS WITH SPECIAL APPEAL TO THE GLBT COMMUNITY
A few other films may not exactly be called “GLBT Films”
but they have that unexplained something that makes them especially
appealing to the gay and lesbian community.
IN THE LAND OF MERRY MISFITS
For any who have ever felt that they don’t quite fit in (or
who have a hankering for the strange and off-kilter), this campy romp is a
perfect fit. Narrated by, and obviously influenced by John Waters, this
madcap film tells the story of a young college graduate who takes a wrong
turn on the way to win back his girlfriend, and finds himself stuck when
his car breaks down in the wacky, woodsy town of Bethany (not Delaware).
Confronted with a colorful realm inhabited by jester-esque junkies,
kitschy cross-dressers, would-be knights and other “misfits,” our
button downed hero can think of nothing but getting out of this freak-show
town.
GREASE SING-A-LONG
Enough said? Men,
break out the motorcycle jacket and put the grease in your hair and Ladies
dust off the hoop skirt and bouffant the hair and transport yourself to
the 50s. While Olivia Newton
John and John Travolta may not have anything to worry about, we will
certainly have folks giving them a run for the money.
THE TEN
The Ten is a hilariously archaic, scandalous, offensive and
raucous take on Moses’s tablets. So those without a demented sense of
humor better stay clear—because The Ten is way less Charlton Heston and
much more Monty Python’s Life of Brian. An omnibus, ten skits are strung
together and each vignette tackles one of the commandments. The Ten may
not represent the typical offerings of the festival, but makes for one
wild ride! You’ve been warned.
I’M NOT THERE
Out director Todd Haynes brings this biopic about the life of
Bob Dylan, or better described as the many facets of Bob Dylan. The film
follows seven characters, each embodying a different aspect of Dylan’s
life story and music. One of the characters is Cate Blanchett playing the
androgynous rock star. It’s
the first biographical feature project to secure the approval of the pop
culture icon.
FILMS, FILMS, AND MORE...
This year’s Rehoboth Beach Independent Film Festival will
feature great films, in fact, four days of films, available from morning
to night. But keep in mind
that the Festival is much more than films.
If your eyes, back, or bottom need a break, don’t fret as there
are other activities to enjoy. If
you have a friend who is not a film buff (do those people exist?), they
can be a part of the Festival experience in numerous other ways. Following are some non-film activities to enjoy.
SPIRITS TASTING
Friday (Nov 9), beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Location: Big Tent
(Sponsored by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery)
Sample small-batch spirits from the Dogfish Head Distillery,
located in downtown Rehoboth Beach. Known for the ultra-smooth Blue Hen
Vodka, as well as rums and gin, Dogfish Head is one of a handful of
small-batch distilleries in the country. The folks from Dogfish will host
a tutored sampling of the distillery’s current offerings.
Live Music—Katari Band
Friday (Nov 9), beginning at 9:00 p.m.
Location: Big Tent
(Sponsored by Made By Hand)
Enjoy the sounds and rhythms of Latin-American folk music.
In addition to performing a variety of music from classic to
contemporary, the Katari Band raises funds to help community farmers in
San Jorge preserve part of the Amazon jungle.
Beer Tasting
Saturday (Nov. 10) beginning at 5:00 p.m.
Location: Big Tent
(Sponsored by Dogfish Head Craft Brewery)
Come sample beers from Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, the
area’s only microbrewery! Do
you remember when Dogfish Head started in downtown Rehoboth in 1995 as the
smallest commercial brewery in America?
Well now they’ve expanded into a second Milton, Delaware location
and currently distribute beer to about 25 states and 4 countries. The
beers of Dogfish Head are lauded in the global beer community as some of
the most innovative in the world! Taste them for yourself as brewers from
Dogfish will host a tutored sampling of the brewery’s latest offerings.
Israeli Wine Tasting
Saturday (Nov 10) beginning at 8:00 p.m.
Location: Big Tent
(Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Delaware and supporters)
Wine producing is not new to Israel as the ancient land of
Israel has been making wine for more than two thousand years.
Since the 1980(s), wine production in Israel has experienced a
revolution in quality with the most recent trend being an emergence of new
boutique wineries throughout the country.
Learn about the qualities of Israeli wines and enjoy tasting the
finest varieties available.
Israeli Folk Dancing
Saturday (Nov 10) beginning at 9:00 pm
Location: Big Tent
(Sponsored by the Jewish Federation of Delaware and supporters)
This year’s Country Spotlight will bring Israel to the big
screen via a number of Israeli films.
Israel will also come to the dance floor in the Big Tent.
Join in a celebration of Israel’s upcoming 60th birthday as we
dance the night away—the Israeli way.
Inside Israeli Film Seminar
10:00 – 11:30 Sunday, November 11
Upstairs Screening Room at Movies at Midway, No admission fee
As a companion to the Country Spotlight sidebar on the
amazing Israeli films in the line-up, this seminar will explore an inside
look at the state of filmmaking in the rather young nation of Israel.
Learn about the socio-political climate, the funding mechanisms,
the distribution channels, and the worldwide acceptance of Israeli films
and other issues that are allowing the industry to experience a rapid
growth both domestically and internationally. While the Israeli films being screened will be contemporary
films, the historical perspectives will also be important in this panel as
history is always an indicator of the future and this certainly holds
true. The distinguished panel is made up of individuals who are well known
in the field of Jewish Studies and Israeli cinema including Dr. Eran Preis,
Dr. Eric Zakim, and Arnon Shorr. The
panel will be moderated by Deborah Baer Mozes of the Cultural Affairs
Office of the Consulate General of Israel. After the panel discussion is
completed, the session will be opened to questions from the audience.
Coffee and Conversations with Ken Marino
10:00am – noon , Saturday, Nov 10
Location: Inn at Canal Square
Co-sponsored by the Rehoboth Beach Writers’ Guild
From stand-up to small screen to big screen, there is
something funny about Ken Marino. Learn
from his years of experience both in front of and behind the camera.
Ask him about the do’s and don’ts for finding entry into the
screenwriting field. Tickets: $25 includes coffee and muffins
Limited seating available to provide opportunity for every
participant to ask questions.
Celebrity Decade Achievement Awards Brunch
In March of 1997, a group of about 30 people responded to an
ad about the formation of a Rehoboth Beach Film Society with the hopes of
establishing an Independent Film Festival for the area. The location? A
little restaurant that was just opening called Dogfish Head. Ten years
later, the Film Society’s membership has grown to more than 1,000 and
the restaurant has reached international acclaim. But we are not the only
ones who have made the most of the past decade. Come join us at
Dogfish Head Brewings & Eats, the birthplace of the Film
Society, as we celebrate some of the actors and filmmakers who have made
lasting contributions to independent cinema in the past 10 years.
Our featured guests, who have all had films appearing at the
earliest years of our festival, will share their incredible journeys in
independent film as we all celebrate this milestone event over a hearty
meal prepared by the award-winning restaurant. Featured guests include: Christine Vachon, Sam Rockwell, and
Ken Marino.
Tickets: $75 per
person includes buffet brunch and beverages at Dogfish Head Brewings and
Eats (Rehoboth). Advance
ticket purchase recommended, call the Rehoboth Beach Film Society office,
302-645-9095, x1).
Volunteering
Don’t forget that more than two hundred
volunteers help make the Film Festival such a wonderful event. Your help
is always needed and appreciated. If
you want to sell merchandise, help with theater management, make drinks,
register new members, or help in any way needed, please call Wendi at
302-645-9095, x2. The Film
Society thanks you in advance for donating your time. For information on
the 2007 Rehoboth Beach Film Festival visit their web site at www.rehobothfilm.com.
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