The Rehoboth Beach Film Society, in partnership with CAMP Rehoboth, is pleased to announce the line-up for the Delaware CINE-brations LGBT Film Festival
From the prairies of Oklahoma to ballet stages across the world, this year’s slate of films explores themes of acceptance and change, of new love and old prejudices, and of the joy of free expression. A young woman finds new, unexpected love after a devastating loss. A couple faces down a bigoted inn owner when a sinister guest arrives. A teenager struggles with gender identity and how that will impact family expectations. The story of the world famous Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo closes the festivities on an inspiring, lighthearted note. Throughout are achingly rendered portraits of families—some accepting, some not—whose sons and daughters force them to face the truth about who they are.
A special thanks to volunteers Sharon Miken, Mona Schwartz, and David Stabile for their commitment to this event and their donation of time to review many films as they worked with Rehoboth Beach Film Society’s Marshall Shord to select the wonderful assortment of films listed below:
SIGNATURE MOVE
Thursday, April 26 at 7:00 p.m.
Signature Move is a comedic and heartfelt look at modern families and the complexities of love in its many forms. Zaynab (Fawzia Mirza) is a Pakistani Muslim lawyer living in Chicago who begins a new romance with Alma (Sari Sanchez), a confident Mexican-American woman. Zaynab’s recently widowed mother Parveen (Shabana Azmi) has moved in and spends her days watching Pakistani TV dramas while searching for a potential husband for her only daughter. Alma’s mother is a former professional luchadora, which Zaynab finds fascinating, as she has recently taken up lucha-style wrestling with a former pro wrestler. Zaynab tries to keep her secrets from her mother, who knows more than she lets on. Bill Zwecker of The Chicago Sun-Times writes, “While this likely will appeal strongly to LGBTQ audiences, I hope it finds a wider viewing, as the acting and the dialogue make for excellent drama.” [2017, US, Runtime: 80 minutes, Not Rated].
LESBIANS IN SHORTS (shorts program)
Friday, April 27 at 4:00 p.m.
Love, lust, and laughs are what you can expect from this diverse compilation of short films! Whether pulling on your heart strings or tickling your funny bone, there will never be a dull moment during this program of nostalgic, sexy, heartwarming, and hilarious lesbian films! [2017, US, Runtime: 76 minutes, Not Rated].
B&B
Friday, April 27 at 7:00 p.m.
Marc and Fred went to war when they were refused a double bed at a remote Christian guest house. They won their court case and now they’re back to claim their conjugal rights. Triumph turns to terror when a Russian neo-Nazi checks in. Their weekend of fun becomes a bloody battle for survival in this smart, brutally funny, and dark thriller. Rob Staeger of The Village Voice says, “Despite its modern premise, B&B feels classic—a Hitchcockian nail-biter without a platinum blonde in sight.” [2017, US, Runtime: 87 minutes, Not Rated].
JUST CHARLIE
Saturday, April 28 at 4:00 p.m.
Young soccer star Charlie has the world at his feet. With a top club desperate to sign him, his future is seemingly mapped out. But the teenager sees only a nightmare. Trapped in the body of a boy, Charlie is torn between wanting to live up to his father’s expectations and shedding this ill-fitting skin. Charlie’s next move will tear the family apart and threaten everything they hold dear. “An overwhelming and compellingly sympathetic character piece that was a deserved winner of the Audience Award at 2017’s Edinburgh International Film Festival,” writes Andrew Robertson of Eye for Film. [2018, UK, 97 minutes, Not Rated].
HEARTLAND
Saturday, April 28 at 7:00 p.m.
Heartland tells the story of Lauren, an artist living in suburban Oklahoma, who has moved back home with her mom, Crystal, following the sudden death of her girlfriend. The relentlessly chipper Crystal assumes her daughter is headed back to the straight and narrow, but Lauren is only paying lip service to her mother’s plans to stave off the pain of the recent tragedy. When Lauren’s brother Justin comes home with his uptight girlfriend Carrie to help launch a local winery, he enlists Lauren and Carrie to help with the marketing concept. Although the two women are quite different, an attraction between them builds as Lauren rediscovers her sense of fun, and Carrie questions her traditional future. Eventually, the two begin a passionate affair that creates havoc when the secret comes out. Heartland “explores the shifting nature of sexuality, the limitations of love, and the definition of family, all driven by denial, and unexplored grief at the loss of a loved one,” writes Jeryl Brunner of The Huffington Post. [2017, US, 99 minutes, Not Rated].
REBELS ON POINTE
Sunday, April 29 at 1:00 p.m.
This screening will be dedicated in memory of Steve Elkins. All proceeds will be donated to cancer research.
Exploring universal themes of identity, dreams and family, Rebels on Pointe is the first-ever documentary film celebrating the world famous Les Ballets Trockadero de Monte Carlo. The notorious all-male, drag ballet company was founded over 40 years ago in New York City on the heels of the Stonewall riots, and has a passionate cult following around the world. The film juxtaposes intimate behind-the-scenes access, rich archives and history, engaging character driven stories, and dance performances shot in North America, Europe, and Japan. Rebels on Pointe is a creative blend of gender-bending artistic expression, diversity, passion, and purpose. A story which ultimately proves that a ballerina is not only a woman dancing—but an act of revolution in a tutu. “This thoughtfully crafted, seamlessly edited film reveals the grit behind the glitter, and it makes the Trocks’ humor as touching as it is pointed,” writes Claudia Bauer of SFGate. [2017, US, Runtime: 90 minutes, Not Rated]. ▼
Admission for the event is $10 per screening. Tickets can be purchased online at.rehobothfilm.com or by calling 302-645-9095 ext.1. Please note that tickets are non-refundable. Any available tickets remaining after online ticket sales close will be sold at the door.