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We began our year in 2008 at the Canberra Museum and Gallery, but made the move to CSIRO Discovery Centre in Sept 08...
Friday 21 March AVAILABLE MEN is a comedic case of mistaken identity when two guys meet up for a blind date... with the wrong guys. Director: David Dean Bottrell, USA, 2006, 15 mins. (screens with) COFFEE DATE is a fast-paced comedy filled with sexual shenanigans of a misguided kind. Straight-laced Todd (Jonathan Bray) embarks on a blind date with Kelly, but his mundane world is quickly turned inside out when his female date turns out to be a hunk (Wilson Cruz, Party Monster). Friends and family, even his mother, not only think he's gay, but help thrust him towards this new romantic endeavour! Screenwriter / Director: Stewart Wade, USA, 2005, 94mins.
Sunday 13 April ANOTHER GAY MOVIE - In the dirtiest, funniest, most scandalous gay-teen-sex-comedy-parody ever, four gay friends make a pact to lose their virginity by the end of the summer. Writers: Tim Kaltenecker / Todd Stephens; Director: Todd Stephens, USA, 2006, 92 mins
Friday 18 April LESBIAN SEX & SEXUALITY - In a nation where sexuality in general is taboo, lesbian sex, lust and sexual representation are even more marginalized. By visiting writers, academics and "sexperts," and going inside sex shops, erotic dance clubs and lesbian-owned porn companies, this documentary series will go beyond mass appeal to find out what really turns on lesbians and perhaps any woman who has ever had a girl-on-girl fantasy. Writer / Director: Katherine Linton, USA, 2007
Friday 2 May OUTING RILEY - Bobby Riley (Pete Jones, Stolen Summer) is just a regular guy who loves his family, his beer, and the Chicago Cubs. Oh yeah, and his boyfriend. Writer / Director: Pete Jones, USA, 2004, 88 mins
Friday 16 May SHELTER - Recent high-school graduate Zach (Trevor Wright) has one summer to reconcile the competing halves of his life, a decision made easier when Shaun (Brad Rowe, Billy's Hollywood Screen Kiss) turns up on the scene. Director: Johah Markowitz, USA, 2007, 89 mins
Sunday 8 June "TOUCH OF PINK" is a comic clash of cultures, values, and sexuality. Alim ("The Guru"'s Jimi Mistry) seems to have it all: a great career, a handsome boyfriend, and a personal guide in the spirit of Cary Grant (Kyle MacLachlan, "Sex and the City"). And living thousands of miles from his mother Nuru (Suleka Mathew) and his family in Toronto, he can keep his lifestyle hidden. But when Alim's conservative mom pays an impromptu visit, with the intention of dragging her son to a big fat monsoon wedding and getting him matched up with a "nice girl," the spirit of Cary Grant suddenly becomes indispensable. Courtesy of Amazon.com Writer / Director: Ian Iqbal Rashid, Canada/UK, 2004, 91mins
Friday 27 June Once in every generation, a film comes along..." That's not usually a phrase used to describe an adult film, but Colt Studio and Buckshot Productions' cowboy fantasy BuckleRoos isn't your typical adult flick. This documentary was filmed during an unprecedented 17-day production schedule, eXposed captures both intense action and hilarious mishaps, like the film's "climax" being ruined by the sudden bellowing of a cow, Rutherford's calming a first-time actor who failed to "rise to the occasion," or star Dean Phoenix trying to be sexy after succumbing to food poisoning. Producers: John Rutherford & Tom Settle; Director: Mr Pam; USA; 2005; 97mins
Friday 18 July PERSONAL BEST (A Classic!) - The lesbian classic. Director: Robert Towne; USA; 1982; 128 mins
Friday 1 August THE CURIOSITY OF CHANCE The Curiosity of Chance is a smart and sassy teen comedy in the tradition of the John Hughes classics of the 1980s. Writer / Director: Russell P. Marleau, Belgium/USA, 98 mins
Sunday 10 August GOLD - An aging artist who's losing his vision employs a drug-addicted street hustler to paint his paintings for him in a mutual quest for salvation. Director: Armen Kazazian, USA, 16 mins (screens with) THE BUBBLE - Three young Israelis, two guys and a girl, share an apartment in Tel Aviv's hippest neighbourhood. Writers: Gal Uchovsky / Eytan Fox; Director: Eytan Fox, Israel, 2006, 117 mins
Friday 19 September THE BEST MEN - Director Tony Wei's exquisitely sensitive and poignant portrayal of lifelong devotion and heartache. 15 mins. (screens with) PHOENIX - Dylan Wells (sexy newcomer Chad Edward Bartley) wants to celebrate his birthday with his drop-in lover Ken Sparks (Gaetano Jones, Boystown). But their weekend is interrupted when Ken's failing real estate deal forces him to cut his visit short. Director: Michael Akers, USA, 2006, 90 mins
Friday 10 – Sunday 12 October Queerdoc 2008 @ Dendy Cinema
Saturday 25 October SURVEILLANCE 24/7 - This fast-paced British thriller stars Tom Harper (Blood & Chocolate, Telstar) as Adam, a gay teacher swept up in a national scandal that starts when his mysterious one-night stand ends up dead - and leads all the way to the British Royal family. Director Paul Oremland UK, 2007, 87mins
Click here to download the 2008 BentFest program [PDF, 330kb]
Friday 12 June
LOVING ANNABELLE
- Rising star Erin Kelly is Annabelle, a precocious Senator’s
daughter who falls for her Catholic school teacher, Simone (Diane
Gaidry). After Simone is assigned to control the rebellious student,
she instead finds herself drawn into Annabelle’s world.
As their attraction builds, the two women must cope with the
reactions of those around them. Writer-Director Katherine Brooks
unveils this smoldering tale of forbidden love with intelligence,
wit and sensitivity.
USA, 2006, 79 mins
Saturday 13 June
BREAKFAST WITH SCOT
- Eric (Tom Cavanagh - Spuds) lives for all things hockey. Now in
his thirties, he’s managed to turn his stint as an ex-NHL hockey
star into a full-time gig as sports commentator. He’s living the
dream! But when Eric’s boyfriend Sam (Ben Shenkman - Law and Order)
announces that they’re to become temporary guardians of a young boy,
Eric’s comfortable, closeted world is seriously shaken up. Enter
Scot: a recently orphaned 11-year-old sissy boy and Eric’s mirror
opposite. Freaked out by Scot’s flambuoyant nature, Eric and Sam
gently nudge him away from scented hand cream and pink scarves
towards a more ‘acceptable’ pastime – hockey. But after Scot’s
disastrous first game, Eric begins to rethink the compromises he’s
made in his own life in order to be ‘accepted’.
Director: Laurie Lynd, Canada, 2007, 91mins
Friday 31 July DEFYING GRAVITY - This collegiate drama deftly unfolds the coming out process of macho fratboy Griff who falls in love with his openly gay friend Pete and grapples with his changing sense of self. Griff is faced with the choice of coming out or knowing his lover's gay-bashers will go free if he remains silent. Coming out to friends, frat brothers and society is a lot for one young man to bear but when weighed against the man he loves, Griff begins the process of being true to himself. Director: John Keitel, USA, 1997, 92 mins
Friday 14 August CLARA'S SUMMER (Clara cet été là) - Like a lesbian Little Darlings this teen melodrama deftly captures the angst of youthful sexual explorations. When Clara and her best friend Zoé head for summer camp, they look forward to adventure and romance. And then Clara meets the beautiful Sonia! With all the drama, lust, cruelty and manipulation that are a part of adolescence, Clara's Summer bravely goes on an unforgettable journey through teenage torment, with the courage and discovery that this tender but confusing age embodies. Director: Patrick Grandperret, Writer: Nathalie Stragier, France, 2002, 85 mins
Friday 28 August BALLS (Männer wie wir) - Where Ecky comes from, soccer stars are working-class heroes and soccer is a sport for hard-working, hard-drinking and hard-nosed ‘real’ men. Sweet and virginal Ecky has been the popular goalie of his hometown team for years…but one kiss puts a quick end to his sporting success. A gay goalie? The whole town yells ‘foul’ and his penalty is getting kicked off the team. Suddenly and unexpectedly outed, Ecky sets off for the big city – but not before challenging his former teammates to a game against an all-gay team…a team, which doesn’t quite exist yet! When he starts cruising the ‘scene’ looking for possible candidates, it seems to be a hopeless endeavour, but Ecky’s convinced he’s not the only gay soccer fan in Germany and soon enough his faith is rewarded. With the help of his nurse sister, Ecky assembles an hilariously motley, but endearing crew of misfits that includes a leather-daddy threesome, a femme Turk with Beckham fantasies, a secret straight guy in love with the sister, and a seriously cute nurse eager for some private playtime with the goalie. Ecky now has two problems – turning this bunch into a real soccer team, and facing his own fears regarding his first romance. The day of the big game arrives – and it’s finally time to kick some straight jock ass and get a little satisfaction and respect! Director: Sherry Horman, Germany, 2004, 102 mins
Saturday 26 September WERE THE WORLD MINE, the lovelorn lunacy of A Midsummer Night’s Dream spreads through an all-boys school and the town beyond when the gay boy playing Puck discovers a love potion just like that of the play. Timothy (Tanner Cohen) resists being cast as the fairy, but the mystical drama teacher Ms. Tebbit (Wendy Robie, Twin Peaks) persists because of his lovely singing voice. The words of Shakespeare seize upon Timothy’s mind and lead him to create a love potion--which he uses to capture the heart of the school’s star rugby player, but also to make everyone see the world through his eyes. Soon the rugby coach is pursuing the school principal, the principal’s wife swoons for Timothy’s mother, and the school jocks are prancing around like ballerinas. Director: Tom Gustafson, USA, 2008, 95 m
Friday 16 October A story of ambition,
sacrifice, lies and seduction, HIGH ART is a critically acclaimed
lesbian cinema classic. Beautiful blonde Syd is a newly appointed
editor at Frame magazine – a pretentious art rag. Bored and
unsettled, Syd discovers that the woman living above her flat is
none other than the talented, enigmatic photographer Lucy Berliner.
Learning about Lucy's past work and her circle of flegmatic, junkie
friends, Syd sees a definite career opportunity. She encourages Lucy
to shoot new pictures for her magazine, while slowly succumbing to a
potent mutual attraction.
High Art stars a gorgeous young Radha Mitchell as Syd, Patricia
Clarkson as vampish art junkie and Ally Sheedy as Lucy, in the
multi-award winning role of her career. Director: Lisa Cholodenko, Canada/USA, 1998, 102 mins
Friday 30 October YOU'LL GET OVER IT (À cause d'un garçon) - A star of his high school swim team, Vincent (Julien Bamgartner) has everything the average teenager could wish for: a gorgeous girlfriend, great buddies and a close family. However, something's bubbling up within that threatens this existence. Enter Benjamin (sexy Jeremie Elkaim from Come Undone) a mysterious new student who arrives with a reputation: homo. And when Vincent and Benjamin end up alone together, that reputation catches like cooties. Branded a "fag" overnight, Vincent must deal with ugly fallout from a macho brother, his rightfully upset girlfriend, and his virulently homophobic swim team, who take to physically attacking him during practice. A fantastic, unflinching, and realistic treatment of a boy on the verge of knowing his own heart. Director: Fabrice Cazeneuve, France*, 2002, 86 mins
BentFest 2009 Lineup - This program screened as part of Canberra's 2009 SPRINGOUT Queer festival.
Friday 13
November SILVER ROAD Two
childhood friends say goodbye in this ode to unrequited love,
growing up and letting go. Director:
Bill Taylor, 2007, Canada, 13mins (screens with)
STRAIGHT
JACKET In 1950's Hollywood, movie star Guy Stone must marry a studio
secretary in order to conceal his homosexuality. Sally has no idea
her marriage is a sham, though, and turns Guy's life upside-down.
Then he falls in love...
Writer/Director: Richard Day, 2004, USA, 96mins
Saturday 14
November LIGHTSWITCH:
A story is more than just words on a page... and Danielle is
desperately struggling for words as her final deadline draws near...
It's not until she meets Shauna that her story begins to write
itself. Their instant connection and attraction take them on a
challenging journey of self-discovery and inevitable angst as they
fight to find who they are and struggle with what they come to mean
to each other. The whirlwind romance soon turns to heartbreak as
secrets surface and hard choices are made. Danielle comes to see
that sometimes "a story has to be lived before it can be told.
Writers: Natalie Krikowa & Penny Glasswell; Director: Emma Keltie,
2009, Australia, 25mins (screens with) WHEN NIGHT IS
FALLING Successful in her teaching job at a conservative religious
college, Camille (Pascale Bussières) looked forward to marrying her
adoring, minister boyfriend (Henry Czerny) and settling down to the
conventions of family and career. But a chance encounter with a
beautiful, irresistibly sensuous young female circus performer named
Petra (Rachael Crawford) is about to transform Camille s predictable
life into an electrifyingly erotic adventure. Writer/Director: Patricia Rozema, 1995, Canada, 93mins
Saturday 21 November LUCKY BLUE A Swedish summer night. A camping site somewhere in Sweden. The grand emotions, the little person, the first love, trailers, karaoke and a bird… This is the story of Olle who, in spite of his insecurities and fears, finally finds the courage to express his love. In his own way. Writer/Director: Hakon Liu, 2007, Sweden, 28mins (screens with) BEAUTIFUL THING The offbeat, underachieving denizens of a South East London apartment building get an emotional wake-up call when two of the neighbors--two teen boys--unexpectedly fall in love. Beautiful Thing--adapted from the play by Jonathan Harvey--features tender-hearted, kitchen sink realism from Channel Four Films. Director: Hettie Macdonald, 1996, UK, 90mins
FROM BEGINNING TO END - Causing a stir in its native Brazil, From Beginning To End, is a drama that delves into a passionate relationship between two brothers. Francisco is five when his brother, Thomás, is born. They share the same mother, Julieta, but different fathers. From the start the boys are close, and always show affection for each other – constantly hugging and even falling asleep in each others’ arms. When the boys take a trip to Buenos Aires to visit Francisco’s father, Pedro, the Argentinean disapproves of the boys’ behaviour, insisting to their mother that the boys are ‘too intimate’. But Julieta pays no heed to her former husband’s warning. Fifteen years later, on the night of Julieta’s funeral, the brothers’ affections for each other are taken to an overtly sexual level. When Thomás is invited to Russia for 3 years to train for the Olympic swimming team, the brothers must make a tough decision – stay together for love, or part to enable Thomás to take up a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. (Courtesy of: Melbourne Queer Film Festival).Brazil, 2009, 96mins Director: Aluizio Abranches
Friday 15 October
EATING OUT 3 - Tiffani and her friend Casey try to lure the gorgeous Zack with a phony online profile using the image of Tiffani's buff ex, Ryan... which works fine until the real Ryan shows up. Only through some fancy footwork, advice from his Aunt Helen and mentor Harry, and a daring sexual escapade can Casey figure out how to set things right and perhaps even find the love he's been seeking.USA, 2009, 80mins. Director: Glenn Gaylord
Friday 10 September
TWIST - Twist is a gritty re-telling of Charles Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist, updated to current times and moved out of the poor house and onto the street. Told from the point of The Artful Dodger (Nick Stahl), Twist is no longer a tale of the misfortunes of boys, but rather about the prosaically beautiful Oliver (Joshua Close) who falls into the hands of down-and-out young men. Dodge takes the young man under his wing and instructs him in the unforgiving arts of drug abuse and prostitution. As Oliver’s innocence dissolves, both young men confront inner and outer demons and, strangely, it is Dodge who finds he cannot escape his past.Canada, 2003, 97mins. Director: Jacob Tierney
Friday 6 August
HOLDING TREVOR - Moving forward doesn’t always mean leaving something behind... Trevor is in a predicament with his boyfriend Darrell, who just won’t kick his drug habit. Handsome doctor Ephram is just his type, yet he cannot bring himself to leave Darrell behind. Meanwhile catty friends Andie and Jake offer their opinions on the situation, yet they too are at a crossroads in their lives. Relationships are broken, rekindled, and recreated whilst Trevor and those around him come to terms with drastic changes in their lives. Featuring a hilarious turn from actor and musicianJay Brannan (Shortbus) as Trevor’s acid-tongued best friend, Holding Trevor is a funny yet at times quite touching story about all the bad decisions we make in our mid-twenties.
Director: Rosser Goodman. USA, 2007, 88 mins
Friday 30 July
GIRLS WILL BE GIRLS - Three actresses at various places on the Hollywood food chain navigate the minefield of love, ageing and ambition. Oh and theyre all played by men!
USA, 2003, 80mins
Director: Richard Day
Friday 16 July
MAKE THE YULETIDE GAY - Olaf 'Gunn' Gunnunderson, an out-and-proud gay college student, crawls back into the closet to survive the holidays with his family. He keeps his cool as his quirky Midwestern-hearted parents try to set him up with his high school sweetheart, Abby. But when his boyfriend, Nathan, shows up at their doorstep unannounced, Gunn must put on a charade to keep the relationship a secret. With pressure mounting from all sides, will Gunn come out before the truth does? USA, 2009, 89mins. Director: Rob William
Friday 2 July
NAKED BOYS SINGING! - sings the praises of male nudity, with a cast that includes a multi-talented, racially diverse selection of singers, dancers and actors. Very beautiful men with nothing to hide, sing kinky Broadway tunes for your listening pleasure, with songs that poke fun at gay life, body image, love, loss and romantic yearning. Starring Jason Currie, Kevin Stea (Madonna’s “Blonde Ambition” tour), Joe Souza, Joseph Keane, Phong Truong, Salvatore Vassallo, Andrew Blake James, Anthony Manough, Jaymes Hodges, and original stage cast member Vincent Zamora, who bare it all on the BIG screen. See naked boys act! See naked boys dance! See naked boys sing! This is absolutely gratuitous nudity at its absolute best. Features songs written by Bruce Vilanch, Stephen Bates, Shelly Markum, David Pevzner, Rayme Sciaroni, Mark Winkler and Robert Schrock."Excellent! Campy and coy, smirky and serious...with playful wit and unabashed explicitness - The New York Times
"Boisterous, giddy show kicking down the taboo of the male body with a collection of toe-tappin’ songs and enough full frontal to power 300 consecutive bachelorette parties!" DVD Talk. USA, 2008, 83mins. Directors: Robert Shrock & Troy Christian
Friday 25 June
EATING OUT 2 - SLOPPY SECONDS - How far would you go to get the person of your dreams? Kyle is pretending to be heterosexual to land Troy the new guy (and nude model) who's turning the heads of both men and women. Soon Kyle finds himself joining the campus ex-gay support group and nabbing a fake girlfriend! Kyle's ex-boyfriend Marc has a plan to pursue the confused Troy with his own tactics. In the boy eat boy, boy eat girl bisexual mystique of Eating Out 2 the stakes are raised, sexual boundaries are obliterated and the answer is never what you might expect! USA, 2006, 80mins. Director: Phillip J. Bartel
Friday 4 June
EATING OUT - The fastest way to a girls heart is through her gay best friend. Caleb ( Scott Lunsford) a hunky poli-sci major from a breakup with the aggressive Tiffany is shocked when his gay roommate Kyle (American Idols Jim Verraros) lets him in on a little secret. USA, 2004, 90mins. Director: Q. Allan Brocka
Friday 14 May: DOUBLE FEATURE ~ON THE OTHER HAND, DEATH - When the residents of a neighbourhood are offered huge sums of money to sell their homes to a developer, the only ones to refuse are an elderly lesbian couple. Soon after, the couple's home is besieged by anti-gay vandalism, but Don suspects that the attack is motivated by big business rather than homophobia. As the investigation progresses, Tim and Don fall in love all over again, as strengthened by their admiration for the elderly lesbian couple. USA, 2008, 85mins Director: Ron Oliver. (screening with) ICE BLUES - The new installment in the popular and critically acclaimed Donald Strachey Mystery series finds America's favourite gay private investigator, Donald Strachey taking on the most complicated case of his career. After his long-time partner, Tim asks him to uncover the source of an anonymous and generous donation the the Albany youth centre, he gets caught in a whirlwind of deceit and danger. When the lawyer who presented the donation turns up dead, the hard-boiled Strachey must race against the clock to capture the killer before he strikes again. USA, 2008, 98mins Director: Ron Oliver
Friday 16 April: DOUBLE FEATURE ~ THIRD MAN OUT - Gay private detective Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) finds himself in over his head when he takes on a complicated case involving the outing of a prominent politician in this terrific fast-paced adaptation of the popular mystery by Richard Stevenson. His own life in danger Strachey's case twists and turns as he delves deeper and deeper into a gay underworld he never knew existed. Faced with the realisation that he may be too deep to get out alive his only option is to unmask and out the lecherous villain before he kills again. And the next name on the murderers list is Donald Strachey.
USA, 2005, 98mins. Director: Ron Oliver (screens with) SHOCK TO THE SYSTEM - When hard boiled private eye Donald Strachey (Chad Allen) finds his latest client dead an apparent suicide Albany s favourite gay detective smells a rat and decides to take matters into his own hands. With the help of his straight-laced but adoring husband Tim (Sebastian Spence) and his occasionally too-eager assistant Kenny, Strachey's investigation leads him on a dark and dangerous trail into the world of gay conversion therapy - a twisted mix of psychology and religion designed by Dr. Trevor Cornell to turn homsexuals straight. With a cast of sexy young suspects at the heart of the mystery and a standout performance from pop culture icon Morgan Fairchild as a wealthy socialite with a few secrets of her own. This second installment of the successful Donald Strachey Mysteries based on author Richard Stevenson's much-loved book series is sure to leave even the most jaded audiences in shock
USA, 2006, 91mins. Director: Ron Oliver
Friday 12 March LUCKY BLUE - A Swedish summer night. A camping site somewhere in Sweden. The grand emotions, the little person, the first love, trailers, karaoke and a bird… This is the story of Olle who, in spite of his insecurities and fears, finally finds the courage to express his love. In his own way. Writer/Director: Hakon Liu, 2007, Sweden*, 28mins
* Swedish with English subtitles (screens with) PATRIK 1,5 - Goran and Sven have been cleared for adoption and they have a possibility to adopt a Swedish orphan, Patrik 1,5. But when Patrik arrives he turns out to be someone else, not the little boy they were expecting. A comma had been misplaced, and in comes a 15-year-old homophobe with a criminal past. Sweden*, 2008, 103mins. Director: Ella Lemhagen * Swedish with English subtitles
TRU LOVED: Before THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT, there was Stewart Wade's quirky lesbian-mom comedy. Recently relocated from San Francisco to conservative suburbia by her lesbian mothers, Tru struggles like all teens to fit in and find love, but her quest is complicated by sexual politics, closed minds, and closeted friends as she seeks to establish her school's first Gay-Straight Alliance. Featuring Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty) and Jane Lynch (Glee). (screens with) From Beginning to End: Our screening last month didn’t happen for reasons only Australia Post can answer (9 days to deliver an overnight express satchell - thanks guys), and so we present this second chance to watch what promises to be the hottest and most controversial film of the year. Causing a stir in its native Brazil, From Beginning To End is a drama that delves into a passionate relationship between two brothers. D. Aluisio Abranches. 2009. 100mins. MA.
Thursday 2 December 2010
Screening at Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archive
FAN AND SISTAGIRL - In Fan (Netherlands, 2009, 52 mins) filmmaker Nienke Eijsink is on a quest to find her childhood idol, role model and first love: Doctor Chris Randall from the Australian TV series The Flying Doctors, and Liz Burch, the actress behind Dr. Chris. Self-avowedly hysterical, but also disarmingly honest, Fan is the age-old story of the collision between the overwhelming force of our fantasies and immovability of reality. Plus Sistagirl (Dir: Andy Canny / Donna McCrum, Aust. 2010, 54 mins); with Indigenous Australian photographer Bindi Cole travelling north to meet drag performer Foxxy Empire and explore the tight-knit community of the transgender sistagirls of Tiwi Island.
Saturday 4 December 2010
Screening at Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archive
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT: PRIMA DONNA
Fascinating at two levels, Prima Donna follows pop star and modern gay icon Rufus Wainwright at work on his debut as an opera composer. It is a ‘backstage musical’ of a sort, embedded into the creative process as Wainwright struggles to be taken seriously in the structured hierarchy of traditional opera. But it also a disarming portrait of the artist, the star and the complex relationships amongst the extended Wainwright family. Oddly, delightfully, what most emerges is a Rufus Wainwright who is a bit of ham, star struck by and keen to celebrate the glam of Judy Garland and the Broadway musical.
Sunday 5 December 2010
Screenning at Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archive
I SHOT MY LOVE AND NOBODY PASSES PERFECTLY
I Shot My Love (Ger/Israel, 2009, 56 min) deeply explores maybe the most taboo of all relationships. Filmmaker Tomer Heymann – the Israel grandson of a holocaust survivor – falls for German dancer Andreas. This cultural difference are fascinating enough; but when Andreas comes to live with Tomer in Tel-Aviv, and Tomer’s mother discovers Andreas’s family had links to the Nazi Party, the tension is crackling. Plus, in Nobody Passes Perfectly (Denmark, 2009, 43 min) director Saskia Bisp explores gender and sexuality through two individuals who are redefining their relationships as they are redefining their gender identity. Tomka is midway through the process of becoming a man, with loyal and loving lesbian girlfriend Lotte right by his side. Meanwhile, Erik was once a heterosexual woman, but is now negotiating his new identity by dating amongst the gay male scene.
Sunday 5 December 2010
Screening at Arc Cinema at the National Film and Sound Archive
THE BIRTH OF QUEER CINEMA - Key films from the American cinema underground that set the template for the emergence of Queer cinema. Kenneth Anger’s Scorpio Rising (1964, 29 mins) was a hip collage of Biker movies, black leather, 50s pop tunes, Satanic worship, sex and death that influenced The Rolling Stones, Martin Scorsese and Dennis Hopper, as well as coming generations of gay filmmakers and artists. References to the films of Josef von Sternberg, to symbolist poetry, plus its high camp, low production values and running amok sexual amorality all marked Jack Smith’s Flaming Creatures (1963, 45 mins) as the landmark for Queer cinema (assisted by the critique of one US senator that it was “...so sick, I couldn’t even get aroused”). Blonde Cobra (1959-63, 33 mins) – begun by Smith and Bob Fleischner, but completed by experimental filmmaker Ken Jacobs – continued Smith’s eccentric and often autobiographic interest in the inner ‘theatre’ of gay and transsexual subculture in 60s America.
Saturday 13 November 2010
DOUBLE FEATURE - THE BUTCH FACTOR - Is there a gay man out there who hasn't pondered the meaning of masculinity? Insightful interviews mixed with entertaining eye-candy make this fast-paced testosterone tour a must-watch movie for all gay men. From the Castro clone culture of the 1970s to today's Bears and gym rats this fascinating investigation of gay men and masculinity blows the lid off old stereotypes and showcases a strapping battalion of interviewees including muscle men, rodeo riders, rugby players and cops. The men speak candidly on a range of topics from homophobia to metrosexuality to embracing effeminacy as they reveal what it means to be a gay man today. "Extremely entertaining and informative!" - Kevin Thomas, Examiner.com (screens with) MR RIGHT - louise thought she'd met the man of her dreams - but it all went horribly wrong when she introduced him to her gay friends. Harry hates being a TV producer and dreams of leaving his job to travel the world. He loves Alex, an aspiring actor who is struggling to create an identity for himself as a performer. Rugby player William's nine-year-old daughter is intent on sabotaging his relationships with new boyfriends, and he's finding it difficult to let Lawrence, the soap star, into his life. Lars is a handsome sometime-model kept by Tom, a successful artist, who will excuse his every betrayal so long as Lars doesn't leave him.
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© Bent Lenses Inc: 2001 - 2011 Last Updated: 26 May 2011