The movies share a common gay/lesbian/transgender sensibility, but otherwise the lineup for this year’s Out on Film Festival is literally all over the map. While several of the movies were made by filmmakers with local connections, others span the globe from Canada to Europe to Taiwan.
Scheduled Friday-Thursday, all screenings will take place at Landmark’s Midtown Art Cinema.
Among the highlights:
Friday
“The Big Gay Musical” (7:30 p.m.). In this throwback to splashy backstage musicals of yore, real life appears to be imitating so-called art for two off-Broadway actors, when situations in their personal lives begin to mirror those of their characters in a campy biblical spoof (“Adam & Steve”). An audience Q&A and after party follow the screening ($20).
Saturday
“Annul Victory” (4 p.m.). This documentary contrasts the California Supreme Court decision legalizing same-sex marriages with the eventual passage of Proposition 8 (banning them).
“Rivers Wash Over Me” (7:30 p.m.). After his mother dies, a Brooklyn teenager moves to the rural South to live with the extended family he barely knows. Because he’s black, he faces racial tension from the rednecks in town. Because he’s gay, too, he sparks anger and abuse at home. An audience Q&A with executive producer (and Atlanta native) Dexter Davis follows the screening.
Sunday
“And Then Came Lola” (noon). A romantic comedy inspired by the German hit “Run, Lola, Run.” A photographer could lose both her job and her girlfriend if she’s late for a certain meeting. With the proverbial clock ticking, Lola hits the streets in a high-speed race against time.
“Family” (5 p.m.). A group of closeted black lesbians join together in a pact: Giving themselves a month, each in her own way vows to come out. Director — and former Atlantan — Faith Trimel also appears in the ensemble cast. An audience Q&A with her follows the screening.
“A Cross Burning in Willacoochee” (7:30 p.m.). The world premiere of a documentary by Roy Kirkland and Doug Sebastian, about their first-hand experience with anti-gay hate crimes in their small South Georgia town. An audience Q&A with the filmmakers follows the screening.
Monday
“Patrik, Age 1.5” (7:30 p.m.). A Swedish domestic comedy about a same-sex couple who think they’ve adopted a 15-month-old son. Due to a bureaucratic clerical error, the men are in for a surprise when their bundle of joy arrives in the form of a tough 15-year-old boy.
Tuesday
“Chef’s Special” (4 p.m.). A breezy Spanish comedy about a flustered head chef (and gay man), who’s not only dealing with the personal problems of his co-workers, but also stressing over the sudden arrival of his estranged kids (from a previous marriage). Things really heat up when a hunky soccer star moves in across the hall.
“Hannah Free” (7:30 p.m.). A love affair spans decades and the divergent paths of two women. One was always an “adventurous, unapologetic” lesbian, while the other succumbed to “traditional gender expectations” by getting married and raising a family. Sharon Gless stars.
Wednesday
“Ghosted” (5 p.m.). A German video-artist is consumed by the unsolved murder of her young lover. She meets an alluring Taiwanese journalist, who may have ulterior motives for coming on to her — or not be what she seems at all. Eastern and Western cultures clash, illusion and reality blur, in this mysterious love story.
“Dream Boy” (9 p.m.). A coming-of-age/coming-out drama — with a touch of Southern Gothic ghost story — based on Atlanta writer Jim Grimsley’s novel. Nathan is a plain and withdrawn new kid in town, Roy the cute and genial boy next door. The supporting cast features singer Rickie Lee Jones and Oscar-nominated actress (and longtime Savannah resident) Diana Scarwid as their mothers. An audience Q&A with Grimsley follows the screening.
Thursday
“Pornography, A Thriller” (9 p.m.). This psychological suspense drama centers around the questionable disappearance of a fictional gay porn star. The film overlaps subplots involving a writer investigating the case and another adult-film star who wants to make a movie about it. An audience Q&A with director David Kittredge follows the screening.
Film festival preview
Out on Film
Friday-Thursday (screening times vary). $10 individual tickets are available at Landmark's Midtown Art Cinema box office (931 Monroe Drive) or online (www.landmarktheatres.com/tickets ). Festival passes ($75 each) and a complete schedule of events are also available online) www.outonfilm.org , 404-671-9446
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