FILM FESTIVAL PREVIEW
Out on Film
Oct. 2-9 at Landmark Midtown Art. Most screenings $11. 931 Monroe Drive, Atlanta. www.outonfilm.org.
Beyond Mo’Nique in the opening night feature “Blackbird,” here are five more highlights from Out on Film’s lineup of nearly 90 titles:
"Compared to What: The Improbable Journey of Barney Frank": Documentary provides an intimate look at the life of Barney Frank, the quick-witted, cantankerous and openly gay congressman, who served from 1981 to 2013. (4:45 p.m. Oct. 4)
"Alec Mapa: Baby Daddy": In this film of his one-man show, actor-comedian Mapa ("America's Gaysian Sweetheart") shares funny and heartfelt stories about how his life has changed since he and his husband adopted a 5-year-old boy. Q&A with Mapa and director Andrea James follows film. (7 p.m. Oct. 4)
"Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine": Documentary about the gay University of Wyoming student who was tortured and murdered in the notorious 1998 hate crime. Directed by Michele Josue, a friend of Shepard's, it includes rare photos and video footage and revelations about his too-brief life. (5 p.m. Oct. 5)
"The Way He Looks": Brazil's official submission for the best foreign-language film category of the 2015 Academy Awards finds Leonardo, a blind teenager with an overprotective mother, yearning for his independence. After deciding to study abroad to the disappointment of his best friend, Giovana, he rethinks his plans when he develops a crush on a new male classmate. (7:15 p.m. Oct. 5)
"Appropriate Behavior": Director-writer-star Desiree Akhavan plays Shirin, who struggles to balance being an ideal Persian daughter, politically correct bisexual and hipster Brooklynite. The comedy drew comparisons to "Girls" at the Sundance Film Festival even before Akhavan was added to the cast of the HBO hit. (7:30 p.m. Oct. 7)
