Gay film festival intrigues, inspires

The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival, more commonly known as AGLIFF, presented its 23rd festival this year. It started in 1987 with four films and has grown to six days with over 150 films.  The selection continues to grow and be more diverse every year. According to program director Jake Gonzales, this year's festival includes 68 films for the ladies and 65 for the men, "It's about time we got some gender equality around here."

Held at Alamo Drafthouse South Lamar, the lines were long, and a few times non-badge holders were turned away for lack of seating, but overall, it seemed like people were happy to be there, no matter how long the wait was."I've come every year, for the past five years," said festival attendee John Hartford.

Despite the pouring rain on Tuesday night, people turned out to see the opening night film, Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, with the accompanying short, Ajumma! Are You Krazy??? Fun, witty and unusual, this film was a great way to kick things off for the festival.

The Topp Twins are twin Lesbian sisters from Australia who have their own prime time TV show, spread a political message and yodel their way to your heart. 

Thursday night featured the avant garde short After coupled with the thought provoking, if not controversial The Adults in the Room. After, based on the poem "After School, Street Football, Eighth Grade" by Dennis Cooper, follows three teens as they daydream about their favorite football playing classmate.  You see some rather interesting images, including some almost graphic medical fantasy scenes. Then you follow each of the boys as they watch their fantasy figure is struck by a car and the horror they feel because of it. 

Andy Blubaugh struggles in The Adults in the Room with an affair he had as a teenager with an adult.  He has grown up to be a film teacher himself and struggles with making a film documenting his first relationship with Peter. In the movie, a real-life parallel unveils itself when a local politician admits that he has been having an affair with his younger male intern.  The film combines documentary with first-person storytelling.  No matter what your feelings are on what transpired between Andy and Peter, this film will leave you thinking.

Gen Silent on Friday follows older members of the LGBT community and talks about the struggles they faced in the ‘30s, ‘40s and ‘50s. The film then explores the problems and discrimination they encounter when they reach retirement age. Because of fear due to their past experiences, they didn't seek the medical help they needed and would have received with elder care provided in nursing homes and assisted living centers. I never would have imagined people working in nursing homes trying to convert elderly people to make them see the light so to speak, as they are on their deathbeds.   

Gen Silent touched deeply emotional issues and brought one audience member, who didn't wanted to be named, to tears. He stated that he was terrified by the idea that if he ever ended up in a nursing home, he would receive the same treatment the movie characters did. For many, the fear of retirement, old age and the health issues that accompany seniority are not far off.  The movie is definitely worth watching, but keep a Kleenex box nearby.

The centerpiece film of the festival was Howl. The movie, directed by Rob Epstein, is based on a poem by Allen Ginsberg and the legal issues surrounding it. Considered obscene at the time, Ginsberg's poem became an integral part of the beat movement of the sixties. 

With Ginsberg played by James Franco, the film reenacts the poem's first reading in San Francisco, 1957. Line-by-line, the film examines the poem and brings the words to life through images and animation. 

Franco gives a great turn as Ginsberg, and it is a treat to see a portrayal of Howl being performed for the first time. This film release is scheduled for September 24 and is worth the watch.

Sunday morning brought the Queer Youth Media Project and My Queer Movie Competition. In conjunction with Out Youth, a local organization for GLBT youth, the students spent the summer learning the whole movie making process and produced their new public service announcement. 

The accompanying films included robots, metrosexuals, a history about gay culture, a love triangle and the sinfulness of being left-handed. They are hard to describe but all are strong first efforts in their own ways. You can feel the heart and emotion put into each one of them, and more information on them can be found on the AGLIFF website, for those who would like to learn more about this project.

Faith of the Abomination was interesting to watch, and depending on your religious views, might be rather funny as well. Ceil and Hahn are a highly religious lesbian couple.  Ceil is a minister who believes strongly in the evangelical faith she grew up in. 

They leave the comfort of their regular church, Metropolitan Community Church (MCC), and spend a year in an evangelical church, only to be asked to repent for their sins so they can be accepted.  Feeling  that this is wrong, they decide to do a social experiment and transform themselves into Vietnamese missionaries. They visit an Austin Evangelical church where they are accepted with open arms as a straight couple. When they reveal themselves as lesbians, they are asked to repent. It's fun to watch in some ways and disturbing in others, but the final reveal is fraught with tension.

AGLIFF was a great festival that offered something for everyone, GLBT or not.  It is definitely worth the long lines. If you plan on attending next year's festival, go early to guarantee your seat. Each film is carefully selected, and is sure to be worth the long lines.