Kingston's queer film and video festival
has come along way from its humble beginnings. What
was once an evening of short films shown in the less
than stellar accommodations of Club 477s back room;
reelout has now become a major event spread out over
five days in three different locations with over a dozen
short films and seven feature-length films.
"Who knew when we started this that it would
become such a success?" says Marney McDiarmid one
of reelout's original organizers. " This event
is so significant to the Kingston community regardless
of one's sexuality. Film and video have always been
a vital part of queer cultural expression. As queer
themes and characters increasingly find their way into
mainstream film and television, however, it is important
not to let the work of independent artists slip from
view."
Festival organizer Emily vanderMeulen says, "
Reelout gives us a forum for highlighting important
issues from the past and challenging ideas for the future."
While indeed reelout has strived to be politically and
socially conscious it has always meant to be about fun.
Festival organizer Matt Salton says, " Every year
we've based the festival around some sort of theme.
Last year's theme was "hot docs" and while
it was the most financially rewarding festival to date,
some areas of the community had a hard time getting
excited over an entire film festival programmed with
documentaries regardless whether they were about gay
rights in Ontario, the Hasidic and Orthodox gay community,
or a lesbian Tupperware salesman. This year we have
strived to showcase more feature-length films that border
on mainstream but still lean towards the independent
fringe."
"Our primary concern last year," Salton
says. " Is we sold out of every screening at the
Screening Room leaving people high and dry. This year
we decided that a bigger venue was going to be required
to meet the demand. We love the Screening Room and we
have had a lovely partnership with them since the beginning
and will continue to do so but it's kind of like we
are leaving the nest and branching out into something
bigger. A lot of films we are screening this year are
distinctively downtown and will appeal to the Screening
Room crowd. Saturday nights programs will all be held
at the Screening Room as well as Thursday night's screening
of Ziad Touma's techno-pounding eye candy odyssey Saved
By The Belles. All the rest of our films will be
screened at the Etherington Auditorium on Queen's campus
and there will be a special screening and panel discussion
based around the film Apples and Oranges directed
by Lynne Fernie at the central branch of the Kingston
Public Library at 2pm on Saturday. We also are proud
to announce our opening Gala Party will be at the Grad
Club on Friday 10pm and our Closing Night Party at Tango
Tapas Bar at 9pm on Sunday.
Apples and Oranges : Homophobia and Bullying
is an eighteen minute animated film aimed at 8 to 12
year olds that addresses the harmful effects that homophobic
name calling can cause. This will be a free event and
will be followed by a panel discussion lead by Allison
Cope, an educator for HIV/AIDS regional services, Dr.
Magda Lewis from the Faculty of Education, and Irene
Chisholm vice-principal of Centennial Public School.
I Exist is a feature-length documentary by
Peter Barbosa and Garret Lenoir that won the best documentary
feature award at the 2003 New York Lesbian and Gay Film
Festival that focuses on the personal stories of middle-eastern
Christians, Jews and Muslims all of whom face the nature
of homophobia from the culture at large and their own
communities. This film will also be followed by a panel
discussion and will be shown on Thursday evening at
7pm at Etherington Auditorium.
The other exciting specialty program is Children
of the Rainbow by film maker Duane Ghastant' Aucoin
who will also be reelout's honorary guest director this
year. Festival Organizer Hilton Bertalan had the opportunity
to be in attendance for the screening that won Aucoin
the Audience Favorite Award for Best Feature at the
Out On Screen Gay and Lesbian Film Festival Vancouver
last year. " I was overwhelmed by that experience,"
Bertalan says. " In my heart I wished we could
have shown something like that in Kingston but thought
it would be too complicated to maneuver. Children
of the Rainbow isn't so much a "film"
but more of an experience that benefits from musical
performances and native dance. It is a performance piece
in every sense of the word." Bertalan got his wish
and with the assistance from the Four Directions Aboriginal
Center, Kingstonians will be able to see the work as
intended with full interactive participation. Children
Of The Rainbow will be the closing film of this
year's festival and will be screened at 7pm at Etherington
Auditorium.
Another find from Vancouver's festival was the Canadian
feature Girl King by Ileana Peitrobruno. Festival
Organizer Nadia Guidotto uncovered this buried treasure
of lesbian erotica on the high seas and affectionately
refers to it as " The Pirates Of The Carrilesbian".
The film itself is pure camp and features many stunning
women in and out of male pirate drag. GirlKing
will be screening at 9 30 pm on Saturday night at the
Screening Room.
Also at the Screening Room at 7pm is reelout's most
beloved program of women's short films. This year's
entry is entitled Sweet Tarts and features
sexy, and sweet films from Canada, the US, Sweden ,
the Netherlands and Australia. One short film is the
critically acclaimed D.E.B.S from director
Angela Robinson, a highly energetic spy spoof featuring
catholic school girl special agents thwarting evil.
It features Tammy Lynn Michaels ( Melissa Etheridge's
wife) and is currently being developed as a feature-length
film.
Wednesday's line up of films at Etherington consists
of the documentary Radical Harmonies and the feature
You'll Get Over It. Radical Harmonies won the
best documentary at the San Francisco International
Lesbian and Gay Film Festival and features vibrant performance
footage, in-depth interviews and archival material that
chronicles the evolution of the women's music scene.
This film will be preceded by musical drumming group,
"Get In The Car". You'll Get Over It is
a teen coming out movie for grown ups and features brilliant
performances by its young cast. The story revolves around
a young swimming star, his girlfriend, his best friend,
and the new boy at school who challenges the athlete's
closeted way of life.
Thursday night in addition to I Exist at Etherington
Auditorium, reelout will be screening the Canadian Feature
Film Saved By The Belles at the Screening Room
at 9 30 pm. The film, directed by Ziad Touma is about
a beautiful amnesiac who is taken in by a family of
club kids who help him discover his true identity. This
movie is fast and furious with lush visuals and a pulse-pounding
soundtrack and will feature Kingston's own electronica
diva Miss Typhanie prior to the screening.
Reelout's gala film this year will be the epic BBC
production of Tipping The Velvet directed by
Geoff Sax. The Gala Premiere costs ten dollars which
includes admission to the Gala Party at the Grad Club
after the show and will be screened at Etherington Auditorium.
Based on the award-winning novel by Sarah Waters, Tipping
The Velvet is a melodrama of breathless, corseted,
Victorian pleasure. Nan, a village oyster girl falls
in love with a gender-bending music hall chanteuse named
Kitty.
Tickets are $ 8 per program with the exception of Tipping
The Velvet which is $10. Apples and Oranges is
a free event. Festival Passes are $50. Opening Night
Gala tickets are $5 just for the party and can be purchased
at the door. Closing Gala at Tango is free with ticket
stub.
Advanced ticket sales can be purchased at either of
the following locations March
1st-9th.
Zap Records
340 Princess Street
547-9949 (cash only please)
Classic Video
40 Clarence Street
542-3900
UsedBookstore
JDUC Queens University
533-2120
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