The Joys of
Boys:
These Shorts are Packed
By MarcThomson
Screening queens rejoice! An amazing array of short
films directed right
at the gay male are concentrated into three, power-packed
programs
for the 2005 Palm Springs International Festival of
Short Films. From hot
tales about hot tail in coming-out stories guaranteed
to fellate your fantasies for years to come, to deeply
moving tributes to the profound human beauty of queer
culture, you’re bound to find several moments
of artistic ecstasy.
Humor and romance provide the unique blossoms of this
year’s crop of
new gay flicks. It’s a welcome trend, says Jamie
Donahue, director of
the hysterical parody Billy’s Dad is a Fudge-Packer
starring Queer as
Folk’s Robert Gant and Mad TV’s Alex Borstein,
who notes that comedy doesn’t usually get its
due in festivals. “[Billy] has been to 23 festivals
so far and the one’s I’ve made it to,
the audiences love it,” she proudly pointed
out to The BottomLine. “ … The first time
it was stuck at the
end of a series of very dramatic, tragic short films
that were so serious that I felt my film was just
going to be booed off the screen. I was terrified.
But the audience loved it. Maybe they just needed
a laugh by that time. But so few do comedy, and certainly
comedy almost never
wins awards. And it’s unfair, of course, because
you still need all the layers that you use in drama,
all the same expertise.”
Although new auteur James Burkhammer II admits he
regretfully cut out
a lot of the sex from his film on incest, Starcrossed,
he hopes the
romantic vibe elevates a discussion of the taboo out
of the gutter. “It’s
a “Romeo and Juliet” kind of story,”
he said. “But for me, incest is no problem although
it’s the last taboo. … I happen to think
it’s possible to have a healthy incestuous relationship,
one not based on abuse — but
in my film the boys are both the same age.”
One of my personal
favorites, Billy’s Dad is a Fudge-Packer (USA),
directed by Jamie Donahue, brings a scathing parody
of 1950s
educational films. To say nearly everything is a double-entendre
is an understatement. Like so many of the “educational”
films of that era, a
pre-adolescent boy, Billy, is wondering what he wants
to be when he grows up, where he’ll fit in.
His father, played by Robert Gant from
Queer As Folk, really does manage a confectionery
that packages and processes fudge, but as is so evident
in the title, it’s what isn’t said
that’s so hysterical. As we see Billy’s
father, the narrator explains that “Billy’s
dad works the men long and hard, but he still finds
the kindness
to push in Bob’s stool.” Catch Alex Borstein
of Mad TV fame as she
“sees to the needs of all the housewives while
their men are at work!” There’s a lot
of yuks packed into this 10-minute flick.
Young U.S. director,
James Burkhammer II explores the possibility that
incest may not be an absolute evil and, in fact, Starcrossed
offers a romantic, if tragic, tale of two beautiful
brothers whose passion has doomed them as surely as
Romeo & Juliet. The newbie director shows
an amazing visual skill, minimal dialog and brilliant
use of music throughout the film that sets his entry
apart from most.
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Chick
Flicks at the Film Fest
By Mona de Crinis
Mention lesbian shorts
in the Coachella Valley and images of golf wear immediately
come to mind. Or tennis. Or hiking attire. Abercrombie?
Nike? Adidas, anyone?
But from September 20-26, a different brand of lesbian
shorts will be making a fashion statement. The 2005
Palm Springs International Festival of Short Films promises
to present a hip, stylish line of short films made by,
about or involving lesbians and issues surrounding their
sexuality.
When critiquing short film programs, reviewers often
look for a common thread, a unifying element, imagery
that fuses, some related symbolism — the thing
that ties it all together. With the two lesbian programs
screening at this year’s festival, the most persuasive
unifying thread is excellence. Beyond that, these films
are a study in diversity. Yes, they are all classified
as shorts. Yes, they are all about or by women who love
women. But that’s where the similarities end,
as subject matter, production quality, formatting and
focus prove refreshingly varied in this year’s
offerings.
The Palm Springs Festival of Short Films presents “I
Know What Girls Want” (106 minutes), screening
Thursday, September 22, at 7 pm and “Girl On Girl”
(95 minutes) on Saturday, September 24, at 8 pm, both
at the Camelot Theatres in Palm Springs. That’s
a 100 percent increase in programs from last year’s
event. So grab your friends, your sisters, your crazy
aunt, your best boy, your favorite girl and get out
in support of these women (and men) who have gone to
incredible lengths to entertain, titillate and enlighten
you, even if just for a ‘short’ while.
The following films do not represent all those being
screened in the two girl-for-girl programs, but hopefully
the descriptions will whet your appetite. To really
experience every succulent nuance and flavor, however,
buy yourself a ticket and get your tush in that theater
seat.
C’mon, girls... it may not be Dinah Shore Weekend,
but it’s certainly worth a couple of nights out
on the town. You’ll be happy you did.
For starters, you’ll no doubt
get both a laugh and some insight from the short Prom-troversy.
In this film by Leanna Creel, produced by Honey Labrador
and POWER UP (pick up the next issue of The BottomLine
for an in-depth look at this revolutionary non-profit
industry networking and film production group), Tiffany,
the most popular girl in school, asks campus lesbian
Cassie to the prom, after Tiffany discovers that her
boyfriend can’t go. The result is an amusing,
tongue-in-cheek look at senseless stereotypes and
the knee-jerk reaction of suburban Sherman Valley.
“The story is kind of like a smaller version
of what’s going on with gay marriage, with everyone
kind of a caricature,” comments producer Honey
Labrador. “The most grounded is the lesbian
(Cassie), who is asked to the prom by “The Hot
Girl,” the cheerleader type. The story is all
that ensues from that.” This controversial act
results in a protest led by a concerned parent played
by Jane Lynch, who’s obsessively pushing a “Defense
of Prom” initiative.
While it may be best described as a mockumentary,
the core subject matter is definitely not something
to be mocked. “It’s funny, but it’s
not,” says Labrador. “It’s a poignant
story shot as a film within a film. It’s about
being young and it’s about acceptance.”
Labrador says she wants to be the “gay John
Hughes.” With films like Prom-troversy, she
may be well on her way.
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