The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is all grown up, celebrating its 21st birthday this year with a lineup featuring 37 screening events over 11 days and, of course, plenty of parties. The estimable programming director Margaret Murray is back (and back in Tampa — she's returned to us from Washington, D.C.!) with, as always, an eclectic, appealing mix of films.
The big draw may turn out to be Howl, starring the mercurial James Franco as gay poet Allen Ginsberg, whose groundbreaking poem Howl led to an obscenity trial in 1957. Early reviews from screenings at Sundance and other festivals have been mixed, but the innovative structure, combining bio-pic, courtroom drama, archival footage and animation, and intriguing cast (Jon Hamm, Mary-Louise Parker, David Strathairn, Jeff Daniels) make this one a must-see.
More highlights of this year's lineup after the break.
This article appears in Sep 2-8, 2010.