We screened many (though not all) of the offerings on tap for TIGLFF's Oct. 6-16 run. Here are our reviews, in order of their screening dates. Purchase tickets at www.tiglff.com or call 813-879-4220 or 727-828-0735.
Gun Hill Road A finalist for the Sundance 2011 Jury Award, Gun Hill Road is a compelling portrait of a Latino teenager in the Bronx whose explorations of his sexuality enrage his father, who has just been released from prison. The storyline may sound predictable, but deeply felt performances by Harmony Santana, Esai Morales and Judy Reyes — and the textured writing and direction of debut filmmaker Rashaad Ernesto Green — make this an involving, ultimately very moving film. Thurs. Oct. 6, 7:45 p.m., Tampa Theatre.
Jamie & Jessie Are Not Together Jamie (Jacqui Jackson) and Jessie (Jessica London-Shields) are cute gay roommates who swear they're not in a relationship, but their protestations are put to the test when Jamie announces she's moving to Brooklyn. There's a solid romantic comedy at the core of Jamie & Jessie Are Not Together, but you have to fight through a half-dozen awful musical numbers to get there. It's a shame that writer/director Wendy Jo Carleton didn't just stick with her smart script, which gets plenty right about love, dating, and the way some people ignore their feelings and sabotage their own lives. Jamie & Jessie is highlighted by understated, natural performances from Jackson and London-Shields, and the Chicago local color is well captured. But the singing … ugh, the singing. Fri. Oct. 7, 7 p.m., Tampa Theatre. —Joe Bardi
The Green Director Steven Williford has assembled an impressive cast for his feature debut. Obie winner Jason Butler Harner and impossibly handsome Cheyenne Jackson of Glee and Broadway fame bring a casual rightness to their roles as a longtime gay couple; Julia Ormond has an unfussy charm as a lesbian lawyer who doesn't know what duct tape is; and Ileana Douglas is her inimitable wry self as Harner's best friend. The story — Harner's a drama teacher whose concern for a troubled student leads to accusations of an "inappropriate" relationship — feels a little bit over-determined: I wish, for instance, it weren't framed by Harner teaching a lesson on The Crucible, because you pretty much know from the get-go that someone's going to get metaphorically burned at the stake because of small-town rumor. And wouldn't a liberal Connecticut private school be a little less inclined to rush to judgment? But accusations involving children have the tendency to obliterate reason, the script seems to be saying, and the film delves honestly into issues of trust and shame that can flare up in the closest of relationships. Sat. Oct. 8, 1 p.m., Tampa Theatre.
Hit So Hard: The Life & Near Death Story of Patty Schemel This rock bio from P. David Ebersole chronicles the experiences of former Hole drummer Patty Schemel with blunt sincerity and poignant, if sometimes gritty video that includes off-the-cuff moments, live concert footage, and insightful interviews from Schemel, her former bandmates, and a range of other people who knew her, played with her or were influenced by her. The doc sheds light on Schemel's close relationship with Kurt Cobain, her battle with drug abuse, her role in Hole and the studio sessions that led to 1998's Celebrity Skin and her exit from the band, her downward spiral into homelessness and crack addiction, and her eventual return to normalcy. While the film touches on her gayness, Hit So Hard isn't about her sexuality; it's about a woman who clawed her way out of the dark and emerged scarred but triumphant. Sat. Oct. 8, 3 p.m., Tampa Theatre. —Leilani Polk
Kink Crusaders The uninitiated may empathize with some of the bemused bystanders interviewed during the filming of this documentary about the International Mr. Leather competition at a hotel in Chicago, but the film's clear-eyed representation of the movement's multiple proclivities and body types is its strong suit. One size does not fit all in the leather/fetish community, but all sizes fit, from a sexy Venezuelan in chaps to a bespectacled fellow in a wheelchair. Unfortunately, the film also feels like a long ad for the founder of the competition, who doesn't demur too hard when he's called a genius; his leadership seems to have been important in bringing the leather community together, but Mr. Leather is, well, a variation on a beauty pageant. Sat. Oct. 8, 5 p.m., Tampa Theatre.
Going Down in La-La Land Matthew Ludwinski is so sultry model-handsome that it's impossible to believe he didn't just walk off a runway, making it also hard to believe him as Adam, a struggling L.A. actor who falls (awfully easily) into porn acting and rent-boy-ing. But there's a dry knowingness about Hollywood mores in director Casper Andreas' script (adapted from a novel by Andy Zeffer), a droll cameo by Bruce Vilanch as a Chi Chi LaRue-esque porn director, and best of all, Allison Lane as Candy, Adam's deliciously superficial, self-involved but loyal best friend who's certain her big acting break is around the corner. It should be; Candy deserves her own sitcom. Sat. Oct. 8, 7 p.m., Tampa Theatre.
Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same Imagine Plan 9 from Outer Space as directed by Jim Jarmusch if Jim Jarmusch were a lesbian; that gives you a sense of this sublimely goofy and surprisingly touching inter-galactic love story, filmed in intentionally cheezy '50s sci-fi black-and-white (with what looks like a McDonald's Egg McMuffin box passing for a spaceship). Lonely card store clerk Jane (Lisa Haas) finds a mash note dropped from a hovering flying saucer, a story her therapist doesn't quite believe but which turns out to be sort of true. Soon enough not one but three bald-capped, high-collared space lesbians are bouncing around NYC, banished from their home planet because their "big feelings" were apparently burning a hole in the ozone layer. A sweet paean to alien-ated beings everywhere. Sat. Oct. 8, 9 p.m., Tampa Theatre.
So Hard to Forget (Como Esquecer) This Brazilian drama is more accurately conveyed through the title's literal translation, "How can we forget" — or, better yet, "How can we forget?" With sinuous Portuguese dialogue, naturally striking actors and equally gorgeous, cozy settings, the film sets a comforting tone that offsets its heavy post-loss subject matter. It introduces us to Julia, a stoic literature professor who's consumed with grief over the abrupt departure of her girlfriend. She finds support from her roomies, an endearing broken-hearts club in a home by the sea. A love triangle of sorts involving a free-spirited houseguest (hello, cinematic cliché?) and rebellious student becomes a bit cloying, but So Hard to Forget is a memorable treat overall. Directed by Malu De Martino and starring Ana Paula Arosi. Sun. Oct. 9, 7 p.m., Tampa Theatre. —Julie Garisto
ECupid Be careful what you click for. Marshall (Houston Rhines), frustrated with his seven-year relationship and his dead-end career, stumbles onto a computer app which promises to fulfill all of his romantic dreams but instead takes his life in directions he never intended and estranges him from his partner, winsome cafe owner Gabe (Noah Schuffman). Sounds like a promising premise, and there's a cute cameo by Morgan Fairchild, but the story plods predictably on and on, and Hines and Schuffman are so utterly bland that you just want them to reunite and get the whole thing over with already. Sun. Oct. 9, 9 p.m., Tampa Theatre.
Gen Silent An enlightening but sobering documentary about the paradoxical dilemma of the LGBT elderly; the world is more tolerant than it was when they were young, but they have reached old age with no support systems in place, and social services are often ignorant of their particular concerns. The dignity and resilience of the interview subjects is wondrous; from a poet reaching out for love after years of caring for his invalid partner to a transgender woman with lung cancer determined to live independently, they all offer lessons in perseverance and grace. Sun., Oct. 9, 12 p.m. Tampa Museum of Art.
Romeos A riveting, exceptionally well-acted German film about Lukas, a 20-year-old in transition from female to male whose determination to pass as a boy is compromised when he's placed against his wishes in a girl's dorm. His secret and his friendship with a savvy, free-wheeling lesbian are threatened when he falls for a devilishly sexy, possibly dangerous and apparently bisexual man. Written and directed with an exacting eye by Sabine Bernardi. Mon. Oct. 10, 9 p.m., Tampa Theatre.
Hollywood to Dollywood Ostensibly a documentary about twin brothers driving cross-country to ambush Dolly Parton and hand her a script they've written, the delightful Hollywood to Dollywood is really a film about family and acceptance. As Gary and Larry Lane make their way from L.A. to Tennessee in a rented RV dubbed Jolene, they talk endlessly about their mother, their religious upbringing, and the lack of acceptance in their North Carolina hometown — all of it colored by their encyclopedic knowledge of the music and message of Dolly Parton. The pair also talks to gay men and women along the way who share their own experiences coming out, creating a portrait of at least part of the modern gay experience in the South. Parton appears late in the film and seems every bit the gracious star of legend, and the soundtrack is loaded with Dolly tunes (which indicates to me that she approves of the final product). Expertly shot and edited, Hollywood to Dollywood is a winner. Mon Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m., Muvico Baywalk. —JB
Bashment At face value, Rikki Beadle-Blair's Bashment centers around the issue of homophobia in Britain's reggae dancehalls. But this film, adapted from a stage play, is about much more than that, touching upon issues of racism, gender, sexuality, love, hate and the influence of music. The film's title comes with a double meaning; bashment is a style of reggae music and also refers to the incident central to the story's plot — a brutal gay-bashing at an MC competition at a reggae club. The three men responsible for the attack — members of the group KKK (Krazy Kop Killer) and its manager — leave Orlando, the boyfriend of their competitor, MC JJ, brain-damaged. The trio receives incredibly light sentences when they argue in court that they were provoked. As their release date from prison nears, friends of JJ and Orlando, as well as the remorseful defense attorney who represented the KKK, rally to analyze the lyrics of the music they once loved, looking for instances of homophobia and expressions of hatred, wondering if it inspired the hate crime. This moves JJ to reach out to his boyfriend's attackers and ask, "Did the music make you do it?" Incredibly moving and compelling, Bashment intelligently explores the triggers that could drive someone to hatred and violence.
Bashment: Sat. Oct. 15, 11 a.m., Tampa Theatre. A panel discussion follows the film with members of Community Tampa Bay, USF Pride and local youth groups and Gay/Straight Alliances. —Tiffany Razzano
TIGLFF is also co-sponsoring a forum Fri. Oct. 21 at USF called A Day of Evolution: Creating Effective Service Delivery Systems for Gay, Lesbian, Bi, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, 2-Spirited Youth and Young Adults. Events include a showing of Rikki Beadle-Blair's film Fit; a keynote speech by Hillsborough County Commissioner Kevin Beckner on building inclusive communities; and a candlelight vigil for victims of anti-gay bullying and violence. Co-sponsors with TIGLFF are Federation of Families, Men of Agape and Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Conference takes place at USF College of Behavorial and Community Sciences, Westside Conference Center C, 13301 Bruce B. Downs. Blvd., Tampa, Friday, Oct. 21, 11:00 a.m.-7 p.m. Open to the public; limited tickets available. For info, call 813-914-7930 or got to fofeventsoct2012.eventbrite.com.
Judas Kiss Movies relying on time travel as a plot device through which characters can rectify past mistakes and change their lives are nothing new. And it’s this unoriginal notion around which Judas Kiss centers, as brooding, washed-up filmmaker-turned-wedding-videographer Zachary (Charlie David) heads to his alma mater to judge a film competition. On his first evening there, he has a torrid one-night stand with an undergrad he meets at a bar. Only afterwards does Zachary realize that this student, Danny, has a film in the competition, and that he also shares the same name as Zachary (see, Zachary changed his name years ago) and made the same controversial short film, Judas Kiss, that Zachary made when he was a freshman in college. Zachary then grapples with whether he should use the opportunity to set his younger self down the right path, the one he never took for himself. Though well-shot and with good intentions, the movie plods along, leaving confusing holes in the storyline and, by the end, more questions than answers. Sun. Oct. 16, 3 p.m., Tampa Theatre. —Tiffany Razzano
Leave It On The Floor Imagine a mix of Paris Is Burning and Tyler Perry, and you may get a sense of the alternately exhilarating and exasperating experience that is Leave It On The Floor. Set in the L.A. drag-ball scene, it's a celebration of the tribes who live to perform and perfect their drag — a fictional portrayal of a subculture similar to the one explored in Paris Is Burning, Jennie Livingston's indelible 1990 documentary about the NYC ball scene. Like that film, Leave It (directed by Sheldon Larry) provides an insider's perspective on the social structures that support the balls, and the high stakes of the competitions, which are this film's fiercest, most thrilling moments. Unfortunately, they're woven into a story with the soap operatic tendencies of the worst Tyler Perry movies, plus uneven acting and unlikely musical numbers, like a sing-off between two opposing families at a funeral. Still, even that number is so over the top it's hard to resist, and what it represents — the difference between the family you're born into and the family you choose — gets to the heart of this film's strong statement in favor of forging one's own inimitable identity. Sun. Oct. 16, 7 p.m., Tampa Theatre —David Warner
This article appears in Oct 6-12, 2011.