Band of OUTsiders – The Boys and Girls in the Band

By Ron Merk

Indeed the title of this article references some famous titles in film history. I remember the advertising tag line for “The Boys in the Band.” It said The Boys in the Band is Not a Musical. At the time, I don’t think the studio had any idea what to do with this film. I’m not even sure they understood why they made it, except that it had been a hit on the New York stage. It certainly wasn’t a musical. But it opened the doors to discussion by the general public about gay people. Maybe it didn’t show them in a completely sympathetic light, but at least the lights were turned on.

“Band of Outsiders” is, of course, a film by Jean-Luc Godard. While it had nothing to do with the LGBT community, I think that the title aptly describes all of the films that play in Frameline, year after year. The characters do not “fit in” to the so-called “normal” world. They are rebels of different kinds. But they want to be accepted, or in some cases, maybe they don’t give a damn, and they create their own world to live in.

When you look at great cinema, the best films are always about outsiders, characters who don’t fit in, but somehow make the best of their circumstances, grow, survive, and sometimes, even triumph. Henry Fonda in “The Grapes of Wrath,” or Marlon Brando in “On The Waterfront,” and my favorite, James Dean in “East of Eden,” all are about outsiders, misfits and people just trying to make sense of their lives. No, none of them are LGBT themes, but in many ways, they lead the way to the kinds of films that are being made today which explore the issues of outsiders, whether they be LGBT, Asian, Latino, Jewish or others.

This year’s Frameline programming follows this tradition and takes us to places never imagined, even ten years ago. Who would have imagined same-sex marriage being Federal law? Or gay couples adopting children? Or all the changes in the laws that reflect the growing acceptance of LGBT people as just like everyone else? Sure, there are still many states which have laws that do not conform with federal law, and it’s going to take time, patience, persistence and education to change the hearst and minds of those who do not believe that LGBT people deserve the same civil rights as the rest of the population.

And films can educate them, enlighten them, even move them to be on the side of LGBT people getting the rights they deserve, just like everyone else. Every film that’s seen by a wider audience continues this tradition of opening up the road ahead. That’s the true nature and value of films. A key to change.

Here is some news from Frameline 38:

The San Francisco LGBT Film Festival, showing the best queer cinema from around the globe

Frameline, the world’s largest LGBT media arts nonprofit organization, is proud to announce Frameline38: the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival. This year’s internationally renowned showcase for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) cinema runs June 19-29, with San Francisco screenings at the historic Castro Theatre (429 Castro Street), Roxie Theater (3117 16th Street) and the Victoria Theatre (2961 16th Street), and in Berkeley at Rialto Cinemas – Elmwood (2966 College Avenue).

With an expected attendance of 65,000, the 11 days of Frameline38 will bring together film lovers, media artists, and LGBTQ communities from the Bay Area and all across the globe to behold the best in queer cinema from nearly 800 film submissions. More than 30 countries will be represented, including Germany, Venezuela, Slovenia, Mexico, Finland, France, and a spotlight on LGBT Films in Today’s Russia. Tickets for Frameline38 will be on sale through www.frameline.org to members on Friday, May 23, 2014 and to the general public on Friday, May 30, 2014.

Frameline38 is honored to announce the return of Grand Sponsors AT&T and Wells Fargo in 2014.

OPENING NIGHT

THE CASE AGAINST 8 / dirs Ben Cotner and Ryan White / USA

HBO presents an all-access look at the first Supreme Court case on marriage equality. Shot over five years and featuring exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, the film follows the plaintiffs and the unlikely dream team of attorneys, Ted Olson and David Boies, as they challenge California’s Prop 8 ban on same-sex marriage.

After the film, the Frameline38 Opening Night Gala will be held at Terra Gallery (511 Harrison Street at First Street), where Festival attendees will enjoy the best in local cuisine, luscious libations, and scrumptious desserts from gala partners.

CLOSING NIGHT

I FEEL LIKE DISCO / dir Axel Ranisch / Germany

A hilarious and glittering yet tender portrait of awkward adolescence and parenthood. Flori is a pudgy teen who loves disco and struggles with his sexuality. And his overbearing dad just doesn’t get him at all. When Flori’s mom is suddenly gone, father and son must reconcile their relationship in this stellar fantasy-fueled coming-of-age dramatic comedy. Temple Nightclub (540 Street between First and Second Streets) will play host to the Festival’s dazzling Closing Night Gala, where Frameline announces the Frameline38 AT&T Audience Award winners and the Frameline38 Wells Fargo First Feature Award winner..

CENTERPIECE NARRATIVE

LILTING / dir Hong Khaou / UK

Exploring matters of lost love, memory, and cultural barriers with sensitivity and emotional truth, LILTING tells the story of a Chinese mother and her son’s British lover attempting to move on after the death of their beloved.

CENTERPIECE DOCUMENTARY and FRAMELINE AWARD

TO BE TAKEI / dir Jennifer M. Kroot and editor/co-dir Bill Weber / USA

Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II Japanese American internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of seven million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad as they travel around the U.S. on a playful and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.

The 2014 Frameline Award will honor activist and actor George Takei for his wide-ranging and pioneering contributions to the representation of LGBTQ figures in media.

FRAMELINE COMPLETION FUND RECIPIENTS

The Festival presents six films finished with assistance from the Frameline Completion Fund. Since 1990, Frameline has awarded more than $400,000 in completion funding to 125 film projects by and about the LGBTQ community. The following Frameline38 films were completed with assistance from the Completion Fund:

APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR / dir Desiree Akhavan / USA
In this dry comedy, a semi-closeted bisexual Persian American tries to live up to her family’s ideals and traditions while going through a breakup, navigating Brooklyn’s dating scene with both men and women, and figuring out what to do with the rest of her life.

BACK ON BOARD: GREG LOUGANIS / dir Cheryl Furjanic / USA
This touching documentary catches up with Olympic diving legend Greg Louganis in 2011, when he is far from the public eye and struggling to pay the mortgage. Can a comeback as a USA Diving team mentor help preserve his legacy?

KUMU HINA / dirs Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson / USA
This powerful film documents the struggle to maintain Pacific Islander culture within the westernizing society of modern day Hawai’i. It is told through the lens of Hina Wong-Kalu, an extraordinary Native Hawaiian woman who is both a proud mahu, or transgender person, and a respected kumu, or teacher.

OUT IN THE NIGHT / dir Blair Doroshwalther / USA
OUT IN THE NIGHT is a riveting documentary exploring the notorious case of The New Jersey 4, African American women branded by tabloids as a “Gang of Killer Lesbians!” after an altercation with an aggressive male “admirer” whose advances they rebuffed.

TO BE TAKEI / dir Jennifer M. Kroot and editor/co-dir Bill Weber / USA
Over seven decades, actor and activist George Takei journeyed from a World War II Japanese American internment camp to the helm of the Starship Enterprise, and then to the daily news feeds of seven million Facebook fans. Join George and his husband, Brad as they travel around the U.S. on a playful and profound trek for life, liberty, and love.

STICKS AND STONES / dir Silas Howard / USA
Notorious transsexual chanteuse, Bambi Lake, takes us on a stroll down pre-AIDS 1970s Polk Street, where Lake once worked as a street hustler and later as a performer in the burgeoning San Francisco ‘80s punk scene.

NEW STORYTELLING IN LGBT CINEMA

Frameline38 will also host a special series of film screenings and free panel discussions entitled New Storytelling in LGBT Cinema, an exploration into the future of queer film, covering topics of new cinematic approaches to gay history and biography, digital distribution, and the growth and support of queer women filmmakers. The three panels in the series are:

Past (Im)perfect: Filming Queer History

Secret lives, hidden communities, and suppressed imagery have made telling queer history on film a challenging task. This panel brings together passionate and accomplished filmmakers who have been dedicated to enlivening the queer past. The discussion will address proven and emerging cinematic approaches to LGBTQ history and biography, including hybrid documentary forms and creative narrative and visual strategies.

From Crowdfunding to Social Media to Distribution: Leveraging Emerging Digital Platforms and Technologies

Whether talking about the first dollar raised or the last seat filled during a “theatrical run,” the trajectory of an independent film looks quite different now than it did 20, ten, or even five years ago. Digitization has knocked down the barriers between filmmakers and audiences, and the effect can be seen from crowdfunding to the festival circuit to distribution. Frameline’s panel will contextualize the new model within the history of queer film and look to the future path being forged. Join Frameline for this exploration of the role of emerging technologies and how they impact filmmakers, audiences, and industry professionals.

Change Makers: In Conversation with Women Filmmakers

2014 marks both the 20th anniversary of the seminal New Queer Cinema classic GO FISH and the 15th anniversary of the trailblazing transmasculine biopic BOYS DON’T CRY. Both were bold and critically acclaimed feature film debuts by gifted storytellers and innovative female filmmakers. Frameline is proud to gather a dynamic group of established artists and emerging new talent to discuss how the contributions of women filmmakers have impacted and changed queer cinema and storytelling. The conversation will also highlight the trajectory over the past two decades of dynamic growth and development in new LGBTQ feature films that are being helmed by queer women filmmakers.

New Storytelling in LGBT Cinema is proudly supported by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences

SPOTLIGHT: LGBT FILMS IN TODAY’S RUSSIA
Against the backdrop of widespread intolerance and a 2013 federal law banning so-called “gay propaganda,” the quality of LGBT life in Russia has deteriorated disturbingly over the past year. Even so, queer-themed Russian cinema is still being made, albeit under increasingly risky conditions. Frameline38 presents four eye-opening programs featuring recent queer filmmaking from Russia: the dramas STAND and WINTER JOURNEY; a program of short films including PUSSY VS. PUTIN, about the activist band Pussy Riot; and the documentary CAMPAIGN OF HATE: RUSSIA AND GAY PROPAGANDA, followed by a discussion with filmmaker Michael Lucas and journalist Masha Gessen.

Other highly anticipated screenings at Frameline38 include Jason Cohen’s Oscar®-nominated short documentary FACING FEAR, Nancy Kates’ REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG, Simo Halinen’s OPEN UP TO ME, Patrik-Ian Polk’s BLACKBIRD, Eytan Fox’s CUPCAKES, Bruce LaBruce’s GERONTOPHILIA, Sheila Canavan & Michael Chandler’s COMPARED TO WHAT: THE IMPOSSIBLE JOURNEY OF BARNEY FRANK, and Eduardo Roy, Jr.’s QUICK CHANGE.

MISSION OF THE FESTIVAL

As the world’s longest-running and largest LGBT Film Festival, Frameline38 shares transformative stories through groundbreaking documentaries, entertaining features, touching short films, and cinematic classics. Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts non-profit, Frameline’s programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the world.

About Frameline38: The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival

Frameline38: the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival screens June 19–29, 2014 at the Castro Theatre, (429 Castro Street), Roxie Theater, (3117 16th Street), and the Victoria Theatre, (2961 16th Street) in San Francisco, and in Berkeley at Rialto Cinemas® Elmwood, (2966 College Avenue). The Frameline Box Office, located inside The HRC Action Center and Store, (575 Castro Street between 18th and 19th Streets) opens Friday, May 23 for Frameline member ticket sales, and Friday, May 30 for the general public. Box Office hours are 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm daily. Box Office is closed Monday, May 26 for Memorial Day. Tickets are also available 24 hours daily online (www.frameline.org/festival) and via fax (415-861-1404).

Unless otherwise noted, tickets for matinee screenings, (Monday-Friday, 5:00 pm and earlier), are $10 for the general public and $8 for Frameline members, while evening and weekend shows are $12 for the general public and $10 for members. Castro Passes, good for admission to all screenings at the Castro Theatre, other than Opening Night and Closing Night, are available for $225. Weekday Matinee Passes, good for admission to all weekday matinee screenings starting at 5:00 pm or earlier at the Castro Theatre are available for $40 for the general public and $35 for members. For more information, visit www.frameline.org/festival.