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FUSION 2006: THE LOS ANGELES LGBT PEOPLE OF COLOR FILM FESTIVAL UNVEILS PROGRAM LINE-UP
Weekend of International films to screen during 4th annual event
Los Angeles, California - October 17, 2006 - The celebrated 4th Annual Fusion: the Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival has unveiled the line-up of extraordinary films, music, spoken-word, workshops and panels that will be featured during the three day event from December 1 to December 3. The screenings will take place at the Aratani/Japan American Theater, Barnsdall Gallery Theater and the Egyptian Theater. The announcement was made today by Festival Senior Director Kirsten Schaffer and Associate Director of Programming Kimberly Yutani.
Fusion is the only multicultural, gender-inclusive film festival of its kind and will include three days of screenings and events. The festival will kick-off on Friday, December 1st with the Opening Night Gala presentation of accomplished and entertaining International Shorts at the Aratani/Japan American Theater in downtown Los Angeles -- a dynamic program featuring beautiful radical lesbians, spirited queer youth and relationships stemming from unlikely attractions. The festival will close with the US Premiere of South Asian British director Pratibha Parmar's romantic comedy Nina's Heavenly Delights at the Egyptian Theater in Hollywood. Both events are followed by enticing and diverse after parties.
On Saturday December 2nd , the Festival will present a day of cutting edge programs including a performance piece Color Bonita by Christopher Angel Ramirez; a hip hop music and dance event Sabor Con Fusion: Hip Hop: A Revolutionary Act; a documentary about LGBT marriage Jumpin' the Broom: The New Covenant by Debra Wilson; the provocative comedy Cut Sleeve Boys by Ray Yeung as well as an insightful panel of queer television and film personalities Under the Influence, all taking place at the Barnsdall Gallery Theater in Hollywood.
On Sunday, December 3rd, both the Spielberg Theater and the Rigler Theater at the Egyptian will feature a wide variety of events and screenings including two films in honor of World AIDS Day: the documentary White Shadows by Mialyn Hanna; I'm Still Here: Becoming Legendary by Reach LA; followed by the workshop Sex Ed with a Twist-HIV 101.
The afternoon features the shorts program Youth Movement: Los Angeles which boldly explores sexuality and identity pushing boundaries, all produced in Los Angeles by LGBT youth, as well as the critically acclaimed hip hop documentary Pick Up the Mic by Alex Hinton.
Rounding out the closing day will include a special screening from the Outfest Legacy Project Collection Jewel and the Catch by Cristina A. Kotz Cornejo; On the Verge gritty sexy shorts program featuring men on the down low, straight women with steamy lesbian fantasies, nubile nuns and housewives gone punk; and finally the Argentine documentary Hotel Gondolin and the Indian documentary Happy Hookers by Ashish Sawhny.
"Fusion audiences have doubled since our inaugural year and we are thrilled to be adding more programming and another theater for the 2006 edition," says Kirsten Schaffer, Festival Senior Director. "Fusion's growth is representative of the enthusiasm for this event and of the strength of the program. We are looking forward to another incredible festival full of provocative, fun, sexy, life-altering films, videos and performances from around the world."
"Now in its fourth year, Fusion's programming keeps moving in new and exciting directions," says Kim Yutani, Associate Director of Programming. "This year Fusion features not only some of the finest international and US short and feature films made by and for LGBT people of color, but also a multimedia performance piece, a spoken word event, as well as panels and workshops. Fusion opens with a dynamic line-up of short films, and we are thrilled to close the festival with the US premiere of Pratibha Parmar's Nina's Heavenly Delights."
This year's festival also features an unique lineup of thought provoking panels and workshops including; Under the Influence (Saturday, December 2 at 3:30pm, Barnsdall Gallery Theater) which features a rollicking and insightful afternoon with queer film and television personalities as they share and discuss clips from the films that have influenced them with panelists: Jenny Shimizu, Douglas Spearman, Mia Riverton, Colette Divine and J.Karen Thomas; Sex Ed with a Twist- HIV 101 (Sunday, December 3 at 1:30pm, Egyptian Spielberg Theater) features Ray from B.E.T.'s College Hill and Sean Milan Infiniti for an over-the-top foray into sexual knowledge.
The Fusion Festival is also proud to showcase several extraordinary performances including: Color Bonita featuring Christopher Angel Ramirez in a performance piece blending new media documentary with a forum for conversation in an interactive event that focuses on the struggle of gay Latino men; Sabor Con Fusion: Hip-Hop: A Revolutionary Act which has become an annual celebration of poetry, dance, music and hip-hop from a diverse array of artists featuring Alison De La Cruz, Deadlee, Breeze Vincinz, Un-Titled, Skim & Jade Ross and more. Hosted by Naya'hri Suhalia.
FEATURES/DOCUMENTARIES/SHORTS
2006 FUSION FESTIVAL
BILLY BUTCH'S ROCKIN' RAMPAGE (Director Catey McSweeny & Jeanna Tejada)
Spoof of Mr. Rogers neighborhood that deals with issues in the lesbian youth community
(Short / USA)
BLACK WIDOW (Director Genne Scott)
Spoken word poetry piece on black gay thugs and the challenges they go through with dual identities
(Short / USA)
BUTCHLALEZ (Director Christel Miller)
A black femme comes home to find her black stud girlfriend in the arms of another stud woman
(Short / USA)
CRUZANDO, LA FRONTERA (Director Maria Cruz)
Poetry video about crossing the border from Mexico to the US in the eyes of a 10 year old.
(Short / USA)
CUT SLEEVE BOYS (Director Ray Yeung)
This British Chinese Gay film - the first of its kind - boasts witty one-liners, an underground drag club, sex in a public toilet and an all-male production of the Miss Pacific Rim Beauty Pageant.
(Feature / UK / US Premiere)
DID I JUST LOOK AT HER? (Director Coquie Hughes)
Urban comedy about a straight girl who fantasizes about experiences with a lesbian
(Short / USA/ LA Premiere)
DO THE MATH (Director Mary Guzman)
Follows a young Latina as she seeks a better life
(Short / USA /LA Premiere)
DO YOU KNOW? (Director Daniel Flores)
A young guy is haunted by an endless question that forces him into a confrontation in a dark alley
(Short /USA)
FALLING INTO LOVE (Director Alfredo Garcia)
A man in love with two people wants to pursue relationships with both leading into an unpredictable love triangle
(Short / USA)
FIRST DATE (Director Gary Huggins)
An ex con will stop at nothing to keep a date with an underage boy he met
(Short / USA)
GROUP OF SEVEN INCHES (Director Kent Monkman)
At the hand of Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, the tables are turned between artist and model
(Short / USA)
HAPPY HOOKERS (Director Ashish Sawhny)
The visually gorgeous film features three male hustlers who share stories about their lives in the Bombay sex trade.
(Documentary / India)
HONORABLE SON (Director Jay Esguerra)
A Filipino son interviews his parents on why they don't talk about his gay identity at home
(Short / USA / LA Premiere)
HOTEL GONDOLIN (Director Fernando Lopez Escriva)
The hotel is home to 30 Buenos Aires transgender and transsexual sexy workers who band together to effect social change amid the harsh reality of their daily lives.
(Documentary / Argentina / LA Premiere)
I'M GONNA DIE A VIRGIN (Director Osuna)
One man's yearning for love, for affection and the constant fear of dying alone
(Short / USA)
I'M STILL HERE: BECOMING LEGENDARY (Director Reach LA)
This new documentary short focuses on the creative spirit and the desire for self-preservation within the L.A. Ball Community. Including interviews with some of the house parents and youngest up-and-coming ball talent.
(Short / USA/ US Premiere)
IMITATION OF LIFE (Director Timothy J. Ochoa)
A young gay man from East LA talks about life growing up with bi polar / manic depression
(Short / USA)
JEWEL AND THE CATCH (Director Cristina A. Kotz Cornejo)
Established and run by Jewel Thais-Williams, the Catch has remained a popular queer black club in Los Angeles for more than 30 years. Thais-Williams addresses her contributions to the Los Angeles community through the club's cultural significance and her civic and activist work. (Documentary / USA)
JUMPIN' THE BROOM: THE NEW COVENANT (Director Debra A. Wilson)
Four African American lesbian and gay couples discuss gay marriage and the social, political, religious and cultural impact it has on their communities and long-term relationships.
(Short / USA)
LEGACY (Director Inge Blackman)
Video exploring African parenting influenced by the legacy of slavery.
(Short / UK / US Premiere)
MODERN DAY ARRANGED MARRIAGE (Director Rehana Mirza)
When two women arrange to meet at a café, will it just be coffee or can it be marriage?
(Short / USA /LA Premiere)
MONJA SATANICA (Satanic Nun) (Director Viva Ruiz)
(Short / USA / World Premiere)
MY CRAZY LIFE (Director Carlos Arguello & Enzo Ybarra)
A young latino tells of the drama surrounding his daily school life and his decision to attend his prom.
(Short / USA)
MY SHADOWS (Director Sky Gaven)
(Short / USA / World Premiere)
NINA'S HEAVENLY DELIGHTS (Director Pratibha Parmar)
In this sumptuous romantic comedy, Nina Shah returns home to Scotland after the sudden death of her father. She finds herself faced with the twin challenges of preparing to compete in a national curry competition and dealing with her intense romantic attraction to her old childhood friend Lisa.
(Feature / UK / US Premiere)
PERFECT ONES (Director Nao Bustamante & Matt Johnstone)
An amnesia stricken suburban housewife wanders into an underground punk club and discovers a new way of life
(Short / USA)
PICK UP THE MIC (Director Alex Hinton)
Queer hip-hop is a burgeoning cultural phenomenon as seen in this passionate, enthralling film. Through raw performances and candid interviews, queer rappers Deadlee, Juba Kalamka, JenRo and Johnny Dangerous defiantly break down barriers of contemporary hip-hop
(Documentary / USA)
SHE KILLS HE (Director Dave Rodriguez)
A transgendered man to woman and her suitor, a kid from the streets of Miami develop a romance
(Short / USA)
SARANG SONG (Director Tamika Miller)
Love story of two women set amidst the politically and socially turbulent times of the early 70's
(Short / USA)
SEE ME (Director Steven Liang)
Coming out story of a Chinese American high school senior written for his immigrant parents
(Short / USA)
THE DL CHRONICLES -EPISODE 2: ROBERT (Dir. Deondray Gossett & Quincy LeNear)
The story of men of color who by consequence and by choice live sexually duplicitous and secret lifestyles identified as straight but engage in sexual activity with men.
(Short / USA / LA Premiere)
TWO NIGHTS (Director Rolmar Baldonado)
Ever wish you could do a side by side comparison of two boyfriends like you can with products on the internet?
(Short / Australia / LA Premiere)
UNCLE "BAR" AT BARBERSHOP (Director Kwon Jong-kwan)
A small barbershop on the outskirts of Seoul during the 80's when sexual prejudices and violence were prevalent
(Short / Korea)
WHITE SHADOWS (Director Mialyn Hanna)
A poignant documentary on survival, friendship and faith in the life of Dalee Henderson, a celebrity hairstylist living in Los Angeles, who mentally and spiritually copes with the virus with his ferociously optimistic outlook on life.
(Documentary / USA / LA Premiere)
The 4th Annual Fusion Los Angeles LGBT People of Color Film Festival presenting sponsor is HBO and the Founding Sponsor is Liberty Hill Foundation
Additional sponsors include; Absolut, 20th Century Fox, The James Irvine Foundation, Tylenol PM, Dole Sparklers and Showtime.
SCREENING VENUES:
Aratani/Japan American Theater
244 South San Pedro Street
Downtown Los Angeles
www.jaccc.org
Barnsdall Gallery Theater
4800 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood
www.barnsdallartpark.com
Egyptian Theater
6712 Hollywood Blvd.
Hollywood
TICKET INFO:
Public tickets are available from
www.ticketweb.com
or by calling Outfest at 213-480-7088
(Tickets will also be available at the door of event)
