Welcome home to
OUTFEST Fresno!
Fresno Reel Pride is very excited to co-sponsor, with OUTFEST Los Angeles, this “first stop” on their four city tour and our ninth gay and lesbian film festival
Our new partnership with OUTFEST will enable us to expand to two festivals each year; summer and fall. Their expertise and size will help us to obtain the most recent and best of gay and lesbian films, establish a true festival atmosphere and give the whole event a neat, clean and professional look.
Another first this year was a search for major corporate sponsors. For too long we have depended soley upon the generosity of gay owned businesses and organizations as our main support. We are proud to have expanded our support this year to a broad range of sponsors including: Fresno Convention and Visitor Bureau, United Security Bank, Central California Alliance, Jerry Ephron and Jeff Crews of Merrill Lynch, Star 101, Fairfield Inn, Holiday Inn Express, The Fresno Express, Fresno Mitsubishi, The Travel Address, Executive Auto Detailing, and North Tower Circle.
Our next film festival is scheduled for November 12 - 14, so mark your calendars now!
We hope you enjoy the films and events of OUTFEST fresno.
Dave Houck
OUTFEST Fresno Chairman ‘99
For Tickets, Membership or Information Call:
1-888-OUTFEST
OUTFEST FRESNO
opening night gala film
TRICK |
DIR: Jim Fall, 1999, USA, 35mm, 90 min.
Opposites attract, and an unlikely chemistry begins in this modern-day fable of magical possibility brewing amid the streets, bars, alleyways and tenements of Greenwich Village.
Talented, a little horny and a lot frustrated, cute Gabriel (Christian Campbell) is tired of the familiar patterns of his life repeating themselves ad nauseam. The career he craves as a Broadway composer is always just around the corner, and his search for Mr. Right only leads him to a series of wrong turns. Things perk up when he encounters Mark (John Paul Pitoc), a hot go-go dancer at a local bar whose sultry gaze toward Gabriel turns out to be more than a bid for tips. Only one problem remains for the impromptu two: Where to go? As the crowded Village seethes with nightlife, the two guys repeatedly try and fail to find a place where they can be alone and take care of business. Interrupted by roommates, strangers, friends in need, past tricks and most hilariously by Gabriel’s stagestruck, fag-hag friend and showtune-singing colleague Katherine (an outrageous Tori Spelling), the two struggle to keep their libidos idling while, almost by accident, they also get to know each other better than they had planned.
First-time feature filmmaker Jim Fall crafts a disarmingly compelling — and tuneful — fantasy in this contemporary love story, an official selection of the 1999 Sundance Film Festival. Trick perfectly captures the thrill of first lust and the possibility of a happy morning after.
- Shannon Kelley, Co-Director of Festival Programming
OUTFEST FRESNO
program listing
BEEFCAKE |
DIR: Thom Fitzgerald, 1999, USA, 35mm, 60 min.
Harkening to a time of supposed innocence, but garnished throughout with generous dollops of naughty fun, this inventive blend of fiction and documentary from director Thom Fitzgerald (THE HANGING GARDEN) offers an enticing glimpse at the birth of male body-worship as big business. The film traces the career of photographer/filmmaker Bob Miser, one of a handful of '50s impresarios of muscle magazines and short films featuring buff models, skimpy costumes and thinly-veiled homoerotic themes. Interlaced with re-enactments of movie and photo shoots at Miser's home (with his Mom acting as CEO), are testimonials from personalities such as Jack La Lanne and Joe Dallesandro, who participated in similar projects. Backstage shenanigans lead to moral outrage and court battles, threatening to draw the curtains closed on Miser’s enterprise, but even in the face of tribulation, his story retains a sweetness, almost forgotten today, when gay and straight onlookers could all look appreciatively at images celebrating "physical culture" and agree upon the appeal of all that beef.
In collaboration with: IFFCON ( International Film Financing Conference).
BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE |
DIR: Anne Wheeler, 1998, Canada, 35mm, 98 min.
Delightfully ambitious and terrifically entertaining, this super sexy story of love and courage unites people from many walks of life, as it moves briskly to the beat of girl power.
Nineteen year-old Maggie (Karyn Dwyer), an attractive, sometime law student, has taken a break from her studies to enjoy life. She does so as a dancer at the local night club, "The Cat's Ass" and as a clerk at a hip, queer bookstore. Homophobic skinheads threaten the equilibrium, and repressive Canadian customs laws even threaten the existence of the "obscene" bookstore — but clouds disperse when Maggie meets sexy wanderer Kim (Christina Cox), who moves into her sights, her bed and then her apartment! Still, with adult joys come adult responsibilities, which Maggie learns during a surprise visit from her younger brother Paul (himself a bundle of volatile hormones) and her newly-divorced Mom, who doesn't know that Maggie is gay, and who needs a place to get herself together. Before long, family and friends are hurtling over secrets, taboos, dangers and new experiences like Olympic athletes.
Gay, straight, butch, femme, bisexual and transsexual characters populate this upbeat, timely story of friends supporting each other as they try to make a day’s pay, and to share a day’s love, each in their own way.
In collaboration with: LIFT ( Lesbians in Film and Televison, Women on a Roll)
NUDITY AND SEXUAL SITUATIONS
THE MAN WHO DROVE WITH MANDELA |
DIR: Greta Schiller, 1998, UK/SouthAfrica/Holland, 35mm, 82 min.
South Africa, 1962. Disguised as the chauffeur of a distinguished gentleman, Nelson Mandela drove a gleaming limousine across the length and breadth of the country, all the while organizing the armed struggle against the apartheid regime. Mandela's story is part of history. But who was the mysterious, elegant gentleman who was chauffeured around by Mandela? Greta Schiller, director or the acclaimed documentaries PARIS WAS A WOMAN and BEFORE STONEWALL returns with this remarkable documentary that demonstrates the intersection of gay history with the struggle for racial parity in South Africa. The man who drove with Mandela was Cecil Williams, an acclaimed gay white theatre director living in South Africa. Williams was a committed Communist who lent his support to the struggle against apartheid. Schiller relates Williams story while skillfully drawing parallels between the plight of South African blacks and the dilemma of a gay man of conscience, living in a society that prohibits expression of his identity and core beliefs.
In collaboration with: IGLHRC (Int. Gay & Lesbian Human Rights Campaign)
NO SE LO DIGAS A NADIE (DON'T TELL ANYONE) |
DIR: Francisco J. Lombardi, 1998, Peru, 35mm, 111 min.
In Lima, Peru, everything could have been so easy for Joaquin. His family is well off, his studies have never given him any headaches and his girlfriends think he is a classy guy. But sometimes, having everything isn't enough. DON’T TELL ANYONE is a groundbreaking, honest and hard-hitting tale of the troubles that accompany a Peruvian man's search for sexual identity in a country intolerant of open homosexuality.
All his life, Joaquin knew he preferred men. But he dared not tell anyone, not his father, Luis Felipe, a racist and unobliging male chauvinist patriarch who tries to beat the secrets of masculinity into him, nor his mother, Marichuca, whose pious Catholicism deepens his sense of guilt. But soon Joaquin begins a passionate and tangled affair with Gonzalo that puts him face to face with his own homosexuality, as well as with the extraordinary and complicated forces in Peru that work to keep him locked in the closet. Based on the controversial novel by Peruvian writer, Jaime Bayly, DON’T TELL ANYONE is a powerful and unique portrait of the dichotomous world of homosexuality that exists in Peru and many parts of Latin America.
IN SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES.
VIOLENCE AND SEXUAL SITUATIONS
In collaboration with: GLLU (Gay & Lesbian Latinos Unidos)
WHY NOT ME? (POURQUOIS PAS MOI?) |
DIR: Stéphane Giusti, 1999, France,35mm, 94 min.
This charmingly buoyant romantic comedy about three dykes and a disco bunny who decide it is finally time to tell their parents the truth about their sexuality is a must-see for anyone who has ever tried coming out to their folks. Eve, Ariane, Camille and Nicolas are four cute twentysomethings with four things in common - they work together in "Lovespace" a publishing house they have launched, they are dependant on Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive"
To ward off depression, they are all reluctantly pushing thritysomething, and they are all flamingly queer. Tired of playing the beard, the skirt, and the innocent roommate for one another, they decide it is time to confront their worst fears - their parents. Fortunately, Camillle's mother - the sort of woman who would wear "I love my dyke daughter" on a t-shirt - decides to hold a weekend party for the foursome and their parents, so that the truth can be told in a lavish and loving environment. But drama, chases, secrets, wild laughter and compromising situations erupt, taking even the parents for a ride on the wild side. Giusti's delectably juicy dialog is perfectly timed, placed and delivered by a sterling cast of irresistible young newcomers and established stars such as Johnny Hallyday and Marie-France Pisier. Funny and intelligent, WHY NOT ME? is a delightful bon-bon served up by a French talent to watch.
SHOW ME LOVE |
DIR: Lukas Moodysson, 1998, Sweden/Denmark, 35mm, 89 min.
As Outfest welcomes filmmakers and film programmers from around the world to Los Angeles, it is a pleasure to feature the winner of the Berlin International Film Festival’s 1999 Teddy Award, SHOW ME LOVE. Full of passion and intelligence, this dead-on portrait of adolescent love is a moving piece of cinema as well as a jubilation of sexuality, courage and independence.
Super cool Elin is an explosive teenage bombshell who is bored crazy with her life in the sleepy Swedish town of Amål. Agnes is a social outcast who moved to Amål over a year ago but still has not been able to make any friends. She has, however, managed to privately nurse a colossal crush on Elin and waxes on about it in her computer journal. Against Agnes' wishes, her parents insist on throwing a 16th birthday party for her. Of course, nobody shows up … that is, except for Elin and her sister, Jessica who come looking for free liquor. When Elin accidentally sees what Agnes has been writing on her computer, she takes on a dare for 20 bucks that she will kiss her, making Agnes the butt of cruel jokes at school. But Elin becomes racked with guilt, and moreover, she must admit that the kiss did not quite leave her cold.
Director Lukas Moodysson has created a bold and inspiring film that boasts lush cinematography, atmospheric sound design, and an honest script brimming with humor. With amazingly penetrating lead performances by Alexandra Dahlström and Rebecca Liljeberg, SHOW ME LOVE is a remarkable achievement with universal appeal.
— Shari Frilot, Co-Director of Festival Programming
IN SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES
BEST OF GIRLS AND BOYS SHORTS
Fresno |
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This year’s bumper crop of girls’ shorts are diverse and daring as they come, taking on taboo and blush-to-talk-about-it subjects. Straight girl experimentation, Internet pickups, rough trade, flirting with death, monogamy and exposing family secrets are grist for these exceptionally well-crafted short films. BELOW THE BELT
Best friends hide their lesbian affair behind boxing practice. GETTING IT ON
A jilted lover surfs the internet in search of new thrills, finding rough trade and more. LA PETITE MORT
A sad sack with a romantic death-wish almost gets her wish! MAID OF HONOR
A beautifully rendered tale of two liberated lesbians question their commitment to non-monogamy. PEPPERMILLS
A perfect date turns into a fetishistic quest for a curvaceous culinary tool. WAVELENGTHS
Explores the time-honored quest for love and human intimacy in the polished world of computers and the internet. |
OUTFEST FRESNO SCHEDULE | ||
| DATE & TIME | FILM | SPONSOR |
Tuesday, June 29th | ||
| 6:00 - 7:15pm | VIP Reception with Filmmaker |
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| 7:30pm | Trick | |
| 9:30 pm - 11:00pm | Gala After Party | |
Wednesday, June 30th | ||
| 5:00pm | The Man Who Drove With Mandela |
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| 7:00pm | Show Me Love |
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| 9:00pm | No Se Lo Digas A Nadie |
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Thursday, July 1 |
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| 5:00pm | Best of Girls Shorts |
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| 7:00pm | Why Not Me? |
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| 9:00pm | Beefcake |
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| Special Thanks to: The Opening Night Gala is made possible thanks to the generous support of Jerry Ephron and Jeff Crews of Merrill Lynch, Rick Ataide, Tents and Events, My Personal Chef. SPECIAL THANKS TO: Cynthia Gonzales , and Jeff and Jayne Booth of AT THE MOVIES. | ||
For Tickets, Membership or Information Call:
1-888-OUTFEST
OUTFEST
1125 North McCadden Place, Suite 235
Los Angeles, CA 90038
(323) 960-9200
Fax (323) 960-2397
Ticket Reservations:
(323) 960-2394
E-mail: Outfest@Outfest.org
