Free Program
UCSB's Multicultural Center

An eclectic group of films that cover LGBT issues from racial, religious, and sexual perspectives. These films are controversial, educational, and all fascinating.

Opening Night
Fiesta 5 Theatre

Two movies that share a love of rock and roll and a whole lot more!

7:30 p.m.

Prey for Rock & Roll
Gina Gershon! Need we say more? This time the star of Bound-a Film Festival favorite of 1996-rocks in more ways than one in an incredibly strong performance full of that steamy sensuality we all have come to love and admire. Gershon plays Jacki, a tattoo artist, guitarist, and bisexual lead singer of the all-girl band Clam Dandy, who's just turned 40 and thinks it sucks. After struggling for years in the L.A. club scene, she's still waiting for the big breakthrough and still dreaming of a record contract. But Jacki is not a woman to be beaten down. Gershon does her own singing and guitar-playing, and her dynamism onstage is just as thrilling as her personal chemistry with co-stars Shakara Ledard, Marc Blucas (Riley from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), and Lori Petty. Director: Alex Steyermark · USA/100 min/35mm

 
10:00 p.m.

Britney Baby-One More Time
When drag diva Robert Stevens won a Britney Spears look-alike contest (for real!) little did he know that destiny would pair him with two desperate-and desperately inept-filmmakers (Dude and Mike from American Movie), who would pass him off as the real Britney in the wackiest road film ever. And we mean ever! From Milwaukee to New Orleans, with a side-splitting stop at Lincoln's birthplace, it's a question of how long Dude and Mike can keep up the charade that Robert doesn't know he's a part of. The San Francisco festival calls this a deliciously ridiculous film that spoofs indie filmmaking, dragdom, and pop celebrity all at once. With nonstop laughs and a big, open heart, this is a feel-good movie not to be missed! Director: Ludi Boeken · USA/83 min/35mm

Tickets $10.00.
Seniors and students with valid I.D. $7.50.
Come in glitter or drag and get a $1.00 off your ticket!

Fiesta 5 Theatre

2:30
Shorts Program

A collection of funny, moving, and exciting shorts. There's something here for every member of the LGBT community.

Gaydar
What would you do if you had a device that told you who was straight and who was gay? Randy finds a weird-looking gaydar gun at a yard sale, and now he's set to find out if hunky Jack at the office plays on his team. Come and get your gaydar tuned up in this delightful comedy. Director: Larry LaFond · USA/20 min/video Invited guests: Lead actor Terry Ray and Director Larry LaFond

Give or Take an Inch
Last year, Lee Friedlander brought us the festival hit The Ten Rules: A Lesbian Survival Guide. This year she is back with an intriguing and accomplished new movie. Starring Amanda Bearse (Married with Children), this film explores the conflict of a lesbian mom who only wants a "normal" family life but has to come to terms with her transgender sister. Oh, did we mention the brother is gay, too? This is one interesting family! Director: Lee Friedlander · USA/14 min/video

Click
With online cruising there's no guarantee of truth in advertising. You never know what you're going to find, and that's just what the two fellows find out in this touching short. Director: Ilo Orleans · USA/6 min/video

Seventy
The director of last year's controversial short Roberta Loved reveals that it's never too late for a big surprise, not even on your 70th birthday. Director: Q. Allan Brocka · USA/8 min/video

D.E.B.S.
Tammy Lynn Michaels (from Popular) is one of four gorgeous high school girls/secret agents who take on notorious villain Lucy in the Sky (Clare Kramer, Glory from Buffy the Vampire Slayer), but maybe there's more going on than meets the eye in this nonstop action short, soon to be a full-length feature. D.E.B.S. wowed audiences at Sundance and the Berlin International Film Festival. Director: Angela Robinson · USA/12 min/video

XX to XY: Fighting to Be Jake
"Hijacked by his own body" is how Jake, a young man born as a girl, describes the onset of puberty, when he began to develop breasts. He speaks candidly of his transsexual odyssey-the struggle to become the man he always knew he was and his quest to find true love. In English. Director: Emily Atef · Germany/20 min/video

Pussies from Outta Space
Take one part silent movies, one part Ed Wood's special effects, add lesbians, modern art, and alien abductions to the mélange, and presto!-a hilarious and affectionate parody of every cheesy sci-fi thriller from Hollywood's Golden Age. Director: Nanci Gaglio · USA/13 min/video

Gay Propaganda
An LGBT film lover's delight that presents 11 dazzling recreations of scenes from classic Hollywood films, as sometimes we wished they had been made. Remakes include From Queer To Eternity, Reservoir Dykes, Taxi Lesbian, On Gay Golden Pond, Gay Moonstruck, The Gay Breakfast Club, The Gay Graduate, Hung Frankenstein, and others. Director: JD Disalvatore · USA/20 min/video

Invited guests: Lee Friedlander, Allan Brocka, JD Disalvatore, and Meredith Kadlec.

Tickets $6.00

 
6:30

Between Two Women 
In a small mill town in northern England, Ellen, a dutiful wife and mother, watches her life play out in quiet desperation against a backdrop of gray skies, smokestacks, and factories, not to mention the rigid sexual hierarchy and repression of the late 1950s. A glimmer of hope enters her dreary, working-class existence when she meets her son's art teacher, Kathy. As the women's friendship becomes increasingly joyful but complex, and Ellen's marriage becomes strained, both women must confront something almost unthinkable for the times. This film captures a time and place in British history with exquisite clarity. The fine performances make Between Two Women a memorable, profoundly-moving drama as well as a poignant reminder of how things were not so very long ago. Director: Steven Woodcock · UK/92 min/video

Preceded by: Angels in America 
A chance to see a sneak preview of one of the most important theatrical events of the year: Scenes from HBO's major production of Tony Kushner's award winning play, Angels in America, starring a powerhouse cast led by Al Pacino and Meryl Streep. USA/8 mins/video

On the Outs 
Paige is not ready to come out, but her girlfriend delivers an ultimatum. What happens next is hilarious, even though the lessons she learns on the way to self-discovery aren't always easy. Director: Courtney Rowe · USA/24 min/video

Invited guest: Director Courtney Rowe

Tickets $8.50.
Seniors and students with valid I.D. $7.50.

 
9:00

Yossi and Jagger
"Don't ask, don't tell" is not the policy of the Israeli army, where gays have been serving openly since 1985. But while the official policy might be open-minded, the shadow of homophobia still hangs on. A renowned gay Israeli director works his cinematic magic in this tender, lyrical fable of Yossi and Jagger, two young soldiers who fall in love. The supporting roles, male and female, mirror the attitudes of the broader Israeli society today, and against this backdrop the two young lovers have to struggle with their desire and the conflicting demands of their military lives. Starring Ohad Knoller and Israeli TV heartthrob Yehuda Levi in the title roles. In Hebrew with English subtitles. Director: Eytan Fox · Co-sponsor: UCSB Hillel. Israel/71 min/video

Preceded by L.T.R.
Michael and Riley, ages 20 and 21, are sure they've found true love. So sure that they invite a filmmaker to document their "Long Term Relationship"-two weeks into it. In hilarious mockumentary fashion, L.T.R. follows a coquettish young thing and his stoner boyfriend through their own private reality show, with all its unexpected twists and turns. Director: Phillip J. Bartell · USA/16 min/video

This Car Up
Ever dream of meeting Mr. Right, of being in the right place at the right time? Making brilliant use of the split-screen technique, this short film from Minneapolis follows a chance encounter between a lawyer and a bike messenger-an encounter neither can forget. Director: Eric Mueller · USA/16 min/video

Invited guest: Director Phillip J. Bartell

Tickets $8.50.
Seniors and students with valid I.D. $7.50.
Co-sponsored by the Santa Barbara Jewish Federation

 
10:30
Reception
The Naked Wall
907 State Street

Join us for a delectable dessert and wine reception, a chance to meet Film Festival Committee members, chat about the films, and meet directors while noshing on the best desserts in town.

Tickets $5.00. Free to pass-holders.
This is a fundraiser for next year's Festival!

Fe Bland Auditorium
Santa Barbara City College

3:00

The Gift
Panel discussion to follow video screening.
This powerful and sobering documentary is bound to spark controversy. It explores the phenomenon in the gay community of "bug-chasing," a deliberate attempt to contract HIV, and "gift-giving," the practice of intentionally exposing someone to HIV. Hear real men talk about bareback sex, [sero]conversion parties, and the complex concept that being HIV-positive just might be better than the uncertainty of living with the constant threat of becoming infected. Hear also a teenage bug-chaser's remorse, when the reality of his situation dawns on him. A panel discussion with Rafael Cosio, Director of HIV Education & Prevention at AIDS Project Central Coast, Ron Alexander, and several gay men who have first-hand knowledge of these issues will follow the movie. The panel will be moderated by therapist Lauren Wyeth, MFT. Director: Louise Hogarth · USA/62 min/video
Invited guest: Director Louise Hogarth 
Co-sponsored by AIDS Project Central Coast and SBCC Gay Straight Alliance.

Preceded by: Angels in America
A chance to see a sneak preview of one of the most important theatrical events of the year: Scenes from HBO's major production of Tony Kushner's award winning play, Angels in America, starring a powerhouse cast led by Al Pacino and Meryl Streep.
USA/8 mins/video

Tickets $5.

6:00

Suddenly (Tan de Repente)
This completely engrossing and wonderfully crafted film draws you into its quiet, intimate rhythms. Maria is a lovelorn clerk in a Buenos Aires lingerie shop. When two dyke punks, called Mao and Lenin, kidnap her at knifepoint and highjack a taxi, you think you're in for a frightening drama. But-suddenly-it turns into a road picture and then-just as suddenly-a tender story of friendship. Shot in black and white, it recalls the early work of Jim Jarmusch (Stranger than Paradise), which it matches in deadpan quirkiness. Delightful and unpredictable, Suddenly is one of those films that lingers on. . In Spanish with English subtitles. Director: Diego Lerman · Argentina/90 min/35mm

Tickets $8.50.
Seniors and students with valid I.D. $7.50.

 
8:30

Bulgarian Lovers
It's Queer as Folk, Spanish style. Meet Daniel, a successful lawyer, and his outrageous, high-living friends, who enjoy all the delights Madrid has to offer. One night Daniel meets Kyril, an irresistible Bulgarian stud with a lot of baggage, to put it politely! Kyril's mysterious career and fiancé Kalina make Daniel's life complicated, but lead him to an adventure in the dark, immigrant underworld. This steamy, visually sumptuous thriller/comedy/film noir offers a fascinating peek into the world of erotic obsession. A delightful movie with which to end the festival. In Spanish with English subtitles. Director: Eloy de la Iglesia · Spain/95 min/35mm

Tickets $8.50.
Seniors and students with valid I.D. $7.50.