LGBTQ Film Festival Returns to Tucson
In a town that is blessed with a multitude of excellent film festivals, one has to wonder if there are any cinematic stories not yet being told. The “Out in the Desert: Tucson’s International LGBTQ Film Festival,” will tell many new stories January 24 – 27, 2013. The 2nd annual film festival will present 164 films from around the world at the FLUXX studio space, located at 414 E. 9th St.
The four-day event will screen films from many different countries including documentaries, shorts and feature films thanks to the local group FLUXX. This is the second year they have hosted the festival and the response has been excellent with more than 600 entries from around the world, according to Joe Sprague, the organization’s development director and the festival’s director. FLUXX, the winner of the 2012 TPAC LUMIE award for emerging arts organization, is a local non-profit arts organization whose programming supports open dialog and conversation about queer culture via arts exhibits, performances workshops and special events. The film festival is beneficial to both the organization and participating filmmakers as they can both gain exposure and have their messages heard by many.
“As always, we strive to show the very best of the newest crop of LGBT themed films available,” said Joe Sprague. Since the festival works with filmmakers directly, and does not show any films that have distribution deals, there are many films that are unseen by the public. FLUXX also does not charge a submission fee for films to the festival in order to decrease the cost of entry for emerging filmmakers. This year, the festival continues its focus on short films, and will present more short films than any other LGBT film festival in the country. As the “Out in The Desert” festival takes place in January, it is the earliest festival on the LGBT circuit, leading to many southwest and world premiere screenings for Tucson audiences.
In the feature length documentary “I Stand Corrected” jazz musician Jennifer Leitham’s gender-reassignment is chronicled through interviews and archival materials. A well-respected musician from her teenage years through her performances with Mel Torme, and even Tonight Show bandleader Doc Severinsen, she was known then as John Leitham. Jennifer went through gender reassignment after years of feeling that something was wrong, and continues to be a musical force in the jazz world today. Music, the one constant in her life, played a powerful role in her transformation and continues to do so. This powerful and inspiring story of being true to oneself, plays at FLUXX and Jennifer will be in attendance for a post screening Q & A with the audience.
Of special note this year is the shorts program that features many films by local filmmakers who are finding their voice through film. With topics ranging from HIV to same-sex weddings, several shorts are by Tucson filmmakers including “Linda and Angela” by Angela Soto, and “Leyenda” by Forrest Brennan.
Other shorts of interest include “Fallen Comrade,” which traces a military romance; “The Divine Decadence of Cheesecake” from Australia; and “Pursuit,” a comedy about a woman hell-bent to get a female motorcycle cop to pay attention to her directed by Patty Newton. The festival will host around 30 filmmakers this year who will be present at their individual screenings for Q & A sessions, along with several producers and actors. Filmmakers from Iran, Canada and Australia have also approached the festival about attending, which speaks about the quality and impact the festival is having on the international LGBT community.
The festival kicks off with a launch party on January 4th with the announcement of all films, and a special party at the FLUXX space. The full list of films and screening times is available on the group’s website http://www.outinthedesertff.org
Category: Community, DOWNTOWN / UNIVERSITY / 4TH AVE, Film
