Cyrus Amini's 25 Cent Preview (left), the story of two down-and-out San Francisco street hustlers, was the Grand Jury's choice for best American narrative feature at the 25th Outfest — the Los Angeles Gay & Lesbian Film Festival. The film's stars, Merlin Gaspers and Dorian Brockington received a joint best actor prize.
The best international narrative film was Auraeus Solito's Tuli, about a young Filipino woman who refuses to follow the traditions of her small village. Worse yet, she falls in love with another woman.
Nitzan Gilady's Jerusalem Is Proud to Present, a portrait of intolerance quite appropriately set during a gay pride event in the holy city for Christians, Jews, and Muslims, was chosen best documentary feature, while Michelle Ehlen was the best actress winner for her performance as a manly lesbian actress who lands a male role in Butch Jamie.
Best screenplay honors went to Casper Andreas (he of Slutty Summer) and Jesse Archer's A Four Letter Word (above), about a gay party boy who unexpectedly falls in love (I'm assuming that's the four-letter word of the title) with the wrong guy. (Wrong indeed, as our happily sexually active hero is persuaded to join a sexaholic support group.)
As to be expected, the audience award for best feature documentary went to Daniel Karslake's For the Bible Tells Me So (above), about the (alleged) misuse of the Bible to justify anti-gay discrimination. At last week's screening, both the director and bishop Gene Robinson — who is featured in the film — received standing ovations from the enraptured audience. I was one of the few — the only one? — who failed to be converted. Despite Karslake's good intentions, I found myself emotionally detached from (most of) the proceedings, and I wasn't fully convinced by the film's biblical stance, either. (I'll be posting a full review shortly.)
Festivalgoers chose Eytan Fox's The Bubble (right) as best narrative feature. Personally, I was expecting more — considering that I did like both Walk on Water and Yossi & Jagger. That said, The Bubble has much to recommend it, and its final sequence stayed with me long after I left the Directors Guild theater. In fact, it's one of the most haunting endings I've ever seen in a film.
Jonah Markowitz's Shelter, about two surfers who find love and companionship, was voted the best first feature film.
Screened Out: Gays and Lesbians on TCM
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