#mglff

by Juan Barquin

There are only a handful of films about cruising that actually work: last year’s Stranger by the Lake is an example of a deliciously rare work of art that maintained its initial seduction throughout the entire film. The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival presents us with Amor Eterno (Everlasting Love), a title that’s deliciously ironic considering its subject matter and all the dark deeds that go on in the woods.

  (Photo Credit: Depositphotos.com Jorgophotograph)

Behind The Scenes

MGLFF 2014 Back En Route  To Glory Days

By Michael W. Sasser

The curtains are set to rise on the 16th incarnation of the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF) and once again, an extensive, diverse lineup of films, educational programs and social occasions are on tap for the LGBT community, friends, families – and general film lovers.

What began almost two decades ago on a shoestring budget and tons of good intentions might have gone through numerous changes, challenges financially and internally, and questions about its future. However, once again, the Festival is set to entertain thousands of audience members and event participants as it commemorates its sweet sixteen.

As one of the first, major LGBT film festivals of the calendar year, MGLFF sets the tone for the entire LGBT film festival circuit and this year will prove to be no exception, said Mark Gilbert, interim executive director and chairman of the board for the MGLFF. This year’s theme – “How Sweet It Is” – is a nostalgic nod to the great Jackie Gleason, who used to broadcast his popular variety show from Miami Beach. MGLFF will run May 2-11 at venues throughout Miami Beach and Miami.

The 16th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will feature 64 films from 20 different countries, including feature-length movies and short films that chronicle the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender communities. Included in the lineup will be four world premieres, one international premiere, two North American premieres, two U.S. premieres, three East Coast premieres and several Southeast premieres.

The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is presented by HBO, HBO Latin America and Miami-Dade County. For more information visit www.mglff.com.

From The Director's Chair

Words With Mark Gilbert

By Michael W. Sasser

  (Photo provided by Mark Gilbert) (Film photos provided by Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival)

Mark Gilbert has been actively involved in the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival since its third year and is board chair. However, for this year's MGLFF, Gilbert also assumed the helm as interim festival director. I sat down with the longtime stalwart of the local LGBT community to discuss this year's MGLFF, his experience directing it and the future of the Festival.

Michael W. Sasser: How does this year's MGLFF compare to previous Festivals?

Mark Gilbert: Our goal this year is to bring the MGLFF back to its previous glory years, to make it look like it did in its heyday. We have some great films. We're very fortunate to have secured many of the strongest selections of LGBT films that we have had in a long time. Our events are based on grandeur and on being guest-friendly. Our biggest thing is to make everyone feel welcomed and to feel like this is the community's event, that this is their event.

MWS: What is new for the 2014 MGLFF?

MG: I think the basic concept of how the festival is structured is strong. The issue isn't the lineup; it's in the execution. For example, on opening night, as people are waiting outside the Colony Theatre, there will be wine spritzers and chocolates served. We want people to have a great time, even while waiting outside. Our events are just a little bigger and over-the-top to represent who we are and what we want to accomplish. We want to give people a reason to return year after year – that is our number one goal. We want people to return and to support MGLFF in the future. We feel that if we build on the experience, we can do that.

MWS: Did you find there were any dominant themes in films submitted for consideration or in those films selected for inclusion in the Festival?

MG: I will say we have seen a lot of great documentaries. One of them was The Case Against 8, which is certainly relevant in Florida. But we saw many great documentaries this year.

 Such Good People by director Stewart Wade

MWS: What film or films are you particularly proud that MGLFF is able to bring to South Florida this year?

MG: There are many films we are thrilled to have been able to get. The Opening Night Feature (The Way He Looks) is a real coup for us. It's a great film that will appeal to a broad audience of men and women. However, we are thrilled with many of the other films we were able to land as well.

MWS: What is the process by which films are selected for the Festival and what are the most important criteria?

MG: We have a very experienced programmer and, with his committee, he uses some strong methods and strategies. It literally takes months. There are a lot of criteria. Our mission is to educate, so we look for films that say something about who we are as a community. That covers a lot of ground.

MWS: Do you feel that this year's lineup of films has a strong component of material that is timely and reflects contemporary themes and issues?

MG: I would like to say that we do, but I can't give a definitive answer. The goal of every Festival is to do that. I think that in the selection of films, that was a natural consideration.

But, secondly, we want to bring the community together for film. There is something about being in an audience with people that have similar lifestyles and sensibilities. We're about bringing the community together to help people realize we are stronger as a community than as individuals. We're probably the only organization that has a social element of nightly events where people get together and see old friends, make new friends and form new relationships.

MWS: What film or program are you personally most looking forward to, and why?

MG: Opening night. Opening night is always my favorite night of the Festival. I get to see friends I have made over the years and that I might only see at the Festival, plus meet directors. Also, the party on opening night is always great fun.

  Boys by director Mischa Kamp

MWS: What are your institutional, artistic and/or community goals for this year's Festival?

MG: Institutionally, our goal is to build a strong infrastructure and strong financial relationships. We really want to make sure to put on a fiscally responsible Festival that builds for the long term and meets community needs. We also want to build a strong membership base and help other community organizations with another outlet for exposure.

MWS: As interim director, what did you learn that you might not have known or recognized as board chair?

MG: It would take me days to answer that question! As board chair, my job is to oversee staff and the organization-running responsibilities. The board doesn't necessarily get involved in minutiae. Since taking over as board chair and interim director last July, I have been learning on the fly. Thankfully, with the guidance and support of the people who have been [on staff] a long time, I was able to pick things up pretty quickly. We all took on different hats to make sure all of the Festival needs were met and goals were accomplished, we paid off our debt and we are putting on a Festival that we can afford.

MWS: What do you feel the future looks like for the MGLFF?

MG: I'm more excited about the future of the MGLFF than ever before. We're in position to put on a great Festival. We have grown the board from three to 15 members. We have an amazing staff and our next goal is to find the next leader to take over my position and lead the Festival. I think we're in an institutional and financial position to do that. It isn't easy to put on an annual event that sustains itself year-round but makes all of its money over a few days. We have to have our doors open year-round – people have to work year-round to make the Festival happen. This is an expensive event to put on and it takes many hands working all year to produce it. That makes it very difficult operationally and financially, but I am optimistic.

MWS: Is there anything else you would like to share with Wire Magazine readers?

MG: The Festival has been at the center of my gay life. It helped me feel more confident in who I am as a gay man and who we are as a gay community. I want the Festival preserved so that other people in the future will have a place to go to help them through what I went through, to help them understand themselves and the community and to find a home in it.

Spotlight MGLFF Film: The Circle

Doc/Drama Hybrid Reflects Modern Issues

By Michael W. Sasser

  The war in defense of Western Civilization is over.

All that remains is for all free people to enjoy the fruits of liberation won in a blood-soaked war. Only it isn't the 21st century U.S. in the wake of successful liberation campaign in Iraq and at least a standoff in Afghanistan. It is post-war Europe, still reeling from the fall of Nazism and not yet under the specter of a threatening Soviet Union

Still, freedom hasn't come to all people.

It is the world of 1956 Zurich that director Stefan Haupt whisks us away to in The Circle, an amalgamation of documentary interview footage and feature film. Zurich is portrayed as a modern, liberated city, complete with lively cabarets with American music and drag performers. Zurich's laws also do not prohibit adult homosexuality and at the time, a tight-knit gay community thrives as a subculture.

The Circle works on two levels. On one hand, it is a sweet romance between bashful teacher Ernst Ostertag and the cabaret artist Robi Rapp. Their love develops against the backdrop of the heyday and decline of the first European-wide gay liberation movement. It's sincere and tender, as are numerous scenes of gay men and women being able to express themselves openly after years of oppression and anti-gay laws. However, it does not shy away from the fear, self-loathing and shame many feel even in a relatively liberated time and place.

"The Circle" is a reference both to the organized gay underground in Europe, with which Ernst and Robi are involved, and also to an underground magazine of the same name – a male erotica publication, utterly tame and even artful compared to similar contemporary publications – with thousands of subscribers in Europe and hundreds overseas. Despite the technical legality of homosexuality, the creators of The Circle, the magazine, work in relative secrecy, and there are still risks. We experience, for example, the danger of just transporting editions of the magazine across the Swiss border into Germany, where homosexuality remained punishable. We also witness the subtle and not-so-subtle ways in which society marginalizes homosexuals: authorities degrade and discriminate, families go on for years without acknowledging gay members and their partners, and there is a sense of looming darkness creeping around the border of even the lightest, dare I say "gayest" times for our circle of characters. That sense of impending danger is juxtaposed with scenes of Ernst and Robi, two very different men from two very different backgrounds, falling deeper in love and trying to find their place in society.

Then the inevitable darkness manifests. A "rent boy" is found murdered, casting suspicion on the entire gay underground. All of a sudden, a world invisible to many in Europe comes to the attention of news, gossip and the authorities. With The Circle, the magazine, being a lynchpin of gay Europe, authorities lean hard on its publishers and inner team of supporters. After years of thriving beneath the surface of society, gay men and women suddenly have an unpleasant spotlight cast on them.

Thus begins the seemingly inevitable decline of The Circle, the magazine, and the denouement of The Circle, the film. Under the bright light of scrutiny and because of long-simmering prejudice among government officials, harassment ensues. At a seminal moment, one man stands up to the authorities, pointing out that homosexuality isn't illegal in Switzerland. The official response: no, but gays can be registered.

As any student of history can attest, registering minorities is routinely a step toward oppression, the hard-won advances of LGBT post-war Europe begin to fade, and gays are eventually driven underground for years to come.

The Circle brilliantly recounts this period of European history in a fast-paced and engaging narrative with the unobtrusive contemporary interviews helping to construct an ultimately uplifting story of pioneering activists long forgotten by many. Performances are sincere, production values are high and director Haupt maintains tension from beginning to end.

Perhaps most significantly, The Circle reflects many of the struggles for recognition and equality underway in the United States today. It poignantly illustrates the delicate balance it takes for a subculture to exist while still being disenfranchised. Finally, The Circle is a movie of courage and of people with integrity who refuse to be treated otherwise.

Whether for entertainment or for enlightenment, The Circle is well worth seeing as an intriguing doc/drama hybrid about a place and time in history not entirely dissimilar to our own.

The Circle Saturday, May 3 5 p.m. – Miami Beach Cinematheque Director: Stefan Haupt | Runtime: 102 minutes Switzerland 2014 Swiss and German with English Subtitles Southeast Premiere Community Partner: A

Read All About It

This year's MGLFF features a lineup of shorts, features and documentaries for men, women, singles, couples and families – an impressive range of films appealing to the Festival's broadest potential audience in years. For more information go online to Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival's website. 

What began 15 years ago on a shoestring budget, the work of committed volunteers and curiosity from a burgeoning LGBT community, explodes on to the South Florida scene when the 15th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (MGLFF) takes the town by storm, April 26 – May 5, 2013.

For the past decade-and-a-half, the MGLFF has brought the most fierce and fabulous LGBT and LGBT-related cinema to a local audience that has gradually hungered for more. It is particularly notable for the tremendous work done in bringing foreign films of a queer nature to audiences that might not otherwise see them.

This year is no different in terms of depth and scope of MGLFF’s lineup. The 15th Annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will feature 65 films from 15 different countries including feature-length movies and short films that chronicle the lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender communities.

Some of the countless highlights of this year’s festival include the Southeast Premiers of Interior. Leather Bar., directed by acclaimed actor James Franco and Travis Matthews, Centerpiece Film I Do, directed by Glenn Gaylord and written and starring David W. Ross and the traditional lineups of short films appealing to both men and women.

Franco’s appearance has South Florida buzzing and the national LGBT community applauding his ongoing support for gay rights. Franco will be in attendance at the Festival, where he will accept the MGLFF’s Ally Award sponsored by HBO Latin America. Interior. Leather Bar. is described as “less a film about the infamous deleted forty minutes from Cruising, and more about the creation of those missing minutes and what they mean to all involved. The filmmakers Travis Mathews and James Franco challenge the audience with their thoughts about the exploration of sexual and creative freedoms.”

With its stellar international lineup, MGLFF is once again set to exceed expectations and set even higher standards for the years to come. The Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is presented by HBO Latin America and Miami-Dade County. Following is a schedule of film screenings. For film capsules/screening details, trailers, more information about festival events, tickets and membership, visit www.mglff.com.

MGLFF Schedule of film screenings

Friday, April 26

G.B.F., Southeast Premiere Director: Darren Stein Darren Stein, actors Andrea Bowen, Michael Willet, Xosha Roquemore, and producer Stephen Israel will attend. Gusman Theatre, 8:30 pm.

Saturday, April 27

Let My People Go Director: Mikael Buch Miami Beach Cinematheque, 3 p.m.

White Frog Director: Quentin Lee Miami Beach Cinematheque, 5:30 p.m.

Who’s Afraid Of Vagina Wolf, A Work In Progress Director: Anna Margarita Albelo Albelo will be attending with actress Guinevere Turner. Olympia Theatre at Gusman Center, 6 p.m.

Facing Mirrors Director: Negar Azarbayjani Miami Beach Cinematheque, 8 p.m.

Out In The Dark, Southeast Premiere Director: Michael Mayer will attend the screening. Olympia Theater at Gusman Center, 9:15 p.m.

The Invisible Men Director: Yariv Mozer Miami Beach Cinematheque, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, April 28

Transgender Tuesdays Director: Mark Freeman Miami Beach Cinematheque, 3 p.m.

Valentine Road Director: Marta Cunningham Miami Beach Cinematheque, 5:30 p.m.

Born This Way, North American Premiere Directors: Shaun Kadlec/Deb Tullman Shaun Kaldec will attend the screening. Colony Theatre, 6 p.m.

Stud Life Director: Campbell Ex Miami Beach Cinematheque, 8 p.m.

DOUBLE FEATURE In Their Room, North American Premiere Director: Travis Matthews Interior. Leather Bar. Southeast Premiere Directors: James Franco and Travis Matthews Travis Matthew and actor Christian Patrick will attend the screening. Colony Theatre, 8:30 p.m.

“Men’s Shorts” Miami Beach Cinematheque, 10:30 p.m.

Monday, April 29

Tudo Que Deus Criou Director: Andre da Costa Pinto Miami Beach Cinematheque, 7 p.m.

The Rugby Player, World Premiere Director: Scott Gracheff Scott Gracheff, Alice Hoagland (Bingham’s Mother) and producers Holly and Chris Million will attend the screening. Colony Theatre, 8 p.m.

Mr. Angel, East Coast Premiere Director: Dan Hunt Actor Buck Angel will attend the screening. Miami Beach Cinematheque, 9:30 p.m.

Tuesday, April 30

Anarchy in Zirmunai, East Coast Premiere Director: Rene Boulanger Miami Beach Cinematheque, 7 p.m.

Two: The Story of Roman and Nyro Director: Heather Winters Heather Winters, Desmond Child, Curtis Shaw Child, Roman Child and Nyro Child to attend screening. Colony Theatre, 8 p.m.

Kings & Queens, North American Premiere Director: Deana Coble Miami Beach Cinematheque, 9:30 p.m.

Wednesday, May 1

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire Director: Mike Newell New World Center Wallcast, 8 p.m.

“Women’s Shorts” Miami Beach Cinematheque, 7 p.m.

I Do, Centerpiece Film Director: Glenn Gaylord Writer, producer and lead actor David W. Ross and producer Stephen Igrad to attend screening. O Cinema Miami Shores, 8 p.m.

Tennessee Queer Director: Earl Goshorn Miami Beach Cinematheque, 9:30 p.m. Preceded By: Seemless (Short)

Thursday, May 2

Raid On The Rainbow Lounge Director: Robert L. Camina Miami Beach Cinematheque, 7 p.m.

In The Name Of, North American Premiere Director: Malgoska Szumowska O Cinema Miami Shores, 7:30 p.m.

Geography Club Director: Gary Entin O Cinema, 9:30 p.m.

DOUBLE FEATURE Adults Only Director: Michael Saul Interior. Leather Bar. Directors: James Franco and Travis Matthews Miami Beach Cinematheque, 9:30 p.m.

Friday, May 3

Breaking Through Director: Cindy Abel will attend the screening. Colony Theatre, 7 p.m.

Margarita Director: Dominique Cardona & Laurie Colbert Coral Gables Art Cinema, 7 p.m.

I Am Divine, Southeast Premiere Director: Jeffrey Schwarz Miami Beach Botanical Garden, 8:30 p.m. (In case of rain, the screening will be held at The Colony Theater @ 9:30 p.m.)

Continental, Southeast Premiere Director: Malcom Ingram Coral Gables Art Cinema, 9:30 p.m.

Pit Stop Director: Yen Tan Coral Gables Art Cinema, 11:30 p.m.

Saturday, May 4

Wildness Director: Wu Tsang Coral Gables Art Cinema, 12:30 p.m.

Continental, Southeast Premiere Director: Malcom Ingram O Cinema Miami Shores, 2 p.m.

The Skin I’m In, East Coast Premiere Director: Broderick Fox Coral Gables Art Cinema, 3 p.m.

Submerge, North American Premiere Director: Sophie O'Connor O Cinema Miami Shores, 4:30 p.m.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Southeast Premiere Director: Arvin Chen Coral Gables Art Cinema, 5:30 p.m.

Hot Guys With Guns, World Premiere Director: Doug Spearman Doug Spearman, Actors Darryl Stephens, Marc Anthony Samuel and Brian McArdle to attend screening. Colony Theatre, 8 p.m.

The Go Doc Project Director: Cory Krueckeberg Coral Gables Art Cinema, 8 p.m.

“Men’s Shorts” Coral Gables Art Cinema, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, May 5

Submerge Director: Sophie O'Connor Coral Gables Art Cinema, 1:30 p.m.

Valentine Road Director: Marta Cunningham Coral Gables Art Cinema, 4 p.m.

Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, Southeast Premiere Director: Arvin Chen O Cinema Miami Shores, 5 p.m.

In The Name Of Director: Malgoska Szumowska Coral Gables Art Cinema, 6:30 p.m.

Pit Stop Director: Yen Tan O Cinema Miami Shores, 7:30 p.m.

Let My People Go Director: Mikael Buch Coral Gables Art Cinema, 9 p.m.

La Partida, Sneak Preview Director: Antonio Hens O Cinema Miami Shores, 9:15 p.m.

(Photo Credit: Zelko Gorickic) MGLFF honoree’s film takes a hard look at DOMA By Michael W. Sasser

David W. Ross knows a little something about living in the limelight. At just 17 years-old, the rural Englishman moved to London to seek a career as a film extra. Instead, though, he was sighted by a producer of boy bands and in lieu of film, he found himself one of the members of the band Bad Boys Inc. Although the group released but one album, it included five hit singles and prepared Ross for a life in show business.

After those early days, Ross moved to L.A., where he is a writer and actor. He starred in the 2006 Sundance Film Festival breakout hit Quinceañera, which won both the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize. Quinceañera was also selected to play at the 2006 Berlin Film Festival and won the 2007 Independent Spirit John Cassavetes Award. Ross has starred in the award-winning short, The Receipt, which won the prize for "Best Comedy" at the Los Angeles International Short Film Festival, Sneaux, which was nominated for 6 LA Weekly Theater Awards including "Best Musical," and has appeared in numerous television and print commercials around the world.

Ross’ latest film as writer/actor is I Do, a timely story about the effects of the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) on relationships that cross international borders. I Do is MGLFF’s Centerpiece Film, scheduled for a May 1 screening, with both Ross and producer Stephen Igrad in attendance. Ross is also recipient of the Festival’s Rising Star Award.

Wire took the opportunity to ask the up-and-coming filmmaker about his work to date and about the highly personal and timely I Do.

Q: How did you feel about I Do being selected as MGLFF’s Centerpiece Film? A: I've been extremely moved by MGLFF's support of I Do. I had hoped we'd get into the festival as I really wanted the film to be seen in Miami but I never imagined it would be highlighted like this. Especially the centerpiece and a party! I'm really looking forward to meeting everyone. I know Miami is a party town but I also know it's a town that is really touched by the immigration debate from all sides.

Q: The word is that I Do is a very personal film for you. What was your motivation for making it? A: Heartbreak at first. I was in love with a fellow from the UK who couldn't get his paperwork. I was unable to leave America for financial and career reasons and we were unable to commit to a long distance relationship. I always knew my character in the movie was going to be a photographer, as many people with immigration issues feel they are never really living their life to the full; they always feel like they are on the outside looking in. I started to shoot Prop 8 rallies and that's when I knew I had to make I Do a more politically driven movie. I want the audience to really experience what it's like to be affected by DOMA.

Q: When you reflect back on your “boy band” days, do you feel it helped prepare you for a career in film? A: I think it prepared me for the focus and dedication you need to get something made. I also think it helped me understand how important the people that support you, I don't want to say fans, but again I Do wouldn't have happened if it wasn't for the support of people all around the world that believed in me, the script and what we were trying to do artistically and politically.

Q: How beneficial to your career was the success of earlier films such as The Receipt and Quinceañera? A: Quinceañera was the turning point for me as a filmmaker. Wash and Richard, who directed the film, and Anne Clements who produced, were amazingly supportive and incredible to work with. I really think it's because of my experience on set that gave me confidence to follow my dream of making movies. I love that MGLFF is having its Quince this year! And for a Brit I also love that I know how to properly pronounce Quinceañera!

Q: Were you aware of how timely the theme of I Do would be back when producing the film? A: Because I was photographing a lot of the Prop 8 rallies and worked very closely with lawyers working on legislation and families affected by DOMA I did feel a continued pressure to get the story out as soon as possible. I had a feeling gay marriage would become a political device in the run-up to the presidential elections. I wanted the film to come out for the elections but messed up the timing. I think it was meant to be, as now I Do will be in theaters and on cable, iTunes etc., May 31 for June, which is not only Gay Pride Month but also the month that the Supreme Court will be ruling on the constitutionality of DOMA.

Q: What do you want audiences to take away from the experience of seeing I Do? A: From audience reactions I know people will be on an emotional roller coaster. You'll laugh, cry, get mad... I Do is a love story, a family drama and then a movie about how DOMA affects our lives. I hope people are firstly entertained for 91 minutes. That's why I love making movies. But I also hope they get to experience what it's like to be affected by the Defense Of Marriage Act. Essentially DOMA is a fairly abstract law until you're personally affected by it.

Q: What does receiving the Festival’s Rising Star Award mean to you? A: I was extremely lucky to work with amazing actors like Jamie-Lynn Sigler, Alicia Witt and Maurice Compte. I think that my performance is a direct reflection of the amazing work they did in this film. I'm also really excited to be included in such amazing company as James Franco and Travis Matthews. It means that hopefully more people will want to see I Do and that nine years of sitting in my underwear, in my kitchen trying to finish this film actually paid off! I owe a lot to MGLFF and how supportive they've been of me and the film.

Q: What’s next for David W. Ross? A: I Do comes out May 31, so I'm doing a lot of events and press for that. I'm thinking about directing my next project, which is a short, and then I have another feature I've been wanting to make for a few years. I'm also excited about the future for I Do and how we can continue the conversation about how DOMA has or is affecting our community. Even if the Supreme Court finds DOMA unconstitutional in June, there's still a lot of work to do. It may take several more years and a lot more work for us to have the equality for which we've been fighting for so long.