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CONTENTS 2 4 5 Schedule Welcome Judges/Juried Prizes FRIDAY 6 Premiere Night Gay Chorus Deep South w/ Indianapolis Men’s Chorus SATURDAY 10 14 18 20 22 26 28 32 Sequins Required Lesbian Shorts: Young Love Gay Shorts Queering the Script From Zero to I Love You Lesbian Shorts Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street Gay Shorts: Aſter Dark SUNDAY 36 40 44 Brief Story from the Green Planet Jean Paul Gaultier Freak + Chic Queer Shorts 01
FILM FRIDAYNovember 8 THE TOBY SCHEDULE 6:30 PRE-FILM COCKTAIL HOUR 7:30 GAY CHORUS DEEP SOUTH w/ INDIANAPOLIS MEN’S CHORUS Sponsored By TICKETS FULL-FESTIVAL PASS ....................................................................... PREMIERE FILM TICKET (Friday Night) ........................................... INDIVIDUAL FILM TICKETS (Saturday + Sunday) ........................... ADVANCE TICKETS AVAILABLE AT INDYLGBTFILMFEST.COM $50 $15 $10 Advance online ticket purchasers: Please visit the box office inside Newfields to check in before going to the Toby or the Deboest theaters. You will be unable to check in at the theater doors. This does not apply to Full-Festival Pass holders—your lanyard is an all-access pass. On-site tickets available Festival Weekend at the Box Office inside Newfields, based on availability. Seating for films guaranteed to Full-Festival Pass holders up to 15 minutes before showtime. 02
SATURDAY November 9 THE TOBY DEBOEST LECTURE HALL 2:00 SEQUINS REQUIRED 2:00 LESBIAN SHORTS: YOUNG LOVE MISDIRECTION TEDDY MATE ISABELLA RADIAL POINT HALAYLA JUST CALL ME RIPLEY 4:00 GAY SHORTS SWEATER ENGAGED HOOSIER MICHAEL AND MICHAEL ARE GAY THE CURSE THE HANDYMAN NEXT LEVEL SHIT STEPDADDY 6:00 FROM ZERO TO I LOVE YOU 6:00 LESBIAN SHORTS RAINBOW MOTHERS GIRLS WEEKEND SAY GRACE ENCLOSURE SEEING GLORY BUTCH 8:00 SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET w/ THE SUMMER HOUSE 8:00 GAY SHORTS: AFTER DARK STALLS ENTER THE LAST ROMANTICS LUKEWARM TOUCHSCREEN CONTENT KIKO’S SAINTS 4:00 QUEER SHORTS COUSIN JOHN MISS MAN PRISONER OF SOCIETY THE ONE YOU NEVER FORGET A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNICORN LITTLE WALTER WHISPERS LOLO 4:00 QUEERING THE SCRIPT 2:00 JEAN PAUL GAULTIER FREAK + CHIC w/ SHE SAID, SHE SAID SUNDAY November 10 THE TOBY 12:00 BRIEF STORY FROM THE GREEN PLANET w/ FLOTANDO 4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, IN 46208 discovernewfields.com INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 03
The Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival proudly returns for our 19th year, bringing the world's finest in LGBTQ content to the Hoosier state. Each year our goal is to create a space where we can revel in our own stories—and discover the commonalities within our own community. We encourage you to explore and to discover stories that might not, at first, seem to be about your own experience. Take a chance on a movie that doesn’t match your letter in the LGBTQ alphabet soup, and you'll find that we're all of the same stock. Here’s something else to think about: Did you know that our beneficiary, Indiana Youth Group, is the longest-running LGBTQ youth organization in the entire country? For more than 30 years IYG has provided safe spaces and vital support for thousands of LGBTQ youth in Indiana. To learn more, visit IndianaYouthGroup.org. On behalf of everyone involved, from our hardworking steering committee to the filmmakers, the Indianapolis Men’s Chorus, the Bag Ladies, Newfields, and all our wonderful sponsors, we want to sincerely thank you for coming to the Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival. Lights. Camera. Action! Festival Steering Committee Pam Powell Annie Zoll Keishana White Kat Hicks Michael Barclay Mickey Rogers Ted Letherer Catherine Crouch Royce Cole Jr. Lymari Quintana Director Matthew Mutchmore Program Editors Courtney Corcoran Jami Stall Website Tracy Robbins Smith Matt Mutchmore Director Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival INDIANAYOUTHGROUP.ORG facebook.com/IndianapolisLGBTFilmFestival twitter.com/indylgbtflmfest instagram.com/indylgbtfilmfest 04
JURIED PRIZES LITTLE WALTER WHISPERS David Slade Chief Development and Marketing Officer at WFYI Public Media, overseeing member relations, grant development, and underwriting programs PRISONER OF SOCIETY Paula Katz Studio Manager to artist Samuel Levi Jones, and Independent Curator and Arts Consultant These five films are our nominees for the 2019 Best of Festival Awards. The winners are selected by our panel KIKO’S SAINTS of judges and announced on Premiere Night. RAINBOW MOTHERS Ess McKee Artist, Illustrator, and Creator of Things, Teacher at Regeneration Indy, and Designer/Proprietor of Inaz Dezign LLC Bryn Jackson Artist, Assistant Curator of Audience Engagement and Performance at Newfields Mark Harper Film Studies Professor at Heartland Community College in Normal, Illinois, and a former Director of the Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival ISABELLA INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 05
PREMIERE NIGHT Sponsored By 06
In the wake of the 2016 election, the San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus responded with a bus tour through Southern red states. Their mission: Carry a message of visibility, acceptance, hope, and the power of music to unify rather than divide. Joined by the Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, the SFGMC toured areas of the southern United States that have the most discriminatory anti-LGBTQ+ laws, including Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, and the Carolinas. Director David Charles Rodrigues combines modern-day truths with historical perspective to chronicle this intense, moving, and inspirational journey. As the diverse group treks through the South, the film focuses on individual stories with universal implications. Many chorus members return to cities, towns, and states that they fled decades before, uncovering surprising changes and heartbreaking new realities. By going directly to areas where they are least likely to be accepted, the chorus members use one-to-one human connections and the healing power of music to foster change. Fueled by powerful live performances and colorful characters, this dynamic documentary captures the heart and soul of a contemporary civil rights movement. Screening preceded by a live performance by the INDIANAPOLIS MEN’S CHORUS INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 07
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DOCUMENTARY FEATURE SEQUINS REQUIRED PREVIEW SCREENING 10
One night in 1981, a ballsy group of men with big hearts and even bigger bouffants dressed in drag and boarded a bus. Performing at stops throughout Indianapolis, they raised money for people dying from the disease “God gave to the homosexuals.” If that were the case, then a more loving divine being blessed the gay community with the Indianapolis Bag Ladies. Courageous and compassionate, these men organized to help, hug, and house droves of dying gay men who no one else would. Their humanity and hilarity proved far more powerful than public policies and a government that initially turned its back on the national AIDS crisis in the early ’80s. One of the founders Coby Palmer (aka Blossom, Queen Mother of the Bag Ladies) takes us back to what was “a deadly new disease singling out gay men.” He and his fellow Bag Ladies share their story for continued awareness and a tribute to all the friends they buried during those darkest days. Aſter nearly four decades of Bag Lady Bus Tours and charitable events, they and many more ladies (and some women) have brought in more than $3 million to help those living with and affected by HIV/AIDS. They hope, of course, for a cure. But even then, they still want all of the effort, all of the pain, and especially all of the love that has occurred over the past 35 to 40 years to be remembered. “Because if you forget it, you then lose what our community is,” says Tom Sizemore. INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 11
SHORTS PROGRAM LESBIAN SHORTS Lesbian youths are in the spotlight in these magical short films, showcasing journeys with love interests, classmates, families, friends, and coming out. 14 In Misdirection, a street magician teaches Camila to channel her energy into a new hobby and new possibilities. Teddy Mate introduces a magical world where children bond with teddy bears that eventually transform into their perfect human life partners. Conservative Robyn is captivated by her outspoken, rebellious classmate Isabella. Despite their attraction, two women struggle to make the first move in Radial Point. In Halayla, Tom discovers a different side of her girlfriend and their relationship. Ripley’s diverse, wacky friends support her no matter what in Just Call Me Ripley.
MISDIRECTION Director: Carly Usdin, USA, 13 Minutes HALAYLA Director: Emily Shir Segal, Israel, 15 Minutes, Subtitled TEDDY MATE Director: Romme Villa, Australia, 15 Minutes ISABELLA Director: Rohan Reddy, UK, 12 Minutes RADIAL POINT Director: Saffron Ardern-Sodje, USA, 2 Minutes JUST CALL ME RIPLEY Director: Shannon Noll, USA, 44 Minutes INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 15
SHORTS PROGRAM Check your blues at the door and get ready to smile! This collection of short films is funny, flirty, surprising, and maybe even touching, and includes a dance break! 18 Corey’s bad day improves in Sweater. Darren’s insecurities keep him from proposing to his boyfriend in Engaged. In Hoosier, a young man discovers a deeper layer to his queer identity. The married Michaels have dinner with straights and attend a naked party in Michael and Michael are Gay. A witch uses a little magic to remind a young man what he’s really looking for in The Curse. Creative schemes get a hunky repairman to keep returning in The Handyman. Taylor’s preparations for his date backfire in Next Level Shit. An awkward dinner becomes even more uncomfortable in Stepdaddy.
SWEATER Director: Nick Borenstein, USA, 5 Minutes THE CURSE Director: Dave Berenato, USA, 8 Minutes ENGAGED Director: David Scala, USA, 17 Minutes HOOSIER Director: Aaron Cook, USA, 15 Minutes MICHAEL AND MICHAEL ARE GAY Directors: Ian Alda & Annika Kurnick, USA, 21 Minutes THE HANDYMAN Director: JC Calciano, USA, 9 Minutes NEXT LEVEL SHIT Director: Gary Jaffe, USA, 12 Minutes STEPDADDY Director: Lisa Steen, USA, 8 Minutes INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 19
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE QUEERING THE SCRIPT 20
Queer nerd alert! Queering the Script ventures into the cosplay-wearing , fanfic-writing underbelly of queer fandoms, exploring their influence on the slow but steady rise of LGBTQ+ characters in the media, and the extraordinary impact of activism on its many diverse fans. Queerness on television has moved from subtext, in series such as Xena: Warrior Princess, to all-out multiseason relationships between women, as seen on Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Lost Girl, and Carmilla. But things still aren’t perfect. In 2016 a record number of queer women died on fictional shows, which broke the hearts of queer fans and launched a successful fight for better, more diverse LGTBQ+ representation. Engrossing interviews with figureheads from Autostraddle and GLAAD Media contextualize the history of queer women in popular media, while Pose actress Angelica Ross, The L Word creator Ilene Chaiken, and Xena: Warrior Princess herself, Lucy Lawless, share their experiences with fans and how they’ve helped to reshape narratives to be queer inclusive. Queering the Script takes a fun and forthright look at the importance of queer representation in mass media and the undeniable influence of LGBTQ+ fandoms on the shows we watch. INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 21
NARRATIVE FEATURE 22
THE TOBY / SATURDAY, 6PM Peter’s latest love interest is Jack, a charming, successful businessman...with a devoted wife and two young children. Darryl Stephens (Noah’s Arc) stars in this funny, bittersweet romance that grapples with the hang-ups and pressures gay men contend with when it comes to identity and love. Peter, a serial dater of unavailable men, is under pressure from his formidably gruff father to get his life in order and settle down. Enter Jack, with a wife and kids in the suburbs. When sparks fly, Pete must ask himself if he can handle yet another relationship with a married man, while Jack will have to decide if he’s ready to leave his wife. Gossip, deception, heartbreak, and coincidence play their part, and eventually Peter realizes that something needs to change if he’s going to maintain any self-respect. His emotional journey isn’t over as he faces up to the challenges of finding—and keeping—love in his life. Featuring strong chemistry between the leads, director Doug Spearman (Hot Guys with Guns) creates authentic characters in this highly engaging, obstacle-filled romance. INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 23
SHORTS PROGRAM Love and laughs, awkward family moments, surprising reunions, bad breakups, ingenius pets, and tender rememberances all converge in this year’s collection of queer women’s shorts. 26 Rainbow Mothers documents a Chinese couple’s struggles with marriage and fertility in their country. Girls Weekend centers on an awkward reunion between an estranged lesbian and her not-so-accepting family. Teresa, now a nun, never got over the woman who broke her heart years before in Say Grace. In Enclosure, a quiet girl questions the decisions made for her by her family. Gloria prepares a feast of the senses for the rapidly ailing Eva in Seeing Glory. Aſter a lousy breakup, a dog named Butch must do his best to reunite his owners, even if it means a trip to the vet.
DEBOEST HALL SATURDAY 6 PM RAINBOW MOTHERS Director: Elle Luan, USA/China, 30 Minutes GIRLS WEEKEND Director: Kyra Sedgwick, USA, 11 Minutes SAY GRACE Director: Phil Hawkins, USA, 17 Minutes 95 Minutes ENCLOSURE Director: Tingting Li, USA, 11 Minutes SEEING GLORY Director: Dave Hamilton, USA, 15 Minutes BUTCH Director: Harry Lloyd, Austrailia, 11 Minutes INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 27
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE SCREAM, QUEEN! MY NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET 28
THE TOBY / SATURDAY, 8PM When A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge was released in 1985, fans thirsting for more Freddy Krueger mayhem weren’t prepared for what’s been called “the gayest horror movie ever made.” When Mark Patton landed the lead in the hotly anticipated sequel to the blockbuster film A Nightmare on Elm Street, it was a dream come true, putting him on track to become a Hollywood star. But instead, Patton found himself facing a stark reality: He was a young, closeted, gay man starring in a subversively queer film that was maligned by fans, failed at the box office, and destroyed his career. He retreated from show business and leſt the country, unaware of the growing reappraisal of Freddy’s Revenge and the cult status it achieved in the years following its dismissal. Scream, Queen! My Nightmare on Elm Street brings Patton out of hiding aſter 30 years, finally ready to embrace the film and confront his own demons by telling his story. The documentary also examines how attitudes toward the controversial sequel have changed, along with the social mores of both Hollywood and society. Interviews with celebrities, film historians, drag icon Peaches Christ, and the original cast and crew—including Freddy Krueger himself, Robert Englund—round out this deep dive into a truly unique ’80s horror film. Directors: Roman Chimienti & Tyler Jensen, USA, 99 Minutes Preceded by: THE SUMMER HOUSE—Director: Luke Willis, USA, 14 Minutes INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 29
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SHORTS PROGRAM GAY SHORTS From cheap thrills to unexpected encounters, experience desire in its most tender, tantalizing, comedic, startling, and fascinating forms. 32 A cruising adventure comes to its climax in Stalls. In Enter, M. arrives by chance where an orgy is taking place. Two young men share different points of view of the same encounter in The Last Romantics. In Lukewarm, John and Eric put the "lust" back in "lackluster." In Touchscreen, a lonely man is challenged to step out from behind his computer and shatter his inhibitions. Kevin seems to be willing to do whatever it takes for the perfect photo in Content. Encountering a gay couple on the beach becomes a life-changing experience for a shy, Japanese illustrator in Kiko’s Saints.
DEBOEST HALL SATURDAY 8 PM 94 Minutes LUKEWARM Director: Mitch Yapko, USA, 7 Minutes STALLS Director: João Dall'Stella, USA, 4 Minutes TOUCHSCREEN Director: Arthur Halpern, USA, 15 Minutes ENTER Directors: Manuel Billi & Benjamin Bodi, France, 19 Minutes, Subtitled THE LAST ROMANTICS Director: João Cândido Zacharias, Brazil, 12 Minutes, Subtitled CONTENT Director: Chris Coats, USA, 12 Minutes KIKO’S SAINTS Director: Manuel Marmier, France, 25 Minutes, Subtitled INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 33
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Young men (ages 18-29) who have sex with men are 44 times more likely to contract HIV. Gay and bisexual men currently account for the majority of cases of Syphilis and are at a much higher risk for Chlamydia and Gonorrhea infections. Knowing your status is a game changer. Step Up can help! Free and confidential HIV and STD testing is available. For times and locations visit stepupin.org/testing. PARTNER CHOSEN NOW WHAT?
NARRATIVE FEATURE BRIEF STORY PLANET FROM THE GREEN 36
NOON In this tender, epic journey, young trans woman Tania is tasked with caring for her recently deceased grandmother’s closest companion—an alien, whom she and her comrades must safely return to its extraterrestrial origins. In Buenos Aires, three childhood friends find themselves in a rut. Feisty trans performer Tania is disillusioned with her profession, club kid Pedro can only connect via dancing, and depressed waitress Daniela has given up on finding love. Their lives are upended when Tania’s grandmother dies, revealing a secret: In her final years, she lived with an extraterrestrial companion, and it is now Tania’s legacy to return the creature to its home. Armed with Abuela’s hand-drawn map, the three friends set out through the stunning countryside of Argentina on a journey that will test their faith in themselves and one another. When obstacles and hostile locals stand in their way, the friends discover hidden reserves of strength to see their mission through. Told in a blend of magic and sobering realism, this poetic and oſten moving film fable—which won the Teddy Award at the Berlin International Film Festival—is a meditation on selfhood, friendship, and what it means to be “other.” Director: Santiago Loza, Argentina/Germany/Spain, 74 Minutes—Spanish with English Subtitles Preceded by: FLOTANDO—Director: Frankie De Leonardis, Spain, 8 Minutes INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 37
DOCUMENTARY FEATURE JEAN PAUL GAULTIER 40
Any designer can stage a runway show, but possibly only Jean Paul Gaultier could pull off a “Fashion Freak Show” at the Folies Bergère, combining fashion with film, dance, theater, and unapologetic, over-the-top flair. The wild work of visionary designer Jean Paul Gaultier is instantly recognizable, coming from one of the most imaginative and subversive couturiers in all of fashion. Here the playful genius offers an all-access pass into the intense two-year making of his lavish, autobiographical cabaret in this vibrant homage to the artist’s life and work. As Gaultier readies his ambitious career-spanning revue, he looks back on his upbringing, his inspirations, and his creations—with such stars as Madonna, Catherine Deneuve, Marion Cotillard, and his longtime muse Rossy de Palma joining him along the way. Eye-popping costumes, extravagant set design, high energy choreography, and original music come together to form an otherworldly spectacle that could only spring from the mind of Gaultier. Filmmaker Yann L’Hénoret follows the show from its infancy to opening night, capturing some moving, vulnerable moments along the way, such as Gaultier discussing the death of his longtime partner from HIV. You’re cordially invited to this colorful look into the daring and provocative world of a true icon. Preceded by: SHE SAID, SHE SAID—Director: Stuart Blumberg, USA, 8 Minutes INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 41
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SHORTS PROGRAM QUEER SHORTS This vibrant, eclectic collection of short films explores sexual and gender identities, and how family and societal expectations can affect how we see ourselves and the world around us. 44 The residents of The Carrington House Hotel yearn for the return of Cousin John. Miss Man introduces Manob, struggling to stand up for who he truly is. Prisoner of Society documents a transgender woman who has been locked away. Carey decides if he’ll let his father meet his date in The One You Never Forget. In A Brief History of the Unicorn, a young girl demands that her confirmation sponsor be her transgender aunt. The fragile world Walter has created is challenged in Little Walter Whispers. Eleven-year-old Lolo tries to convince his first love to go public with their relationship.
COUSIN JOHN—THE ARRIVAL Director: Tom CJ Brown, USA, 5 Minutes A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE UNICORN Director: Mina Sewell Mancuso, Canada, 15 Minutes MISS MAN Director: Tathagata Ghosh, India, 25 Minutes, Subtitled PRISONER OF SOCIETY Director: Rati Tsiteladze, Georgia, 15 Minutes THE ONE YOU NEVER FORGET Director: Morgan Jon Fox, USA, 9 Minutes LITTLE WALTER WHISPERS Director: William Moran, USA, 14 Minutes LOLO Directors: Leandro Goddinho, Paulo Menezes, Germany, 14 Minutes, Subtitled INDIANAPOLIS L GB T FILM FES TIV AL 2019 45
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