FESTIVAL PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Thomas King
Tele: 560-3040 ext 224
Email: thomas@carolinatheatre.org

CELEBRATING 10 YEARS OF GREAT FILMS, GREAT FRIENDS & GREAT FUN!

The North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival^SM

“I’ve been to London, Toronto and San Francisco with my film (The Undergrad) and I wanted to come to North Carolina with it because I’d heard great things about North Carolina and the film festival. And they were all exactly right; North Carolina is a great festival. Everyone knows that this is the festival you go to.” Michelle Mahoney, attending filmmaker at the 2004 Festival.

DURHAM, N.C. -- One of Durham’s Signature Events, The North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (NCGLFF), celebrates 10 years of cinematic achievement during the 10^thannual NCGLFF August 11-14 and Aprés-Fest August 15-18 with the largest number of feature films in our history. Tickets can be purchased by contacting The Carolina Theatre box office at (919) 560-3030. Single tickets are$7.50 and a 6-pack & 10-pack discount ticket block are $38.50 & $62. More information including a daily schedule, hotel accommodations and special events is available at www.carolinatheatre.org/ncglff.

The Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau (Durham-nc.com) named the NCGLFF as a Signature Event for Durham, the highest honor bestowed on a cultural event or attraction by the organization in 2003. Produced by The Carolina Theatre of Durham, Inc., the NCGLFF is the second largest film festival in the Southeast and the largest cultural arts event serving the queer community in the Carolinas.

Since beginning as a summer film series in 1995, the NCGLFF has presented a diverse array of shorts, documentaries and feature films. Many films, such as Nine Lives, Issues 101, 200 American, Tarheels & Short Skirts, Luster and Camp: The Movie have made their world or regional première here.

The 2005 festival includes 63 movies (more than 40 of which are feature films—doubling the number of previous festivals) with ten regional premieres and five world premieres (The Betsy Wetsy Timebomb Effect, Boystown, The Hair Of The Moon: 10^th Anniversary Edition, Shiny and What About My Brother?).

The Programming Committee has announced the Emerging Film Awards for the year. They are On the Low—Best Men’s Short, Tina Paulina: Living on Hope Street—Best Women’s Short and Hate Crime—Best Men’s Feature. Because the Emerging Film award recognizes not only artistic merit but also to help those films which have not secured domestic distribution, there were not enough eligible entries to award a Best Women’s Feature this year. Another point of interest is that On the Low is the first film written, directed by (Luther M. Mace) and starring African Americans. The 2003 short D.E.B.S was the first time the award with to an African American (director Angela Robinson).

Highlight films include the Women’s Centerpiece Girl Play, Men’s Centerpiece Summer Storm, Saving Face, Exposed, 29^th & Gay, Call Me Malcolm, Beverly Kills, The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green, Naked Fame, Summer Storm, Transgeneration, The D Word, The Reception, Guys and Balls, Show Me, El Favor, Hellbent and Closing Night Film Mysterious Skin..

The festival kicks off Thursday, August 11with the Opening Night screening of the much anticipated live action film The Mostly Unfabulous Social Life of Ethan Green. Based on the hit underground comic strip of the same name, the film took the Tribeca Film Festival by storm. Director George Bamber makes his directorial debut with the film—a story of a young man learning the difference between Mr. Right and Mr. Right Now. It stars Daniel Letterle (Camp), Meredith Baxter (Family Ties) and features Reichen Lehmkuhl (The Amazing Race). A special concert performance has been included in this year’s festival to celebrate our 10^th birthday. Our Opening Night Performer is the sensational comedian Suzanne Westenhoefer. Her witty and glib approach to life, love and the pursuit of happiness will kick off the festival in a grandiose way! Tickets to her show are $25 and $22 and available at the box office.

The Friday Night Fundraising Reception is 8pm to 10 pm, August 12, in the adjoining Marriott Hotel. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased from The Carolina Theatre Box Office. Cast and crew members from various films will be in Durham at the reception and festival throughout the weekend. The Community Resource area hosts 50 plus LGBT non-profit organizations serving the lesbian and gay community.

Many of the selections for this year’s festival have direct connection the queer life in the Carolinas. Three of the world premieres were filmed in or by North Carolina filmmakers and a fourth is by someone who visits so often she should be considered a local. Boystown director, Rick Reidling’s family is native to Shelby, NC and spent most of his formative years between North Carolina and Durham. His film is a hot cross between Desperate Housewives and Sex in the City as a pilot for new gay episodic drama. Anthony Garcia-Copian’s Shiny is the harrowing tale of male sexual abuse and the courage to break the chains of oppression. Currently residing in Durham, Garcia shot his film locally with cast and crew members from the Triangle. Native North Carolinian and first-time director, Leah Miller, made Elkin, NC her home until 1996 when she moved to South Carolina. Her film, What About M y Brother? Chronicles the heart-wrenching and spirit-lifting tale of the struggles and triumphant of international adoption. Filmmaker Diane Wilkins proclaims that her home is at The Carolina Theatre. She has the dubious distinct of being the only filmmaker to have a film screen at the festival every year since 2000. Her short film Hair of the Moon is a experimental parody of the lesbian classic Claire of the Moon.

E. Patrick Johnson and Jim David (featured in the short Twenty Gay Stereotypes Confirmed – enough said) were born and raised in North Carolina. Johnson received a master’s degree from the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill. The D Word is a NYC parody of Showtime’s The L Word. Jessica Horstman (actor, Dina) is from North Carolina and Constance Marie’s (actor, Dara) parents live in Durham. Both artists will be in attendance at the festival. Bamber filmed the movie Happy Campers in Hendersonville and one day hopes to move into The Biltmore House when it comes on the market. Drag Kings on Tour and Transgeneration both feature local performers and citizens.

But the most touching is probably the connection that Mace has to the area. “There’s someone who lives in the Carolina region who sent an email begging me to bring the film to the Carolinas because he was desperate to see an image of himself on the screen. If I hadn’t received such a poignant and heartfelt request, I may not have been prompted to search for a film festival in the south to showcase the piece,” said Mace.

The critical acclaim of the past nine years proves that a great idea nurtured can become a great reality. The North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival started as a film series presented by The Carolina Theatre in 1995 in association with NC Pride '95. The success of the series encouraged volunteers from the gay/lesbian community and The Carolina Theatre staff to develop a festival. Held during the summer of 1996, the first full-fledged North Carolina Gay and Lesbian Film Festival was born--attracting more than 1,000 attendees from the Triangle’s community. Each year has seen continued growth and recognition for the event culminating in the 2003 distinction of being named a Signature Event. Director Stephanie Wynne (The Cookie Project) said: “I’ve been to close to 40 festivals. [Last year was] my first at North Carolina, based on all of the festivals I’ve been to -- totally organized, totally professional and that’s really important to me. North Carolina is the best.” "The North Carolina Gay & Lesbian Film Festival was the first stop on the festival circuit for my film 200 American,” said producer/writer/director Richard LeMay in 2003, “The venue, the organization, and more importantly, the personal attention given to the filmmakers was top notch. 200 American has been to festivals all over the world and the experience at the NCGLFF has not been matched. Hands down, an amazing experience that spoiled me for the other festivals.”

The Friday Night Fundraising Reception is 8pm to 10 pm, August 12^th, in the adjoining Marriott Hotel. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased from The Carolina Theatre Box Office. Cast and crew members from various films will be in Durham at the reception and festival throughout the weekend. The Community Resource area hosts 50 plus LGBT non-profit organizations serving the lesbian and gay community.

As part of the 10^th anniversary celebration, new ticket discount packages will be offered from Monday, July 18 at 11am until Wednesday, August 10 at 9pm. For the mega-movie fan buy our new 10-pack of films for $62 or a 6-pack for $38.50. Single tickets are $7.50. Tickets are available at The Carolina Theatre Box Office 309 West Morgan Street, Durham, or by calling (919) 560-3030. Single tickets will be available online for purchase at www.carolinatheatre.org.

[Interviews and Images available; contact Thomas for scheduling]

Sponsored in part by Sundance Channel, Log Homes for Us, Durham Marriott at The Civic Center, Out in America, Replacements, Ltd, GaydarGuys.com and The Independent Weekly