14th Annual NCGLFF - Featured Films

Twirling Earl twirls his baton in front of the Gay Pride parade…until his toss goes hilariously astray. Dipshitz is an animated comic short about a top secret meeting between a quartet of media vixens...and a special surprise guest on speakerphone! Get Happy is a coming-of-age musical extravaganza about Mark Payne, who became a singer, clothing designer and stage performer alongside Bob Hope and Milton Berle, all before puberty. Now one of the most sought-after makeup artists in Hollywood, this upbeat film documents Mark’s trek to the top. Jill, the cheerleader, asks Jack, the quarterback, out on a date and gets upset when he won’t put out in Girl Parts! Oggles with Goggles is the hilarious story of a drunken one-night stand…as told from a Dr. Seuss Beginning Reader. And celebrate the joys of dating in Boycrazy, a delightful musical about Corey, a young man searching for love in such places as the gym, beach, and even a singing chat room.

A Filipina transsexual dreams of love and Paris in this so-surreal-it-must-be-true documentary/re-staged re-creation/fantasy that won the Teddy Award for Best Gay & Lesbian Feature at the Berlin Film Festival. The gregarious, determined Raquela is a transsexual “ladyboy” who escapes her dreary Cebu City reality by (possibly) becoming an on-line chat room icon, befriending an Icelandic Filipina, and beginning a dubious fling with an overbearing American web-porn czar. Seemingly inspired by its heroine, Queen Raquela enlivens the traditional documentary form by joyfully refusing to accept its usual boundaries; director Olaf De Fleur Johannesson and Raquela draw upon her life and experiences but add fictional recreations, visions of possible realities, and stories from other ladyboys. Exploitation, prostitution, poverty, and First/Third World relationships are addressed, but the film's heart lies in the courage of turning “reality” into something more fabulous. A dazzling recreation of a remarkable life, Queen Raquela offers the most fun you'll have this year in a “documentary.”

Time is running out, and Lola (NC native Ashleigh Sumner) has only one chance to salvage a job and save her relationship with new girlfriend, Casey (Jill Bennett). Wait, make that three chances. With the fast-paced, colorful, fragmented style of the epic German film Run Lola Run, this time bending tale by filmmakers Megan Siler and Ellen Seidler, chronicles the tempestuous journey of a commitment phobic photographer, Lola. Typically immune to the lesbian ways of the U-Haul, Lola discovers that she might have finally found someone worth slowing down for. But not now. Now Lola is late. Lola has to run! Navigating San Francisco like a treacherous video game, Lola has mere minutes to tame the domineering meter maid, avoid the canine-wielding park chick, grab the photos, sidestep the ex, and deliver the proofs to the bar where girlfriend Casey is meeting with a prospective client (and her ex), the euro-hottie Danielle (Cathy DeBuono, Out at the Wedding). Thrust on a relationship crash course, Lola grows ever more determined to deliver, and claim her girlfriend from the potential rival. From the Embarcadero to Dolores Park to Chinatown, Lola sprints, bikes, hitches rides and flirts her way through the streets and back rooms of San Francisco. Time grows short. Will Lola make it? With an exhilarating climax and pumping pop/rock lesbian soundtrack, And Then Came Lola is the fun-filled lesbian rom-com of 2009 complete with sexy bedroom scenes. The 6 Month Rule is a dramatic comedy about a group of friends who gather for a party which ends in disaster.

John thinks he's got it all figured out. He's young, good looking and has always had a way with the ladies. After a break-up with his girlfriend, he moves west to Los Angeles for a fresh start. He is officially back on the market and looking to score. Crashing on his buddy Andy's couch is a comforting return to the college patterns of partying, womanizing and trash talk with the guys. However, reconnecting with his old flame Maddie proves to be surprising when she introduces him to her girlfriend, Anna. An aspiring photographer, John takes an entry-level position at an ad agency, determined to prove himself. Things get a little confusing when Paul, a successful executive at the firm, takes a special interest in John, and when John ends up in Paul's bed, his world is turned completely upside down. The Art of Being Straight explores one man's unexpected search for identity. More than just a story of seduction, John's journey to find himself proves to be almost more than he can handle, yet he discovers that accepting the unknown also brings unlimited possibilities. In the hilarious short film, Screening Party, a group of gay friends watch, skewer, and celebrate the 1990 movie, Pretty Woman.

Two adventurous women in love are desperate to have their own biological child. This outlandish Canadian feature follows lab worker Athena (Angela Vint) and wife Lilith (Megan Fahlenbock) as they dare to boldly go where no couple has gone before — creating a baby with two biological mothers. Utilizing the real-life science that has created offspring in mice, Athena bravely opens her womb to the experimental procedure. When Lilith tires of rubbing Athena’s feet and fetching cupcakes and sauerkraut, she decides to impregnate herself with yet another hybrid egg. With both women simultaneously rocking their lovely lady lumps, the only thing left to do is tell the wacky family the news. Now two hungry, moody and emotional women must not only bear children, but each other’s families as well. Grab your repressed brother, judgmental mother and wine-soaked gay fathers, and enjoy the riotous fun that can only be had by combining pregnancy, science and dysfunctional families.

Javier Camara played the exceedingly empathetic nurse in Pedro Almodóvar´s 2002 film, Talk to Her, and early on in Chef’s Special he’s again at a hospital bedside-that of his long-estranged ex-wife, who is dying. But in this high-strung comedy, Camara’s Maxi is something of a bitchy queen who won’t cut anybody any slack. As a manager of a fine dining establishment in Madrid’s gay neighborhood, Maxi’s driving perfectionism fails to motivate him to be a good gay dad to his two kids, especially to his fifteen-year-old son, whose abandonment issues are manifesting as homophobia. In addition to all that, his staff wants to kill him. Maxi’s best friend and maïtre d’ is cleavage-baring drama queen Alex (Lola Dueñas). She’s had enough of men, but then she spots Maxi’s new neighbor, a hunky ex-soccer player whose ambiguous sexuality manages to turn the two friends into rivals. Driven by a series of misunderstandings and pratfalls, this Spanish romp is the perfect showcase for Camara, who walks a fine line between hysterically funny and merely hysterical. In Spanish with English subtitles.

If you liked previous NCGLFF short comedies Cooking With Kay or Taco Chick and Salsa Girl, you’re going to love this laugh-out-loud spoof of Charlie’s Angels. Chita Parol! Frieda Laye! Kay Sedia! Even their names spell d-a-n-g-e-r! In Gang of Chicas, the curvaceous Angels and Bossman volunteer to help a little old lady solve the mystery of her missing lawn ornament, never guessing that their undercover mission will send them into the dangerous world of girl gangs, gang fights and ceramic Chihuahuas! And when Frieda gets kidnapped, it’s up to Kay and Chita to find her and uncover a Mexican baby black market in Little Lost Chica! Aye! I know, right?! With no plan, these hotties go under the covers and fight crime the only way they know how...with cha-cha heels and glamorous fashions! Martini the Movie is an original comedy musical about Martini Glass, the legendary actress of Hollywood’s Golden Age! Set in the present, the story follows Martini as she prepares to audition for the role of a lifetime. Along the way, with cocktail in hand, she dishes the Tinseltown dirt with a flourish! Have you been “probed”? A guy discovers his boyfriend isn’t what he appears, especially when he starts glowing! It’s an extraqueerrestrial experience in the hilarious X-Files send-up called Q-Case.

Say hello to the miserable Fleece family. Dad abuses mom, Anora. Daughter Tabby storms around in a teenaged snit. Son Little Pete is bullied at school. Enter Imogene (Jill Marie Jones), the Kathy K. Cosmetics saleswoman who moves in next door, peddling products for the cocoa-skinned woman. Despite her arrival in a neighborhood not too keen on cocoa-skinned anything, the unstoppable Imogene proceeds to give the family a radical makeover, starting with hand lotion and ending with a road trip in her purple Kathy K. car. Along the way, Imogene swiftly replaces the fantasy man who’s been starring in frustrated Anora’s steamy daydreams, and before you can say “purple eye shadow” the daydream turns into reality. This deadpan Southern gothic features the gorgeous Laura Harring as shy Anora, and Jones, (star of TV’s Girlfriends) as no-nonsense Imogene. Under its outrageous plot, which includes racism, domestic violence, homicide and lots of masturbation, Drool is a sweet-natured story of familial love. Tabby, who narrates the film and whose animated drawings punctuate the story, charts the classic adolescent path from shock to anger to acceptance as she comes to terms with her redefined family.

Before the Indigo Girls and before Ani DiFranco, there was Ferron, whose plaintive and poetic songs provided the soundtrack for an entire generation of lesbians. Nearing 60 and feeling the urge to reconnect with her audience, Ferron reunites with her band to perform a concert after nearly a decade away from the spotlight. Internationally award-winning director Gerry Rogers (My Left Breast) is there to capture the moment. Ferron is an icon of women’s music: a folk-rock singer songwriter often compared to Bob Dylan for her intricate lyrics backed by guitar-driven melodies. Back in the day, Ferron gave the movement serious musical cred with her melancholy ballads, and at times caused controversy by including men in her band. Girl on a Road picks up Ferron as she reunites with her band and hits the road after a ten-year absence. The film documents the kick-off Vancouver concert, celebrating Ferron in performance and in backstage interviews. She and her band members recall good times and bad, from Ferron’s first performance (“someone had slipped me a hash brownie”) to her brief and disastrous involvement with Warner Bros. Records: “They didn’t know what to do with me.” In stories onstage and off, Ferron recalls her chaotic childhood and her need to write songs that reflected her lesbian experience. Girl on a Road is, above all, a snapshot of a survivor.

Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, For My Wife is a heartfelt documentary that humanizes the struggle for full LGBT marriage equality. On December 14, 2006, a torrential rainstorm hit Seattle. Water flooded into the home of Kate Fleming and Charlene Strong. Kate, an award-winning audio book narrator, tried to retrieve equipment from her small basement studio but became trapped by the rising waters. When a rescue team finally freed Kate, she was unconscious and rushed to the hospital. It was there that Charlene was denied access to Kate by a social worker—because they weren’t married. Kate’s sister had to be called to give Charlene the necessary permission to be with Kate in her final moments. The humiliation and discrimination Charlene faced at the hospital and the funeral home compelled her to testify to the Washington legislature, an act that became influential in passing the state’s historic Domestic Partnership Registration Bill. This powerful documentary humanizes the struggle for full marriage equality. Downstream is a short film from Switzerland about two 70-year-old ladies who, for decades, have been walking along with each other. In summertime, their daily ritual is to swim down the river that flows through their home town. As the current carries them down the river, they meditate on friendship, love and becoming older. What will it be like to have to live without one's partner after three decades together? They ponder the unthinkable: what will either of them do if the other passes away? Their lives are so interwoven after decades together that it's hard to imagine. Downstream: In Swiss/German with English subtitles.

Girl Seeks Girl is Spain’s answer to The L Word. In this sexy and cute show, we are introduced to a group of ladies looking for love in all the right and sometimes wrong places as they play musical beds to their hearts’ desire. This episodic series has been packaged into a feature length presentation to make its North American Debut for all the ladies! Nines is a butch player in the series. She wakes up from a one-night stand with Monica but soon discovers she is far more interested in pursuing Monica’s bi-curious roommate, Carmen, who she bumps into in the kitchen on her way to making a quick exit. Things get complicated because Monica was expecting more than a one-night tryst from her efforts with Nines and hoping for a long term relationship. Employing the complexities at which Spanish film and television-makers excel, we next learn that Carmen has a boyfriend, albeit a lying, cheating boyfriend. Nonetheless she is involved in a heterosexual relationship. But who doesn’t love a challenge? These girls sure have their work cut out for them as they navigate life, love and the pursuit of sexual satisfaction in fast-paced Madrid. Made by and for women, this series is what Latinas, and the women who love them, have always wanted…a lesbian novella with sexy Spanish girls. Girl Seeks Girl is a guilty pleasure that will have you yearning for more. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Even more of those beautiful Girl Seeks Girl ladies! As their lives comically, passionately and tragically intersect, the adventures continue. These characters have an infectious sincerity that exudes depth and reality without having to try too hard. Girl Seeks Girl is both a rare gem and a guilty pleasure – the kind of guilty pleasure that will make all your lesbian friends, lovers, and frenemies smile along with you in the dark. Scriptwriter Olga Iglesias and director Sonia Sebastián have produced a heart-warming, funny award-winning series that features a talented and sexy cast. With dialogue that sizzles and a heart bigger than Madrid itself, Girl Seeks Girl has that sublime quality akin to recognizing the joy of a particular moment as you experience it. You won’t want the fun to end. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Hannah Free tells the story of a decades-long love affair between Hannah — an adventurous, butch lesbian with gruff charm — and Rachel, a pristine, married homemaker with a religious upbringing. Set in a present day nursing home, Hannah is forbidden from seeing the now-comatose Rachel, due to her not being “family.” When a mysteriously kind student promises to help Hannah gain access to Rachel’s room, Hannah is forced to reconcile her own desires with those of Rachel’s family and, oddly enough, Rachel. Through a series of flashbacks and past incarnations that Hannah imagines in her old age, the viewer is treated to the passionate beginnings of their relationship, which was both tumultuous and enduring. Hannah, marvelously played by icon Sharon Gless (Cagney & Lacey, Queer as Folk), manages to convey the introspection that comes with age, while still being spunky and sharp. Though Hannah is out and unashamed while Rachel is much more reserved, both characters are revealed to be courageous in entirely different ways. The film easily questions matters of same-sex partners’ rights, the definition of family and the difficulties surrounding seeing your loved ones become old and fragile. Together from childhood until they were seniors, Rachel and Hannah’s relationship is multi-layered and poignant — sometimes an entire lifetime isn’t even long enough to be with the person you love.

Paris might be lovely in the springtime, but in the winter it sucks - especially after you've just been dumped. Lusting for sunshine, among other things, delicious Frenchman Jerome heads to California and falls in with an eclectic crowd that calls Hollywood home. Weird, wild and ultimately beautiful, writer-director Jason Bushman's debut feature will make you fall in love with LA all over again. The stellar cast includes Eric Debets and Chad Allen. In English and French with English subtitles.

At last year’s NCGLFF, novelist-turned-screenwriter Shamim Sarif presented The World Unseen. Now Sarif and her beautiful stars are back with the more contemporary story of a couple negotiating the challenges of family and societal expectations and their own preconceptions as they struggle toward happiness. When Tala and Leyla meet, the attraction is immediate; cloaked at first in a friendship that soon gives way to their growing passion. Forthright Tala, a well-to-do Palestinian Christian raised in Jordan, is the self-confident one. Shy, aspiring writer Leyla, a Muslim living in London with her Indian immigrant parents, is much less sure of herself. Tala is on her fourth engagement, and determined to accede to her powerful family’s wishes, even if it means she can never be with the woman she loves. While tackling big picture issues of religion, racism, and ethnic differences, I Can’t Think Straight also delves into the more intimate matter of family. Tala and Leyla must choose which is more important: family approval, or the love that burns within their hearts for one another.

Cut is a short animated film about a woman who gets a haircut on lunch and gets more than she bargained for. Catherine Crouch’s The Gendercator uses the “Rip van Winkle” model to extrapolate from the feminist 1970s to a frightening 2048, where politics and technology have conspired to mandate two gender “choices”: macho male or Barbie babe. In this dystopian future, those whose gender presentation does not comply will be gendercated. Mel’s indecision about moving in with her new girlfriend is aided by a possessed alarm clock in Linda Andersson’s When The Time’s Right. In the delightful animated Canadian short, The Girl Bunnies, two female bunnies living across the world from one another fall madly in love, travel to the ends of the earth, then adopt eight chicken eggs to raise a family! A lonely woman finds a magical shop where she can craft an ideal mate in Make-A-Mate. Brad and Sally get more than they expected when they go to the beach on a beautiful sunny day in A Day at the Beach. Remember Me is a suspense thriller set in a futuristic world where remembering can be a medical procedure and love and pain can be erased. In the futuristic sci-fi short, Shift, we meet the Switchcocks, an all-girl revenge gang who make their living by taking on vengeance contracts. One night, Lexi, gang member by night, courier by day, hooks the gang up with the dangerously potent drug called Shift. After sampling the drug, the gang runs amok, taking vengeance on an Enclave drone – without a contract, and just for fun. Lexi awakens the following day and must deal with the aftermath and her own role in the gang's actions. A Drag King Extravaganza is a revealing documentary which revolves around the yearly IDKE Conference (International Drag King Community Extravaganza).

“It's not too hard to see why Robert Pattinson was chosen – months before he put the gleam in 20 million Twilight fans’ eyes – to play the young Salvador Dalí in Little Ashes.”
– Entertainment Weekly

Love. Art. Betrayal... Little Ashes brings to life the long-hidden, highly controversial relationship between the young Salvador Dali and the doomed poet Federico Garcia Lorca. This is a brilliant Spanish-British drama film, set against the backdrop of Spain during the 20s and 30s, as three of the era's most creative young talents meet at university and set off on a course to change their world. Little Ashes follows a young Salvador Dali (Robert Pattinson) from his beginnings living in the Residencia de Estudiantes, leading to his dynamic relationship with poet Federico Lorca and their increasing infatuation with each other. Set across a timeframe that spans the roots of fascism to the beginning of General Franco's dictatorship, Little Ashes depicts love in a time where homosexuality was deemed immoral – a point particularly reinforced by Matthew McNulty's portrayal of surrealist filmmaker Luis Buñuel, a man notorious for his contempt regarding the matter. Luis watches helplessly as the friendship between Salvador Dalí and the poet Federico García Lorca develops into an unusual love affair.

One of the most prolific filmmakers at NCGLFF, Rob Williams’ previous films include Back Soon, 3-Day Weekend, and Long-Term Relationship. Make the Yuletide Gay marks his fourth feature film to debut in North Carolina. This is a sweet and frothy confection that will put audiences in the holiday spirit, even in the middle of summer. Nathan Stanford (Adamo Ruggiero) and Olaf “Gunn” Gunnunderson (Keith Jordan) are out-and-proud college boyfriends whose campus life consists of flirting with their professors, dishing with their friends and making out in their dorm room. As classes break for the holidays, the boys head in separate directions to spend Christmas with their families. But when Nathan’s parents abandon him for a holiday in the Holy Land, Nathan decides to surprise his boyfriend and shows up on the Gunnunderson family’s Wisconsin doorstep. Gunn’s parents welcome his “friend” with open arms and plates laden with cookies. It quickly becomes apparent to Nathan, however, that there is one major problem with this perfect picture – Gunn has never come out to his family! As Nathan urges his boyfriend to break open the closet door, Gunn’s mother busily tries to reunite her son with his high school sweetheart, Abby. With a supporting cast that includes Gates McFadden (Dr. Beverly Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation), Ian Buchanan (The Bold and the Beautiful) and Alison Arngrim (Nellie Olsen from Little House on the Prairie), Make the Yuletide Gay is one Christmas present worth opening early.

A lighthearted comedic look at same sex parenting and marriage. Miranda Bliss is an evangelical Christian in rural Coover Corners, Georgia. Her husband Parker is a strong advocate against gay marriage. After seeing a documentary on TV, Miranda gets a message from God, telling her to become a surrogate mother for the married gay male couple from Boston who were the subject of the TV program: A Jewish doctor named Sandy and an African American dance choreographer named Terry (Orlando Jones). So, Miranda goes up to Boston to meet Terry and Sandy, agrees to have a baby for them, and ultimately becomes pregnant with an egg supplied by their lesbian friend who was herself unwilling to carry the child for them. Once Miranda gets back home, however, all Hell breaks loose when Terry shows up uninvited to micro-manage Miranda’s pregnancy – and he won’t leave!

Three sparkling gay couples flutter around the chic cafes, sweaty gyms and high-priced galleries of London's Soho and Brick Lane. They look like they have it all – including the requisite devoted female friend, Louise, who has a habit of inadvertently dating gay guys. Harry, a TV producer with posh roots, is living with Alex, an aspiring actor/waiter who comes from a poor family. Tom, a wealthy visual artist, is playing sugar daddy to model/singer Lars. William, an antiques dealer and single dad, is dating Lawrence, a minor TV star. But cynicism, suspicion and horniness upset the peer group's delicate balance. Feelings boil to the surface when the group gathers to meet Louise's latest boyfriend, and only the straight newcomer appears to enjoy the most awkward dinner party ever. Screenwriter David Morris isn't interested having his characters merely take off their shirts. He would rather show us how markers of status – money, looks, class, fame – are distractions from those things that are truly important: family, life goals and, God forbid, love. This beefcake gay rom-com debut is guided by its heart and is unexpectedly free of clichés.

Writer-director Mark Jones previously screened Eli Parker’s Getting Married (2003) and Fraternity Massacre at Hell Island (2007) at NCGLFF. This year, he’s back with a send-up of late-night soaps that plays like a gayer version of Dynasty and Knot’s Landing. Much like soaps, Happiness is divided into five episodes, each detailing the sordid lives of the Perkins and Van Linus clans. There’s gorgeous and slutty Sarah Perkins who’s about to marry Phillip, the only son of the filthy rich Van Linus empire. Phillip’s parents aren’t too thrilled about the upcoming marriage and have hired a private investigator to uncover the dirt about their son’s fiancé, including her tryst with an African-American businessman, Isaiah Truman! As it turns out, Sarah is now two months pregnant, but who’s the biological father? And to make matters more absurd, Sarah is blackmailing her gay brother, a closeted Reverend engaged in a hush-hush affair with a local hunk. On the day of Sarah and Phillip’s wedding, a gunshot is fired! The infamous “coma” scene is taken out of mothballs! Family secrets come tumbling out of closets like so many disentangled skeletons. Lust, love, greed, and betrayal! Who will survive when everyone’s lives teeter on the edge of happiness?

A touching crowd pleaser at festivals around the world, including Centerpeice Selection at the 2009 Frameline San Francisco Gay and Lesbian Film Festival! Goran and Sven are the perfect gay couple; they have a beautiful house in the suburbs, a solid relationship, a home full of love and warmth. Newly approved for adoption, they believe that baby Patrik, age 1.5, is on his way. One tiny decimal mistake later, they find themselves saddled with a 15-year-old homophobe... who may have a criminal past. The guys struggle to make it work as Sven reaches out, Goran’s trepidation escalates, and Patrik flat-out refuses to live with his new parents. As the tug of war between three very human and flawed personalities begins, an intriguing yet subtle series of events plays out, and it’s not apparent who is going to win the battle. This beautifully shot feature by Ella Lemhagen is a heartwarming drama – dark in parts, sweet in others – but always extremely genuine.

Kimberly Reed, a film and magazine editor, transitioned long ago – leaving Paul McKerrow, the star quarterback and prodigal son back in Montana. Journeying to Helena to make a film about her high school reunion, Kim hopes for reconciliation with her adopted and deeply troubled brother Marc. Kim is surprised to find herself warmly accepted by her old friends, while Marc – who suffered a traumatic brain injury years ago – becomes aggressive and antagonistic, especially when he compares himself to the all-star football player Kim once was. Home stirs up old memories and both shadowbox the ghost of Paul – the man Marc could never be, the man Kim never wanted to be. The film takes a mind-boggling twist when Marc, whose mental stability is growing increasingly uncertain, hopes to find his own true self by seeking out his birth parents and discovers that he is the only grandson of Orson Welles (with whom he bears an eerily close resemblance) and Rita Hayworth. Dubbed “a brotherly rivalry between a man and a woman… and Orson Welles,” Prodigal Sons is a transwoman’s attempted reconciliation with her estranged brother and her past. It also is a tale of an adopted son’s lifelong struggle with his identity and his surprising link to film legends. Not to be missed, this documentary proves to be a masterpiece study of sibling rivalry.

Jenni Olsen’s 575 Castro St. reveals the play of light and shadow upon the walls of the Castro Camera Store set for Gus Van Sant’s film Milk. So quiet, so still. All the better to showcase the range of emotions evoked by Harvey Milk’s words on the soundtrack. Following the death of Trista’s girlfriend, the comforting shoulder of straight gal-pal Monica turns into more in Desi Del Vallle’s beautiful Back to Life, a gentle story of love between friends. Lie Together is set on one afternoon when Margot and Claudia’s relationship is sliced open to reveal those moments when what is, what was, and what could be, collide. For a newcomer, sex with a woman can be daunting. What better way to learn than to hire a prostitute? Over sushi dinner, white wine and soft music, the two women both reconsider the prejudices they have about themselves, and about one another in the lyrical Spanish short, At Home (or love as well). Katerina, the 15-year old repressed school girl in Holy Water, is just like every other girl in her Catholic private school. But unlike the rest, she dares to try to figure out what to do with her hormones. Does the memory of that first soft kiss lessen the blow of the anger and relationship fatigue? A jug of wine, a loaf of bread - but wait - what kind of bread? Buttery Top is Catherine Crouch’s dramedy about a first date with extra baggage. And in Remember the Eyes, two women will find love despite their own personal challenges. At Home and Holy Water: In Spanish with English subtitles.

From the director of Rock Haven comes this romantic drama set amidst the splendor of the Russian River. Redwoods portrays the difficult choices one faces when confronted with an unshakable love. Everett and Miles share a comfortable but uneventful domesticity, sleepwalking through the mundane motions of daily life. It is clear to anyone that the intensity of their relationship has diminished, and all that holds them together now is a shared love for their learning disabled son Billy. When Miles and Billy go on a trip together, Everett meets Chase, a writer passing through town. Chase and Everett’s chemistry is evident from the start and Everett suddenly finds himself re-awakened to love. Questions of loyalty, family and desire become entwined as Everett and Chase discover their shared bonds. Director David Lewis deftly weaves romance and the very real concerns of the lead characters, using the beautiful setting of the Northern California redwoods to their fullest. Both Brendan Bradley (as Everett) and Matthew Montgomery (as Chase) display their full acting talents — Bradley as a stifled and awkward young man who eventually comes into his own, and Montgomery as a persistent but respectful suitor. The result is a rounded and tender account of the hard decisions that come with true love. In the short drama, Twoyoungmen, UT, Will Oberlain, a high school senior, sneaks into Salt Lake City’s only gay bar with a bad fake ID. When the cute bartender invites Will to a clandestine party, a strange, haunting and emotionally surprising road trip begins.

This gritty, cutting-edge drama is a part of a new genre from contemporary queer filmmakers that shows another side of gay life. Shank is no cozy affair; void of the cliché plot devices typical of a coming of age story, this is a film that is refreshingly shocking, very explicit and painful at times. Yet under the surface of violence, hatred and confusion there is also more than a streak of tenderness. Cal is an 18 year-old member of a gang that wiles its days away in a haze of drugs, sex and random acts of violence. He is desperate that the other members do not discover that he is struggling to come to terms with being gay. This becomes difficult due to his unspoken desire for his best friend, another, more violent member of the gang. A chance encounter with a French Student who treats him with love and kindness gives tough thug Cal his first meaningful relationship. The other gang members are reluctant to lose one of their own, and so engineer an explosive confrontation that leaves no one unscathed and everyone traumatized and transformed.

Just before closing time, a burly bear walks into The Back Room of a bookstore looking for a book about an obscure Italian artist, and the lovelorn clerk learns a thing or two that can't be taught in books. A farm son says too much in Shattercane. Two Men Kissing explores the intense beauty and physical pleasure of the kiss between two men. From Canada comes The Golden Pin, a story about an avid swimmer, who finds himself struggling between the expectations of his Asian family and the demands of his heart. His father wants him to marry soon, but his mother, haunted by a past romance, hopes her son will stand up for what he believes. A heart-pounding chase and a narrow escape from local thugs leaves two young athletes completely dependant on each other, stirring a mutual love that extends far beyond the football field in Chased. And a Londoner travels 10,000 miles to rural New Zealand to rekindle an old relationship, but a friendly teddy bear will decide his fate in Teddy.

Here’s a collection of dark drama shorts that are certain to get your pulse racing! Non-Love-Song is set on the last day of summer as two 18-year old best friends attempt to connect as adults and for the first time in their lives share a real moment. In Love Bite, Noah and Gus smoke weed after school, but as the munchies kick in Noah feels compelled to share a secret desire that has been tormenting him. Love’s labor is lost on a used car lot when misplaced affections lead to self-discovery in Bloom. A man finds himself in a steam-room wearing nothing but a towel, but he is not alone. Another man in a towel is with him. After a brief encounter, they realize they can’t find the door out in Steam. Promise finds Stu and Chris about to be married. However, the night before their nuptials, things take a bad turn, and the truth culminates in a physical attack that neither man will be able to forget. In Weak Species, two alienated high school classmates begin a dangerous gravitation toward sex and violence in order to feel.

Brad and Sally get more than they expected when they go to the beach on a beautiful sunny day in the gorgeous animated film, A Day at the Beach. In Kurdish Spring Break, Hunter and Luke, are party boys who head to Kurdistan to meet Hunter’s brother for a kegger. But when they arrive, Hunter meets Mia, an undercover operative, and discovers that his brother is missing! Now, Hunter finds himself between “Iraq and a hard place.” It’s either beer or his brother. Mano-A-Mano is a head-spinning short, about two guys competing for a coveted position in an unconventional call center. Sean, the bisexual 20-something lead of Cocktales, is attending Megan’s dinner party, intending to woo her in his own bumbling way. But when her new friend Gabriel joins the festivities, Sean is upstaged in ways he never expected. In Dish, Israel and Louie walk around their East Los Angeles neighborhood dishing about their high school classmates. After listening to Louie boast about his sexual escapades, Israel decides he has some catching up to do. Neurotica is a hilarious inside-look at the minds of the patrons of a gay bar. And it’s not pretty. And two gay boys from Salt Lake City set out on a quest to find the perfect outfits for the Sundance Film Festival in Vapid Lovelies.

No drugs. No drinking. No lesbians. For more than 25 years, Penn State University women’s basketball coach Rene Portland made her training rules eminently clear. While the school administration turned a blind eye to Portland’s homophobic coaching philosophy, talented young players were harassed, threatened and even thrown off the team and stripped of their college scholarships. The women on Portland’s squads were forbidden from associating with any classmate suspected of being a lesbian and forced to either hide their true identities or give up their dreams of competing in the sport on which many had banked their futures. But in 2006, sophomore Jennifer Harris took on the Penn State machine and its iconic coach, and, with the assistance of the National Center for Lesbian Rights, sued for discrimination. Award-winning filmmakers Dee Mosbacher and Fawn Yacker have woven a powerful web of evidence, interviews and the emotional and heartbreaking stories of players who have suffered under Portland’s long, intolerant tenure. Claiming the Title: Gay Olympics on Trial explores the additional homophobic hurdle on the already arduous road to athletic excellence. When a gay athletic group started the Gay Olympic Games in the mid-’80s, the U.S. Olympic Committee sued for use of the Olympic name and the case went all the way to the Supreme Court.

Berated Woman is the funny story about an Orthodox Jewish woman who finds herself strongly attracted to the Aryan Supermom bent on converting her to Christianity. Both women want something from the other, but what is each willing to sacrifice to achieve her goals? To win the girl of her dreams, a klutzy young woman must overcome a wardrobe malfunction and the bad lesbian habit of over-processing in Falling for Caroline. In Girl Talk, everyone wants to know about Kelly’s date, but she isn’t talking. Mary is closeted college sophomore in How Do I Say This? I’m Gay, who gets flustered at the first meeting between her mother and girlfriend, Alex. Mary’s gay dorm-mates encourage her to reveal her sexuality to her mother in a brilliant musical spectacular! What is your sex toy story? This side-splitting short elicits an eyebrow raising assortment of true tales about sex with objects in Kat-I’s Sex Toy Stories. Who is the queerest of them all? That’s the question in the comedic short film Queerer Than Thou. A parody of the cult 90s TV series “My So-Called Life,” So-Called Living is a lighthearted short about those transitional times in adulthood when all the awkward angst-filled longing of adolescence comes rushing back. Shafted is the hilarious tale of Lindsay, a femme lesbian who finds that her ex has taken all of her sex toys after their break-up…and she is outraged. Lindsay seeks solace in her friends, only to find that it is commonly accepted that femmes get ”the shaft” when it comes to post-breakup sexual property. From director Diane Wilkins comes A Gathering Storm, a madcap parody of the anti-gay marriage ad recently released by the National Organization for Marriage. And remember the NCGLFF short film favorite, Worst Case Scenario: Butch Edition from a few years back? Well, you’re gonna love the sequel: Worst Case Scenario: Femme Edition!