Featured Films

Continuing the long legacy of lesbian schoolgirl films like Mädchen in Uniform and Loving Annabelle comes a new film worthy of induction into the ranks of those classics. Bloomington is a sultry, sexy and supremely smart film about a former child actress named Jackie, who’s attending college in search of independence and who ends up becoming romantically involved with a female professor who has a “lady killer” reputation. Through the course of the school year their bond grows stronger and more personal until suddenly Jackie is faced with the chance to audition for a feature film. The prospect of attempting a comeback into the ultra-competitive world of show business is at first daunting to Jackie, however, her possible return to the spotlight quickly turns into a life-lesson for both student and teacher.

Viewer’s guide: Strong sexual content and language.

The makers of The Brandon Teena Story return with another powerful documentary, this time focusing on Edie and Thea, a couple who met in New York in the early 1960’s at a clandestine party for lesbians and – for the next 42 years – shared their lives. In this touching documentary, we meet these two women who were witness to and part of the radical societal changes of our times: from meeting in secret to marching in gay pride parades. Through a wealth of vintage home movies, old photographs, and countless anecdotes we witness the incredible love affair these two ladies have shared and follow them as they finally end their very long engagement when they travel to Canada to be married. Edie and Thea website.

Viewer’s guide: Language.

From the writer/director of Claire of the Moon comes Elena Undone. This intense love story combines the enchantment of falling in love for the first time with the reality and responsibilities of long-term commitments. Before crossing paths with Peyton, falling for a woman was an unimaginable situation for Elena, a straight wife and mother. The friendship between Peyton, an out lesbian writer, and Elena, the wife of an anti-gay pastor who has never experienced true love, transforms swiftly from a one-sided crush into a torrid extramarital affair. As their relationship evolves, Elena confronts the choice of leaving Barry, her husband, or ending her involvement with Peyton to save her already unraveling and unrewarding marriage and return to a drab and automated life.

Viewer’s guide: Nudity, mild language, and graphic sexual content.

In this romantic comedy, childhood sweethearts Greg and Molly arrive in New York City and meet Bridget and her best friend Trip, at a bar called The Four-Faced Liar in Greenwich Village. While the guys enjoy a bromance of football games and bar crawling, the women chat about life, love, and Wuthering Heights. These flirtations continue to brew until one day they manifest themselves in a sexually charged encounter that begins a passionate affair between the women. However, when Greg catches wind of what’s going on, Bridgett is forced to choose between the white picket fence relationship with her longtime boyfriend or the invigorating connection she has with Bridgett. As their flirting grows more intense, a fight with Greg sends Molly fleeing to Bridget. Torn between vanilla Greg and push-me-up-against-a-wall Bridget, Molly is forced to make a choice. The Four-Faced Liar website.

Viewer’s guide: Language and strong sexual content.

510 Meters Above Sea Level is set in a small airport in Switzerland where Simone has to attend her father’s funeral, but she misses the connecting flight. In Dancing to Happiness, a salsa course unites Helen, a high-level broker, and Anna, her cleaning lady. Ruth, the fast-talking daughter of a former child prodigy, steals the only money her family has to make a better life for herself and her girlfriend in Little Mutinies. But when her little sister is forced to go on medication, Ruth must choose between saving her sister and saving her dreams. When the adult survivor of sexual abuse meets her lover, she struggles to remain present. She must remember that the hands of her lover are not the hands of her childhood abuser, and so, the separation between past and present begins to blur in Blue Covers. How the Grinch Stole my Girlfriend (and my Favorite Sweatshirt) borrows Dr. Seuss' famous villain, the Grinch, and transforms him from Whoville's mythical Christmas hating goblin into a modern-day ex-girlfriend who breaks Abigail's heart. The Bedwetter is a quirky & off-beat coming of age story set in 1975 and follows Shelly, an almost 11 year old Tomboy who wets the bed, gets bullied at school, and now must deal with her new Stepmother, a glamorous former Stewardess, who wants to throw her a birthday party.

Viewer’s guide: Language.

Fish Fillet is the tale of Dani, who was born into an Evangelist family and is questioning her sexuality. In Losing My Cherry, Jamie’s marriage hangs in the balance as she travels through the city trying to get her hands on the unattainable designer bag that her sexy wife, Cherry simply must have. A wacky enthusiast hawks used dildos in the infomercial from hell in Tools 4 Fools. A young girl catches a wild lesbian in her backyard. After getting permission from her mother, the girl can keep the lesbian as pet, but only for the day in My Lesbian Friend. Bad bosses plus wild nights equal a semi-true story of two girls in love in Public Relations. In Son of the Preacher, Billy secretly falls for a mysterious and pretty new parishioner. Constrained only to be able to look at her during Mass, he slowly lets himself punctuate the ceremonies with bits of his fantasies, giving rise to a succession of eclectic, often romantic, but sometimes naughty thoughts. After faking a suicide attempt in order to get attention from her on again-off again girlfriend, Jay and her best friend accept condolences from their well meaning friends in Cried Suicide.

Viewer’s guide: Language.

Writer-director Lucía Puenzo (XXY) returns with a lesbian romance that’s also a mystery thriller which descends into the darker arena of familial secrets and betrayal. Lala is the privileged daughter of a powerful judge. She wants to run off with her Paraguayan lover La Guayi, a maid who works for Lala’s family. As the two prepare for their escape from Buenos Aires, Lala’s father is murdered, and evidence appears that makes La Guayi look guilty. With the help of the shady Pulido (Carlos Bardem, brother of Javier), will Lala make the ultimate sacrifice for true love? Blending surrealism and a poignant theme that “love conquers all”, El Nino Pez is this year’s must-see dark drama. In Spanish with English subtitles.

Viewer’s guide: Nudity, language, drug usage, rape, graphic sexual content.

My Normal is an innovative yet lighthearted dramedy about the underground world of BDSM. It is an entertaining peek into the heart and mind of a woman who’s determined to make her dreams come true at whatever cost. At first glance, Natalie has a great life. She is smart, pretty, has a wonderful group of friends, lives in a great apartment in the Lower East Side, has a good relationship with her family, and has a job that pays her well. Yet, what isn’t obvious at first glance is exactly how Natalie makes her living. You see, Natalie happens to be one of New York’s most successful and popular dominatrix. Though her clientele is male, Natalie is a lesbian and very popular with the girls. She soon meets a sexy woman who sparks her interest and the two start a steamy love affair. However, what Natalie truly longs for is a career in cinema, and at the urging of her pot-dealer-turned-friend she lands herself a gig on a real movie set as an intern. Soon the Hollywood pecking order becomes all too obvious, and Natalie becomes convinced that if she is going to make it, she needs to use her S&M skills to her advantage.

Viewer’s guide: Language and strong sexual content.

In the very first scene of this engaging French melodrama, we see Marion, an attractive middle-aged woman, leave her unfaithful husband after over 20 years of marriage. She is about to embark on an exciting, life-changing journey when she meets the young and beautiful Claude, a free spirit who offers to help her furnish her new apartment. Independent for the first time and not looking for romance, Marion and Claude develop a friendship but soon realize that they cannot deny the feelings that have developed. After they share a kiss, things get complicated. Marion is not only struggling with her sexuality, but also dealing with the tension that has developed between her and Justine, her teenage daughter who refuses to accept her mother’s new life and love. Meanwhile, Claude is dealing with a great deal of her own pain from the mysterious loss of a previous lover. As much as they struggle, they cannot keep away from each other and out of the pain of the past there is the chance at a new life for both of them. In French with English subtitles.

Viewer’s guide: Language.

Purple Sea explores the old-world European tradition of women passing as men. Based on a dramatic true love story, this taut epic is as intricate as Italian lace. Set on a picturesque island in 19th century Italy, rebellious Angela is considered to be possessed by evil and must endure brutal beatings by her father, the authoritarian quarry master. When Angela’s father insists she marry a successful quarry worker, she defiantly refuses, stating that she will marry her best friend, Sara, instead. Her father responds by imprisoning her in the cellar, where other family secrets are buried. Fearing the loss of her only child, Angela’s mother blackmails the town priest and offers her father the son he always wanted; Angela must become Angelo. In Italian with English subtitles

Viewer’s guide: Nudity, violence, and language.

Brooklyn girl gang member Krank, after being shot in a mysterious guinea pig lab rescue incident, comes home from the hospital in a wheelchair to find her cats are gone, her mother is still insane and her gang is kicking her out. And that’s before Hell on Wheels: Gang Girls Forever even gets its hilarious motor runnin’. Dyke Dollar depicts how (in the early 90’s) LGBT activists stamped their dollars to show their contribution to the American economy…but this is the clever tale of Evelyn, the dollar bill who ends up in the hands of a shy teenage boy in suburban New Jersey. Raised by her two moms, young Hannah never thought about the logistics of different families until her friend explains the process of creating chicks from eggs in Hens and Chicks. Tech Support provides more than just help with computer problems in this fun frolic of phone flirtation. Tru, recently broken up with her girlfriend, asks her best friend Dex to help remove the remainder of her stuff from her ex’s apartment in You Move Me. However, hilarity ensues when their perfect plan to get in while her ex is out does not unfurl as expected. U-Haul Rap Video is based on the joke, “What does a lesbian bring on a second date?”

Viewer’s guide: Language.

We Have To Stop Now is a funny, slice of life look at the complications of career, romance, and keeping up appearances. Dyna and Kit are a successful lesbian married couple. Both therapists, they co-authored a book on marriage titled “How to Succeed in Marriage Without Even Trying.” Yet despite their collaboration, they’ve decided it’s time to call it quits and get divorced. This is against the advice of their longtime psychoanalyst, Susan (comedienne Suzanne Westenhoefer.) However, when their book reaches the New York Times Best Seller list they become overnight successes, prompting filmmaker Guy to approach them about making a documentary. Not only do they agree, but they decide to pretend to still be together for the sake of their career because what would it do to book sales if best-selling marriage writers were actually getting divorced?

Viewer’s guide: Language.