Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

 HOT GUYS WITH GUNS and HETEROSEXUAL JILL

HOT GUYS WITH GUNS and HETEROSEXUAL JILL are two comedy films that will screen at this year’s Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival which opens Thursday, September 19th, and runs through Sunday, September, 22nd, 2013. The first, HOT GUYS WITH GUNS, is a modern (gay) take on the old-fashioned detective story. Imagine Lethal Weapon as a comedy with the Mel Gibson and Danny Glover characters played by younger, hotter ex-boyfriends.” HETEROSEXUAL JILL, is described as a delightful mix of over-the-top comedy, sharp wit, and pathos, from filmmaker and actress, Michelle Ehlen, perhaps best known for her comedic feature, Butch Jamie.

In HOT GUYS WITH GUNS, written and directed by Doug Spearman (LOGO’s Noah’s Arc), out of work actor, Danny (Marc Anthony Samuel), hopes to get the role of a lifetime, playing a Private Detective, and decides to take a night course to help him learn the part. While doing his homework, Danny stumbles quite literally into an opportunity to show off his detective skills when his ex-lover, Pip (Brian McArdle), finds himself the victim of a robbery. Under the expert tutelage of Danny’s teacher (a crusty, retired PI expertly played by Alan Blumenfeld), Danny and Pip learn the finer points of detective work – pointing a gun, talking to informers, solving the case, and out-running the bad guys! Also starring Darryl Stephens (LOGO’s Noah’s Arc).

http://youtu.be/TT-tVkgKxoY

 

In HETEROSEXUAL JILL, we meet Jill, a somewhat neurotic “All American’ Girl,”  who is having serious trouble making progress with her ex-lesbian conversion path. To prove (to herself) that she is no longer attracted to her butch ex-girlfriend (by dating her), Jill tracks her down. Her ex-girlfriend (Jamie) finally agrees to the preposterous plan of ‘dating’ Jill to help her move along with her “conversion,” but complications arise almost immediately. Jill starts looking for a way out, and Jamie starts having her own identity crisis – one that she is ill-equipped to handle. HETEROSEXUAL JILL is a savage satire about sexuality, and at the same time, a sort of pseudo-romantic comedy about learning to love, by learning to love who you are.

http://youtu.be/QmdRhVddyOM

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DISTURBER OF THE PEACE, a new (in progress) feature-length documentary on the remarkable life of Malcolm Boyd, directed by Andrew Thomas, will screen at this year’s Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay & Lesbian Film Festival on Saturday, September 21, 2013. The documentary film traces Malcolm Boyd’s life from Hollywood producer to Priest – targeted for violence as a Civil Rights activist – arrested for protesting the Vietnam War inside the halls of the Pentagon, and now a Gay Elder who stills rattles the sensibilities of church and state. 

At ninety, the Reverend Canon Malcolm Boyd has seen a lot of history being made. Truth be told though, he’s made quite a bit of it himself! Born in 1923, Malcolm Boyd lived in Manhattan as a child, but through a series of events, he ended up in California as a young adult. In the 1940’s, he worked in Hollywood’s bustling motion picture and television industry, eventually partnering with the legendary Mary Pickford in the production company, PRB, Inc.

In 1951, Boyd departed Hollywood and entered an Episcopal seminary, and in 1954, he was ordained. His early work in the American Civil Rights Movement, as a Freedom-Rider, and as a protester of the Vietnam War, earned him national attention. In 1965, Boyd published his first book, “Are You Running with Me, Jesus?” The book was a huge success, capturing world attention, selling more than one million copies, being translated into most languages including Chinese, and ultimately propelling Boyd into the national spotlight. In 1971, when LOOK magazine ran a cover story, entitled “Ten Prominent Americans Give You Their Personal Key to Peace of Mind,” Malcolm Boyd was included, and shared the cover with the likes of Duke Ellington, Walter Cronkite, Joan Baez, Bill Moyers, and Margaret Mead.

In 1977, long before it was considered “acceptable,” Malcolm Boyd came out publicly, both as a gay man, and as a gay priest. He also immersed himself in the emerging LGBT Civil Rights movement, beginning thirty-five years as a defender of LGBT rights. His dedication to LGBT Civil Rights, and all the causes he has championed over the years, promptedSouth African Archbishop and Nobel laureate Desmond Tutu to write of Boyd:  “He was ahead of his time, being a white civil rights prophet on behalf of people of color, protesting against tyranny and war, asserting God’s inclusivity for all people, including gays, and offering prayers in actions as well as words.” 

Malcolm Boyd, and his partner, writer Mark Thompson, met more than thirty years ago, and, throughout that time, have worked diligently as LGBT activists, and as writers. Boyd has authored more than thirty books, edited six others, and currently writes for the Huffington Post. Thompson is the author of eight books on gay history and culture, including the internationally acclaimed trilogy Gay Spirit, Gay Soul and Gay Body. He started his writing career at The Advocate in 1975, where he worked the next two decades as a reporter, photographer and, eventually, as Senior Editor.

 Malcolm Boyd and Mark Thompson got married in Los Angeles earlier this year, shortly after Boyd’s 90th birthday.  

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Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival will screen Gary Takesian’s new anti-bullying documentary, TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL. The screening, which was made possible by actress and activist Katharine “Kat” Kramer, the daughter of legendary producer/director, Stanley Kramer, will include a special video introduction by Ms. Kramer and actress Lily Tomlin, who also narrates the film. The screening will take place at 11:30am on Sunday, September 22nd, at Camelot Theatres.

TEACH YOUR CHILDREN WELL is designed to advance the conversation about how we as a society must respond to homophobia, bullying and violence, leading to a greater acceptance of, and respect for, those who identify as LGBT. The film presents the issues surrounding homophobia in a multi-segment format that engenders group discussion. The topics unfold through one-on-one interviews with students, teachers, parents and leaders in the LGBT support and ally communities. 

“Few contemporary social issues generate as much passion, misunderstanding and resistance as homosexuality,” says filmmaker, Gary Takesian. “Deeply held homophobic beliefs, passed on from one generation to the next, pose ongoing challenges to the peaceful coexistence of today’s young people. This is especially problematic in our schools when it comes to the treatment of LGBT students by their straight-identifying peers, and by the adults who teach, counsel and supervise them.”

http://youtu.be/kdcDwlqEh-Q

 

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UNDRESSING ISRAEL (GAY MEN IN THE PROMISED LAND)

Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, will screen two very different documentaries, both of which involve the State of Israel. On Friday, September 20, 2013, the first, which screens at 1pm, is documentary filmmaker, adult-film entrepreneur and political columnist Michael Lucas’ new film, UNDRESSING ISRAEL (GAY MEN IN THE PROMISED LAND). The second documentary, which screens at 1:30pm, is lesbian filmmaker Leora Eisenstein’s CHICKEN SOUP WITH KNIVES (Merak Of Im Sakinim).

UNDRESSING ISRAEL (GAY MEN IN THE PROMISED LAND) examines a side of Israel that is too often overlooked: its thriving gay community, and features interviews with a diverse range of local men, including a gay member of Israel’s parliament, a trainer who served openly in the army, a young Arab-Israeli journalist, and a pair of dads raising their kids.

http://youtu.be/ixRnQVvsTYs

The second documentary, is lesbian filmmaker Leora Eisenstein’s CHICKEN SOUP WITH KNIVES (Merak Of Im Sakinim). This powerful film chronicles her journey with her sister and a private detective to Lvov, Ukraine, her family’s hometown before World War II. There, she embarks on a search for her roots and lost family property taken during the Holocaust, as well as a sense of justice. Her journey seems straight-forward, but in reality, it encompasses a variety of personal reflections and troubling family confrontations.

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Southern Baptist Sissies

Cinema Diverse: The Palm Springs Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, which opens on Thursday, September 19th and runs through Sunday, September 22nd, announced the complete 2013 Schedule for its Sixth Anniversary Edition. “We are screening a total of twenty four feature films and more than 30 shorts this year,” Michael C. Green, Managing Director of The Palm Springs Cultural Center, said. “This has been a banner year for LGBT filmmaking, which made the selection process even more difficult, but in the end, I think we’ve put together a schedule that may be our best ever.”

“This year’s festival opens at 5:30pm  on Thursday, September 19th with a special reception for the cast of SOUTHERN BAPTIST SISSIES, and will be followed by the Palm Springs premiere of Del Shores’ latest film,” Green continued. “The screening will also include a Q&A, and will be followed by an opening night party.”

Cinema Diverse continues its Sixth Anniversary celebration on Friday, September 20th. The day begins with two powerhouse films: Writer/Director, Jane Clark’s Award-winning  drama, METH HEAD, at 11am, and the WORLD PREMIERE of CELLULOID, at 11:30am.  “CELLULOID is a dark psychological thriller from Great Britain, that tackles a families’ struggles with coming out, sexuality, sexual abuse and mental health. It’s a powerful, and very different sort of film.” Green said.

Cinema Diverse screenings continue at Camelot Theatres through Sunday evening. “Our closing films are also blockbusters, “ said Shann Carr, Associate Festival Director. “We close with I AM DIVINE, the brand-new documentary about Divine at 7pm, and at 7:30 we’re screening THE LAST MATCH (LA PARTIDA), the story of Reinier and Yosvani, two young Cubans trying to survive in Havana, by Spanish director and co-writer Antonio Hens (who directed 2007’s powerful Clandestinos).”

“And in between,” Green added, “we have some great dramas, comedies, documentaries, shorts, and love stories. We’ve packed a tremendous amount of value into this year’s festival, and we’ve put together two great ticket packages people can choose from – the All Access Pass, which grants access to all screenings and each evening’s after party, is $149.00. That’s a tremendous value for the film buff who ‘doesn’t want to miss a thing’ during the weekend. And for those who may have limited time, but want to see multiple films, we have The 6 Pack Deal at only $69.00.” 

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