11th Annual

April 4-8, 2018 @ .ZACK cinemastlouis.org/qfest 48 Hour Film Project June 1-3

St. Louis Filmmakers Showcase July 13-15, July 20-22

SLIFF Nov. 1-11

cinemastlouis.org 11th Annual QFest St. Louis April 4-8, 2018 QFest St. Louis uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture. The event will excite, entertain, and enlighten audiences of all identities.

Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution VENUE CINEMA ST. LOUIS STAFF .ZACK Cliff Froehlich, Executive Director 3224 Locust St., St. Louis, MO 63103 Chris Clark, Artistic Director Brian Spath, Operations Supervisor TICKETS Bree Maniscalco, Development Director General: $13 CINEMA ST. LOUIS BOARD Cinema St. Louis Members: $10 Officers:J. Kim Tucci, Chair; Jilanne Barnes, Vice Chair; Roy H. Students with valid photo ID: $10 Kramer, Treasurer; Delcia Corlew, Secretary Purchase through MetroTix, on the QFest website or Executive Committee: David Houlle, David Johnson, Andrew at the door. The Lavender Scare, Queer Shorts 1: Leonard, Jon Mendelson, Joni Tackette, Sharon Tucci, Vince Volpe Eve and Queer Shorts 2: Adam are FREE, courtesy Board Members: Barry Albrecht, Srikant Chellappa, Kathy Corley, of our many generous sponsors. Greg Hoeltzel, Paul Randolph, Linda Brown Reed, Jane Robert, Joan Silber, Jane von Kaenel

Special thanks to our sponsors for the “Tom of Cover Image: Alaska Is a Drag Finland” kickoff screening on March 7: Cheap TRX, Program Design: Kat Touschner HiBearNation 24, Show Me Bears, and Michael Reiser SPONSORS

James Agnew & Brad Morris Jeffrey T. Fort Pam Merritt HiBearNation 24 Robert Pohrer & Donnie Engle Sophie’s Artist Lounge & Cocktail Club Michael Reiser Turn Cindy Walker EVOKE (Asia LeMasters, U.S., 2017, 16 an especially virulent, anti-LGBT mood. min.): Retracing their times together, Yet beyond the film’s historical signif- Hailey and Emma explore their rela- icance, Harvey’s story feels especially tionship through shared memories. relevant today because of the diversity, Hot & Bothered (Leah Byrd, U.S., 2018, even intersectionality, of its charac- 55 min.): This satirical comedy fol- ters — a quality often still missing from lows the lives of two sarcastic stoner newer portrayals of LGBT life.” 20-year-olds who get in over their Sponsored by James Agnew & Brad WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 7 PM heads when they create a Grindr for lesbians. Morris The Lady That Dances (Joppe Rogg, U.K., FREE Becks 2018, 4 min.): A portrait that combines Elizabeth Rohrbaugh & Dan Powell, Ash Palmisciano’s poetry and trans- U.S., 2017, 89 min. gender ballet dancer Sophie Rebecca’s elegant moves. Singer/songwriter Becks (Tony-win- Swipe Right (Des Matelske, U.S., 2017, ning and Grammy-nominated Lena 25 min.): Liv’s mother, who won't Hall) gives up her Brooklyn apartment accept her daughter’s sexual identity, and heads across the country to join strives to find her the perfect man, and her long-distance girlfriend (Hayley THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 9 PM Liv's male best friend is similarly set Kiyoko) in LA. But a surprise early on finding her the perfect woman. But arrival has disastrous consequences, an unexpected blind date provides the Queer Shorts 2: Adam and Becks abruptly heads back across real solution to Liv’s romantic problems. 100 min., Free the country to St. Louis, where she Bob (John Gross, U.S., 2017, 25 min.): moves in with her disapproving mother A gay couple moves into their first (Christine Lahti). As Becks navigates apartment together and experience her hometown, playing for tip money paranormal activity. in an old friend's bar, an unexpected davy & GOLIATH (Charles Lum & Todd relationship with Elyse (Mena Suvari), Verow, U.S., 2018, 7 min.): An afternoon the wife an old nemesis, begins to visit to a small-city sex shop yields take shape. Co-directors Elizabeth excitement, surprise, and comic relief. Rohrbaugh and Daniel Powell — both Expiration Date (Shwenn Shunya former St. Louisans — make their THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 7 PM Chang, U.S., 2017, 5 min.): A poetic narrative-feature debut with “Becks,” animated story about searching for an which won the New Filmmakers Forum Beautiful Thing unexpired romance. competition at last year’s SLIFF and Hettie MacDonald, U.K., 1996, 90 min. The Quit (Todd Lillethun, U.S., 2018, 28 the U.S. Fiction Award at the LA Film QFest offers a queer classic in “Beauti- min.): Determined to help Roger quit Festival. A quasi-musical, “Becks” smoking, Sam embraces a dangerous features original songs by singer/song- ful Thing,” a widely praised adaptation of screenwriter Jonathan Harvey’s new idea that may save his partner’s writer Alyssa Robbins and instrumen- life but cost them their relationship. tal-score composer Steve Salett. 1993 play. Shy Jamie (Glen Berry) and athletic Ste (Scott Neal) are teen boys Saltwater Baptism (Jared Callahan & FREE who live near each other in the London Russell Sheaffer, U.S., 2017, 17 min.): projects. Both boys think they could Santiago Gonzalez IV — who is one be gay, and they finally explore their week away from graduation — has hid- feelings when Ste is allowed to stay den his sexuality while at his religiously over at Jamie’s place after an incident conservative university, but he’s now with his abusive father. There, the boys struggling to reconcile his tradition- grow close and open themselves up al upbringing with his new life as an to the idea of homosexuality, while openly gay man. WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 9 PM Jamie's caring mother (Linda Henry) Teddy (Christopher Sweeney, U.K., and quirky teen neighbor (Tameka 2018, 11 min.): When Paul's best friends Empson) offer much needed emotional are suddenly killed in a car crash, he Queer Shorts 1: Eve must decide if he can raise their child, 100 min., Free support. Noting that “Beautiful Thing” was released “while the world was still with or without his boyfriend, before Enfin Seule (Josalyn Smith, U.S., 2018, grappling with the AIDS crisis,” The the child wakes up. 11 min.): Arriving in the afterlife, Mel Atlantic writes: “The film was genu- Welcome to the World (Albert Chan, U.S., wants to get down to the business of inely subversive for its time and place: 2017, 7 min.): A troubled man jour- eternal solitude, but her case worker Depicting gay kids who don’t succumb neys from isolation back to humanity at “Le Bureau” has a slightly different to the ‘plague’ or ultimately bow to by recording a video message for his plan in mind. pressure from their bigoted peers was pregnant sister. no small thing at a moment stricken by Sponsored by Just John Nightclub Vivian Bond, Lynn Breedlove, Silas unaccepting environment. Ulysses Howard, Pansy Division, Penny Arcade, finds an escape by creating a world of Kathleen Hanna, Deke Elash, Tom fantasy filled with dance and music, Jennings, and Team Dresch. Those and his journey takes a turn for the interviewees discuss such topics as better when he finds a vibrant trans- homophobia, gender, feminism, AIDS, gender community inner-city church assimilation, sex, and, of course, art. group. Ulysses manages to keep his two worlds apart — both appeasing FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 7 PM his aunt and discovering his passion for the NYC ball scene and voguing — Alaska Is a Drag until his double life is revealed. Shaz Bennett, U.S., 2017, 88 min. Shown with: Uniform (Ellie Foumbi & Michael Both a literal and figurative fish-out-of- Niederman, U.S., 2017, 11 min.): Par- water story, “Alaska Is a Drag” — which ents are at odds over what to do when debuted at Frameline — focuses on their 6-year-old son is sent home from aspiring drag superstar Leo (Martin SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 3:30 PM school for wearing a dress. L. Washington Jr.), tough but diva fabulous, who is stuck working in a Between the Shades fish cannery in Alaska. Along with his Jill Salvino, U.S., 2017, 82 min. twin sister (Maya Washington), Leo is trapped in a monotonous life of fish No film can ever capture the immense guts and fist fights. Out of necessity, diversity of the LGBTQI community, Leo has learned to fight back, and his but “Between the Shades” puts faces pugilistic skills eventually catch the to the letters, discussing how those let- attention of the local boxing coach. But ters have evolved and expanded since when a new boy moves to town and the Stonewall riots and examining SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 7:15 PM wants to be his sparring partner, Leo the immense power of labels and the must face the real reason he’s still in transcendence of love. The filmmakers invited 50 people, each with a con- Snapshots Alaska. The supporting cast includes Melanie Mayron, U.S., 2017, 91 min. Margaret Cho and Jason Scott Lee. nection to the LGBTQI community, to Shown with: begin a conversation by sharing their When a grandmother’s hidden past Dragtivists (Savannah Rodgers, U.S., stories. The participants represent a collides with her granddaughter’s 2017, 7 min.): A documentary about large range of age groups, ethnicities, secret future and her daughter's angry the intersection of activism and drag and professions. Among the film’s present, can the love of three genera- performance. many interviewees are Beth Malone (of tions be enough to surmount decades Broadway’s “Fun Home”) and actress of deceit? The story “Snapshots” tells Kathy Najimy. is set in motion when a single roll of undeveloped film is found in an old camera. Using extended flashbacks to the early 1960s, the film explores the interconnected lives of matriarch Rose (three-time Oscar nominee Piper Lau- rie in the present, Shannon Collis in the past), daughter Patty (Brooke Adams), FRIDAY, APRIL 6, 9 PM and granddaughter Allison (Emily Baldoni). Based on co-screenwriter Queercore: How to SATURDAY, APRIL 7, 5:30 PM Jan Miller Corran’s own family’s story, “Snapshots” is directed by Melanie Punk a Revolution Saturday Church Mayron. First known as an actor — in Yony Leyser, U.S., 2017, 83 min. Damon Cardasis, U.S., 2017, 82 min. projects ranging from the pioneering This lively music documentary explores Shy and effeminate 14-year-old Ulyss- indie film “Girlfriends” to TV’s icon- the various manifestations of Queer- es (Luka Kain) finds himself coping ic “thirtysomething” — Mayron has core, a cultural and social movement with new responsibilities as the man of since established a parallel career as that began as an offshoot of punk and the house after the death of his father. a talented and prolific director of film that consistently challenged soci- Living alongside his mother (Margot and television (recent work includes ety's disapproval of the gay, bisexual, Bingham), younger brother (Jaylin “Jane the Virgin,” and “GLOW”). With lesbian, and transgender communities. Fletcher), and conservative religious director Melanie Mayron, screen- The extensive participant list includes aunt (Regina Taylor), Ulysses is also writer/producer Jan Miller Corran, Bruce LaBruce, G.B. Jones, Genesis struggling with questions about his and co-producer LeeAnne Matusek. Breyer P-Orridge, John Waters, Justin gender identity and sexuality in an Sponsored by Cindy Walker FREE

SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 1:30 PM SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 3:30 PM SUNDAY, APRIL 8, 5:30 PM The Lavender Scare The Revival: Women After Louie Josh Howard, U.S., 2017, 76 min. and the Word Vincent Gagliostro, U.S., 2017, 100 min. With the United States gripped in Sekiya Dorsett, U.S., 2016, 82 min. An artist and activist from ACT UP who lived through the early years of HIV/ the panic of the Cold War, President This inspiring documentary chronicles AIDS, Sam (Alan Cumming of “The Dwight D. Eisenhower deemed ho- the U.S. tour of a group of black lesbian Good Wife”) is a man scarred by and mosexuals to be “security risks” and poets and musicians, who become still struggling with survivor’s guilt. Ce- ordered the immediate firing of any present-day stewards of a historical mented into an oppressive past, he is government employee discovered to movement to build community among bewildered by a younger generation of be gay or lesbian. That decision trig- queer women of color. Their journey to carefree gay men, with their uninhib- gered a vicious witch hunt that ruined strengthen their community is enriched ited use of social media, their sexting, tens of thousands of lives and thrust an by insightful interviews with leading and their seeming political indiffer- unlikely hero into the forefront of what black feminist thinkers and historians, ence. But when he meets the seductive would become the modern LGBTQ including Dr. Alexis Pauline Gumbs, young Braeden (Zachary Booth) at a rights movement. Featuring the voices Nikki Finney, and Alexis Deveaux. As bar late one night, their pants quickly of Glenn Close, David Hyde Pierce, the group tours the country, the film come down and, eventually, so does Zachary Quinto, T.R. Knight, and reveals their aspirations and triumphs, Sam’s guard. As the pair becomes Cynthia Nixon, the documentary “The and explores the unique identity increasingly intimate, an intergenera- Lavender Scare” shines a light on a challenges they face at the intersec- tional relationship blossoms between forgotten episode in American history tion of gender, race, and sexuality. The them — one capable of reawakening but also carries a message that seems film provides a rare look into a special Sam’s artistic soul and reviving his more relevant with each passing day. sisterhood — one where marginalized Sponsored by AARP in St. Louis wilted heart. voices are both heard and respected. Sponsored by Robert Pohrer & Sponsored by Pam Merritt Donnie Engle

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3209 S. GrAND BLVD. ST, LOUIS MO 63118 (314) 664-1830 OUR PRIDE KNOWS NO BOUNDS Like anyone else, people in the LGBT community want to live longer, healthier PRIDE and more fulfilling lives. AARP is committed to creating a new vision for aging— is ageless one complete with diverse stories and innovative ways for everyone to pursue their passions—equally, openly and proudly. AARP is proud to sponsor the 2018 St. Louis QFEST. aarp.org/stlouis