Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2008

The latest literary adaptation from Sarah Waters (TIPPING THE VELVET, FINGERSMITH) delves into a darker side of her favored Victorian era. Society lady Margaret Prior (Anna Madeley) is nursing a broken heart; her bosom friend has renounced their relationship to marry Margaret’s own brother. Feeling stifled and trapped by her society life (as well as by her mother, who pressures her to marry), Margaret decides to volunteer as a visitor at the local women’s prison. There she meets the lovely and bewitching Selina Dawes (captivating newcomer Zoe Tapper) who casts a spell over Margaret with her story. A medium to the spirits, Selina was convicted of murder...but she claims it was a sinister ghost who did the deed. Both imprisoned—one literally and one symbolically—the two women are drawn together, vowing to save each other. But as Margaret and Selina’s stories intertwine, their own tangled mysteries offer shocking revelations. Click Here to View Trailer

In two days, Omer will hit a milestone: his 30th birthday. Shy and studious, he’s still looking for that elusive spark with another man. He meets Danny, an enthusiastic 20-year-old aspiring dancer. Danny lives with his ex-boyfriend Ronen, a handsome journalist who befriends Omer at the library where he works. Ronen is also dating Omer’s best friend Mickey, who thinks he might be “the one.” Might Danny or Ronen be able to ignite the flame that will melt Omer’s frozen heart? Omer’s little sister Shirley wonders if her lesbian relationship with her boss Michal means settling down and giving up her long-held dream of traveling to Antarctica. A momentous birthday meal given by the siblings’ “Jewish mother from hell” (drag artist Yoam Huberman) brings matters to a head. With a collar-grabbing montage of male nudity and a subplot about alien abductions, ANTARCTICA pushes the bounds of Israeli cinema. Click here to view trailer ASL Interpreting before the film.

A fresh young runaway loses his aloofness—and something else—with a charming hustler below NYC’s Port Authority Bus Terminal.

Fresh from a break-up with his girlfriend and new in town, John (writer-director Jesse Rosen) is on the market and living like he’s in college. He’s a player—bars, beers, and babes fill his nights. But after scoring an entry-level job at an ad agency, John’s world is turned upside-down when Paul, the hottie in upper management, starts taking more than a casual interest in him. John eventually shares his dilemma with lesbian gal pal Maddie. But she’s in the midst of her own sexual-identity angst, finding herself falling for the scruffy nice guy next door. When John ends up in bed with Paul, and Maddie makes a move on her neighbor, they’re both forced to cross the hazy boundaries of sexuality, with comic honesty and warm insight. A funny and frisky film, THE ART OF BEING STRAIGHT features natural performances by a mostly unknown but very talented cast, smart and snappy dialogue, and a fresh take on the coming-of-age story, handled with savvy and sensitivity. Click here to view trailer

As the United States military faces chronic recruiting shortfalls and the loss of highly skilled service members, politicians and pundits have begun to reevaluate the controversial policy of “don’t ask, don’t tell” that blocks homosexuals from serving openly in the military. Of the 26 countries in the NATO alliance, only Portugal, Greece, Turkey, and the United States ban gay people from serving in the military, while openly gay personnel from allied nations serve alongside American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan. Current and veteran gay soldiers—including Seattle local Alan Steinman, cofounder of the Puget Sound chapter of American Veterans for Equal Rights—tell how the “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy affected them during their tours of duty as they struggled to serve their country and maintain a double life. ASK NOT also follows gay veterans and youth organizers as they engage in civil activism, from a national speaking tour of conservative universities to protests at military recruitment offices.

Andy’s uncle and his boyfriend have their hands full when they come to babysit, especially after the “Rimjob Incident.”

As if love itself weren’t perplexing and perilous enough, these troublesome guys have found ways to create even more complications. LOVE KILLS Tor Iben, director; 2007; Germany; 28 min. (subtitled) Tim knows he’s gay, and exploring what that means draws him to more and more dangerous encounters. Will anything satisfy him? PORTRAIT OF A COUPLE David Martin-Porras, director; 2007; Spain/US; 8 min. A few days before moving to Spain, Ryan finds out that he may be HIV-positive. A harsh confrontation with his boyfriend leads to an unexpected result. HERZHAFT Martin Busker, director; 2007; Germany; 15 min. (subtitled) Fifteen-year-old Felix is secretly in love with Ralf, his 33-year-old coach. Then Mom finds out... IN THE HIGH SCHOOL Xavi Sala, director; 2006; Spain; 3 min. (subtitled) For Angel, high school is not just for studying. THE YOUNG AND EVIL Julian Breece, director; 2008; US; 15 min. A smart but troubled African-American teen following his compulsion to have anonymous, unprotected sex, courts danger in this tough, controversial film. Total Running Time: 69 min.

Your baggage is following you, at your house, at work, even in the bathroom. What do you do when your younger self actually gets out of the bag that’s tailing you? What do you get rid of, what do you keep, and how do you both move on?

A compelling look at the first nursing home and hospice in the United States for people with HIV/AIDS. Bailey-Boushay House broke ground in the late ‘80s, during the height of the fear and discrimination surrounding the AIDS epidemic. The film follows the story of a grassroots effort to build the facility, vividly portraying both the community’s immense compassion and enormous loss.