Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival 2009

Already firmly in a life crisis at 12, things go from bad to worse for Jesse Hawthorne when her emotionally disconnected father moves the family to a rural town, a place with natural beauty that belies the toxic normality at its core. Jesse is immediately bullied by the local mean girls, who find her tomboy nature both repellent and somehow attractive. Her only ally is Jacob, a neighbor who has his own demons he is trying to escape, including an aggressive, paint-huffing brother. Together they form friendships with the local super nerds. As puberty hits their circle, crushes abound, and they slowly embrace who they are, realizing that they can rise above the closed minds of their community.

This program starts with films made by Reel Queer, a summer program put on by Reel Grrls and Three Dollar Bill Cinema with a grant from the Pride Foundation. Ten local teens, LGBTQ-identified and allies, teamed up to make three short films: the informative I AM ME, a PRO HOMO music video, and CHERRY BOMB, a comedic retort to pop singer Katy Perry’s schoolyard homophobia.

Guests in attendance

Copresented by Camp Ten Trees