Downtown, North Shore, Squirrel Hill, even on the CMU campus—we’re queer, we’re here, we’re all over town!
But that’s not an official slogan for the 17th annual Pittsburgh International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival; the theme for this year’s event, scheduled for Oct. 18-27, is “Reel Diversity,” a title chosen to reflect the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered images in more than 60 films and videos being screened.
And they’re being shown all over town: In addition to last year’s venues—the Harris Theater, the Andy Warhol Museum screening room and the Squirrel Hill Theater—this year the festival adds Breed Hall in the Margaret Morrison Building on the Carnegie Mellon University campus. Plus, preparations are underway for four special post-film parties. The festival committee is out to take over the city in a big way!
Moviegoers will enjoy a lineup that includes: Circuit party boys who do more than dance; a heartrending ’80s coming-of-age road movie about a boy and his gal pal; a spicy Spanish group looking for love and sex in the same wrong places; a Carmen—make that Karmen—whose aria was too hot for Senegalese censors; films about pioneers in the gay rights movement; “French Kisses” from a young Canadian curator who promises a collection that’s “sexy, sweet, sassy and saucy”; special programming for the under-21 set, gay parents and their children; and, of course, those shorts that both men and women want to get into!
Don’t miss out: Diva, Screen Queen and Cheap Thrills passes and tickets go on sale Oct. 4. For more information, call 412-232-3277 or visit the Web site at www.pilgff.org.
Film festival schedule
Festival films will be shown at the Harris Theater, 809 Liberty Ave., downtown; the Andy Warhol Museum, 117 Sandusky St., North Shore; the Squirrel Hill Theater, 5824 Forward Ave.; and on the Carnegie Mellon University campus.
Friday, Oct. 18
8pm: Km.0 (Kilometer Zero). Harris
Opening night gala and post-film party at Studio 54, 2604 Josephine St., South Side, for Diva pass holders or with $20 gala ticket
Noon: Swimming Upstream; Daddy & Papa. Warhol
2:30pm: Straight: A Conversion Comedy. Harris
7pm: Women’s shorts program. Harris
9:30pm: Men’s shorts program. Harris
Post-shorts party at Studio 54
Noon: Karmen Gei. Warhol
2:30pm: Simon and I; Our Brothers, Our Sons. Harris
4pm: Hand on the Pulse; Lifetime Guarantee: Phranc’s Adventures in Plastic. Harris
7pm: A Family Affair. Harris
9:30pm: “Our Shorts” program. Harris
7pm: Gypsy 83. Harris
9:30pm: Borstal Boy. Harris
7pm: Treading Water. Harris
9:30pm: Thelma. Harris
7pm: Sister Smile. Harris
9:30pm: The Trip; director Miles Swain will be in attendance. Harris
7pm: “French Kisses” shorts program with special guest curator. Harris
9:30pm: P.S. Your Cat is Dead. Harris
9:45pm: Circuit. Squirrel Hill Theater
Post-film party at the Eagle, 1740 Eckert St., North Side, for Diva pass holders or with $10 Circuit ticket
1pm: Youth program, free to under 21. Breed Hall, Margaret Morrison Building, CMU campus
1pm: Hope Along the Wind: The Story of Harry Hay. Warhol
3:30pm: The Cockettes. Warhol
8pm: MacBeth: The Comedy. Warhol
Post-film party at Donny’s Place, 1226 Herron Ave., Polish Hill
3pm: Oliver Button is a Star; Sticks and Stones, free for gay families, appropriate for children over 7. Warhol
Tickets and passes will be available beginning Oct. 4. The $100 Diva pass admits one person to all films, parties and events with priority seating. The $65 Screen Queen pass (10 admissions) and the $42 Cheap Thrills pass (six admissions) admit one or more people to regular screenings with priority seating (Screen Queen and Cheap Thrills passes do not include opening night gala and Circuit party).
Same-day admission tickets are $7.50 and can be purchased only at the film’s venue 15 minutes before the screening after pass holders have been admitted. Seats are not guaranteed; festival organizers suggest arriving a minimum of 30 minutes before show time.
Passes, $20 opening night gala tickets and $10 Circuit tickets are available at A Pleasant Present and ellenbee’s Rainbow Gifts and Books, Squirrel Hill; Banner Coin Exchange, downtown; and Tuscany Cafe, South Side; at the Warhol or the Harris during festival screenings depending on availability; and online at www.pilgff.org.
Schedule of films and times subject to change; to confirm scheduling, visit the Web site at www.pilgff.org.
