A Festival of Film

September 2008 (00:57:10)

Host(s): Michael Billy

DOWNLOAD EPISODE

Email this to a Friend

A collation of stories from the world of film: The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival; a revisit with the students in It's Elementary; Pratibha Parmar's cinematic celebration of food, family, and lesbian love; Margaret Cho exploding the "gay" bomb; gender-queer, trans Canadian punk rock band, The Cliks; and a retrospective interview with director John Schlesinger and Charles Busch.

See other episodes in the 16th Season

10th ANNUAL MIAMI GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL Producer/Editor: John Catania

Started in 1998, this prominent festival has grown to be one of the most important in the U.S., with world premieres and appearances by major celebrities. This year, 97 films and short films were featured. Most prominently, in Ask Not, gay documentarian Johnny Symons confronts "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" and its consequences for of a gay soldier in Iraq, a group of "out" veterans, and some civilian activists attempting to enlist in 30 cities across the country.

NINA'S HEAVENLY DELIGHTS Producer: Sassie Freedberg | Editor: Desireena Almoradie

The Scots/Indian filmmaker, Pratibha Parmar, has been making documentaries for 20 years, chronicling the unique experiences of gays and lesbians throughout the world. In her feature, Nina's Heavenly Delights, Parmar celebrates food, family, and lesbian love with a unique blend of Scottish/Bollywood sensibility.

THE CLIKS Producers: Amber Hall, Matt Paco | Editor: Wen-Tin Yang

And now for something completely different... The Cliks... the Canadian punk rock, gender-queer, trans band, giving a whole new spin to fierce, ferocious, and fun.

JOHN SCHLESINGER with CHARLES BUSCH Producer/Editor: John Catania

At his death in 2003, 77-year-old writer/director John Schlesinger, had left a body of work that told the tales of lonely people, outsiders dependent upon their allusions, adrift in a world bitter, but not without sympathy, said to be drawn from his own Jewish, gay, background. In this warm interview from 1996, actor/playwright Charles Busch talks with Schlesinger and recalls the strong and weak moments that produced the likes of Midnight Cowboy, Sunday Bloody Sunday, Darling, Marathon Man, and Billy Liar... vivid and sympathetic portrayals of people who do not quite fit comfortably into society at large.

IT'S STILL ELEMENTARY Producer/Editor: Jacqueline Gares

When cameras entered several 3rd & 4th grade classrooms across the U.S., they found, to their surprise, heterosexual teachers challenging prevailing attitudes of homosexuality with their pupils, and the refreshing perspective of children confronting prejudice. 10 years later, the filmmakers revisited some of the students in the film, and saw how they've grown and how the filming influenced them and countless others.

MARGARET CHO & THE GAY BOMB Producer/Editor: Erik Satre

Not a joke... A 7.5 million dollar investment by the U.S. Air Force to develop a gay bomb that would transform soldiers - our enemies' soldiers - into lustful homosexuals. Only Margaret can give this story the exposure it deserves... Watch out America!