RI International Film Festival BREAKING OUT: LGBTQ Films on the Edge at Bell Street Chapel

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Event Details


On August 6th at the Bell Street Chapel, come out to see the LGBTQ themed films, including “Dinner at 40,” “Foreign Relations,” “Clan,” “Barrio Boy,” “Homophonia,” “Passing Ellenville,” “Le Retour (The Return),” “Steve’s Problem,” and “Jean.” Screenings start at 8pm.

Dinner at 40Dinner at 40:” Dinner at 40 is a comedy about being gay, turning forty as well as navigating love and friendships. Today is the day that Chuck (Sean Dugan) both dreaded and is most excited about – he’s turning forty and asking his boyfriend, Cody (Rich Ceraulo), to marry him. He wants this night to be a meaningful one but as things continue to steer off course, he gets more and more insecure. Will this night go down as the worst marriage proposal in history or the most romantic one? Clearly, as far as Chuck is concerned, it’s headed to be the worst. Surrounded by his closest friends, frenemies, a trick and a surprise guest, the tables are turning this quiet gathering into more than Chuck can handle. This fortieth birthday celebration is one bumpy ride.

Foreign RelationsForeign Relations:” Recently dumped Tom learns on the first day of his Mediterranean group tour that because he did not pay a $600 single supplement fee, he will be randomly assigned another single traveler as a roommate for the 7-day tour. After handsome Nikos shows up, Tom tries to control his instant attraction and instead directs it toward the group’s tour guide Armando. With each passing day Tom is increasingly confused, bewitched, annoyed, and distracted by Nikos. Will Tom get so sidetracked he misses out on finding love?

 

Clan“Clan:” James Saunders is an Australian Aboriginal man who was told at boarding school he was not clever enough to go to University. He lived in the Aboriginal community where there is ‘men’s business’ and ‘women’s business’, James overcame doubts about coming out and joined the Convicts Rugby team, winning three Bingham Cups with them.
James has become a role model for young, gay Aboriginal people. ‘Clan’ details the journey of James’ remarkable life in his own words.

 

BARRIOBOYBarrio Boy:” Haircuts, hip-hop and homo-sex on the down-low… A Latino barber secretly falls in love with a handsome Irish stranger over the course of a haircut during a hot and sweaty summer afternoon in a macho Brooklyn hood.

 

 

 

HOMOPHONIAHomophonia:” A man, late for a hearing on gay marriage, tries to get directions from his smart phone and discovers she is part of the opposition.

 

 

 

PassingEllenvillePassing Ellenville:” PASSING ELLENVILLE follows two transgender youths in a small, economically-depressed town in the Catskills mountains ofmNew York and their struggles during the gender transition process. James, female-to-male, comes from a history of abuse and a string of family problems. Ashlee, male-to-female, struggles to align her orthodox Jewish faith with her transgender identity.

The film exposes a side of transgender youth we have not seen in the national news media. These are transgender youth at the margins of society living in Any Town, USA, barely surviving on government assistance and food stamps and facing tremendous prejudice and hate. However, the film also shows how each of the subjects find their own pockets of happiness in their life journey.

Located at the edge of the storied Catskills Mountains and not far from the now-abandoned major Jewish resorts which had their heyday in the mid-20th Century, Ellenville and its few dilapidated motels are easily avoided via the state highway outside of town.

Little more than 4,000 people call Ellenville home, and with a per capita income of about $15,000, more than a quarter of the residents fall below the poverty line. Ellenville has government subsidized housing aplenty and by neighboring towns’ standards, relatively cheap rents. As a result, the two transgender subjects in the film have been stuck in Ellenville as they make their way in the world and struggle to progress in their gender transition process.

Le RetourLe Retour (The Return):” It’s been a year since his big brother left, and Willy, 15, can’t wait for him to return. Willy thought he knew everything about Theo, but when he arrives back in the block, Willy discovers a secret about him…

 

 

 

StevesProblemSteve’s Problem:” A stranger offers Steve a little help with his pee shyness, only to cause much worse problems later on. Starring Matt Nelsen, Veronica Valencia and stand-up legend Denny Johnston in a surprise voiceover cameo.

 

 

 

JEANJean:” Set in the run-down Kensington neighborhood of Philadelphia, a local artist talks about her shoes, her haircut, and why she changed her name.

 

 

 

Now in its 18th year, FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival™ (RIIFF) will take place August 5-10, 2014. The Festival has become a leading juried competition showcase for international independent filmmakers and their work. In 2013, Flickers screened 216 cinematic works in six days to large and appreciative crowds. The films screened came from 65 countries, and 36 states in the United States. During the 2013 Festival, there were 55 World and US/North American Premieres. A total of 21 Narrative Feature, 43 Feature/Documentaries and 152 Short Films were screened. Following months of adjudication and review, Festival films were selected from over 5,114 submissions.

Author: Tim Blankenship

I work on websites.

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