Austin
Gay and Lesbian Film Festival 2004 - Day 1 - Thursday
8/26
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I was really worried that I couldn't afford
to do much at Agliff (The Austin Gay and Lesbian
Film Festival) this year when Scott Dinger, their
fabulous founder and Artistic Director fessed
up with a press pass for me. I was on Cloud 9.
After perusing the program that my friend Johnny
Oh! got me and picking out some things I really
wanted to see, (Agliff has far too many movies
to choose from - what's a girl to do?) I checked
my e-mail
and found a message from my old friend and
permanent hottie Ryan Cox. Ryan had a short in
last year's festival called "black-eyed" (apparently
the "caps lock" on his computer text generator
is broken) which starred our mutual friend Oriah
Lonsdale, the lead singer of that storm-trooping
rock band Hobble.
Ryan has been programming shorts for the festival
this year and wanted to make sure his friends
knew to come out and see his handiwork.
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The Afterparty Tent.
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He seems particularly proud of a collection called
"Boy-O-Rama" (although he made sure we knew that was
not his title - I think Agliff uses that name every
festival). Anyway, I had never seen "black-eyed" and
we've been talking about having him on my cable access
show "Lube TV," so he brought me a copy and we had a
quick convo where he told me that he really enjoyed
working with Agliff. Ryan also mentioned that "black-eyed"
is getting a lot of attention at European film festivals
and that he has just finished shooting his next project,
a musical short. That boy keeps busy!
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Johnny
Oh!
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On the Tuesday before the fest I went to Tapelenders
Video here in Austin (they have a great gay-themed
shop and video rental collection for us locals).
A nice transgendered person named Paula helped
me get set up and a little cutie named Greg got
me all my tickets. They were pretty busy with
people showing up and the phone ringing off the
hook but they took care of me quickly and professionally.
I was in and out faster than a virgin boy on prom
night. I was all set up with a ton of tickets
and an invite to the opening night film and party
on Thursday.
Thursday came quickly and after struggling
through a day of drudgery at work with nothing
but 12 days of fabulous gaydom on my mind, I was
ready for the ball. I put on my white jeans,
a black shirt, my groovy paisley vest and my high-
heeled Sketchers. On the way I called Johnny Oh!
and we played a little phone tag until we caught
each other as we were both almost to the Arbor.
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Johnny works near the Arbor so he didn't really
have as much excuse for being late as I did. For the
last two years, while Regal Cinemas have been working
on getting the Arbor up and running, Agliff has been
at The Metropolitan, which is much nearer to my side
of town.
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The parking lot was packed and Agliff already
had a huge tent set up for the opening night party.
I rushed in and grabbed a seat, the only ones
left were in the very front row, and waited for
Johnny, who was getting us some popcorn.
I had sent a e-mail to my favorite Agliff
trick, Craig (read all about it in last year's
Agliff coverage) and told him that I hoped to
see him at the festival. And, lo and behold, here
he was later than I and looking for a seat. Luckily
I had two more open next to me so Johnny Oh! didn't
have to sit on the floor.
Johnny came with the snacks and I munched
popcorn as we talked. Craig made sure he immediately
let me know that he was going to Europe next week
with his boyfriend.
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Craig and Lodger.
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Snooty little queen! I'm just kidding, of course,
my friends would never hear the end of it if I was going
to Europe or if I had a boyfriend. If both were true,
I'd probably take out a billboard.
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Agliff
Artist Director Scott Dinger introduces the festival.
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After a bit of a delay to get everyone settled,
Scott Dinger came to the front and addressed the
crowd. Usually opening night is at the 1,400 seat
Paramount Theater and there is a big hoopla where
the introduce the entire board of directors. Last
years, the first film, "Girls
Will be Girls" was a bit too much for some
of the lesbians in the crowd with jokes about
rape and abortion, and I imagine it is really
hard to come up with a film that appeals to both
lesbians and gay men. Every year, as the festival
goes on, you find that there is pretty much one
gay male-oriented film and one lesbian oriented
film showing at all times at Agliff except for
opening night. This year they finally split up
the films on that night as well. While the majority
of the boys were in a film called "Eating
Out" (which starts with a heterosexual rape
scene), the girls were in a film called "D.E.B.S."
So Scott introduced the screening we were
in and instead of bringing up Sandra Martinez
and then the rest of the Board of directors, he
brought up only one female member (can't remember
who now) and Bruce Weatherford, who does most
of the website stuff for Agliff.org.
Scott mentioned sponsors like Tanqueray and The
Austin Motel, as is his wont, and then told us
that the film was interlocking, meaning that they
were showing the same film on two screens, and
that other were introducing the other screenings.
He brought up the film's director, Allan Brocka
and mentioned that the filmmaker was also responsible
for some very popular shorts called "Rick and
Steve, the Happiest Gay Couple in the World.
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Brocka was cute and gay and was very amusing
even though he spent most of his spotlight time trying
to make the microphone he was holding not have feedback.
Maybe it was reverberating off of his gay hotness.
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Brocka also had to go over to the other theater
to address that audience before the film could
start, so while we waited, Scott ad-libbed a bit
until he got the signal that the other screening
was done with their opening remarks and the lights
dimmed.
The showing began with an Agliff trailer which
went on forever and was quite dull. With bad music,
bad video graphics and absolutely no point whatsoever,
except to perhaps suggest that all gay people
are interchangeable stereotypes, the elongated
trailer gave us ample time to dread how horrible
it will be if we have to put up with it for 12
days. At least this was followed by a cute and
short vignette with John Waters (who was in town
just a couple months ago making a personal appearance
and giving a lecture set up by Agliff - mentioned
in my notes to the film review "A
Slipping Down Life" which featured the witty
director in some outtakes from videotaping a quick
tag for Agliff to use.
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"Eating
Out" director Q. Allan Brocka.
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After the movie, John and I talked for a bit and
went to the bathroom (separately, thank you very much)
and then headed over to the tent party to catch up with
Craig. I put on my media badge and we were met at the
gates to the party by an adorable young boi in a fishing
cap and huge high heel sneakers. Immediately inside
we met up with Summer, who does (or did) Agliff's membership
drives. Summer, an attractive young blonde, was wearing
a gorgeous powder blue summer dress and blue opened-toed
shoes. Even her badge and her toenail polish matched
her dress. She looked gorgeous.
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Lodger
and Kevin, the Spice Girls loving, fishing cap
wearing cutie.
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Craig, who knows Summer better than Johnny
or I, walked up and we all talked for awhile and
Summer mentioned that she was Bobette's partner.
I did not know that.
Bobette is my absolutely favorite Agliff person!
She said hello to me by name before I ever knew
who she was. Bobette is cute as a bug too. Although
boyish and obviously a lesbian, Bobette, despite
her name, is not overtly butch. She always has
a great smile for anyone she meets and I always
enjoy chatting with her. After the John Waters
appearance this summer, there was an afterparty
at Sidekicks, the newest gay bar in town, and
Bobette told me about dealing with Waters' agent,
a woman who was apparently quite meticulous. Bobette,
ever the diplomat, said how she worked hard to
please Waters and his agent and how she respected
the agent for seeing to John's needs. She could
have just called her a demanding bitch, but she
didn't.
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We mentioned the Waters video clip to Summer who
told us she had driven him when he visited. What a gig!
We talked to the girls for a bit and then headed inside
to get some food and drinks. Like all Agliff parties
I have went to, the lines were long for drinks, so we
got some food, some Italian provided by Macaroni Grill
(I think, God knows I eventually had quite a few cocktails).
We mingled and in the course of the evening we met quite
a few interesting folks.
First was Johnny's friend John (or was it Don)
whom Johnny introduced us as mentioned that we both
liked Asian guys. John was dorky and nice and I thought
I could have done him 10 years ago. He said he didn't
just like Asian guys, he liked anyone unusual, so, of
course, I made jokes about molesting paraplegics.
Ran into Jen Garrison in the drinks line. Jen does
a lot of local media, particularly radio, makes short
films, and helps organize and run the GYM (Gay Youth
Media) Project.
Ryan Cox was there with some cute boy but we didn't
really get a chance to talk much. He was wearing a pair
of pants that made his butt look so cute.
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Agliff's
Bobette Mathis and Lodger!
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Then
there was the craziest part of the night where we
were accosted by this youthful gang of young men,
one of whom couldn't keep his hands off Johnny (I
was too drunk to take pictures by this point, dammit).
Chris was his name and he was totally fucked up.
He was kinda cute, with a little chin strap beard
and he hot on Johnny hard. Meanwhile I got to talk
to his friends
Matt Kessler is a cute young college boi who
was dressed in plaid caprice pants, a punk shirt,
spaghetti strap suspenders, high-tops and a haircut
that was almost a Mohawk (a faux hawk?). Matt
is an aspiring filmmaker and it is his dream to
make a gay romantic comedy zombie movie.
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He also enjoys doing special effects make-up. Matt
is cute and funny and likable. He is also, however,
dating a guy who looks like Eddie Munster and Graham
Parson's bastard son.
Little Gay Matt is another one of Chris' friends
whom Johnny and I used to see at Boy's Cellar. He know
works at the Cheesecake Factory (which is where the
old Arbor theater once was) as a waiter. There's another
waiter there named Matt, a straight Hispanic guy, so
if you want to sit in Matty's section, you have to make
sure you ask for "Little Gay Matt." Matt is 24 but looks
16 and has the cutest face and the hottest little body.
He kinda looks like Popeye's cute gay son, so I called
him Sweet Pea a couple of times. I don't think he got
it.
Eventually, after prying Chris off Johnny, they
all left. The party was winding down and Craig left
as well. I asked Johnny to take my picture with the
cute boy in the fishing cap at the door. His name is
Kevin and when I mentioned that his shoes were higher
than mine, he went into a delirious speech about how
great the Spice Girls are. He was cute and sweet though,
so I gave him a filethirteen button.
Oh by the way - Agliff has one "Sneak Preview"
slot, scheduled for Thursday night, and the rumor going
around the party is that it is going to be Richard Day's
"Straight-
Jacket" which I saw at SXSW this year. It is a wonderfully
campy film and it just got picked up for distribution
by Here Films and Day sent me an e-mail telling me that
they are planning on exhibiting in some key cities in
November.
The party was pretty much over and The Great Outdoors,
who I think had supplied the tent, tables and chairs,
was cleaning up so John and I walked back over to the
Arbor to sit on one of their outside benches and catch
up. Scott Dinger walked by and we said hello and I thanked
him for the passes. As usual at the start of the festival,
he looked beat down. I bet he's been working 20 hour
days for weeks now. They say this is the last year he
will be at the festival and they may have to hire two
people to do all that he does.
John sat and talked until nearly one in the morning
and even said hello to Kevin Prewitt who runs the Arbor
when he popped his head outside to pick up a film print
that was being delivered.
All in all it was a fabulous opening night with
good friends and cute boys abounding. I had a blast.
And the opening film was funny as hell. What more could
you ask for?
lodger, Agliff 2004
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