So we all know that Salt Lake City was awarded the “gayest” city by The Advocate, but friends, as a current resident in SLC who just moved back from Portland, I can tell you that just isn’t true! However, Salt Lake City does occassionally step up its “cool” factor, such as every January when Salt Lake City and Park City host the Sundance Film Festival. This is the time of year where pretty much everyone I know braves the snow and goes up to Park City in the hopes of sighting celebrities in town for the festival. Sundance is a place where independent artists can present their stories free of the commercial pressure of the mainstream movie industry. Many Sundance movies are then picked up by larger distributors and re-released into theaters, such as last year’s Sundance queer favorite, Pariah.
Being a poor, unemployed college student I didn’t make it to many Sundance movies this year, (which can quickly become expensive at $15 a pop!) but here are some queer movies from this years film festival to watch out for:
Carla Rossi hosts the Thanksgiving edition of Peep Show this Friday
Thursday
Lucinda Williams– Singer songwriter loved by the lesbos takes the stage at the Crystal Ballroom.
Friday
Del Shores‘ Sordid Confessions– Del tries to make up for standing us up last time he was in town. The creator of the cult favorite TV series Sordid Lives (starring Olivia Newton-John, Rue McClanahan, Leslie Jordan and Caroline Rhea) is touring his hilarious new standup show. Raunchy, gay and not for the feint of heart, this seems like a delightfully small venue to catch the outrageous one man show.
Peep Show Thanksgiving with Carla Rossi– Little Tommy may be on vacay but there is no lack of talent in this Turkey day celebration of drag and performance. Hosted by wino Carla Rossi you’ll get to see favorites such as Fannie Mae Darling, Georgia Ray Babycakes and Melody Awesomazing while being introduced to some newcomers with fabulous names like Dionysus, ShpongledHoops and Austin Tatious. (Dammit why did I think of that drag name? I ever have an Austin necklace) Also, make sure you fight the tryptophan and wine induced coma to dance afterword with some of your favorite DJs.
This year also has a much more robust film portion in comparison to former years, kicking off with Hit So Hard: The Life and Near Death of Patty Schemel. It’s the perfect combo to exemplify the fest encompassing both music and film. When it premiered in Portland at QDOC last June we not only reviewed the film but interviewed the former Hole drummer. So go ahead and read or even listen to audio of Patty Schemel talking Hit So Hardto get excited because Schemel herself, along with producer Christina Soletti will be live and in person to for a special Q&A after the Thursday screening. And visit the SN site for previews and trailers of the rest of the incredible lineup including animation from local Laika studios and several films premiering in PDX for the first time.
Sixteen year old Icelandic boy Gabriel returns from a trip to Manchester having had a sexual encounter with another boy. His friends and family all think he’s changed and he struggles to find his identity and ease back into his life as a young man.
Coming home from a stint in prison Enrique comes home to a very different life with his wife and son. The son is gay and Enrique grapples with accepting him for who he is or risk losing him. Sundance jury nominee.
In our second FTM-related tale, 10-year-old Laura moves to a new town and tells everyone her name is Michael. This works fine all summer long in the French countryside but things change and secrets begin to emerge as the school year approaches.
Two co-dependent best friends struggle through an imminent parting as one prepares to follow her dream of being a Broadway actress. The other, not-so-secretly in love with her BFF works through it by sleeping with a string of other ladies. Romantic and dramatic.
Hot ladies of rock…yes! Trigger follows the life of 2 besties who start a band together and become rock stars in the vein of the Go-Gos, Patti Smith or Souxsie and the Banshees. After the usual rock’n’roll melt down and band split they reunite 10 years later in a benefit for women in rock. Then stories are revealed and the true nature of their relationship emerges.
Twenty year old Lukas is a transitioning FTM spending his summer in Cologne. He falls for the masculine Fabio whom it both wants and wants to be. A coming of age story for a second puberty.
