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 Hollywood to Dollywood Girls shorts – 5pm
An interesting collection of love by bicycle, first times, cool kid music, depressing diseases and a coming of age motion storybook. But I’m particularly excited by the look at lesbian (anti?)fashion icon, the wallet chain, a clothing article for which I fought wholeheartedly in 8th grade and won the right to wear in middle school. Also local Director of two of the films, Casey Parks, will be in attendance, along with Ellie Krnich.
Twin brothers embark on a journey to track down Dolly Parton for their perfect movie part, traveling in a camper named Jolene. Think an American Priscilla Queen of the Desert with southern charm?
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  Photo from Director David Weissmen of Haight Ashbury 1978. "The two sweet guys on the left both died of AIDS in the 80s, I (Weissman) am on the right in the headband. The bearded beauty in the middle is thankfully a long-term survivor of it all, and one of the worlds great kissers." One might feel compelled to express excitement for the lineup of Portland‘s Annual Lesbian and Gay Film Fest but I am truly and deeply sincere when I say that this year, now 15th of the festival, has me even more excited than the past. There’s isn’t a night where I wouldn’t go out to see 1 or more of the films being shown at Cinema 21, although I am particularly excited about the women in rock anthem Trigger playing Monday night, the high school musical type comedy Mangus, (Wednesday night), and the 2 films showcasing trans young people of different ages Romeos (Sunday afternoon) and Tomboy playing Wednesday. So stay tuned for previews of each night of fabulous flicks published 2 days before the screenings.
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  Put This on the Map is a documentary featuring 26 different LGBTQ youth living in East King County. In the film the youth speak about what it means to be LGBTQ and discuss both gender expression and sexual orientation. One of the things I enjoyed most about the film was that youth from across the LGBTQ spectrum were included. We get to hear from youth that identify as trans, gender queer, bisexual, lesbian and gay. They talk about their experiences with bullying, their families, coming out, school, friends, their relationships, and their hopes for the future.
The film offers good basic information but is a little too after school special-esque. It doesn’t really delve into any specific topic as the experiences of so many youth are touched on.
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  I am is filmmaker Sonali Gulati’s coming out letter to her mother. Eleven years after her mother’s death, Sonali explores the possibilities of how her mother might have reacted to her sexuality by returning to her childhood home in New Delhi and gathering the coming out stories of Indian queers and their parents.
Some might think a film of coming out stories from a country which only decriminalized homosexuality in 2009 would be intolerably grim. But the film includes many heartfelt interviews with Indian parents philosophizing on parental acceptance, the meaning of unconditional love and the process of letting your children become who they are. Some of these parents showed real bravery to stick by their kids and to change their own expectations. They’ve challenged the expectations of their extended families and a society that is very focused on heterosexual marriage. Many are clearly still struggling with it, but there is a lot of love in this film.
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  It's hard to be pretty when being pretty makes you hard. The Adonis Factor, a film by Christopher Hines, is a look into the objectification and beautification inherent in the gay male world. Hines also brought us the movie, The Butch Factor. Both films discuss social and personal roles and image in gay culture. However, The Adonis Factor focuses more on beauty and image expectation.
I love queer documentary. I forget how narrow my perspective can be as a lesbian, and I’m always thrilled to find new beautiful pathways, and dark alleys in which to peek. I do kind of feel, that when I opened the door on this documentary, all that stood before me were boring pant suits. The emotional standpoint attempts to create empathy towards muscle ridden gay men, and remind us all that “beauty is a curse”. I can understand that breaking your back to reach a social expectation is grueling, but I’m not so sure sitting and watching an entire documentary on this one issue is eye opening.
I found the perspective narrow. Midway through, I got a sense that these men felt their pressure to work out and starve themselves was exclusive to them. There was an attitude that maybe straight people and other queer communities don’t have it quite as rough with pressure to be perfect. I did find some of the interviews to be interesting, but I couldn’t help that “I’ll give you something to cry about” feeling welling up inside me like an angry demon ready to devastate some carbs.
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 Nothing says I love you, like surgically adopting your lover's face. The Ballad of Genesis and Lady Jaye is a film by Marie Losier chronicling the relationship of Genesis P-Orridge and his wife Lady Jaye. Genesis took part in forming Throbbing Gristle, Psychic TV, and kickstarting the industrial movement. Lady Jaye was his love and collaborator. Epic romance and art were among their accomplishments… so was looking alike. Man, if you think you and your partner are codependent, check these two out! They met in a fetish dungeon, and spent years having plastic surgery to look more like one another. Basically, their one-ification was their gay baby.
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  'The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister' If you missed the big Howl premiere last week, fear not. Howl begins a week run at Cinema 21 this Friday.That same day at 7 pm, executive producer, Gus Van Sant, will intro the film, show a short he made of Ginsberg and chat live with James Franco via Skype. As for the rest of the fest, it continues at the Hollywood Theater (4122 NE Sandy Blvd).
9:30pm @ Hollywood Theater Friday Oct 8 – Role/Play
From five time writer/director Rob Williams (Make The Yuletide Gay, 3-Day Weekend, Back Soon and Long-Term Relationship) comes a story of the A-list gays and all their troubles. Video editor Mike Justice will be on hand to answer questions after the screening.
While hiding out from the paprazzi at a secluded Palm Springs resort, recently outed Soap opera star, Graham Winsdor (Steve Callahan), and a recently divorced gay marriage activist Trey Reed (Matthew Montgomery) find themselves kindred spirits. These hard workin’ men find passion in expressing their professional pitfalls and compel one another to confront the firestorm that their relative scandals have wrought.
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  Mindy Cohn in 'Violet Tendencies' 6:30pm @ Living Room Theaters – Brotherhood
See earlier preview
7pm @ Cinema 21 – The Four Faced Liar
In what seems like a queer version of the hipster hailed Medicine for Melancholy, The Four Faced Liar follows “womanizing” Bridget and her BFF and flatmate Greg. One night hanging out at their local, the Four Faced Liar, they meet prim and proper NYC newbies Trip and Molly. The boys bond over sports and the girls over…well…K-I-S-S-I-N-G…against Molly’s better straight-laced judgement. Drama-rama!
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  'Contracorriente ' or 'Undertow' 6:30pm @ Living Room Theaters – I Killed My Mother
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7pm @ Cinema 21 – Elena Undone
The tale of two unlikely women, one of whom is married and reticent is not a new one. With stories such as Aimee and Jaguar which chronicles a story such as this set against the backdrop of a war torn Nazi Germany it seems like Elena Undone has some pretty big shoes to fill. And yet, a story about a housewife seduced by a lesbian writer could be quite interesting, especially in a world where even Oprah recognizes how often straight women leave their boring heterosexual lives for a woman later in life.
Oh yeah, and there’s an extended kiss scene so that might be worth watching.
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  'Die Schwestern' or 'The Sisters' 6:30pm @ Living Room Theaters – I Killed My Mother
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7pm @Cinema 21 – We Have to Stop Now
Almost all of us have needed to see a therapist at some point in our lives and their help can be essential. Nonetheless, in the spirit of the phrase “Physician heal thyself” therapists also have a reputation for being some folks in most need of help. Enter the romantic dromedy We have to Stop Now, which follows a successful lesbian therapist couple on the dawn of their book release How to Succeed in Marriage Without Even Trying.
They’ve come to discover that not only do you have to try, but sometimes trying isn’t enough as their relationship begins to fail. They are secretly in couples counseling and have a sister crashing on the couch when a documentary film crew descends to film their perfect marriage.
Originally a web series you can watch the first episode below.
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