New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Film Festival introduces several new events and panels. The 19th Annual Festival Takes Place May 31-June 10
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MAY 11, 2007 (New York, NY) – The New York Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender Film Festival (NewFest) announced today the program of films and events for the 19th annual festival to be held May 31-June 10. “Since the festival began almost two decades ago, sales and attendance have continued to grow from year to year,” said Basil Tsiokos, Artistic Director of NewFest. “We’re expecting another spike in sales, especially with the great line-up we have in store,” added Kerry Weldon, NewFest’s new Administrative Director.
“A number of this year’s films are grouped into four focus areas that should be of special interest to LGBT audiences,” said Mr. Tsiokos. “Family Dynamics consists of films dealing with the reactions of straight family members to their LGBT family members, and the Religion focused films concentrate on the intersection of sexuality and faith.” The other two Festival Focus themes are Then & Now, documentaries portraying older LGBT people and the considerations of aging in the gay community, and Voices from the Front, which spotlights LGBT activism and visibility world-wide.
“Each year we try to make NewFest bigger and better than the last one,” Mr. Tsiokos commented. “Along with an extremely strong lineup of films and panels, we’re offering a few brand new special events. A lot of people are going to enjoy our new series NewFest LateNight.” NewFest LateNight showcases a variety of sexy and/or campy films screening on weekends at the festival. These films include The Best of Lezsploitation, The Lair, soulMaid, and Starrbooty.
Additional events new to this year’s festival include Another Gay Reading, which is a staged screenplay reading of writer/director Todd Stephen’s upcoming sequel Another Gay Movie 2: Gays Gone Wild. Returning as their roles from the original film are Michael Carbonaro, Jonah Blechman, Mitch Morris, Ashlie Atkinson, and Lipsynka with RuPaul appearing as Miss Tina. Also introduced is a special presentation of Schwarzwald: The Movie You Dance To at a dance club event. Schwarzwald, a unique and provocative film, centers around NYC’s Black Party and will be projected at the club.
NewFest 2007 sees eight panels discussing both LGBT culture and the art of filmmaking. The topics range from finding an audience for films to closeted actors and outing to the role of politics in LGBT filmmaking. There will also be a panel called Coming Attractions, which provides that audience with a sneak peek at upcoming films or projects from filmmakers in the LGBT community.
As previously announced, the Opening Night film this year will be the NYC premiere of the reinterpretation of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray from director Duncan Roy. The Closing Night film will be the NYC premiere of Save Me from director Robert Cary. Centerpiece films featured in NewFest 2007 this year are A Four Letter Word from director Casper Andreas and Itty Bitty Titty Committee from director Jamie Babbit.
The Opening Night Film will be a reinterpreted version of Oscar Wilde’s The Picture of Dorian Gray directed by Duncan Roy. From Third Rock Films and starring David Gallagher (7th Heaven), The Picture of Dorian Gray is a reimagining of the classic tale replacing the detriment of age with AIDS.
The Closing Night Film will be the feature narrative Save Me directed by Robert Cary. From Garbus Kroupa Entertainment, Chad Allen stars as a sex and drug addicted man who is forced into a Christian ministry intending to cure him of his “gay affliction.”
NewFest will take place from May 31-June 10 and will be hosted by AMC Loews 34th Street Theater (312 W 34th St. at 8th Ave). The full program, schedule, and ticketing information can be found online at www.newfestival.org. Box Office opens to NewFest Members on May 18 and to the general public on May 23. The NewFest line-up is comprised of nearly 250 films, including 150 shorts playing among 16 shorts programs. NewFest 2007 feature films include 32 New York Premieres, 23 United States Premieres and 8 World Premieres, representing over 30 countries.
The Films of NewFest 2007:
Feature Films
2 Minutes Later
Alexis Arquette: She’s My Brother
Amnesia: The James Brighton Enigma
Anger Me
Back Soon
Bears
The Best of Lezsploitation
The Birthday
Blueprint
Born Again
Boys Love
The Bubble
The Curiosity of Chance
A Different Life
El Diputado
Emile Norman: By His Own Design
Finn’s Girl
FtF: Female to Femme
Gender Redesigner
Girl Inside
Glue
God Only Knows
In Trust and Love
The Godfather of Disco
Harsh Beauty
Here’s Looking At You, Boy
Hineini: Coming Out in a Jewish High School
Hooks to the Left
Into It
Kate Clinton: 25th Anniversary Tour
The Lair
Laughing Matters… The Men
Lonely Child
Lulu Gets a Facelift
The Man of My Life
Men in the Nude
My Super 8 Season
Nina’s Heavenly Delights
No Magic Bullet
No Regret
Oh Happy Day
On the Downlow
Happy Hookers
One to Another
Out at the Wedding
Outing Riley
Outlaw
The Parricide Sessions
Red Without Blue
Right By Me
Saving Marriage
Seahorses
Shelter Me
Sonja
SoulMaid
Spider Lillies
Starrbooty
Straight Story
Summer Heat
Tan Lines
Tell
Through Thick and Thin
Tick Tock Lullaby
Tied Hands
Times Have Been Better
To Be Happy in Chile
Tuli
Two Homelands: Cuba and the Night
Ugly Ducklings
The Way We Write
We’re All Angels
While You Are Here