GAY zombies, Regency lesbians, queer terrorists, brave soldier girls and gay mayoral candidates are some of the characters featuring in New Zealand’s queerest film festival opening at the Paramount this week.
Out Takes 2011 celebrates queer film making bringing together more than 40 feature movies, documentaries and shorts from around the world.
“It’s been a bumper year for queer film,” Simon Fulton, chief programmer for Out Takes says. “The diversity and quality of the films submitted this year has the Reel Queer team debating hard and making some tough decisions on what to include.”
The festival has attracted the attention of the Society for the Protection of Community Standards which has appealed the censor’s decision allowing the screening of gay horror-comedy LA Zombie and has also asked for an injunction to stop its screening. Fulton says because they haven’t seen it much of what SPCS has said about the movie is untrue. He’s hoping the screening will go ahead in Wellington on June 10.
The Sting, a gay romance set in the heat of a North African summer, opens the festival tomorrow night (June 2).
Capital Times’ picks for the festival are:
Hot movies for the girls
The Secret Diaries of Anne Lister – A BBC film based on the coded diaries of Anne Lister, an early 19th century lesbian. The film is screening with The Real Anne Lister, a documentary about Lister and her diaries.
The Four Faced Liar – a comedy about five 20-somethings in pursuit of everything New York has to offer.
Leading Ladies – a sweet lesbian romantic comedy packed with energetic dance numbers, romance and fun.
A Marine Story – a gritty film about a highly decorated US marine discharged under the ‘don’t ask don’t tell’ policy.
Hot movies for the boys
LA Zombie – a gory, hilarious mash-up of zombie horror and gay porn where a gay zombie employs a very unusual technique to turn corpses into zombies.
Brotherhood – voted best film in the 2009 Rome Film Festival this Danish film follows the life of two neo-Nazis who begin a secret affair.
From Beginning to End – from Brazil this hugely controversial film tells the incestuous love story of two half-brothers.
Stonewall Uprising – an insightful documentary into the 1969 Stonewall riots using rarely seen archival footage and eyewitness interviews for a new analysis of this turning point for gay rights in the U.S.
Intersex
The Last Summer of the Boyita – set in 1970s Argentina La Boyita is a beautifully shot coming of age film everyone can relate to.
Out Takes 2011: A Reel Queer Film Festival, Paramount Theatre, June 02-12.