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Friday, Nov. 15
The Indiana Daily Student

arts

PRIDE coming to the Buskirk-Chumley Theatre

PRIDE, an organization representing equality for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender communities will host films that confront issues within the GLBT community. This is the first film festival in Bloomington to focus primarily on GLBT issues. \nOrganizers said they wanted to bring the series to Bloomington as a way to contribute to diversity. \n"In the past few years, the presentation of gay and lesbian films is becoming more popular," said Joan Hawkins, a professor for the Communication and Culture department. "It's nice to bring that to Bloomington."\n The festival features ten short independent films, each of which has received numerous awards. These achievements include a Sundance Film Festival Honorable Mention and Best Short Film at the Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival.\n"Independent films are significant because they create a conversation that would not be derived from main-stream television," said Jeff Bennett, a doctoral candidate in Communication and Culture.\nThe festival began in September as the inspiration of Kevin Hudson and Sara Beanblossom, both graduate students in the Arts Administration Program. Since then, the planning committee has grown to include four graduate students and several volunteers. \n"It's remarkable how the community has supported us," said Jean Kerley, marketing coordinator for PRIDE. "We couldn't have put the festival together if it weren't for the backing of Bloomington." \nThe films have traveled to festivals and events around the world, gaining both audience acclaim and critical praise. \n"Many of the films are here in Indiana for the first time," Kerley said. "Because they are short films, they cannot be found in the local video stores. This is, for most people, the first time they will ever see these films." \nBloomingfoods and Encore Café will host a reception in between screenings, from 6 to 8 p.m.\n"We hope the reception will give people the opportunity to converse about the films or discuss their expectations, depending on which screening they attend," said Julie Behr, the festival's sponsorship coordinator.\nRaffle tickets will be sold for a chance to win one of five sets of hand-crafted jewelry designed especially for PRIDE. Each set includes a combination of bracelets, rings, necklaces or earrings.The films will be shown in two three-hour screenings. The first show starts at 3 p.m. and the second at 8 p.m. on Saturday at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater. Tickets can be purchased at the Sunrise Box office on 114 E. Kirkwood Ave. or by calling (812) 323-3020. Tickets are $5 for students and $7 for non-students. \n-- Contact staff writer Lynndi Lockenour at llockeno@indiana.edu.

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