Audiences pack theater for film fest

Folk music played softly in the background as the audience stared at a blank screen awaiting the beginning of the show. "PRIDE: In Several Short Cinematic Acts," took the screen at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater Saturday afternoon and evening with 600 people in attendance. \nPRIDE is an organization which works to improve awareness and create a community for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered persons and those who support them. \nThis film festival was the first in Bloomington to focus primarily on issues concerning the GLBT community. \n"A film festival like this one opens a space for gay and lesbian films," said Joan Hawkins, a professor in the communication and culture department. "But not only that … it offers the opportunity to see visually stimulating productions that we would normally never see."\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. \nBecause the festival covered such a broad range of topics, most people were able to find something they could identify with. \n"The films pertain to everyone, not just members of the GLBT community," Jean Kerley, marketing coordinator for PRIDE said. "Everyone can relate to at least one of the films in some way."\nSupporters wanted to bring these films to Indiana to increase awareness of GLBT issues and to create a sense of unified community where all people could go. \n"You hear so many negative voices about the gay and lesbian community," said Jeff Bennett, a doctoral candidate in the communication and culture department. "Festivals like this one give us a chance to show a lot of the positive sides to GLBT life that aren't represented through mainstream media."\nSupporters believe events like this weekend's festival are important in the Bloomington community. "Gay and lesbian culture is often invisible," Hawkins said. "Often when something is invisible, we want to forget about it, but this is as much a part of our lives as anything else." \nFeatured at the festival were ten short, independent films from across the globe.\nThe first was titled "Looking for Mr. Right." It follows a gay 'everyman' as he visits a dance bar searching for his next husband. This film is seen through his mind's eye as he approaches a potential Mr. Right and receives a shocking surprise. \nIn the second film, "Crush," the audience is introduced to Tina, a 12-year-old growing up in southern Illinois. She meets the new boy in town, Robbie, and instantly develops a crush on the newcomer. Tina later realizes the object of her desire is not interested in her at all, but rather the boy across the way. \n "'Crush' was one of my favorites of the films," said Meghan Mackrell, a recent gradate of the information science department. "Everyone, even if they weren't gay, could relate to something in the storyline."\nThe third film, "Daddy-O", presents a father on a weekend getaway as he reflects on his feelings about fishing, fatherhood and his gay daughter.\n"Losing Lois", the fourth film in the series, reveals the legal difficulties faced by the surviving partner of a murdered Tampa policewoman because their partnership is not recognized by state law. \nIn the fifth film, "Gaydar", an office full of men and women ponder over their hunky co-worker, Jack, and whether he is straight or gay. Randy, one of the men in the office, buys a gaydar gun at a yard sale, which claims to detect "gayness." Randy decides to give the device a try, upon which it appears to work. He then elects to try it out on hunky Jack from the office. \nThe sixth film, "You2," follows a young Surinamese woman who is struggling to come to terms with her sexuality, as well as convince her mother to do the same. \n"No Dumb Questions," the seventh film in the series, introduces the audience to a family, specifically three young girls, trying to cope with their Uncle Bill becoming Aunt Barbara.\n"It was my favorite of the films because the little girls told the truth," said Bloomington resident Cathy Davis. "They asked the questions that most adults are afraid to ask in that situation." \nIn the eighth film, "Ritchie's Itch," a construction worker, Ritchie, describes a dream to his co-worker who hounds him the rest of the day. \n"Sea In the Blood," the ninth film, is a narrative of love, loss and living close to illness. It traces the relationship of the artist to thalassemia in his sister, Nan, and AIDS in his partner, Tim. \nThe last in the series, "Straight Sex," features two old friends -- a gay man and a lesbian -- who decide to conceive a child the "old-fashioned way."\nThose attending were pleased with the films themselves and that such a festival exists. \n"People just keep saying, 'Thank you for doing this," Beanblossom said. "To me, that means what we are doing is very important to people." \nThe festival will become an annual event. Goals for next year include featuring a film by an Indiana film maker as well as incorporating a local artist whose artwork coincides with the theme of the festival into the art gallery at the Buskirk-Chumley Theater.\n"We are already looking forward to choosing films for next year," Kerley said. "We had over 30 entries this year, even on short notice." \nOrganizers wanted people to take something away from the festival.\n"Ideally, people will gain something from attending the festival," Bennett said. "Hopefully they can take something away with them … something that they didn't have before, but as a result of events, such as this, they now have the ability to conceive." \n-- Contact staff writer Lynndi Lockenour at llockeno@indiana.edu.