Reverend's Preview: Long Beach QFilm Festival

In 1993, Long Beach’s first GLBTQ film festival was held on the California State University Long Beach campus. This month, the 20th anniversary Long Beach QFilm Festival will take place September 6th-8th at the historic Art Theatre located at 2025 East 4th St. and the neighboring Center Long Beach.

The festival annually presents narrative features, documentaries and short films that embody the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer community. Last year’s event was the most successful yet with over 1,200 attendees, a 20% increase over the previous year, and featured several area premieres as well some of the most acclaimed features on the 2012 film festival circuit. Submissions are received each year from both student and professional filmmakers from around the world. Many filmmakers and cast members of the films to be shown will be present for audience discussions after each screening. Festival events will feature nightly parties and opportunities for attendees to meet and mingle with filmmakers, actors, critics and fellow GLBTQ film lovers.

G.B.F.

Actress Lee Meriwether will be a special guest of this year’s festival on Saturday, September 7th (see interview). Three new and unique short film programs focusing on Drag, Queer and People of Color experiences and perspectives will also be included this year. Passes and tickets may be purchased in advance at the official festival website as well as at the door while they last. The complete 2013 schedule is as follows:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 6th
7:00pm - Reaching for the Moon (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre followed by Q&A with screenwriter Matthew Chapman.
8:00pm -10:30pm - Opening Night Party at the Center.
9:30pm - G.B.F. (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre followed by Q&A with director Darren Stein and cast members.
11:30pm - 1:00am - After Party at the Center.

Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 7th
12:30pm - Birthday Cake (West Coast premiere) at the Art Theatre followed by a special appearance by Lee Meriwether and Q&A with filmmakers and other cast members.
1:30pm - Dragtastic! Short Films Program at the Center, featuring Get Down Glenda, Alaska is a Drag, Jollie B. Fierce, Heklina and Silver Stiletto. Followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members.
2:30pm - Women in Shorts Short Films Program at the Art Theatre, featuring Darkness, Bunny Girl, Bombshell, Lez Be Honest, La Santa, Dos Almas, Vecinas and Remember to Breathe. Followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members.
3:30pm - Corpus Christi: Playing with Redemption (Advance Sneak Preview) at the Center followed by audience discussion.

Homeboy

4:45pm - Men in Briefs Short Films Program at the Art Theatre, featuring Barry’s Bespoke Bakery, The Commitment, Straight With You, Barbie Boy, 24 Hitchhikers, Grotto, P.D.A. and Silver Stiletto. Followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members.
7:00pm - The Punk Singer (California premiere) at the Art Theatre.
8:00pm -10:30pm - Saturday Night Party at the Center.
9:00pm - I Am Divine (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre followed by Q&A with director Jeffrey Schwarz.
11:00pm - 1:00am - After Party at the Center

Interior. Leather Bar.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 8th
11:30am - 1:00pm - Brunch at the Center.
1:00pm - Homeboy (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre preceded by short film Kiss Me and followed by Q&A with filmmakers and participants.
1:30pm - Heterosexual Jill (Long Beach premiere) at the Center followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members.
3:00pm - First Period (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members.
3:30pm - People of Color Short Films Program at the Center, featuring Darkness, A World for Raul, O Pacote, Kiss Me, Dos Almas, La Santa and Jollie B. Fierce. Followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members.

Getting Go, the Go Doc Project

5:00pm - Interior. Leather Bar. (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre preceded by short film Adults Only and followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members. (Due to explicit content, no one under 18 years of age will be admitted.)
5:30pm - Queer Shorts Short Films Program at the Center, featuring Happy, What I Love About Being Queer, Claudio, Maura y Yo, Rough Trade, A Night in the Woods, Who Am I Happy and Deflated. Followed by Q&A with filmmakers and cast members.
7:00pm - Who's Afraid of Vagina Wolf? (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre followed by Q&A with cast members Guinevere Turner and Drew Droege.
8:00pm -10:30pm - Closing Night Party at the Center.
9:00pm - Getting Go, the Go Doc Project (Long Beach premiere) at the Art Theatre.

UPDATE: See the comments section below for the complete list of winners of the Long Beach QFilm Festival. 

Preview by Rev. Chris Carpenter, resident film critic of Movie Dearest and Rage Monthly Magazine.