Welcome to the 19th Annual FLICKERS: PROVIDENCE LGBTQ FILM FESTIVAL

• See the 2015 Schedule of Films & Book Tickets

• Book Your RIIFF Opening Night Gala Ticket

The Providence LGBTQ Film Festival, a cinematic sidebar of the FLICKERS: Rhode Island International Film Festival, runs August 4-9. It features a diverse sampling of over 40 international and domestic films made by and for members of the LGBTQ community and includes romantic comedies, journeys of discovery, concerns of aging, and issues affecting the trans community. Screening locations include Bell Street Chapel in Providence, the RISD Museum, the Paff Theatre at URI-CCE, The Vets Ballroom, and the Greenwich Odeum.

Programming will include an expanded focus on social and political issues, plus a special weekend symposium. Discussion panels with filmmakers and LGBTQ community members will follow select screenings to develop community discourse. Screenings cost $10.

FLICKERS is a 501(c)(3) non-profit arts organization that supports and promotes the film arts in Rhode Island and throughout New England. More details and a downloadable schedule of the films can be found at www.RIFilmFest.org.

SCREENING LOCATIONS:

• See the 2015 Schedule of Films & Book Tickets

• Book Your RIIFF Opening Night Gala Ticket

Bell Street Chapel Theatre

5 Bell Street, Providence, RI 02909

401.273.5678

100 seats downstairs, www.bellstreetchapel.org

Map it:

The Dark Lady

17-19 Snow Street, Providence, RI 02903

401.272.6369

Map It:

Greenwich Odeum

59 Main Street, East Greenwich, RI 02818

401.885.4000

200 capacity, www.theodeum.org

Map It:

Metcalf Auditorium

RISD Museum

20 N. Main St., Providence, RI, 02903

200 capacity, www.risdmuseum.org

Map it:

Paff Theatre, University of Rhode Island, Feinstein Providence Campus

80 Washington Street, Providence, RI 02903

401.277.5000

400 capacity, www.uri.edu/prov

Map It:

The Vets (formerly VMA Arts & Cultural Center)
1 Avenue of the Arts, Providence, RI 02903
401.621.9660
1,900 seats downstairs, www.vmari.com

Map it:

PROGRAMMING:

ALZHEIMER'S: A LOVE STORY

Directed by Gabe Schimmel, 17 min, USA, 2015

Alzheimer's: A Love Story follows Greg and Michael as they struggle with a disease that is actively eradicating the memory of a beautiful relationship 40+ years in the making, and the love that has held them together through it all.

Alzheimer's is a chronic neurodegenerative disease that accounts for roughly 60 to 80 percent of dementia cases. It is caused by the death or malfunction of nerve cells in the brain, and results in eventual deterioration of memory, behavior, and basic bodily functions. Those diagnosed with the disease live an average of 8 years after their symptoms first become noticeable- it's been 11 years for Greg. He lives at a memory care facility in Chicago and can no longer walk, go to the bathroom, or feed himself without assistance, let alone carry on a conversation. Every day a man named Michael comes and visits for a couple hours. No one can say for sure if Greg knows who Michael is or why he comes every day, but from Michael's point of view it's only natural that he do so- after all, Michael has loved Greg since the day they met 40 years ago.

BOXEADORA

Directed by Meg Smaker, 16 min. USA, 2014

One woman defies Fidel Castro's ban on female boxing to follow her dreams of Olympic glory and become Cuba's first female boxer.

CEAD GHRA

Directed by Brian Deane, 12 min. Ireland, 2014

Cead Ghra is a nostalgic coming of age story about two best-friends that set out on a quest in pursuit of their first crush.

COUNTING FOR THUNDER

Directed by Phillip Irwin Cooper, 104 min. USA, 2015, WORLD PREMIERE

Cast: Mariette Hartley, John Heard, Peter Stebbings, Alison Elliott, Phillip Irwin Cooper

Counting for Thunder is based on the three years when Phillip Irwin Cooper, unlucky in work, money and love, went home to the Gulf Coast of Alabama to help out with a family crisis. Working through his past with his complicated family, some old high school chums, and the desperate and hilarious southern characters who grace his hometown, Phillip ultimately finds his own voice as his mother is regaining hers for possibly the last time.

Lead actress Mariette Hartley will be in attendance for a Q&A following the film.

CROSSING OVER: STORIES OF IMMIGRATION AND IDENTITY

Directed by: Isabel Castro, 45 min. United States, 2014

Each year, thousands of Mexican nationals immigrate illegally to Los Angeles in search of better opportunities and a safe, sustainable way of living. They work in the shadows, undocumented, hoping that their efforts will pay off and that they will become citizens. For the transgender individuals among them, the shadows are even more difficult to overcome. Faced with discrimination and the challenges of being undocumented, many transgender immigrants turn to the sex industry, often falling prey to its many dangers, including drug addiction, sexual violence, and HIV, simply to survive. Crossing Over: Stories of Immigration and Identity interweaves the stories of three such transgender Latina immigrants who came to the U.S. from Mexico in search of a better life.

D.ASIAN

Directed by Sarah Smith, 10 min. United States, 2015

4th grade is all about fitting in. For ten-year-old Daniel that means owning the latest in Hello Kitty fashion, liking the cutest boy in class, and convincing yourself you're Asian when everyone else thinks you're white. Davis Desmond and Sari Lennick (A Serious Man) star in this short comedy that proves that identity is in the eye of the beholder.

DANIEL

Directed by Dean Loxton, 15 min. United Kingdom, 2015

Dániel is studying in London while working part-time as an escort. He is invited to a lunch by his best friend at which she surprises everyone by introducing her new lover Tom, the result not being what she hoped for.

DANNY SAYS

Directed by Brendan Toller, 104 min. United States, 2014

Cast: Iggy Pop, Alice Cooper, Judy Collins, John Cameron Mitchell, Tommy Ramone, Jac Holzman, Danny Fields, Justin Vivian Bond, Jann Wenner, Lenny Kaye, Gary Lucas, Wayne Kramer, Billy James, Fayette Hauser, and John Sinclair

A documentary about the life and times of Danny Fields. Since 1966, Danny Fields has played a pivotal role in rock 'n' roll of the late 20th century, working for the Doors, Cream, Lou Reed, Nico, Judy Collins; managing groundbreaking artists like the Stooges, MC5 and the Ramones; and hanging out in Andy Warhol's Factory. Danny Says follows Danny from Phi Beta Kappa whiz, to Harvard Law dropout, to Warhol confidant, to Director of Publicity at Elektra Records, to punk pioneer and beyond. Danny Says is a story of marginal turning mainstream, avant garde turning prophetic, as Fields looks to the next generation.

DIVE

Directed by: Brent Harvey, United States, 2015

It's 1972 and Kit 'Lightsout' Sterling is one fight away from winning the title belt, a feat his father never was able to achieve before his tragic death. On the day of his fight his estranged best friend returns after five years to present him an ultimatum. He either throws the fight, or he shares with the world Kit's dirty secret that he's a homosexual. Now Kit must choose between giving up everything he has worked for or lose everything he already has.

DRIVING NOT KNOWING
Directed by Benjamin Davis, 85 min. United States, 2015

Cast: Jay Jadick, Dane Mainella, and Emily Rea

An estranged poet attempts to rekindle a complex relationship with a strung-out musician during a weekend in rural nowhere; their past, however, won't be so easily forgotten. The film openly explores the inevitability of change and separation through the strained bonds of male friendship, sex, and love.

ELECTION NIGHT

Directed by: Tessa Blake, 12 min. United States, 2015

Starring Peri Gilpin (Frasier) and comedian Jake Johannsen, ELECTION NIGHT follows a politician's family in Maine as they wait for the final 350 votes to come in on election eve - will the speech be a celebration or a concession? Trapped in a kitchen and waiting for the ferry to arrive with the last ballots, nerves rattle the family into a comic whirlwind of wild theories, long-held secrets, and a revelation that nobody saw coming.

ELGIN PARK

Directed by Danny Yourd, 10 min. United States, 2014

Elgin Park dives into the life of Michael Paul Smith, a reclusive artist turned viral sensation, recognized for creating 1950s utopias out of pain, love, and miniature cars.

GAYBY

Directed by: Anya Beyersdorf, 7 min. Australia, 2014

Roy decides karate is the answer to his bully problem, but his Dad can see that what his son needs right now is a champion Boxer. Gloria Directed by: Luis Hernández de la Peña, 17 min. Mexico, 2015 Jose Maria is an uncommon man, combining his daytime job as a public transport bus driver with his night impersonations of famous Mexican songstresses in a drag cabaret, amid an already complex personal life.

GOLDEN

Directed by: Kai Stänicke, 3 min. Germany, 2015

A tale of being different and growing up.

HALLWAY

Directed by: Leah Shore, 5 min. United States, 2015

Shot exclusively in a secret sex club in New York City, a drug-induced queer couple unleash upon each other an existential barrage of delusion and broken dreams.

HOLE

Directed by: Martin Edralin, 15 min. Canada, 2014

A daring portrait of a disabled man yearning for intimacy in a world that would rather ignore him.

HUSTLER OF PROVIDENCE

Directed by: Johnathan Paul, 20 min. United States, 2015, WORLD PREMIERE

In a life filled with mental, physical, and verbal abuse, Rich turned to drugs to numb his pain. Soon he found himself on the street offering his body in exchange for his next fix. One chance encounter changed all that for Rich and he found an escape. When he eventually returned to the street, he did so as a voice of hope for others who were still enslaved to their addictions.

LIKE BREATHING

Directed by: Liz Cooper, 13 min. Australia, 2014

Max lives in the country and works for her father as a mechanic in his workshop. At home she helps her mother take care of her disabled sister. Max feels like she will never be able to find the courage to voice want she really wants but then she meets Bel.

MORE THAN GOD

Directed by: Kev Cahill, 9 min. Ireland, 2015, US PREMIERE

A short comedy set in modern Ireland that follows the attempts of a religious man to uncover his wife's suspected affair, but instead is confronted by the rigidity of his religion, the boundaries of his love for his daughter, and his obligation to resuscitate her lover's husband.

NINETEEN

Directed by: Madeline Kelly, 10 min. Australia, 2015

After Blake discovers that he is not a typical, invincible nineteen year old, he is given one opportunity to seize one of life’s most intimate experiences. Nineteen is a deeply moving story of the freedom that comes when faced imminent mortality..

NO STRINGS

Directed by: Eoin Maher, 23 min. United Kingdom, 2015

An emotionally reclusive Welsh man must spend a night with an out going Irish man after an awkward sexual encounter leaves one being stranded.

ONE OUT OF THREE

Directed by: Sivan Ben Ari, 55 min. Israel, 2014

An exceptional relationship between a brother and a sister who have decided to bring a child into the world, with the brothers partner, and raise him together as a trio, all under one roof.

PATERNITY LEAVE

Directed by: Matt Riddlehoover, 91 min. United States, 2015
Cast: Jacob York, Charlie David, Chris Salvatore, Rebecca Lines, and Susannah Devereux

Greg finds out that he's pregnant with his partner Ken's baby. Dumbstruck by the news, their relationship takes twists and turns through hardship and hilarity.

PINK BOY

Directed by: Eric Rockey, 15 min. United States, 2015

'Pink Boy' is an intimate, 15-minute portrait of a gender-creative boy growing up in conservative rural Florida. Butch lesbian BJ successfully avoided dresses her entire life until she adopted Jeffrey, who to her shock, starts to dance in gowns and perform for his parents. As six-year-old Jeffrey increasingly wishes to dress up in public, BJ must navigate where it is safe for him, from school to a rodeo in Georgia to the ultimate holiday for a pink boy, Halloween. It is a story of love between a butch mother and her feminine son, in one sense opposites, but united by a determination to be who they truly are.

PRIVATE LIFE

Directed by: Gregory L. Williamson, 23 min. United States, 2015

When Eric, a young reclusive photographer, secretly follows his boyfriend Chris into the mountains, he hopes to find answers about Chris's fidelity. Instead, Eric finds a deeper connection to himself and to Chris just as they fall prey to a stranger who targets them, a tragedy that changes Eric forever. Private Life is inspired by an actual hate crime.

ROXANNE

Directed by: Paul Frankl, 14 min. United Kingdom, 2014

Roxanne is a cold and isolated transgender sex worker who takes in Lily, an 11 year old girl who has been abandoned by her mother, when she sees the girl in danger. Bringing the girl into her home throws Roxanne's life into disarray, and as the pair begin to bond, she is forced to question her priorities.

SALVATION

Directed by: Ryan Hess, 16 min. United States, 2015, WORLD PREMIERE

A gay teen is forced into conversion therapy by his parents.

SANDORKRAUT

Directed by: Emily Lobsenz and Ann Husaini, 12 min. United States, 2014

Tucked away on a small organic farm in rural Tennessee lives a man whose personal obsession with salt and cabbage has inspired a movement. Sandorkraut is a character-driven exploration into the world of Sandor Katz, America's foremost home fermentation revivalist.

SETTING THEM STRAIGHT

Directed by: Kaleb McKenna, 6 min. Australia, 2015

Having been nurtured and accepted by his parents as a gay man, Joshua finds the courage to confess, that he's actually not.

SHOWBOY

Directed by: Samuel Leighton-Dore, 15 min. Australia, 2014

After the unexpected death of his mother, a young football player, Julian Maxwell, finds himself struggling to support his depressed, unemployed father while fighting to keep safe the secret he once shared with his mother. He's not only gay, but performs drag shows. Starring Lucas Pittaway, star of the critically acclaimed feature film SNOWTOWN and the award winning short SPINE; And legendary drag queen Cindy Pastel, the inspiration behind Hugo Weaving’s character in THE ADVENTURES OF PRISCILLA: QUEEN OF THE DESERT.

STEALTH

Directed by: Bennett Lasseter, 22 min. United States, 2014

Sammy is a transgender child. She was born a boy but is living in stealth, as a girl, with the support of her mother and a doctor. At her new school, Sammy finds the friends she has always dreamed of having and tells them her secret in confidence. When the threat of a betrayal arises, Sammy must decide whether to run or to live as her whole self.

TALKING TO MY MOTHER

Directed by: Leon Le, 18 min. USA, 2014

A young Asian American man struggles for both personal happiness and the love of his mother.

THE BEGINNING

Directed by: Melanie McGraw, 5 min. United States, 2015

It's Casey's prom night, but he has an important confession to make to his father before he leaves.

THE FUTURE PERFECT

Directed by: Nicolas Citton, 11 min. Canada, 2014

A time travel movie that take place in the space between then and now. One man is hired to do a job that makes him question every impulse in his body, until he sees a future he cannot unlearn. A sparse, minimalist sci-fi story about the endless nature of grief, starring Zachary Quinto (Star Trek; Margin Call), Robert Baker (Mad Men;Texas Rising), and featuring music by Son Lux (Looper; The Disappearance of Eleanor Rigby).

THE HAIRCUT

Directed by: Alexis Korycinski, 15 min. United States, 2014 It's 1976 and petite 18-year-old Amy is among the first class of female cadets accepted into military service academies. Under incredible emotional and physical strain, Amy struggles to survive her first day, battling vicious sexism, swallowing self-doubt, and fighting to prove she has what it takes.

THE LAST GIRL

Directed by: Bjarke de Koning, 14 min. Denmark, 2015

Life is not the same after a holiday with Jesper and there is no avoiding the truth now.

TOMGIRL

Directed by: Jeremy Asher Lynch, 14 min. United States, 2015

Girls play with dolls and boys love sports, right? This film takes a look at what happens when those stereotypes are called into question. Jake, a lovable gender non-conforming seven year- old, invites us into his world to explore the transforming power that love and support can have when young children are accepted for who they really are.

WRITE WITH ME...

Directed by: Hannah Leshaw, 10 min. United States, 2014

A songwriter secretly watches a group of musicians from a distance, envious of their collaboration. Her feelings of inadequacy prevent her from creating a similar connection in real life so instead she retreats into the safety of her mind where she imagines the intimacy she longs for

FLICKERS: Providence LGBTQ Film Festival

PO Box 162 • Newport, RI 02840 (United States)

Office: 83 Park Street, Suite 5, Providence, RI 02903
Tel/Fax: (401) 861-4445/490-6735

info@film-festival.org

Some Rhode Island LGBTQ Organizations we support and endorse:

The Bell Street Chapel

Rhode Island LGBTQ Resource Listing: click here

Providence LGBTQ Film Festival Exclusive Sponsors: