a copy of the Translations Program Guide

2010
THE Seattle transgender film festival may 13–16
EXPLORING OUR LIVES
W
hen the idea of a
transgender film festival
was being tossed around
Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s office a
little less than a decade ago, I didn’t
think much about its future. But now
Translations: The Seattle Transgender
Film Festival has existed for five
consecutive years (two years in
conjunction with the Gender Odyssey
conference and three years as its
own stand-alone event), and all of a
sudden, here it is, a milestone I never
imagined.
As a festival founder, I’ve had
the unique opportunity to see how
the quality of transgender film has
changed and grown over this period.
Story lines are better developed, and
some of the cinematography is pretty
damn impressive. Documentaries are
shifting from simple transition stories
into larger explorations of our lives as
people. This is exciting progress.
I’m especially excited this year
about our opening night film: Riot Acts
is a perfect fit for this music centric,
transgender-positive city. I thought I
knew who all the transgender musicians
were—until I saw this film and was
blown away by the diverse collection
of talented and thoughtful musicians.
And after the screening, we’ll enjoy a
rare opportunity to see some of these
amazing artists perform live.
Another stand out is Amateur.
This powerful and provocative short
film delves into the intimacies of
human interaction, exploring fear
and forgiveness on both sides of the
attraction equation. I can’t wait to
see more from this young and very
talented filmmaker.
Thank you for your support of
Translations: The Seattle Transgender
Film Festival. Here’s to the next five years.
Cresdan Maite, Festival Founder
FILMS
and occasionally humorous documentary
brings an important issue facing the trans
community front and center. Preceded by
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE (2009; US; 3 min).
A student produced report on the signing
of the historic, gender identity inclusive,
hate crimes bill. Sat, May 15, 1pm, NW
Film Forum
DIAGNOSING DIFFERENCE
(Annalise Ophelian; 2009; US; 63 min)
Most of us know that Gender Identity
Disorder (GID) is a disorder listed in
diagnostic manuals used by the medical
community and insurance companies to
categorize transgender people. While some
DINAH EAST
in the transgender and gender variant
(Gene Nash; 1970; US; 90 min) Have
communities support the purpose of a GID
you ever heard the rumor that actress
classification, others say it’s completely
and icon Mae West was actually a man?
useless and some believe it’s outright
Dinah East takes that story and runs
harmful. Diagnosing Difference examines
with it in this campy cult classic. Jeremy
the issues surrounding GID through
Stockwell and Warhol superstar Ultra
interviews with a diverse group of scholars,
Violet star in this sexy and scandalous
activists, and artists who identify on the
rags-to-riches story of a girl who makes
trans spectrum. This topical, informative,
it in Hollywood while hiding an explosive
secret. The movie itself spawned even
who still works in San Francisco’s
more rumors–did the real-life West
nightclubs, bringing down the house and
have the film pulled from distribution
putting female performers more than
and all copies destroyed? Or did she
half her age to shame. This revealing
see it ten years before her death and
documentary follows Vicki’s wild journey
find the whole thing hilarious? While
through life, from carnival sideshows
it helps to have a sense of humor and
and romantic road trips to present day.
imagination to enjoy Dinah East, at
Preceded by Janene (Joriah Goad; 2009; US;
its core is a refreshing story focusing
5 min).
on the importance of individual human
plays a lonely escort, enjoying the last
relationships, while steering away from
few hours of her day before a rendezvous
Seattle performer Anita Goodman
labels and the conjecture of identity.
with a sailor. Sat, May 15, 3pm, NW
Sat, May 15, 9pm, NW Film Forum
Film Forum
FOREVER’S GONNA START
TONIGHT
\
(Michelle Lawler; 2009; US; 54 min)
part of the first wave of people on the
LOVE INTERESTS:
Short films
performance circuit of what we currently
You’ll surely be smitten with this care–
understand to be drag. But Vicki is not in
fully curated collection of transgender
drag, she is a performer in her seventies
short films that examine the dynamics
In her heyday, Vicki Marlane was
of love in a myriad of relationships.
Calpernia Adams plays a woman unsure
about coming out to her new boyfriend
and goes through a hilarious process to
make her apartment TRANSPROOFED
(Andrea James; 2009; US; 14 min). CAT’S
CRADLE
(Raymond Rea; 2010; US; 4 min) uses a childhood
game to represent our relationships to
others and ourselves. REMEMBER ME
MAGGOTS AND MEN
IN RED
(Hector Ceballos: 2010; US; in Spanish;15
Maggots And Men is an experimental
is the wish one woman tries to fulfill
historical narrative set in a mythologized,
min)
and to rightfully honor her friend’s
post-revolutionary
memory, while a secretive SEÑORITA
imagines the 1921 rebellion of the radical
(Vincent Sandoval; 2009; Philippines/US; in Tagalog;
and courageous Russian Kronstadt sailors
15 min) leads a double life to be a guardian
with a twist of gender anarchy. The film is
to a young boy in her care. GOSSAMER
set in an all male Russian naval base, but
WALLS
(Malic Amalya & Peter Miller; 2007; US; 5
cast with actors from a range of masculine
show an abstract memory of family
gender expressions, resulting in a film
and childhood through the negative
that redefines male, challenges the binary
lens. A rumination on the dangers of
gender construct, and intentionally creates
first crushes and the value of clean
confusion. And acknowledging a long
guns, BLINK
(Silas Howard; 2009; US; 11 min)
tradition of homosexuality amongst sailors,
also reveals the habits of sea cucumbers.
the film has provocative sex scenes that
And, AMATEUR
(Daniel Treviño; 2009; US; 15
evolve organically out of teamwork in close
is about staying in the moment,
quarters. Maggots And Men positions
taking a risk, and learning to forgive.
the struggle for gender equality within a
Don’t miss this collection of thought-
larger struggle for peace and justice, and
provoking and entertaining short films!
illuminates the gender revolution currently
min)
min)
Russia
that
re-
Total Running Time: 79 min. Sun,
taking place in our society. Sat, May 15,
May 16, 3pm, NW Film Forum
7pm, NW Film Forum
MAINSTAY
(Elliot Montague; 2009; US; 50 min)
In the wintry landscape of rural Maine,
MY BUDDY CLAUDIA
Fischer has just returned home upon
(Dácio Pinheiro; 2009; Brazil; in
hearing of his ex-lover Hannah’s sudden
Portuguese; 86 min) For over thirty
death. After a two-year absence, Fischer
years Brazilians came to know Claudia
is well into his transition from female to
Wonder through music, magazines, and
male–an experience that he shared only
film. She was a transwoman from São
with Hannah. With the loss of this source
Paulo who managed to come out of the
of validation, Fischer begins to rebuild his
newspapers’ crime section to become
fragile relationship with his brother and
a highlight in the culture pages. My
mother. In the public realm of the small
Buddy Claudia follows this remarkable
town, Fischer must engage with the people
woman from her difficult childhood, to
of his past, thus forcing him to negotiate
her role as the first travesti to act in ’70s
the tenuous boundaries between his queer
mainstream soft-core, to her days of
identity and his perceived “straight” male
activism and being a rock star in the ’80s.
body. Preceded by AMATEUR
(Daniel
Through the film we learn much about
A withdrawn country
Brazil itself, while being exposed to
boy goes on a camping trip and becomes
Claudia’s many facets from courageous
Treviño; 2009; US; 15 min).
interested in a confident gender-bending
to profane. Sun, May 16, 5pm, NW
girl named Sam. Sat, May 15, 5pm, NW
Film Forum Warning: Contains brief
Film Forum
nudity and sex on screen.
authenticity to this story of emerging
possibilities for human connection. Sun,
May 16, 7pm, NW Film Forum
OPEN
(Jake Yuzna: 2009; US; 90 min) Winner
of the Special Jury Award for LGBT film
at the 2010 Berlin International Film
QUEERLY CANADIAN
Festival, Open presents a visually striking
These films from our neighbors up
and emotionally moving portrayal of
north present two unique perspectives
relationships for a new millennium.
on
When the young hermaphrodite Cynthia
COMPROMISING POSITIONS
meets Gen and Jay, a couple recovering
Cody Neuman & Mik Turje; 2008; Canada; 35 min)
from plastic surgery, she learns of
presents the world of queer wrestling,
Pandrogeny, in which two people merge
where scrappy young queers willingly
their facial features in order to reflect
risk injury by one another’s hands. This
one unified entity. Cynthia abandons her
unruly combat sport is a sub-cultural
suburban life to embark on a road trip
phenomenon popping up in urban centers
with Gen through anachronistic America.
across Canada. Two genderqueer rascals
A young transman, Syd, meets a young
with a passion for kicking ass, embark
punk, Nick, and after a sexual encounter
on a filmmaking adventure to explore
gender
queer
experiences.
(Auden
they find themselves falling in love. But
queer identity through combat. AND
are Syd and Nick ready to deal with the
THE REST IS DRAG
implications of their unique romance?
Canada; 31 min)
Open’s cast of real hermaphroditic,
perspective of drag kings who consciously
pandrogynous, and transpeople bring
and politically queer their gender, both
(Melisa Brittain; 2009;
explores gender from the
on and off stage. Using an eclectic mix of
performance footage, still photography,
and interviews, the film draws audiences
into the sexy, rebellious, and sometimes
humorous world of drag kinging. Sun,
May 16, 1pm, NW Film Forum
RIOT ACTS
(Madsen Minax; 2009; US; 72 min)
Riot Acts follows the careers of some
of the best transgender musicians
playing across North America today.
Reality TG
With interviews and performances
by first rate musical acts such as The
Is visibility a means to social acceptance? Do
Clicks, Coyote Grace, and Katastrophe,
the drawbacks of too much (or unchecked)
Riot Acts explores the passion these
visibility outweigh the good it can
musicians have for their craft, the
accomplish? There has been an explosion
impact gender has on their careers,
of transgender people on talk shows,
their
dramas, and especially reality television.
Through interviews with artists across
We’ll screen some recent reality programs
every genre and gender, Riot Acts
that feature transwomen as cast members
illuminates the challenges and triumphs
and discuss how this representation affects
of transgender people. Following the
the whole trans community. Join Sara
exhilarating screening of Riot Acts
Michelle Fetters, film and TV reviewer,
director Madsen Minax and featured
and Three Dollar Bill Cinema Executive
musician Adhamh Roland will give
Director, Rachael Brister for a discussion
an exclusive performance during our
on this fascinating broadcast trend. Thurs,
Opening Night party! Fri, May 14,
May 13, 6:15pm, Capitol Hill Library
7:30pm, Erickson Theatre
audiences,
and
their
lyrics.
TICKETS
$50 for a festival pass
$8 for single tickets
$6 for single tickets for Three Dollar Bill Cinema
members. (Limit two tickets per member per screening.)
$5 youth & senior discount
(youth are 21 and under, seniors are 65 and over). Youth and Senior discount is only
available day of show at the box office. Must present ID.
Buy your tickets in advance and save $1 per ticket! (not available for youth/senior
discount). Box office opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day. After that time
you can buy tickets to any screening for that day. Reality Tg is a free program. Your
ticket to Riot Acts includes the Opening Night Party with live music performances.
MORE INFO AND TICKETS
sponsorED BY:
SCHEDULE
THURS, May 13
Capitol Hill Library
6:15pm
Fri, May 14
Reality TG
Erickson Theatre
7:30pm
Sat, May 15
425 Harvard Ave. E.
1524 Harvard Ave.
Riot Acts
Northwest Film Forum
1pm
Diagnosing Difference
3pm
Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight
5pm
Mainstay
7pm
Maggots And Men
9pm
Dinah East
Sun, May 16
Northwest Film Forum
1515 12th Ave.
1515 12th Ave.
1pm
Queerly Canadian (Compromising Positions / And The Rest is Drag)
3pm
Love Interests: Short Films
5pm
My Buddy Claudia
7pm
Open