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Spring Film: Outside of festival, season offers little new for us at the movies

The Georgia Voice Editors
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Spring films

While we may be infected with spring fever in our private lives, it’s not the best season to expect to see our LGBT passions reflected on movie screens.

At one end of the scale, if 2011 holds any blockbuster gay films — think along the lines of “Milk,” “Brokeback Mountain” and “The Kids Are All Right” — they are waiting to be released during award season at the end of the year.

At the other end, the distributors of smaller-budget movies try to maximize their potential by building word of mouth at the big three queer summer festivals: Outfest in Los Angeles, Newfest in New York and Frameline in San Francisco. Others will hit the fall festival circuit in Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and other cities.

The Atlanta Film Festival (April 28-May 7) will premiere four LGBT features and two programs of shorts in its Pink Peach section, plus a few others that sound gay-ish.

‘Heartbeats’ is latest from young gay director

The Georgia Voice Editors
Culture
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Xavier Dolan releases new film'Heartbeats'

Xavier Dolan was only 19 when he made his first film, the startlingly original, semi-autobiographical “I Killed My Mother,” about a gay teen’s love-hate relationship with his mom during his coming-out process. It’s had countless showings in festivals (including last year’s Out on Film) and museums (Atlanta’s High Museum of Art for one) but has yet to have a proper American theatrical release.

Dolan turned 22 on March 20 as his second film, “Heartbeats” started playing around the country. Cinephiles can make a drinking game of spotting Dolan’s influences in “Heartbeats,” but don’t expect a film on the level of “I Killed My Mother.”

The bones of the plot have potential. Francis (Dolan) and his best friend Marie (Monia Chokri) meet “blond Adonis” Nicolas (Niels Schneider), who has just moved to Montreal.

Out on Film: Festival celebrates LGBT culture on the big screen

The Georgia Voice Editors
Culture
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‘Ella Undone’ will screen at the 2010 Out on Film festival

One way to get ready for Pride is a week of total immersion in LGBT cinema. Fortunately, Out on Film offers that opportunity from Oct. 1-7 at two venues, the Landmark Midtown Art Cinemas (LMAC) and the Ansley Park Playhouse (APP).

With 31 features, four programs of shorts and other events, you’ll be able to visit exotic locations (Rio, Buenos Aires, Peru, Nassau, 19th–century England) or spend endless hours in New York bars. Nine of the features are documentaries — and the doc is “in” these days — but fictional films offer a dose of the reality of homophobia in the Bahamas, the Marines and other places.