Tag Archives: Lesbian Short Films

Better Visibility: 8 Reasons Why We’re Excited For This Years Outfest

Things are looking good in the world of Queer cinema. Last month’s gay marriage victory was celebrated as a win for not only the nation’s LGBTs, but for Americans who believe everyone deserves equal rights under the law.

One major factor in burgeoning acceptance stems from the new millennium’s explosion of LGBTs in the media; by shining a spotlight on the humanity of gay individuals – and not just what they do in the bedroom – the once-ostracised demographic has become more relatable to mainstream America.

Outfest, is one of America’s oldest queer film festivals. Its started last Thursday but runs for more than a week.

Addicted to Fresno

Judy Greer, Natasha Lyonne, and Aubrey Plaza star in this dark comedy from director Jamie Babbit (But I’m a Cheerleader). Greer plays a sex addict who joins her sister (Lyonne) on a hotel housekeeping staff. We’re hoping the film will cement Greer’s leading lady capabilities; if nothing else, it will be a satisfying corrective to recent blockbusters (Jurassic World, for example) in which her immense talent is stifled by the bit parts she’s given.

Tig

Tig, the documentary chronicling lesbian comedienne Tig Notaro’s battle with cancer. “It’s really remarkable to go from a time when you’re not even sure if you’re going to live, several times, and then to have a movie made about my life, and live to see it,” said Notaro. Not only is our favorite sapphic funny gal living, but after seeing the film, we’re living for her.

Jenny’s Wedding

This family dramedy starring Katherine Heigl and Alexis Bledel is making its world premiere at Outfest before it hits theatres and VOD. Heigl plays Jenny, a woman who lives with her girlfriend, but has yet to come out to her family. When she finally does and begins to plan her wedding, tensions surface within her family. Will love conquer all? (Probably.)

A Gay Girl in Damascus: The Amina Profile and The Cult of JT LeRoy

These two documentaries both unpack prominent hoaxes that rocked their respective communities. “Gay Girl in Damascus” was the popular blog of a Syrian lesbian commenting on the 2011 Syrian uprising. JT LeRoy was a literary rock star whose past stayed shrouded in mystery. Both of them were elaborate personas put on by straight people. With these films, we can learn the full and strange stories behind the deceptions.

Bare

This little gem stars Dianna Agron as a Sara, a young women stuck in a small town with few options, is at the top of my list of queer films this season. Agron nails the melancholy of this coming-of-age film, which is beautifully shot and directed. Sara’s romance with Paz de la Huerta‘s Pepper is intriguing and certainly pushes the norms of what we’ve become accustom to in lesbian/bisexual films.

Portrait of a Serial Monogamist

Written and directed by Christina Zeidler and John Mitchell. This is a story of a forty-something lesbian, and accomplished breakup artist, who leaves her long-standing girlfriend to pursue a younger woman, only to be haunted by memories of the past, and the growing realisation that she may have broken up with the love of her life.

While You Weren’t Looking

This South Africa drama features the stories of a married queer couple, and their daughter and her new butch girlfriend. Dealing with issues of infidelity, classism, race and family, the film is a fascinating look into the lives of these very complex women.

Stuff

Married couple Deb and Trish have it all…or do they? The spark of romance has been replaced by the everyday hustle and bustle of raising a family, and their marriage is starting to fray at the seams. When Deb becomes attracted to another mom at her children’s school, the drama really starts to unfold.

Outfest Stream’s Some of Finest Festival Films Free Online

Outfest LGBT Film Festival has taken a huge step towards making its films more accessible this year with the launch of Outfest Online, a free streaming platform offering shorts, documentaries and feature films from this year’s lineup and previous festivals.

Outfest Online sees the festival partner with DIRECTV to offer more than 60 films, for free and nationwide. There are plans to keep adding new titles to the library, which will main available until the end of the year.

Outfest Interim Executive Director, Christopher Racster said

The films showcased at Outfest Los Angeles increase LGBT visibility; sharing them strengthens understanding, and in turn, creates meaningful change. Outfest is an irreplaceable launch pad making sure that our storytellers are supported and with the help of partners such as DIRECTV, assuring that their work reaches around the world.”

Dan Ferguson, from DIRECTV added

Outfest Los Angeles, which attracts audiences exceeding 40,000 annually, delivers creative, diverse and innovative films. As a proud supporter of the LGBT community, and a sponsor of Outfest Los Angeles festival for the past several years, DIRECTV is excited to take this next step, and help expand the reach of these films beyond traditional festival attendees.”

With more than 60 films available right now, there’s plenty to keep you occupied. Titles currently online include Patti and Me, Minus Patti, Tomorrow, The Heroes of Evil,Tomgirl, Gideon’s Cross, Maybe Next Season, The First Date, Gay Over, BrocKINGton,The Friend from Tel Aviv, No Boundaries, More of Last Night, Café au Lait, Transfigure,Contribution of a Verse, Caged, Elise, Cherry Waves, Rubber Duckie, A Bitter Pill,Eargasm and more.

The Outfest festival will run through to July 19.

Check out our full festival coverage here.

Hitting the Festival Circuit in 2015 ‘Sugarhiccup’ – a Short Film From Lisa Donato and Fawzia Mirza

There is a new first short film set for the 2015 film festival circuit, which you should keep on your radar.

We are all aware troubles of digital communication and digital miscommunication can cause; especially when you get caught in between. A Facebook status update that leaves you questioning why, a text cut short – no smiles or kisses.

We fill in the meaning, and we over analyze the gaps. So it’s with a smile on our faces that we look forward to watching this short film by writer and director Lisa Donato.

Staring Fawzia Mirza and Nikki Caster, ‘Sugarhiccup’ is one woman’s misperception of reality and over analyzation of incomplete information, which results in her subsequent coming apart at the seams. A satire on our digital world, the film looks at how we are easily susceptible to blurring the lines between truth and perception. It’s a story about how nonsensical data, social media, and distrust can all lead to destructive decision-making.

9 Lesbian Short Films Nominated for the Iris Prize

These are just a few of the films wanting to be named the winner of the Iris Prize, the coveted award given to the world’s best LGBT film short.

30 films will be competing for the £25,000 ($42,000, €31,000) prize to be awarded at this year’s festival in Cardiff, Wales.

The winner will be announced on 12 October at an awards ceremony hosted by Amy Lamé.

The nominees are…

Disaster Preparedness – A hurricane racing toward their apartment pulls a couple out of their comfort zone and drops them squarely at the crossroads of commitment, disaster, and the art of being prepared.
Wannabe – On the day of her mother’s death, Sofia must return to her family home and finally face her estranged father: the woman she never knew.
Bombshell – A ten year-old tomboy must weigh her loyalty to her trusted older brother as she becomes complicit in a hate crime to win his affection.
Siren – Siren is a story of passion and desire between two women in a sleepy English coastal village; Elizabeth a frustrated local girl and Sirena, a visiting Spanish stranger.
FH2: Fahghag2000 – FH2: Fahghag2000 is a twisted take on co-dependent relationships in the technological age. Best friends Toshie and Casey learn the true extent of their togetherness after Casey attempts to replace his friend with an android called the ‘Faghag2000’.
Gleisdreieck – Hedda crosses the city. Petra wants to see a movie. Zazie cares the orchids. The three of them likes cherries.
Living in the Overlap – Living in the Overlap is the improbably true story of two girls growing up in Brooklyn in the 1940s, falling in love in the Midwest, and making a life together in North Carolina. The film includes public and private moments in Lennie and Pearl’s lives using interviews, archival material, and sequences shot during their efforts to defeat North Carolina’s anti gay marriage amendment. They offer wisdom about enduring relationships and think of themselves as two circles, often overlapping, who are both independent and interdependent. After 46years of living in the overlap Lennie and Pearl still have an indelible spark.
Mitraa – Based on the story written by the renowned writer and novelist Vijay Tendulkar, Mitraa is a short film about a strong girl with a different sexual orientation. Set in mid 1940s, her behaviour and feelings are looked down upon as unnatural by the society around her. The film concludes with India finally gaining Independence, however the LGBT community is still struggling to find their space even after more than 60 years of a free India.
One More Night – We all have that one person that we can’t get over, can’t get out of our minds. If you could have one last night with them, would you?

Join #TeamBrides – ‘Brides to Be’

Here it is, the very first look at the opening scenes of new lesbian feature film by Kris & Lindy Boustedt of ‘First Sight Productions’ (producers of Together Forever and Practical Things).

Starring Angela DiMarco and Carollani Sandberg (Robin & Jenna) – Brides to Be will be an existential supernatural drama about love and the struggle to conquer hate. Written and directed by Kris & Lindy Boustedt (Practical Things, Together Forever). To be shot in December 2014.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LaFhpodjFvs

Synopsis: On the eve of her wedding and struggling to write her vows, Jenna, an uncertain bride-to-be, Robin, her fiancée, and Nate, her best and only friend, travel to the secluded fairy tale venue Robin has pined after since she was a girl — about to re-open after years of vacancy. It doesn’t take long for Jenna to be terrorized by unexplained, deeply unsettling phenomena, but when Robin becomes a very real victim of the supernatural, Jenna must reject her doubt and have faith in love to overpower the forces against her. Can she save the woman of her dreams?

We (Kris & Lindy Boustedt) have been making films together since we met 13 years ago and this is our third feature film as a team. Our goals are simple. Create quality, exportable, audience-centric experiences with great characters that inspire. We strive to create films that expose constructive truths, truths hidden just beneath the surface of entertainment – engrossing, emotional and engaging experiences.

We live and dream cinema. If we could, we’d eat, drink and breathe it. We have devoted our lives to this art form, its study and creation, and we’re not stopping anytime soon. Since filmmaking is our life, we’ve spent the past 13 years building our cinema family. They’ve been with us on many of our films and it’s because of them and their immense talent that we’ve been successful.

Kris & Lindy Boustedt, First Sight Productions

Join #TeamBrides to learn how you can help make this film a reality.

I Kissed a GIRL – a Documentary Short | #ikissedagirl

For lesbians, kissing a girl for the first time is a mind-blowing and a life-changing event. So a Tennessee team – Jennifer Sheridan and Daniel Weiss (the DoSomething Film Group) are looking for funding in order to make a movie about it.

‘I Kissed a GIRL [a documentary short]’ spotlights lesbians reminiscing about the first time they kissed a girl, recalling the exact moment many confirm — or finally understand — who they are and who they’re meant to be kissing.

You can’t help make a connection to the stories of these women. When you see their faces and hear them talking about these first kiss experiences, you watch as they remember how they connected the dots about their own sexuality. It doesn’t matter if you are gay or straight, you’ll be reminded of your own experiences and find yourself smiling along as they remember. That connection, that accessibility to LGBTQ culture, is vital to the community as we strive for acceptance and equal rights. Our stories are important; these are our histories. Please help us get these heard.

Jennifer Sheridan

There are some talented people involved in this project. From the singer-songwriter Jill Sobule whose 1995 song ‘I Kissed a Girl’ was the inspiration for the short film, to artists Rosie Piter and Mary Vertulfo.

We have an enthusiastic crew and we are so very grateful to all the beautiful women who share their stories with us on camera. Last but not least – YOU. We can’t do it without our investors and we are thankful and lucky to have your support.

Jennifer Sheridan

Help make it happen- for I Kissed a GIRL: Lesbians’ First Kiss Experiences and the team!

#OutfestLA Girls’ Shorts – 6 Lesbian Short Films to See

From exposing secret identities to weathering storms to eating pot cookies left by a one-night stand, these ladies have got a lot going on! So sit down, strap in (or on?), and let’s process these feelings together.

Things aren’t always what they seem for girls-who-like-girls. This year Outfest has wonderful selection of Lesbian Short Films, and here they are

Code Academy

Directed by Nisha Ganatra, this short is about the future, where girls and boys are separated until the age of 18 and can only interact in virtual spaces – but for an awkward teen girl, the virtual world is more liberating than expected.

Disaster Preparedness

Directed by Melissa Finell, and named an “Audience Favorite” at Palm Springs International ShortFest, this 15 minute short is about a couple dealing with the crossroads of commitment, disaster and the art of being prepared while hunkered down in their apartment when a hurricane hits. Website: www.disasterprepmovie.com

Secrets and Toys

Directed by Quentin Lee, Secrets and Toys is a short film about a mother and daughter who discover each other’s secrets through a comedy of errors, and learn to accept them selves and each other.

Website: www.secretsandtoys.com

The Night Is Ours

Directed By Aubree Bernier-Clarke – The Night Is Ours follows tomboy Morgan, to her best friend Olivia’s wake. Discovering Olivia has come back to life, the two escape into the night on a road trip past boundaries of friendship into a dark, uncertain future.

Be Here Now-ish: Episode 2

Directed by Alexandra Roxo, this short story line is not so simple. A girl gets way more than she bargained for when her one-night stand refuses to leave and throws a party.

Website: www.beherenowish.com

Alone with People

Directed by Drew Van Steenbergen, Alone with People is about a high school girl from the South seeks the help of a therapist to come out to her family and friends. This film is a hilarious and touching, coming-of-age tale.

Beautiful Lesbian Short Films by Loveconquers.me

‘Together Forever’ and ‘Practical Things’ are two beautiful lesbian short films, that have been directed and written by duo Kris and Lindy Boustedt. To find out more about their work and upcoming film Brides to Be – go to Loveconquers.me

We have stories to tell. And we know how to tell them. We live and dream cinema. If we could, we’d eat and drink it. We have devoted our lives to this art form, it’s study and creation. We’re not stopping anytime soon. We create films that expose constructive truths hidden just beneath the surface of entertainment. We create films that are engrossing, emotional and engaging experiences. We are tenacious, innovative and creative. We get the job done.

Kris and Lindy Boustedt

Together Forever

Starring Carollani Sandberg and Angela DiMarco, this is a film about marriage equality, everlasting love, creating the perfect moment and finding the grandiose in the everyday.

Practical Things

Practical Things (Short Film) – Sweet, awkward and personal… Two girls, first love, superglue and Robert Frost. Starring Emi Schwartz and Madeline Anderson this film displays brilliant chemistry and beautiful cinematography.

OFFICIAL SELECTION: Seattle Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Tacoma Film Festival, London Lesbian Film Festival, POWFest, Inside Out, Palm Springs International ShortFest.