Reeling 2008, the second oldest gay and lesbian film festival in the country ( after San Francisco ) , turns 27 this year. Over the course of this year's 11-day fest ( Nov. 6-16 ) , audiences will get a chance to see close to 70 independent features and shorts ranging from documentaries to intimate dramas—all with a queer bent. In addition to Reeling's usual 'something for every queer taste' line-up, fest organizers have added a new category: music videos. These will be showcased in a new series titled 'Rock Reeling.'
In addition to the multitude of film choices, Reeling once again presents a host of before-and-after screening parties and events. Eighties 'Brat Pack' star Ally Sheedy, who appears in Steam along with Oscar nominee Ruby Dee, will appear in person at the fest in conjunction with the film's screening Friday, Nov. 14. Jay McCarroll, the first-season winner on TV's Project Runway, will also be at the fest Nov. 16 for the closing film, Eleven Minutes, a documentary that follows the colorful designer's attempts to reactivate his career.
Here are a few highlights screened from the opening-week schedule:
—Thursday, Nov. 6:
Breakfast with Scot: Tom Cavanagh ( of the TV shows Ed and Scrubs ) and Ben Shenkman ( Angels in America ) play, respectively, a closeted hockey player-turned sportscaster and his patient lawyer boyfriend who take temporary custody of an extremely flamboyant 11-year-old boy ( complete with make-up and feather boas ) . Cavanagh is forced to deal with both his kid-phobic issues and his own internalized self-loathing in this intermittently funny comedy that's perfect, not-too-taxing fare for the festival's opening night. Screens at Piper's Alley, 1608 N. Wells
—Friday, Nov. 7:
Mulligans: When Tyler brings his college buddy, Chase, home for the summer a family drama erupts after Chase comes out—followed by Tyler's dad. Openly gay actor Charlie David ( Dante's Cove, Kiss the Bride, A Four Letter Word ) wrote, produced and stars in this moving drama that co-stars Dan Payne ( see separate interview ) , and Queer As Folk's Thea Gill.
Changing Spots: Molly Brite is a boozy former child star and Peg is her pregnant, ex-rocker girlfriend. When a director wants Molly for his next big film it seems that things are finally looking up—but not for long. It's a winning lesbian dramedy.
—Saturday, Nov. 8:
Trinidad: This is an eye-opening documentary look at Trinidad, Colo. ( pop.: 9,000 ) , the self-proclaimed 'transsexual capital of the world.' The film simultaneously focuses on the towns on-again/off-again tolerance for the procedure that's put the frontier town on the map; the transsexual doctor who performs the operation on other patients; and two financially strapped transsexuals who dream of opening a home where the patients can come to recover. Note: The film includes graphic footage of the genital-reassignment operation.
Dream Boy: It's a dark, coming-out tale of a shy, sexually abused high school boy set in the backwoods of Louisiana with Diana Scarwid and a cameo by Rickie Lee Jones. From queer filmmaker James Bolton ( The Graffiti Artist )
Pansy Division: Life in a Gay Rock Band: This is a winning documentary about the cutting-edge queer band that includes footage shot at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom.
—Sunday, Nov. 9:
Sex Positive: The efforts to convince gay men to practice safe sex in the early '80s by controversial activist Richard Berkowitz are mostly forgotten while those of his fallen comrade Michael Callen are well remembered. This memorable portrait of the prickly, forthright Berkowitz—a one-time S&M hustler—will hopefully redress that balance.
Otto; Or, Up With Dead People: Queer filmmaker Bruce LaBruce ( Hustler White, The Raspberry Reich ) returns with this gory, campy and very gay variation on the zombie flick. A gay zombie costume contest, hosted by local drag queens, will accompany the screening. Screens at the Lakeshore Theater, 3175 N. Broadway
SqueezeBox! ( pictured : The 'don't dream it, be it' ethos of Michael Schmidt's long running New York rock-n-roll drag-queen nightclub event is palpable in this enervating documentary. Over the course of Squeezebox's seven-year run, presided over by the no-nonsense Misstress Formika, everyone from Debbie Harry to Lady Bunny took to the stage. Squeezebox was also ground zero for John Cameron Mitchell's Hedwig character. Tremendous concert footage is interspersed with reminiscences by those who were there and lived to talk about it.
—Tuesday, Nov. 11:
Seeds of Summer, Dog Tags and Ask Not: Three films focusing on gays in the military and the U.S. 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy are being shown, fittingly, on Veteran's Day.
Ebony Chunky Love: Bitch Can't Get a Date: The title says it all in this amusing portrait of Keith Price, the gay African-American 'large and lovely' stand up comedian and Sirius Radio host.
—Wednesday, Nov. 12:
Out Late: This film focuses on a trio of late-comers—a gay man, a lesbian and a transsexual—coming into their own after coming out in their sunset years.
Screenings for the festival will be held primarily at three locations: Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark; Columbia College's Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash, third floor; and Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark.
Find out complete festival information ( tickets, theaters and locations ) by calling 773-293-1447 or visiting www.reelingfilmfestival.org . Highlights of Reeling's second-week schedule will run in next week's Windy City Times.
Check out my archived reviews and Knight at Home at the Movies column for DVD recommendations at www.windycitytimes.com or www.knightatthemovies.com . Readers can leave feedback at the latter Web site.
