QFest Film Festival Movie Reviews 2009

Executive Director of PhillyGayCalendar
If you haven’t heard The Philadelphia International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is now Philadelphia QFest. It’s the 15th year for the film festival and it promises to be just as gay and just as lesbian, as well as queer, as ever. It starts on July 9th and runs to the 20th. There’s a different set up this year with shows at Prince Music theater, as usual, but also at the Ritz 1 and 2, unlike the few previous years.

The parties seem a tad tamer than usual, though I am looking forward to seeing one of my favorites, The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert at the Jamaican Jerk Hut for an evening screening on July 15th. Films I’m looking forward to seeing: We are the Mods, St. Trinian’s, Private Lessons (I do love a controversy), El nino pez, Limbo, Ghosted, Dream Boy (a fabulous book), Pornography and of course all of the short films.

Big gay names and celebrity allies to be seen: Sharon Gless, H.P. Mendoza, Dee Mosbacher and Chad Allen.

Please don’t forget to bring a sweater. It’s so cold in the theaters!

Training Rules
SHOWINGS: Sat, Jul 18 @ 16:45:00 | Sun, Jul 19 @ 21:00:00 |
African-American Jennifer Harris spent her life training to become a champion basketball player, but her name will forever be synonymous with her fight to challenge the discriminatory practices of a powerful coach.

When I get the listings and descriptions of the films that will be at the film festival, the first thing I do is look for something with depth and squalor. I found this easily with Training Rules.
Profiling the horror brought about by the monster Rene Portland, Training Rules gives the former Lady Lions a platform to speak of how they were treated as college basketball players by a severely homophobic coach.
This film has great testimonials but a few too many dramatizations for my taste. This is a must see for every female.

Homewrecker
SHOWINGS: Sun, Jul 12 @ 21:15:00 | Tue, Jul 14 @ 17:00:00 |
A hunky, but hapless young ex-con schemes his way into a gay Hollywood couple’s home in hopes of becoming a star in this fast-paced indie comedy.

Oh dear. You see, when I watch a campy gay film, it better have cute gay boys in it. And also, if I watch a campy gay film, it can’t be so desperately trying to be a campy gay film. This is Homewrecker.
In a sort of All About Eve, climbing to the top no matter what way, Homewrecker has an ok plot. There are some funny lines with the idea of a man leaving prison and turning rather gay from his sexual experiences there. I wish the film focused more on that and less on, well, whatever it was focusing on.
In the end, it’s all light hearted gay hi jinx and better than watching a straight movie.

Pop Star on Ice
SHOWINGS: Fri, Jul 10 @ 17:00:00 | Sat, Jul 11 @ 12:15:00 |
One of the skating world’s most fascinating characters, Johnny Weir has both dazzled and disappointed fans. This behind-the-scenes documentary only dazzles as it reveals the many sides of this complex and unusual skating icon. We’re sure you’ll give it a 10.

I was lucky enough to have this film before hand for my private home viewing pleasure, but all the while I kept asking myself “Am I really watching this?”
You see I’m not one of those skating fans, but honestly Johnny Weir is so fascinating this film was easy to swallow, just sort of embarrassing to do so. He’s quite the firecracker, to say the very least.
With behind the scene features, silly interviews and training clips, Pop Star on Ice is worthy of a watch, just make yourself all spy-like with a hat and sunglasses if you see it in public.

Make the Yuletide Gay
SHOWINGS: Fri, Jul 10 @ 19:15:00 | Sun, Jul 12 @ 12:00:00 |
With this wonderfully silly story of young gay love, writer/director Rob Williams (3-Day Weekend, PIGLFF 2008) returns to QFest to serve up some of the cutest actors in the festival, with a cheesy Wisconsin family on the side.

Not nearly as corny as the title this film is charming and funny. It wasn’t even originally on my radar so I’m glad I got to see it.
A sweet story of a gay college student who is out like RuPaul at school but deep in the closet at home. A surprise holiday visit from his boyfriend causes hilarity to ensue with many funny lines from the parents in the movie.
Light hearted and sweet, Make the Yuletide Gay has that funny holiday feel to it like What’s Cooking? without all the drama.

Baby Love
SHOWINGS: Tue, Jul 14 @ 19:15:00 | Sun, Jul 19 @ 14:15:00 |
This highly romantic comedy-drama explores one man’s insistent need to become a father and its toll on his relationships.

Baby Love lured me in because it is a French film, but it lost me with the baby desperate lead male character. Of course he can’t adopt. Of course he finds a straight woman to have his baby. And of course he has sex with the straight woman. And lastly, of course, with all the obstacles every single thing works out in the end.
Does this review seem short? I wish the movie was.

Pornography
SHOWINGS: Fri, Jul 10 @ 19:00:00 | Sun, Jul 12 @ 14:00:00 |
Definitely not for the squeamish, and most certainly not a porn film, Pornography is former Philadelphian David Kittredge’s hot journey into the life of missing gay adult star Mark Anton.

Just got back from Pornography and I have to say though the film wasn’t frightening it certainly made me feel creepy in the parking garage on my way home.
Prior to the film the director alerted us audience members to the fact that the movie would be something different and that is certainly delivered. This film is different. It’s all mushed up with some Dennis Cooper feeling eeriness with a scoop of early Bret Easton Ellis and came across sort of The Living End-ish. If you’re me this is all a good thing, I enjoyed the film immensely.
The ending was my favorite part and not for the usual reasons. It actually tidied up a message I was getting from the film without explaining everything like the audience is filled with morons.
I kept watching, wondering and waiting. Though after awhile all you boys look alike to me.

We Are the Mods
SHOWINGS: Sun, Jul 12 @ 20:45:00 | Mon, Jul 13 @ 17:00:00 |
Director E.E. Cassidy’s polished and stylized debut tells the story of two young women delicately testing the boundaries of their friendship and finding new romance in their shared love of everything from the ’60s.

One movie goer told me, “I’m tired of spending money on a gay film for it to only contain one same sex kiss.”
And another movie goer filled me in, “This would’ve been a great movie if it wasn’t in a queer film festival.”
Lastly, one very witty member of the audience assured me, “Bruno was gayer than this movie.”
Now don’t get me wrong. I fancied this movie. The music was fabulous and the mod theme tap danced on a special place in my heart, however, this movie had a perfectly cute and saucy almost lesbian character that fucked a boy. Oh the horror. It came across like All of Over Me topped off with a bit of Ghostworld. It’s a great flick and I’ll be sure to tell all my straight friends about it.

Private Lessons
SHOWINGS: Mon, Jul 13 @ 21:15:00 | Wed, Jul 15 @ 21:30:00 |
An academically challenged teenager is schooled in carnal knowledge by his adult tutors in this Belgian import that is sure to be controversial.

Oh QFest, why do you trick me so? You get me pinned to the baseline and hit a slice backhand drop shop so close to the net that Roger Federer wouldn’t get. You make me think I’m all safe hitting forehand top spin shots down the line and cross court, but you serve up Private Lessons and I have to watch straight people fucking? Again?
One of the things I love about gay and lesbian (and all Q) things is that they are gay and for gay people featuring gay people… especially gay people having sex. So not the usually straight world propaganda and I get hit with the straight ball.
The movie is basically about a young man that prefers singles, however he gets tricked to playing doubles which is really a way to get the kid to play quadruples. When everyone knows love means nothing to a tennis player, the rules are still there. Doubles or singles.
If you’ve ever had that wretched feeling of double faulting a match away than you know the disappointment that is Private Lessons. My time would’ve been better spent playing tennis.
Sad to say this movie went on for 5 sets and this veteran tennis player could only handle three.

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