The Center of Long Beach and the Art Theatre are holding the 22nd annual Long Beach Q Film Festival Thursday through Sunday, in an event catered to one of the largest LGBTQ communities in California.
“[The film festival] serves a critical and valuable purpose in connecting folks to art, culture, and community,” said Porter Gilberg, Executive Director of The Center. “Our film festival aims to connect with as many LGBTQ people and communities as possible to present programming that is relevant, engaging, and entertaining.”
The films at the festival are not available on DVD and are not screening at major theaters. They include 16 different programs shown throughout the weekend, ranging from dramas, feature-length documentaries, to short films, and comedies.
Some of the Films You Will See:
On Thursday, the festival screened “Tab Hunter Confidential,” a documentary on the 1950’s Hollywood star and heartthrob Tab Hunter who reveled in romantic relations with several women until he was exposed as being in the closet.
“Liz in September,” a drama, is presented Friday. Liz is a gay supermodel hiding her terminal illness from friends. At Liz’s birthday celebration, her friends challenge her to seduce a straight woman newcomer, Eva, who is distressed by the recent death of her young son.
On Saturday, seven short films will be playing, including “Clown Service,” “More of Last Night,” “Tomgirl,” and more. “Clown Service” is a 13-minute comedy based on true occurrences. Tig is depressed after a break up, so she hires a traveling party clown. Tig and the clown find out they share a lot of similarities.
“How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)” is a drama taking place in Bangkok, Thailand, and focuses on Ek and his boyfriend Jai, who are both forced into a draft lottery to serve in the armed forces. The film centers on themes of poverty, privilege, and fake ideals. “How to Win at Checkers (Every Time)” will be presented on Sunday.
Proceeds from the event support programs and services at The LGBTQ Center of Long Beach.
For tickets and more information, go here: www.qfilmslongbeach.com.