photo: courtesy of Reeling
, the Chicago lesbian and gay international film festival, celebrates its silver anniversary in a big way this year. The second oldest film festival of its kind in the nation, Reeling was born of Brenda Webb's desire to connect experimental films with a gay and lesbian audience. Twenty-five years later, she's still working as the director and still hoping to attract larger crowds, though packing the house in general is no concern, with folks traveling from all over the Midwest to attend.
An 11-day cinematic smorgasbord, Reeling includes 175 movies from 22 countries, with everything from social documentaries to farcical shorts to full-length romantic comedies screening. But with so much on the calendar, deciding which screenings to attend can be overwhelming, and while we'd be happy to recommend more than one double-feature, here are a few programs that shouldn't be missed.
Single tickets cost $7-$10, with a festival pass available for $125. Several ticket packages exist, including a weekend matinee package of five screenings for $20.
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds Here's something you don't see often in gay and lesbian cinema: a sequel. But Reeling's opening night starts with just that. Eating Out 2 is a follow-up to last year's enthusiastically received Eating Out, which centered around Kyle, who convinced his straight roommate to play gay to get the girl. In this year's raunchy sequel, the tables are turned as Kyle turns in his best heterosexual performance to win the hand of the new heartthrob in town. Directed by Illinois resident Phillip Bartell and starring Jim Verraros, a season one American Idol contestant, the screening is followed by a lavish gathering of drinks and dancing at Architectural Artifacts. Local band 8 Inch Betsy performs, with both Bartell and Verraros in attendance and an open bar helping to end the night with a splash.
When and where: November 2 at 7:15 p.m. at Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Ave., with after party at Architectural Artifacts, 4325 N. Ravenswood. Film and gala $50; film only $12.
Boy I Am Feelings toward transgendered people within the larger queer community can be complicated at best, and this documentary, co-produced and co-directed by Chicago resident Samantha Feder, tackles the issues head-on. Voted Best Documentary by the Seattle gay and lesbian film festival, Boy I Am (pictured) follows three transmen as they transition from female to male. For some within the lesbian community, the increased number of transmen is judged as a naive social trend or, at worst, an anti-feminist rejection of female power in favor of male privilege. While most documentaries on the subject follow a strict narrative arc as the subject moves from pre- to post-op, "Boy I Am" weaves narrative with interviews by leading gender theorists, including Judith "Jack" Halberstam, author of Female Masculinity.
When and where: November 4 at 2 p.m. at Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave. on the Columbia College campus.
Park No doubt you'll recognize some of the faces onscreen, as William Baldwin, Ricki Lake and Cheri Oteri join forces in Park. Taking place over the course of one lunch hour in a park in Los Angeles (with a hypnotic, adrenaline-inducing drumbeat playing constantly in the background), "Park" follows two male nudists, a cheating husband, suicidal pet groomers and an emerging lesbian. When their paths converge chaos ensues, with some relationships ending, some romances beginning and much sex to be had by all. The film marks Kurt Voelker's feature directorial debut; he wrote the screenplay for the Keanu Reeves film "Sweet November" and directed the critically-acclaimed short, "Decade of Love." Described as "definitely smart but not overbearing," "Park" was met with much praise at the Outfest Film Festival earlier this year and is sure to draw a large crowd at this year's Reeling Film Festival.
When and where: November 5 at 3:30 p.m. at Landmark's Century Centre Cinema, 2828 N. Clark St.
The Gymnast The Gymnast would be worth seeing for the Cirque de Soleil-like visual affects alone, which makes the nuanced narrative icing on the cake. Produced by and starring Dreya Weber, a renowned aerialist who has choreographed routines for Cher and Madonna, the film tells the story of Jane, a former Olympic gymnast whose was sidelined by an injury at the height of her career. Now in an emotionally muted marriage, Jane is introduced to an intriguing dancer by chance. As they develop an acrobatic act centered around a thin piece of silk suspended more than 30 feet in the air, their lives intertwine in more ways than one. The Gymanst won best feature awards at both the New York and Los Angeles gay and lesbian film festivals this year.
When and where: November 10 at 7 p.m. at Film Row Cinema, 1104 S. Wabash Ave. on the Columbia College campus.
25th Anniversary Party Make a day of it on the fest's final day with an afternoon of avant-garde film screenings followed by a glammed-out party in a 1930s movie house. With its program "Two Avant-Garde Masters: Andy Warhol and Jack Smith," Reeling presents two erotic masterpieces by two queer icons, with both Flaming Creatures and Couch starring nothing so much as pansexual excess. That afternoon's experimental shorts program, "Homoeroticism in the Avant-Garde" telescopes out from the sharp sexual focus of Warhol and Smith...but not much, with everything from a psychodrama of sexual awakening to a celebration of pre-AIDS sexuality touched upon. Check your inhibitions at the door at that night's festivities, located inside the Brown Elephant, which will be overhauled into a one-night gallery for experimental film, video and performance. The highlights of the evening promise to be a live animation presented by Canadian artist Daniel Barrow and the world premiere of his new video, "Artist Statement."
When and where: November 12 at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark St., with "Two Avant-Garde Masters" at 1 p.m., "Homoeroticism in the Avant-Garde" at 3 p.m. The 25th Anniversary Part at 8 p.m., at the Brown Elephant, 5404 N. Clark St.
