Tampa LGBT film festival takes a world view
Films from 18 countries will be part of this year’s Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, running Oct. 4 to 12.
The festival, now in its 24th year, will include 36 feature films and 40 shorts. Germany, Argentina, Cuba, Uganda, Australia, Israel, France, Brazil, Russia and Taiwan are among those 18 nations represented in the festival. There will also be many films from the U.S., including work from Tampa, Fla.-area filmmakers.
Culled from a record-breaking number of entries, the festival’s program is comprised of narrative films like Tribeca favorite Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow, astutely crafted award-winning period drama Test, Cannes winner Stranger by the Lake and Bruno Barreto’s (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands) audience hit Reaching for the Moon; short films; and documentaries such as Tampa daughter Cindy Abel’s celebratory Breaking Through, the disturbing and immensely compelling God Loves Uganda, YouTube sensation BrideGroom and the intimate portrait of the evolution of a family, Two: The Story of Roman & Nyro.
The opening night drama The Happy Sad, directed by festival veteran Rodney Evans (Brother to Brother), will be presented with free admission. In addition, a selection of “sexy late-night films” will shown on the weekends.
“The variety of films this year is astounding, from hard-hitting and extremely moving documentaries, to hilarious stand-up comedy, to fantastic dramas, to some of the best short films we have ever seen at TIGLFF,” said KJ Mohr, program director for the festival.
As in years past, the main festival venue will be the Tampa Theatre (711 N. Franklin St., Tampa), while some St. Petersburg, Fla., screenings will take place across the bay at the Baywalk Muvico (151 2nd Ave. North, St. Petersburg).
In addition to the films, the festival will begin and end with parties. The opening-night “Orange Party” will be held at the new venue, The Vault (611 N. Franklin St., Tampa), with a food-truck rally outside of the Tampa Theatre. The closing-night party, “WRAPture,” follows the Oct. 12 film, G.B.F., at the Martini Republic (912 N. Franklin St., Tampa).
According to Community Marketing’s 2012 LGBT Travel Survey, Tampa ranked among the Top 20 U.S. destinations for lesiure travel.
More information on the festival is available at tiglff.com, and information on visiting Tampa is available at visittampabay.com.
[Video: Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow]
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