A Fusion of Queer Filmmakers (page 2)
by Shauna Swartz, November 30, 2006
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Fusion's commitment to showcasing new talent is perhaps best represented by its program featuring 12 short films made by LGBT youth in Los Angeles, none of whom are older than 24. The program will be anchored by My Crazy Life, an animated documentary about a young Latino boy who goes to his prom in drag.
“That film totally embodies spirit of Fusion,” Yutani says, adding that she thinks it's “one of the best shorts in the festival.” Director Enzo Ybarra was in high school when he directed My Crazy Life in conjunction with animator Carlos Arguello, and this past summer the film won the audience award at Outfest.
In order to attract a broad and diverse audience, several of Fusion's events are free. Admission is free to anyone under 21 or over 62. White Shadows, a documentary about L.A. celebrity hairstylist Dalee Henderson, and the documentary I'm Still Here: Becoming Legendary, about the L.A. drag ball community, will be screened for free in honor of World AIDS Day on Dec. 3.
REACH LA — a community organization of young filmmakers with youth outreach programs, particularly for HIV education — will provide a mobile HIV testing site and present a workshop called Sex Ed With a Twist: HIV 101, described as “an over-the-top foray into sexual knowledge” led by Ray from BET's College Hill and Sean Milan Infiniti — all free of charge.
Another free event and a festival regular is Sabor Con Fusion on Dec. 2. This year's program spotlights hip-hop music, dance and poetry as a “revolutionary act.
Among the nonfilm offerings is Christopher Angel Ramirez's cutting-edge performance piece, Color Bonita, on Dec. 2. It is structured partly as a dialogue between Ramirez and his audience and includes a media portion where he combines interview footage of young gay Latino men speaking frankly and anonymously about their experiences. “It's an exciting moment for Fusion in terms of doing something new and different that wouldn't necessarily be in the summer festival,” says Yutani.
Under the Influence is a panel discussion featuring queer film and television personalities sharing clips of the works that have inspired them. Panelists will include actor/model Jenny Shimizu (Foxfire), actor/film producer Mia Riverton (Red Doors), Colette Divine and J. Karen Thomas (both in Sarang Song and the upcoming Itty Bitty Titty Committee with Shimizu), as well as Wilson Cruz (All Over Me).
Jewel and the Catch is another festival highlight. The 1993 documentary takes a look at Jewel Thais-Williams and the popular African-American club in Los Angeles called the Catch that she established more than 30 years ago. The film contains exclusive interview footage of Thais-Williams, who will be present at the screening, talking not only about creating a place for black queers to go but about her activist work in the gay black movement as well.
Yutani points to several other films as standouts this year. Foremost is the West Coast premiere of Nina's Heavenly Delights, a feature by British director Pratibha Parmar (A Place of Rage) that will close the festival. In the film, an Indian-Scottish woman returns home to Glasgow after her father dies, only to face the added challenges of competing in a national curry competition and facing her attraction to a woman.
The short films Did I Just Look at Her? directed by Coquie Hughes, the Indian documentary Happy Hookers by Ashish Sawhny, and Do the Math, directed by Mary Guzman, also get special mention from Yutani. “Mary has been making films for a while and has already been featured at Outfest several times,” Yutani says. “This film is a short, snappy piece that shows a huge growth in her ability as a filmmaker.”
Guzman says Do the Math depicts “a Latina lesbian from an immigrant family in L.A. trying to find a better life.” Her previous film, Desi's Looking for a New Girl, is available on DVD and has screened throughout the United States and in many other countries. Her films After the Break and Mind if I Call You Sir? have also enjoyed wide featuring on the festival circuit, but this will be Guzman's first time at Fusion.
“I've played at Latino festivals, all the major ones across the States, and then at queer festivals,” she says, “but this'll be the first time I'm at a festival concentrating on work from queer people of color. That's a unique niche.”
For more festival information, visit www.outfest.org/fusion.html. Advance tickets can be purchased at www.ticketweb.com or by calling Outfest at (213) 480-7088.
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