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GayCharlotte Film Festival kicks off April 3
Fest is first-ever large-scale LGBT
cultural event since 1990s’
OutCharlotte festival
by Will Billings . Contributing Writer
CHARLOTTE — For LGBT Charlotteans
who miss the queer cultural scene celebrated
by the 1990s’ OutCharlotte festival, the long
wait will come to a close during the first week
end in April.
The first annual GayCharlotte Film
Festival kicks off at 6 p.m. on Friday,
April 3 at the Lesbian & Gay
Community Center of Charlotte.
The Festival, which runs
through Sunday, April 5,
features more than a
dozen LGBT-themed
films, some with a
local Charlotte
and North
Carolina focus.
The films repre
sent a wide variety
of tastes and styles.
Including full-length
movies and shorts, documentaries and narra
tive fictions, as well as nationally and critically
acclaimed films on transgender issues, the
“Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy of the U.S. mili
tary and films by and about African-
American and Latino LGBT communities.
The event is sponsored by the Community
Center. Festival organizer Teresa Davis said
hosting the weekend-long event at the Center,
as opposed to renting space at an actual
movie theater, was as much about practicality
as economics.
“The Center’s rooms, located at The Music
Factory, are extremely versatile,” explained
Davis. “Some of the well-established,
mainstream Carolina film festi
vals screen many of their
movies at similarly-sized
venues, so it didn’t make
sense to rent a movie
theater when we could
bring audiences to our
wonderful space and pass the
cost-savings along to them.”
Davis said the Festival planning
committee was thrilled to learn that
Takeover Friday, a regular event popular
with gay and lesbian nightlife-goers, had
agreed to “takeover” one of the Friday night
films. All ticket holder's will receive half-off
admission to the Garden & Gun Club, located
next door to the Center. The Takeover feature
film begins at 8 p.m., after the “Hometown
Shorts” series at 6 p.m.
Proceeds from the Festival benefit the
Community Center, “although the mission of
the Festival is as much about bringing quality
movies to our LGBT Community as it is about
raising funds so we can keep our doors open,”
Davis said.
Movies include “Ask Not” which address
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Knockdown Dra^ Out!
Open Drag Contest at 12 Midnight
Hosted by Morgan Richards
\\t:dnesdays
Game Night with Bingo & Other Games
Hosted by Bimbos of the Beach
THURSDAYS
Customer Appreciation Night.
Free pool!
Disco Diva Show at 12 Midnight
FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS
Sat., March 21
Red Ribbon Friends Spring Benefit Show
Fri., March 27
Isabella Diamante. Morgan Richards. Manerva
Sat.. March 28
Isabella Diamante and Dance Party
Sat., April 4
Scarlett Dailey
Fri., April 10
Elaine Davis
Karaoke Tuesday - 11 pm • Karaoke Sunday - 10 pm
Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday - No Cover (excluding special holidays or events)
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es challenges faced by gays in the military,
“Dear Jesse,” about a gay North Carolinian’s
ties to the late U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms and two
movies actually filmed at the^Center: “Queer:
Out and About in Charlotte” and “Coming
Out/Coming In.”
Full-length features Include “Hard” where a
young, gay cop must work in a homophobic
police unit while catching a serial killer who
murders gay Johns, and “Christopher Street”
which is the East Coast version of L.A. televi
sion series “Noah’s Arc.”
Davis is also proud the Festival will screen
“Barbara & TibbyJ’ a work she said is of
“utmost importance” to all Carolina LGBT
communities. The film addresses Virginia’s
anti-gay marriage legislation and constitu
tional amendment. A similar amendment has
been introduced in the N.C. General Assembly
again this year; it has failed to gain traction in
five previous legislative sessions. I
— The GayCharlotte Film Festival will be held
April 3-5 at the Lesbian & Gay Community
Center of Charlotte, 820 Hamilton St., Suite B-
11. For ticket information and movie schedules,
visitwww.GayCharlotteFilmFestival.com.
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MARCH 21 .2009 •