The 2004 Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival

FESTIVAL THEMES

Rebels and Heroes

This year, from San Francisco to New York, some unlikely heroes brought national attention to queer issues and enacted positive change in the fight for LGBT equal rights. To celebrate those who oppose the status quo, our REBELS AND HEROES series features individuals unafraid to fight the system—some of them decades before Stonewall.

In a special 20^th anniversary screening of THE TIMES OF HARVEY MILK we remember the nation’s first openly gay politician whose life was tragically cut short. In a year when gay rights seem to be taking as many steps backward as forward, this Oscar-winning documentary is more poignant than ever.

Celebrating pre-Stonewall activists, GAY PIONEERS uses archival footage and first-hand accounts to profile the group of brave men and women who organized the first gay civil rights demonstrations in the US from 1965 to 1969. RAINBOW PRIDE documents the creation of the rainbow flag in 1977 to portray the multi-faceted nature of sexual minorities.

Speaking out against the Nazis, openly homosexual Annemarie Schwarzenbach (portrayed in last year’s festival feature JOURNEY TO KAFIRISTAN) chose to forge her own path by traveling the world denouncing Europe's fascist movements and America's exploitation of its workers.

Sister Jeannine Gramick, the focus of IN GOOD CONSCIENCE: SISTER JEANNINE GRAMICK'S JOURNEY OF FAITH is a "rebel nun" who stands up to church authorities in her quest to build bridges between the Church and the gay community.

Travel back to 1955 with the original rebel, James Dean in the classic REBEL WITHOUT A CAUSE. A rare archival screening with Stewart Stern, screenwriter of this iconic film, will grace the Cinerama screen.

Queer Fear

With Halloween right around the corner, why not get into the spirit early? It’s not suprising that queer film has traveled well beyond comedy and drama to the realm of horror. Indie queer filmmakers are pushing the genre envelope by adding a twist to the horror genre.

HELLBENT and MAKE A WISH are fresh takes on the popular B-movie style slasher flick complete with stalkers, knives, and dead bodies that continue to pile up.

Queer Fear begins with a classic gem from the famed Hammer Studios in the UK, THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970). This eerie lustful tale of vampires, virgins, and family curses is based on J. Sheridan Le Fanu’s short story, CARMILLA and is presented here fully restored to its original state.