Director Rob Williams remembers exactly why he got into filmmaking more than five years ago. He wanted to see films that told stories to which he could relate.
“I remember watching the gay films that were out there and feeling like my story wasn’t being told,” says Williams, who will attend the 21st Annual Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in October to show his newly edited film, Role/Play. “Films were all about being gay and what a struggle it is. I wanted to make movies that were about gay people, not about people being gay.”
The evolution of LGBT cinema is evident in many areas of filmmaking—from the technology to the way in which it is presented. Less expensive high-quality digital cameras have opened the filmmaking field to virtually anybody, which means more stories can be told. But it also means there is more competition, according to director and actor Casper Andreas, who will also attend TIGLFF this year when his film Violet Tendencies is screened.
“It’s a double-edged sword,” Andreas says from his New York home. “Anyone can make a low-budget film now. A lot of films are being made and it’s harder to get them distributed because distribution has changed. DVD sales are down and online illegal downloading is up. It makes it harder and harder to make films on any budget.”
But the films are out there and TIGLFF is using advances in technology to pull in more viewers for the Oct. 7-17 festival, which will be at the Tampa Theatre in Tampa with several screenings at Muvico Baywalk in St. Petersburg.
The Logo effect
When the Logo Network launched on cable providers in 2005, many thought LGBT entertainment and film distribution would change forever. But spending a few hours on Logo will undoubtedly lead to a few music videos or a marathon of reruns of Buffy The Vampire Slayer.
Sure, some LGBT films have made it onto the Viacom-owned network (which also owns CBS, MTV and VH1), but that number is relatively small.
“I don’t understand Logo’s programming,” says Williams, who has pitched several of his films to the network. “I don’t know any filmmaker who understands it or gay people who understand it. I’ve met with people at Logo and given them my ideas and shown them my movies. But it’s just so much easier for them to go with a proven property like Buffy which they see as in the realm of gay content. I don’t think it is. I love Buffy, but I wouldn’t say that’s the best use of their programming time.”
Andreas has seen a few of his films play not only on Logo, but on the here! Network as well. His first movie, Slutty Summer enjoyed here! broadcasts for several years and his Four Letter Word and Between Love and Goodbye have both aired on Logo.
“I think it’s great that there are gay networks out there,” Andreas says. “I just wish other networks would be more interested in showing gay-themed films. I think since Logo started, other networks are less interested because there’s now a home for those films.”
Andreas says Logo is interested in Violet Tendencies, but he knows some messages will get lost in translation to the network.
“As a filmmaker, you want your films on TV because of the revenue stream it creates and more people who would otherwise not get to see it can,” Andreas says. “But it’s another double-edged sword: Why go out and get the DVD if you can see the film for free on television? And I don’t like that Logo edits my films because they cut out the sex scenes or anything to do with sex. Plus they bleep too much out.”
Williams sees Logo’s programming as an attempt to attract more viewers than just the LGBT community.
“I know that it is easier for them to show repeats of mainstream shows that have gay characters, which is what they are getting into, rather than showing a movie like Role/Play that is very specific to the gay community but isn’t going to attract the channel surfer who might be flipping through and see it,” Williams said. “Viewers have more power than they think. I encourage people to make their voices heard. Write in to networks and tell them what you like and what you don’t like. That’s the only way to get programming to really change.”
Tampa: The filmmakers’ favorite
Both Andreas and Williams are no stranger to Tampa and St. Petersburg. In fact, both have appeared with screenings of their films before and seem excited to return in October for the annual festival.
“I would say that TIGLFF is one of my favorite festivals to come to,” Andreas says. “It’s so nice and everyone is so friendly. I love the Tampa Theatre, to see a film that I worked on for a long time and to see what an audience—and such a big audience there—thinks. It’s so exciting.”
TIGLFF President John Thomas is happy that Andreas and other film talent feel so welcome in Tampa, but he’s not surprised. He says TIGLFF has a history of treating those involved with the festival as family.
“Actually, like royal family,” Thomas says. “I hear filmmakers tell me every year they show up at festivals around the world and no one greets them and they stand in line and buy tickets to their own screenings. Not here—not in Tampa Bay. We roll out the red carpet and let them know how much we value what they do.”
Williams brought his unedited version of Role/Play to the Muvico Baywalk over the summer to share with the Tampa Bay audience and took real-time suggestions and critiques from those who stayed afterward for a Q&A. He expects returning audience members—and those seeing the film for the first time—to enjoy the product that is “99% completed.”
“We thought it was final and finished and then suddenly Proposition 8 was overturned in California and we had references to that in the film,” Williams says. “We had to put updates into the film and what we show in Tampa will be just about done. It’s frustrating [to have to do the changes], but if the film is outdated because Prop 8 is overturned, then that’s a very good reason!”
The films
Each year TIGLFF brings films catering to every segment of the LGBT audience. Men’s shorts, women’s shorts, documentaries and even children’s films are on the schedule again this year.
Both Williams and Andreas hope their films will cater to both men and women—gay and straight—but admit a gay male point of view is prevalent.
Andreas’ Violet Tendencies stars Mindy Cohn (of Facts of Life fame) and is the story of a “fag hag who prefers to be called a fruit fly” and her quest for love. Several characters from Andreas’ previous comedies—Slutty Summer and Four Letter Word—make appearances.
Screenwriter Jesse Archer and Andreas both appear in the film.
According to Williams, the inspiration behind his Role/Play came from watching the media’s treatment of celebrities and “being out.”
“I was reading articles about outing actors and was amazed at how the media treats celebrities—both open and closeted. That all came together in this story of two guys hiding out from bad media coverage and how that brings them together.”
Violet Tendencies screens on Thursday, Oct. 7, at 7:45 p.m. and Role/Play screens on Saturday, Oct. 9, at 9 p.m. Both films will be shown at the Tampa Theatre.
For a full schedule of films, visit TIGLFF.com.
