Choosing the films screened at TIGLFF is no small undertaking

The Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is fast approaching, and runs  Oct. 5-18. And while the event is a mere weeks away, preparationsâ┚¬â€including the film selection processâ┚¬â€have been ongoing since last spring.

â┚¬Å”The process starts officially in April,â┚¬Â says program director KJ Mohr. â┚¬Å”But I'm looking for stuff year-round. We're always looking at films from other festivals such as Orlando, San Francisco, Miami, The Sundance, Toronto International Film Festival, and then we also get hundreds of submissions every year.â┚¬Â

These submissions are an important part of the pool, says Mohr, as they are often projects that would go otherwise unseen. But because the TIGLFF comes later in the season, films that are not yet finished in time for other festivals are given an opportunity to be screened here in Tampa Bay in October, and this means that the TIGLFF is actually, in a sense, ahead of other festivals.

â┚¬Å”Sometimes, because of the timeline, we get premiers here that won't come around to other festivals in, say, New York or L.A. until next year,â┚¬Â says Mohr.

But not every submission makes the cut, and competition is stiff. Mohr says that this year the organization chose from 400 films, and when the selection process completed, audiences will see fewer than 100 films during the two-week event.

â┚¬Å”So that means less than a quarter of the films we look at and consider actually get selected,â┚¬Â says Mohr.

Choosing exactly which films make it to screens in Tampa Bay is a daunting task.

â┚¬Å”The selection process is really tough,â┚¬Â she says. â┚¬Å”Every story is interesting in some way, and I often think â┚¬ËœGosh, I wish I could just show them all.'â┚¬Â

Mohr says the foundation of the selection process comes down to the story.

â┚¬Å”That's first and foremost, is the story interesting the way it's being told, have we seen this story a million times before?” she asks. “Generally, the ones that are being screened all over in other festivals are ones that the Tampa audience will want to see, but you're also looking for things that our people are especially going to want to see in Tampa.â┚¬Â

One prime example of this is a documentary being shown this year called Unfit: Ward Vs. Ward. The film tells the story of a 1995 custody case in Pensacola, Fla., which involved a lesbian woman and her former husband. Six years divorced, and with mounting bills, the single mother requested an increase in child support payments. The father, who had been absent nearly all of the child's life, filed for a complete modification of custody. The complex story unfolds as the battle rages over a child being raised by a lesbian mother, or being put in full custody of her fatherâ┚¬â€a man who had murdered his first wife.

â┚¬Å”It's a story that is very current with gay rights, and is especially important to the state of Florida,â┚¬Â says Mohr.

Another film that Mohr is excited to have as part of the festival is Keep The Lights On, which tells the story of two gay men and their journey through New York City.

â┚¬Å”It's just an excellent film, and one of the things that really strikes me about it is that there's no tension at all about the characters being gay, they just happen to be gay,â┚¬Â says Mohr. â┚¬Å”And I think that's something that we really wouldn't have seen even 10 years ago at a gay and lesbian film festival.â┚¬Â

Mohr says this trend has increased throughout the years.

â┚¬Å”For younger generations, it isn't an issue like it was for their parents,â┚¬Â says Mohr. â┚¬Å”But I think we can talk more about what our lives are like and not have to dwell on the difficulty of it.â┚¬Â

And after more than six months of planning and preparing, the festival is only weeks away, and Mohr says that this is the most exciting time for her.

â┚¬Å”I like to deceive myself into thinking the work is over, but really it's not,â┚¬Â says Mohr with a laugh. â┚¬Å”Because, yes we have this great product, but now we have to get the word out. Now we're working on finalizing the program book, getting everything on the web, and organizing all the filmmakers who are coming, and trying to make a connection with community groups.â┚¬Â

And the community aspect of the event is just as exciting to Mohr as the films themselves.â┚¬Å”What's really exciting to me about this event is how much it's about the community,â┚¬Â she says. â┚¬Å”You wouldn't believe how many couples have met at the festival. Last year we had a wedding proposal on closing night. So many of my favorite couples that I've met there have said â┚¬ËœWe met at the festival!' so that's pretty awesome.â┚¬Â

In the end, Mohr enjoys seeing all the hard work and preparation pay off in one big celebration.

â┚¬Å”When you come into the festival you realize â┚¬ËœOh right, this is why they call it a festival', because it's a big party, it's fun, and it's us celebrating our lives with these stories,” she says. “There's really something here for everyone.â┚¬Â