Skipping the 31st annual Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) was never an option for President Rob Akins. The cinematic celebration marked 30 years of empowering and enlightening LGBTQ and ally audiences in 2019, a testament to its widespread support, and organizers saw COVID-19 as the latest in three decades’ worth of obstacles TIGLFF had overcome to ensure its continued success.
With the coronavirus restricting or completely prohibiting in-person gatherings of the festival’s traditional size – a necessity to help mitigate its impact on Tampa Bay that forced LGBTQ staples like Tampa and St Pete Pride to postpone until 2021 – it was clear that TIGLFF would have to evolve. That process began in May with the launch of its virtual platform TIGLFF Online, which in a festival first will stream this year’s features statewide and its shorts across the nation Oct. 2-18.
Moving forward this year was important to Akins, who has long understood TIGLFF’s cultural impact. He first attended as a filmgoer in 1997, experiencing its carefully cultivated selection of films by and for the LGBTQ community firsthand before joining its board in 2004.
He returned to TIGLFF after a hiatus in 2018, chairing its events and subsequently serving as vice president through the celebration’s landmark anniversary last year. That dedication prepared him to lead this year’s 31st festival into unprecedented virtual territory with another change: TIGLFF’s first new director of programming in nine years.
TIGLFF announced the addition of film aficionado Derek Horne in May, just days before its launch of TIGLFF Online. A native of Sarasota and a self-described “theme-o-holic,” the programmer’s first foray into the festival world began as a volunteer at Sundance Film Festival in 1998, which today he calls “a gateway drug.”
“I was always curious about the behind-the-scenes decision making that went into selecting or rejecting a film,” Horne explains. “My curiosity got the better of me and I had to see the other side, so I finally quit my job to pursue film festival programming full time.”
Akins says he saw the changes this year, “all of them unexpected,” as an opportunity for the festival to meet the moment. “Just reaching 30 years is a huge success,” he reflects. “I think of TIGLFF as a great cultural asset. Times have changed with equality for the better, though we still have a ways to go, and things have changed with how people consume their movies – but the fact that we’re still going says a lot about our support from the community.
“Part of my goal as president was to be able to leave the organization better than when I found it,” he continues. “Otherwise, why do something? I want TIGLFF to be an organization that’s here in 60 years.”
This year’s virtual festival was a key part of laying that groundwork. “The pandemic started and well, we just didn’t have a choice,” Akins explains. “It was either we try to go virtual or we don’t do anything – and I just really didn’t see that as an option. We started researching and then Derek came on board with his ‘baptism-by-fire’ experience with Annapolis Film Festival.”
The long-running Maryland event was one of the first in the country to transition to a virtual festival in response to COVID-19. Horne oversaw its programming March 26-29 and helped ensure its success.
“The Annapolis community had been looking forward to the festival in March and we didn’t want to let them down,” he recalls. “They were grateful to have something to do in the early days of quarantine … But also the filmmakers were unanimously appreciative and relieved that we did not cancel.
“For TIGLFF, we thought it was important to honor the filmmakers who had already spent money on the entry fees to submit their films to this year’s festival and I did not want to delay their distribution plans by making them wait another year,” Horne continues. “We also did not want to have a lapse in our long-running festival history by skipping a year.”
Quality content strengthened the decision. This year’s TIGLFF will feature 60 films from 19 countries. It includes 21 feature length films and 39 shorts, presented in six diverse collections.
“I was pleased to find that the pandemic did not have an adverse effect on the quality of films we have to present this year,” Horne says. “In fact, judging from the high caliber of films, I would almost say that queer cinema is having a renaissance and crossing over into the mainstream … I made a conscientious effort to focus on both diversity and quality and was heartened to find that those two things are not mutually exclusive.”
“During these challenging times we are excited that technology allows TIGLFF to bring our audience the 31st festival virtually,” Akins says. “The program will provide some much needed distraction from the challenges of the day.”
To watch this year’s selections, filmgoers will need to access TIGLFF Online via Eventive. The screening platform bills itself as “the most flexible and comprehensive virtual cinema solution,” delivering “the one virtual cinema package with security, rights management, integrated ticketing, visibility and accountability built in.”
Horne says TIGLFF chose Eventive because “it had the best technology, the most user-friendly interface and the most flexibility for us to be able to retain control of our programming.” The festival began intermittently utilizing it for screenings in May to great success.
“We’ve had viewers from Pensacola to Key West to Jacksonville to places I had to look up on a map,” Akins says. “It’s just one of the ways that we’re actually growing, taking these opportunities to introduce TIGLFF to others who may not have something like this in their community.”
Virtual patrons from throughout Florida can view this year’s feature films by purchasing individual tickets for $10, a four-pack for $32 or an all-access festival pass for $100, with only one required per household. The passes will be linked to whichever email address they use to create a free Eventive account and make their purchases. Similarly, viewers from across the nation can access this year’s collections of short films.
“One of the benefits with online festivals is that you can reach a wider audience nationally and many of the filmmakers who normally wouldn’t be able to fly into town for the festival can now experience the program remotely,” Horne says.
Offering the shorts nationwide “will hopefully encourage more audience members to check out an often over-looked part of film festival programs,” he continues. “They are my favorite part of a film festival and are so much fun to curate, especially when they inspire creative theme programs … TIGLFF has been a lifeline for my artistic expression as a curator.”
Passes allow you to unlock a film or shorts program one time. Once a viewer begins playing their selection they will have 24 hours to complete their screening from their personal computer, mobile device or home entertainment system featuring Apple TV, Roku or a Smart TV with AirPlay or Chromecast. Features like rewinding or restarting will be active throughout each screening’s “watch window.”
The majority of films will intentionally be available for multiple days, giving audiences more opportunities to experience them. This year’s festival has been expanded to 16 days for that same reason, with half of its slate premiering during TIGLFF’s first week and the rest during its second.
In traditional TIGLFF fashion, this year’s opening night, centerpiece and closing night films will only be available for respective 24-hour periods. Horne says he chose each feature based on its “quality, variety and trying to represent all the letters in the LGBTQ acronym.”
“Port Authority” kicks off this year’s festival Oct. 2-3, which Horne describes as “a fitting opener as it’s a high-caliber film that really celebrates diversity.”
A modern twist on “Romeo and Juliet,” the film is led by Leyna Bloom – the first transgender actress to star in a competition film at the Cannes Film Festival. It was executive produced by film legend Martin Scorsese, whose work includes “Goodfellas,” “The Wolf on Wall Street” and more.
“The NYC Port Authority is a mecca dedicated to getting people where they need to go,” its official synopsis reads, “but when Paul, a young Midwestern probation dodger with a damaged past and a chip on his shoulder, first arrives here – he’s got nowhere to go. His desperate search for a sense of belonging finds him reluctantly working for crooked movers who prey on the poor. But he is also secretly in love with Wye, a young trans woman whose tight-knit band of kiki ballroom performers exude the love, excitement and stability he craves.”
In a fortunate turn of events, TIGLFF will host the film’s U.S. premiere. “I couldn’t believe my luck when I discovered that it had yet to screen in the U.S.,” Horne says. “We are proud to host it and I am now actively recommending it to other festival programmers … I really want this film to get the exposure it deserves.”
TIGLFF’s first half of films will follow Oct. 3-17, including this year’s first three collections of shorts. “Rites of Passage,” which features six entries, is described as a program celebrating “those special occasions that leave indelible impressions on a life’s journey from adolescence to adulthood.”
“Wildest Dreams” features seven films examining “sexy, sensual, surreal and silly journeys into the subconscious.” The third collection, “Mixed Signals,” offers eight films described as “sly and sardonic shorts” that “prove technology can’t improve our relationships when it comes to the confusion spawned by human flaws in communication.”
TIGLFF’s centerpiece film, available Oct. 9-10, will be an encore screening of “Stage Mother.” TIGLFF Online successfully hosted the film Aug. 15, drawing hundreds of viewers.
Horne chose to introduce the film to an even wider audience during TIGLFF 31 because “it has an uplifting message of triumph over tragedy which seems to be a central theme for our festival that is soldiering on despite all the challenges of this year.” Placing it at the festival’s center also allows those who may have already watched it to enjoy other films.
“Stage Mother” stars Jackie Weaver (“Silver Linings Playbook”) as a conservative, Texas church-choir director named Maybelline. She inherits her recently deceased son’s drag club and, in a surprise move to San Francisco, fights to save it from bankruptcy. In the process she becomes a mother figure to a cast that includes Lucy Liu (“Kill Bill”), Adrian Grenier (“The Devil Wears Prada”) and drag superstar Jackie Beat.
“‘Stage Mother’ is a comedy with emotional resonance,” Director Thom Fitzgerald says. “I bring to the production some firsthand knowledge of both the drag world and the struggle of a religious mother who came to terms with her son’s alternative sexuality. Maybelline’s journey of growing closer to her estranged son, posthumously, echoes my own experience … Like Maybelline, I’m also a bit of a diva who broke free of the church choir, ran away from home and then used what I learned in church to mount an entertaining show.”
“I have been in love with ‘Stage Mother’ since I saw its world premiere in January,” Horne says. “I couldn’t wait to share it with our audience when it finally got released in August.” As an added bonus, its festival screening will include a Q&A with the film’s talent.
The festival’s second half of features includes two films limited to an Oct. 14-17 window and another two limited to Oct. 15-17. The majority of films, including three additional shorts collections, will stream Oct. 10-17.
The first, “Desperate Measures,” includes five shorts. “When up against formidable odds, these truth-seekers discover that the ultimate battle is waged within their own minds and, to win a sense of peace, they must out-maneuver themselves,” it’s described.
“Identity Crisis” features eight shorts. “It’s not me – it’s YOU,” its description reads. “These perceptive shorts show that sometimes the only identity crisis that’s going on is the one that’s happening in someone else’s judgmental mind.”
“Role Reversal” highlights five inspiring documentaries featuring “change-making role models using their ingenuity and integrity to disrupt the status quo and help define a ‘new normal.’” It includes the 42-minute “Disruptor Conductor” starring Black, openly gay conductor Daniel Bartholomew-Poyser and “RuPaul’s Drag Race” alum Thorgy Thor.
The virtual format lends itself to the shorts program in particular, Horne says. “If someone sees a short film they don’t like, they can just skip to the next one as opposed to being stuck in a movie theater watching one they don’t like.”
He doesn’t necessarily believe audiences will be inclined to, however. “I think they are all so good,” he says. “All of these films can be universally relatable or enjoyable on some level and were loved by many different members of our diverse screening committee.”
This year’s TIGLFF will close Oct. 17-18 with the French romance and dark comedy “Two of Us,” or “Deux” in its native language. Horne calls it “one of the most beautiful and thrilling love stories of all time” and the perfect film to give TIGLFF’s 31st and first virtual festival the happy ending it deserves.
“Actors Barbara Sukowa and Martine Chevallier deliver exquisite performances in a bold statement about the sexual and emotional vitality of ‘women of a certain age,’” its synopsis reads. “The dramatic twists and turns of their characters’ heroic efforts to rescue each other show that love hurts but ultimately triumphs.”
“The board and staff have been great,” Akins reflects. “Everyone just came together on this and has been very supportive as we reinvent on the fly. We’ve all wanted to make changes – but of course, planned changes; not just doing them so quickly. But we’re embracing this to make sure that we succeed and continuing to grow and adapt.”
A key facet of TIGLFF’s evolution extends beyond this year’s festival and is of paramount importance to the organization. TIGLFF will launch its inaugural Tampa Bay Transgender Film Fest in partnership with St Pete Pride Nov. 20-22 – a free, online festival highlighting transgender-focused films.
The partnership between the two organizations began last year with Transtastic!, an event featuring transgender-focused films supplied by TIGLFF and held during St Pete Pride 2019. It served as a pre-party to the third annual TransPride March, founded by St Pete Pride Vice President Nathan Bruemmer.
“I have enjoyed developing St Pete Pride’s programming for the transgender and nonbinary community and seeing such a warm and positive community response,” he says. “I am grateful that our partnership with TIGLFF, which started with just a few short films during Pride week, has grown into our first Tampa Bay Trans Film Fest.”
The inaugural festival will feature “Out Loud,” a documentary recommended by Horne. It chronicles the first season of the historic Trans Chorus of Los Angeles, the world’s largest known group of transgender and gender nonconforming people who regularly sing together.
Additional films will be determined by an all-transgender screening committee led by Bruemmer and TIGLFF Board Member Kayden Rodriguez.
“‘Out Loud’ is truly emotional and so inspirational,” Rodriguez says. “It’s a great opening film and a perfect fit.”
“My hope is the Trans Film Fest will provide an opportunity for community, visibility and education,” Bruemmer also notes. “There is something so powerful about the genre of film. It allows the audience to share and learn about others struggles and dreams. As we connect with the characters, we often see our own humanity reflected back in their bravery, heartbreak and triumph – and we can learn what it means to be better humans.”
“TIGLFF is truly trying to put our money where our mouth is, following through and using film to connect to community,” Rodriguez adds. “Sometimes there’s a disconnect or lack of education – film can really bring us all together.”
“TIGLFF is making efforts to be more inclusive,” Akins says. “We are reviewing all aspects of the organization and 2021 will bring further changes to highlight our commitment to all members of the LGBTQ community. We are excited to start these efforts with the first Trans Film Festival in partnership with St Pete Pride.”
While TIGLFF organizers expect streaming experiences to remain a part of future festivals, they hope to return to in-person festivities in 2021. Supporting this year’s virtual efforts will make that possible.
“I don’t just say this is the president of the board, but I think the Tampa Bay community is very fortunate to still have this organization after all these years,” Akins says. “Being involved and attending events, it’s been good for all of us to be able to be a part of the community and have that visibility. This year, let’s tune in from the safety of our homes or wherever our devices are and do it virtually.”
“Although the number of films is less than in previous years, I like to say that it’s concentrated quality,” Horne adds. “COVID did nothing to diminish the quality of films … it’s a very upbeat program and I purposely avoided depressing films. Anyone that appreciates quality cinema will enjoy it.”
The 31st and first virtual Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) will stream Oct. 2-18 via TIGLFF Online at TIGLFF.Eventive.org. To purchase tickets and for more information, visit TIGLFF.com. To view trailers and learn when to stream this year’s features and shorts, view Watermark’s in-depth film coverage here.
