(Photos courtesy TIGLFF)
ST. PETERSBURG | The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, Florida’s longest-running LGBTQ+ film festival, will return for its 35th celebration at Green Light Cinema Jan. 30-Feb. 2.
Read all about this year’s TIGLFF here and view the full schedule below.
All photos courtesy TIGLFF.
THURSDAY, JAN. 30
OPENING NIGHT SHORTS | 7:30 p.m. | 105 mins.
“JUST JACKIE”
12 mins. | Enter the joyful and exuberant world of nine-year-old Jackie, who loves lip-synching, sweeties and trying on his Mum’s clothes. Jackie dreams of winning the approval of Tegan, the girl next door — and won’t let the Scottish weather or health-conscious Mum stand in the way.
“LESBOPHILLA”
15 mins. | When free-as-a-bird bisexual Eliana questions giving up the “D” at her ex-boyfriend’s funeral, her girlfriend Chase must decide how far she’s willing to go for love.
“MOTHER”
23 mins. | In San Francisco, a city known for its queer community and bustling gay nightlife, there hasn’t been a lesbian bar for almost a decade. Driven by nostalgia for a time when queer women had spaces, Malia Spanyol, a self-identified dyke sets out to build one for the next generation of women and femmes.
“ORDER FOR BEN”
12 mins. | Ben, a trans man with a bright and joyful life and community, agrees to meet his traditional father for coffee after seven years of estrangement.
“GENDER REVEAL”
13 mins. | Rhys, a dedicated people pleaser, winds up at their boss’ gender reveal party with their two partners. The trans throuple soon realize that they are dealing with more than they were prepared for and their ability to survive the event comes into question.
“WHITE GLASS GLOBE”
20 mins. | The White Globe is a human drama about the romantic relationship between two girls, one Iranian and one Afghan, in a religious and traditional society.
“ALL THE MEN I MET BUT NEVER DATED”
10 mins. | The closet is Ali’s refuge, but it’s a prison for Oliver — can love break through?
FRIDAY, JAN. 31
“DRONE”
7:15 p.m. | 110 mins. | Émilie, a young student, works as a cam-girl at night to make ends meet. One evening, a mysterious drone appears at her apartment window. From then on, whenever Emilie is alone, the drone appears and follows her.
“DUINO”
9:30 p.m. | 108 mins. | Actor and co-director Juan Pablo Di Pace (“The Mattachine Family,” “Mamma Mia,” TV’s “Fuller House”) draws on his own life for this film about the universal aching nostalgia of first love. Through flashback and meta-narrative, “DUINO” breathes fresh life into a classic gay coming-of-age tale by exploring the passionate memories of a just-out-of-reach lover that audiences will find both tender and crowd pleasing. Executive produced by the late TV legend Normal Lear.
SATURDAY, FEB. 1
“PRIDE/PROM”
4 p.m. | 75 mins. | Preceded by the short “One Day I May.” For 10 years, the Andy Warhol Museum has hosted an LGBTQ+ Prom for students who aren’t comfortable — or perhaps aren’t welcome — attending their own school’s prom as their true, authentic selves. Courageous young people journey from every corner of the nation, converging on Pittsburgh to experience the freedom and joy that comes with unmasking in a truly safe space.
SATURDAY NIGHT SHORTS | 6 p.m. | 118 mins.
“SAFETY STATE”
16 mins. | In a dystopian near future, a gay and a lesbian couple form an unlikely friendship as they flee the Midwest for safety in New England.
“STATESIDE”
11 mins. | A shy American teenager and an outgoing French exchange student form an unexpected intimate connection on Halloween night.
“I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL HAVE TO SAY EVERYTHING AGAIN”
14 mins. | Fernando meets his mother weekly at a café. Today, he’s gonna tell her he’s getting married. Ana, who suffers from Alzheimer’s, has trouble remembering that her son is gay. Does she really forget, or would she rather not remember?
“COLLAGE”
10 mins. | A girl who works in a museum tries to convince another co-worker that two visitors are flirting. And how does she know? Scientific studies say that there are six signs that show one person’s attraction to another.
“THE PARADISE ROAD”
25 mins. | Two women tie the knot and embark on a romantic excursion to a west coast sea-side town for a moment of happiness and seclusion before inevitably coming to terms with a life-altering decision.
“FINDING MY VOICE”
10 mins. | This short student documentary is a crossed portrait of two transgender women working on their voice to make it sound more feminine and to match the new person they have become.
“PURPLE SKY”
33 mins. | A young man in a precarious relationship spends an unexpected night with a magnetic stranger.
“EXTREMELY UNIQUE DYNAMIC”
8:30 p.m. | 75 mins. | Preceded by shorts “Clementine” and “Out of the Woods.” In this (likely) first-ever and (possibly) award-winning Meta-Asian-Stoner-Coming-Of-Age-Bromantic Dramedy, bottled-up secrets arise as two best friends decide to make a movie… about two guys making a movie… about two guys making a movie.
SUNDAY, FEB. 2
“A HOUSE IS NOT A DISCO”
2 p.m. | 90 mins. | Preceded by the short “Queen of the Night.” What if you really did put all the gays on an island? In this kaleidoscopic portrait of queer paradise, Fire Island Pines, past and present blur as the iconic beach town bands together to celebrate its legacy and redefine itself for a new, more inclusive era.
“THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS”
4 p.m. | 100 mins. | A dramedy spanning 30 years in the life of a Pakistani-Canadian family, exploring intergenerational connections between mothers and daughters, East and West, and home and away. Infused with humor, romance, music, and Bollywood fantasy, and inspired by personal experiences, family stories, and intertwined with Pakistani history and collective memory, the film shows the expansive journey of women seeking to define and decide their own paths, while simultaneously learning — and remembering — how to love.
CLOSING NIGHT SHORTS | 6 p.m. | 117 mins.
“A BIRD HIT MY WINDOW AND NOW I’M A LESBIAN”
8 mins. | After a mysterious girl shows up at Gray’s doorstep holding the corpse of a bird that had just cracked her window, an impromptu bird funeral changes the way Gray views herself and her lesbian identity.
“ELIJAH”
19 mins. | Haider, a Bengali Muslim taxi driver, had never been knowledgeable or supportive of LGBTQ rights and issues, starts to change as he does not want to lose his only child, whom he loves more than life itself.
“THE YELLOW SPONGE IS THE DISH SPONGE”
17 mins. | “The Yellow Sponge is the Dish Sponge” looks at a couple’s conflict as old as time… fighting about household chores.
“COFFEE GRAPEFRUIT CACAO”
24 mins. | Samuel used to form a couple with Laetitia before she left him for Gaëlle. Today he’s been invited to their home. Together, they will try to perform an act of love.
“THE LAST TAKE”
15 mins. | Facing the end, a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood must reconcile with the only man he ever loved.
“CHOOSE YOU”
12 mins. | An intimate romantic short film about a Bengali Indian-American outlier who must introduce her Bengali girlfriend to her parents to fit into her family, despite having latent feelings for her American best friend.
“PARKER AND THE GREEN DRESS”
23 mins. | A queer teen is torn between prom dreams and the fear of disappointing her grandmother. A chance encounter with an elderly woman, who harbors her own hidden truth, sparks a journey of mutual discovery. Together they confront the secrets that shape their lives. Can they embrace their truths before time runs out?
TIGLFF 35 will screen Jan. 30-Feb. 2 at Green Light Cinema, located at 221 2nd Ave. N. in St. Petersburg. Read Watermark Out News’ additional coverage here and purchase tickets at TIGLFF.com.
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