Enzian Theater during the Florida Film Festival (Photo courtesy FFF)
The Enzian Theater will celebrate the power of queer representation through bold, groundbreaking and deeply human films.
From film classics to emerging voices, the Reel Pride showcase will highlight rich experiences that reflect the diversity, resilience and creativity of the LGBTQIA+ community.
“Paris is Burning” will be shown June 3 at 9:15 p.m. and will celebrate its 35-year anniversary. The documentary captures the vibrant ballroom culture of New York City’s Black and Latinx LGBTQ+ communities.
Preceded by “Shade in the Sunshine State,” a glimpse into the ways Miami’s ballroom community uses performance as a form of political activism.
After the film there will be a discussion with Enzian’s Programming Manager, Tim Anderson, and acclaimed documentarian Betsy Kalin, as they dive into the legacy, impact and powerful place this story holds in queer history. Kalin is an award-winning director/producer/writer at Itchy Bee Productions.
“Vampyros Lesbos” will be shown June 13 at 11:59 p.m. and will include an extended introduction by Nichole Richter, PhD, and author of “Bisexual Erasure in ‘Lesbian Vampire’ Film Theory.” This film has recently been reclaimed as a piece of early feminist representation as it centers a lesbian relationship without moral condemnation.
On June 14, “My Beautiful Laundrette” will show at 11 a.m. and will include an Enzian Film Club discussion of the film’s place in 1980s queer representation on screen. The film portrays a gay interracial relationship set against the backdrop of Thatcher-era London, exploring themes of class, race and sexuality with rare complexity.
“The Birdcage” will show at 11 a.m. June 21 and holds a noble place in queer cinema. The film covers a comedic portrayal of a gay couple for mainstream audiences. After the film, there will be a drag extravaganza served by Moon Light and Meta Sin.
Shot in Orlando and winner of the Audience Award at the Florida Film Festival, “Egghead & Twinkie” will show June 22 at 11 a.m.
The show will feature a Zoom Q&A with writer/director Sarah Kambe Holland to discuss the LGBTQ coming-of-age film.
The final showing will be June 28 at 11 a.m., with “Tongues Untied,” a queer film history that centers on the experiences of a Black gay man. Preceded by “Crashing Out,” a film that covers the height of the AIDS crisis with men struggling to make ends meet.
Director Matt Nadel will do a Zoom Q&A to discuss AIDS death profiteering and connecting with survivors who help him understand why this industry came to be.
For more information on Reel Pride, visit enzian.org
