Hammer, Barbara

2000

Barbara Hammer, prolific experimental filmmaker and documentarian and this year's Frameline Award winner, continues her ongoing exploration of lesbian images in society in this compelling, humorous, and empowering contribution to lesbian history. Focusing on pervading images prior to Stonewall, the film exposes not only popular lesbian representations — or misrepresentations — in culture and entertainment but also the controlling characterizations proliferated by the medical, scientific, and legal worlds.Though some of the images date back to the nineteenth century, this is not merely a history lesson. In true Hammer experimental style — replete with humor, irony, and irreverance — it is a recontextualization of lesbian images that portrayed lesbian behavior as "illicit" and lesbians as mannish, neurotic, and cold outsiders. In revealing montage, Hammer juxtaposes and morphs dramatic vignettes, reminiscent of 1940s crime scene photographer WeeGee, commercials, and archival footage from narrative, medical, and educational films. As it defies the intended meanings of popular lesbian images, HISTORY LESSONS reclaims and rewrites lesbian history in Hammer's most comprehensive documentary yet — if you can imagine that.

Penney, Renée

2000

A faux instructional tape it sets out to inform the viewer about the perplexing nature of the bisexual, sourcing her biological origins and offering tell tale signs.

Gilbert, Barry

2000

A hyper intellectual woman tries to win the heart of a stupid punk rocker. Stupid schemes, deals with the devil and a fallout musical number ensue.

Rocha, Paulo

2000

Randera, Safiya

2000

The power dynamic shifts when one woman has an accident and her lover takes care of her.

Donovan, Susana

2000

Haunt #451 is about censorship and desire and the way stories get told.

Weichert, Carl

2000

Bobby's family tries to force feed him homophobia...but maybe they've bit off a bit more than they can chew.

Rednour, Shar

2000

A treat for every libido-loving lesbian, these two films have everything a girl needs for fantasy, inspiration, instruction, and just plain old porn movie fun. HARD LOVE is a titillating, thrusting, strap it on sort of crowd pleaser which follows the separate sexy trysts between two recently estranged lovers and their exciting new women. Featuring beautiful femmes, saucy strip teases, handsome butches, and hot tub fun with a surprisingly interesting plot, HARD LOVE is soon to be a lesbian porn classic. As if that isn't enough, we follow it up with HOW TO FUCK IN HIGH HEELS, a true San Francisco style erotic film. Based on a performance piece by Shar Rednour, HOW TO FUCK IN HIGH HEELS incorporates the spoken word of her original work and puts it together with a campy performance — with enough high heels and glitter to keep even the pickiest butch happy. Full of femmes, frolicking, and fun, HOW TO FUCK IN HIGH HEELS keeps its tongue firmly in cheek.

Price, Vivian

2000

Documentary about the influx of women into construction after the 1982 court decision, the strufgles they have had to endure and the challenges that they have overcome.

A 1982 court order finally opened the door for hundreds of women to make good money swinging hammers and digging ditches during the construction of LA's Century Freeway. In HAMMERING IT OUT: WOMEN IN THE CONSTRUCTION ZONE, many of the women who worked on the project talk vividly about what it means for them to work as carpenters, ironworkers, and pile drivers. We watch them at work, and they talk about the obstacles they face in this male-centric field, begging the question — are female construction workers the Rosie the Riveters of our time?

Mitchell, Allyson
Vaughn, Lex

2000

A tale of sweet revenge between to bake off buckaroos.