Jarmel, Marcia

1997

he Return Of Sarah’s Daughters allows us to enter the world of Orthodox Judaism through the lives of various women. Rus, for example, has found tremendous fulfillment and a sense of community in Orthodoxy. Mariam, on the other hand, left Orthodoxy when she felt rejected for affirming her lesbian identity. The filmmaker weaves her own personal experiences as a Jewish woman into this informative and revealing documentary.

Picher, Lydia Dean

1997

Reno Finds Her Mom follows comedian and political screamer Reno through her real life search to find the birth mother who abandoned her.

In this made-for-HBO-docudramedy, gonzo lesbian stand-up comic Karen Reno, adopted at birth by lily-white suburbanites, goes in search of her biological mother and her ethnic roots. Hilarious at times, poignant at others, Reno's film gives Madonna's Truth Or Dare a run for the money in the Media Personality Allows Camera To Capture Unflattering Moments Of Real Emotion department. Reno jokes, screams, rants, rails, mugs, curses, cries and connives her way through a Kafkaesque adoption bureaucracy, exhibiting all the bravada and vulnerability that so endears Reno to her fans. When a clandestine source in the adoptee underground scores the vital information as to Reno's mother's name and present whereabouts, Reno must face a moment she has dreaded and longed for her whole life. Brief fantasy-scene cameos by Lily Tomlin and Mary Tyler Moore add deft comic touches to lighten the tone whenever the material threatens to get too heavy. The film is ultimately uplifting because, corny as it sounds, not only does Reno find her Mom – she finds herself in the process of searching.

McCune, Chris
McPherson, David

1997

Dedicated to the memory of street-active, HIV-positive, transgendered people who have passed away.

Dean, Margo

1997

Determined religious fanatics trap two unsuspecting lesbians in a thrilling adventure of suspense and mayhem.

Nishimura, Akko

1997

Romantic comical drama and documentary footage from around the country on the lifestyles of queer women in the martial arts.

Roma, Gary

1997

A humourous and thought provoking look at cats throughout the US who live in libraries.

Hopkins, Blaine
Winter, Stephen

1997

A Docu-Narrative work following a week in the life of a times square hustler.

Blaine Hopkins’ and Stephen (Chocolate Babies) Winter’s Private Shows follows Christopher, a cute dancer/prostitute, at work and at home. The docu-narrative includes gritty details of Christopher’s profession and interviews with his customers – there’s a fascinating conversation with a john who wants to be his sugar daddy. Throughout it all, Christopher retains his pride and dignity.

Saito, Machiko

1997

Machiko Saito's award-winning Premenstrual Spotting focuses on a femme with a penchant for show tunes and fetish drag, then builds to a powerful revelation about the sexual violence involved in the queering of this woman's gender. An exploration of how childhood abuse effects adult lifestyle patterns, resulting in the creation of escapism through fetishes, self-abuse, alcoholism, and drag.

Machiko Saito's award-winning Premenstrual Spotting focuses on a femme with a penchant for show tunes and fetish drag, then builds to a powerful revelation about the sexual violence involved in the queering of this woman's gender.

Estes, Jacob

1997

Set in 1985, an HIV negative doctor tries to convince his lover to take an AIDS test.

Klahr, Lewis

1997

The secret life of Superman's pal, Jimmy Olsen. A coming of age story in three acts.