Kaplan, Patti

1997

Dragtime takes on all the misconceptions of who drag queens are by revealing the genre's infinite variety.

Get out your boas, your press-on nails, and your size 13 pumps. Dragtime, a full-length documentary, attempts to answer three burning questions about drag performers: Why do they do it? How do they do it? And where did they get that cleavage? From a trendy lounge in Manhattan to a New Orleans Mardi Gras, from a popular revue in Atlanta to a visit with Charles Busch in sunny California, Dragtime takes us on a tour of a cultural phenomenon, replete with poignant interviews, fabulous musical numbers, and plenty of chic, hip-hugging ensembles. The performers include Varla Jean Merman, the Lady Bunny, Charles Busch, Lypsinka, and many more rouged and raucous prima-donalds.

Kayli, Shon
Nudelman, Sherri

1997

dOpE on dOpE taps into human sensibility by presenting a shockingly realistic perspective of heroin use, while disconnecting the romantic element so often paired with drug use. A short cautionary tale about heroin featuring an excellent hardcore soundtrack and interviews with former shooters, including local icon Lynn Breedlove of Tribe 8.

Etchells, Tim

1997

Across a 30-year divide, Michael Atavar has a three-way with Joe Orton and Kenneth Halliwell in DIY.

Gawn, Pamela

1997

Tony (aka J.Travolta) gets inspired by a hair removal infomercial and takes it to the streets (in camera edit!).

Downing, Todd

1997

Mixing stop-motion animation with live action, Dirty Baby tells the story of a maive baby doll who whashes onto the shores of the Fire Island Pines.

Camara, Mohamed

1997

Keitel, John F.

1997

When his secret lover falls victim to a brutal gay-bashing, a college fraternity member confronts the agonizing issues of "coming out."

"A coming out tale set in the towel-snapping, butt-slapping, group showering, horny hetero world of a Southern California college fraternity house, Defying Gravity focuses on a couple of cute young gay guys who manage to find each other while living in the animal house from Hell. It's easy to see why Pete, a gay senior who is learning to accept his sexuality, decides to leave the fraternity and move across town to a more progressive (they eat rice cakes) group home. The problem is that the man he loves, Griff, is still in the frat house and unwilling to admit that he's gay. Griff and Pete have a satisfying physical relationship but Griff keeps it secret from everyone, including his closest friend in the house, Todd, a relatively sensitive straight guy. But when Pete is assaulted in an alley behind a gay bar and slips into a coma, Griff is finally forced to deal with who and what he is.

Vallois, Philippe

1997

While on a fashion documentary short, a filmmaker starts recalling memories about his lover who died two years before.

Vallois, Philippe

1997

While on a fashion documentary short, a filmmaker starts recalling memories about his lover who died two years before

In Dancing Under The Bombs, French filmmaker Philippe Vallois, visiting Beirut on a fashion shoot, recalls his life and romance there during the height of the Lebanese war, when he was a photojournalist. Haunting images of models in bridalwear posed against the shell-shocked rubble of the city supply the visual backdrop to Vallois' reminiscences, as he explains how he danced with his now-dead lover as the bombs fell around them and learned one of life's profounder lessons – how to snatch moments of joy amidst the inevitablility of pain, suffering, and death.

Nicolaou, Cassandra

1997

Growing up a Canadian tomboy, Cassandra Nicoloau resisted learning the women's parts in Macedonian dances, until she found in them a way to connect emotionally with her aging mother – a story sweetly told in Dance With Me.