Bonder, Diane
Platt, Liss

1996

Tongue in Chic is a romp through the history of erotic representation and a satirical look at sexual imaging and imagining.

McKilligan, Bree

1996

A young woman in medieval times forms a relationship with an older woman, in an increasingly Christian world their liason must lead to tragedy.

The use of anachronisms in Till Human Voices Wake Us And We Drown, a beautifully art-directed film ostensibly set in medieval Europe, turns this story of persecuted pagan lovers into a timeless indictment of women's oppression.

Black, Julie X.
Leban, Lexi

1996

Parry, William

1996

River Phoenix as a gay icon.

Produced for broadcast in conjunction with the Channel Four co-production The Celluloid Closet, these four works examine the special relationships between two Hollywood stars, a collection of soulful singers and a British soap. Black Divas looks at how such singers as Diana Ross, Chaka Khan, Lena Horne and others reflect the gay experience. The Street looks at the quintessential English soap Coronation Street and tries to explain its huge gay fan base. A tribute to River Phoenix, This Road Will Never End features interviews with some of the key characters in the young star's life. Lastly, since she first hit cinema screens in a series of unconventional teenage roles, Jodie Foster has been adored by lesbians who identify with her tomboy traits and admire her consistently powerful portrayals. Pratibha Parmar's Jodie illuminates the Jodie phenomenon with interviews and a wonderful selection of scenes from Foster’s film career.

Summerville, Mark

1996

The story of two very different people brought together to form the most unlikely friendship.

Lagarde, Charlotte

1996

"Swell" is a documentary shot in Santa Cruz, CA featured are women longboard surfers whose ages span four generations. It’s a portrait of a community which embraces newcomers as well as oldtimers and comes together in a beautiful memorial to show respect to the friend they lost in the water.

Flanders, Ellen R.

1996

Ellen Flanders' film Surviving Memory explores a Jewish lesbian’s engagement with identity and loss through fragmented memory.

Hainsworth, Shawn

1996

Sunflowers is a portrait of a group of gay men in a small rural town in the Philippines who perform a Christian festival in drag.

Sunflowers is a portrait of a community of gay men in a rural town in the Philippines who perform a Christian festival in drag. The acceptance of these men by the local townspeople is at the heart of a surprising and moving portrait of gay life in this small, farming community. Sunflowers has a truly unique take on cultural perceptions of homosexuality and sexual identity.

Ozon, Francois

1996

French director François Ozon, whose latest features CRIMINAL LOVERS and WATER DROPS ON BURNING ROCKS premiere in this year's Festival, was previously known for his daring and inventive shorts. In Ozon's 1995 LA PETITE MORT, a young gay photographer is tormented by a photo of himself as a baby. After the death of his father a box of family photos reveals a startling truth. A SUMMER DRESS (SFILGFF 1997) is the story of Frederick and his holiday encounter with a stranger on the beach, which further complicates his already ambivalent teenage sexuality. Also set in a holiday locale, SEE THE SEA tells the dark and provocative story of Sasha, a young mother awaiting the return of her husband. Her solitude is broken by the appearance of Tatiana, a brooding backpacker who asks to camp outside her cottage. Sasha grows increasingly fascinated with her mysterious visitor whose demeanor gradually becomes more ominous as she insinuates herself into Sasha’s home.

Chan, Isabella V.

1996

About the friendship, misunderstanding and breaking up of two girls growing up in a convent school. Two girls reminisce about their days in a convent schoo.