Walsh, Bailie

1996

It's a story about drag queens you've never seen before. Consuela Cosmetica, the subject of this moving and disturbing documentary, is best described in his own words: he's a "black male, self-made star, show personality, couture specialist, liar, cheat, scam artist, credit card fraud, blackmailer, extortionist, victim of circumstance, leader, role model, and a person living with AIDS." He's also a man with remarkable strength and an unflagging determination to live and die with dignity. Mirror, Mirror tracks the last 18 months of Consuela's life, from his fabulous cabaret acts to his creation of a living will, from his appearance as a dominatrix on the Charles Perez show to the silicone removal operations necessitated by his weight loss. Free of self-pity, Consuela maintains his sense of humor through almost unimaginable trials, and in the end, provides a model for a difficult life well-lived.  Starting off the program is INSIDE, in which a man tells the camera all the things he would have liked to have done if he hadn't been sick.— Jonathan Wald

Wadia, RiyadVinci

1996

A fascinating documentary that reveals the enigmattic real life stroy of Indias most famious transsexual - the fabulous Aida Banaji

A Mermaid Called Aida is a fascinating documentary that reveals the enigmatic real life story of India's most famous transsexual, the fabulous Aida Banaji. Director Wadia explores the politics of gender and in so doing boldly challenges perceptions of race, culture and social morality.

Ottenhouse, David

1996

Mixing images of a boy and a man, health and illness, Memory Denied It follows the thoughts of one HIV-positive man as he prepares inject his daily medication.

Grotell, David

1996

Melvin Schmatzman Freudian Dentist starts with a dentist trying to rationalize his son's sexuality and follows the dad's quirky logic to its logical conclusion.

Sweeney, Allison

1996

An experimental study designed to give voice to an unconventional protaganist. Draws upon interviews with key figures in Chiapas, Mexico, to paint a portrait of a transvestite culture which thrives in the midst of brutal murders and omnipresent corruption.

Catricala, Arturo

1996

Mary Montana is a send-up of network television talk shows.

Murphy, Annabelle

1996

A woman breaks up with her lover and decides to become a female wrestler.

Salvo, Calogero

1996

Mama, I Have Something to Tell You shares intimate dialogue between mother and son as they confront each others' feelings about homosexuality.

Maybury, John

1996

Maybury, John

1996

A homage to Alan Turing, the British cryptographer who pioneered the concept of machine intelligence. Queer icons old and new collide in this extrava-gantly beautiful tribute to Alan Turing, the gay British cryptographer who pioneered the concept of machine intelligence. The latest technology, combined with a uniquely personal style, allows Director John Maybury (Love Is The Devil) to update the unconventional conventions of 1970s experimental cinema, while giving them his own distinctly ‘90s spin (including a great electronica/trance score that hypnotizes you, even as it forces you to shake your butt). Kaleidoscopic visuals ravage the senses, and send the mind reeling with revelations about the power of image, the meaning of gay identity and the nature of desire. Traditionalists beware! There's no easy narrative to follow. But for those who seek adventure in uncharted waters, this is one heck of a fabulous gay trip. So leave your preconceptions about what a film should be outside the theater, sit back and enjoy the ride.