The director Jim Sheridan will launch the 6th Dublin Lesbian & Gay Film Festival at a reception in the Arthouse at 8 p.m. on Thursday, July 30th followed by the opening film 'I Think I Do'. The festival has gone from strength to strength since its inception and programmers/directors, Yvonne O'Reilly and Kevin Sexton, have provided an excellent line-up and this year introduce the festivals first programme of Lesbian & Gay shorts which will show a selection of contemporary Irish alternative short film. The festival stresses contemporary and universal themes - films for everyone not just gay and lesbian audiences. The theme of this years festival is Universal Language. Themes such as Ethnic Heritage, Racism, Cultural Identity, and the search for True Love & Emotional Honesty drawing focus to a persons social interactions and have a Universal Resonance regardless of a person's Language, Gender, Sexuality, Race or Cultural Tradition.
One of the highlights of the festival will be '2by4' from director Jimmy Smallhorne who will introduce his film which is showing at 8.30 p.m. Monday 3 August. Although it is set in New York, has made the first explicitly gay Irish film based around the Irish-American construction workers and reveals a sub-culture of gay sex and drug abuse. It challenges stereotypes and what begins as a personal voyage of discovery ends up revealing the hypocrisy of the older generation of Irish-Americans.
Zany NY lesbian stand-up comedienne Reno will introduce her docudramadey 'Reno Finds Her Mom' and answers questions following the screening at 6.30 p.m. on Friday 31 July at the IFC and give a live performance in the Meeting Room at the IFC at 11 p.m. the same night.
'Angel on My Shoulder' by director Donna Deitch, who will be in Dublin, reunited on film for the last time the director with her friend Gwen Welles, who starred in her 1986 feature 'Desert Hearts'. The film records the progress of Welles through her fatal battle with cancer, to what she described as her greatest role, dying on camera.. This film could prove the most controversial of the festival.
An impressive line-up of invited panellists will address the Festival Forum on the Theme Performing identities at the IFC on Saturday 1 August at 12 noon. The panellists - Donna Deitch (director Deserts Hearts & ER), Frank McGuinness (Poet & Playwright), Deborah Ballard (editor GCN) and Jimmy Smallhorne (director 2by4) - will speak from their personal experience of commenting, critiquing and creating in the public world. Topics and themes addressed include: types, stereotypes & audience, making truths & pretending, belonging & isolated, history, home and change. The forum will be hosted and chaired by Aibhe Smyth from UCD's Women's Education Research & Resource Centre.
For a full breakdown of the programme and further information checkout the Dublin Lesbian & Gay Film Festival Official website on www.iftn.ie/dublingayfilm.
Michael McMahon 30/7/98
