Laurie Lynd’s ‘Breakfast with Scot’, Cynthia Wade’s ‘Freeheld’, Tom Maguire’s ‘Out in Africa’ and Jessie Kirby’s ‘Insatiable’ are just some of the highlights set to screen in the16th Dublin International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, taking place from 31 July - 4 August 2008 in the IFI and selected venues around Dublin.
The festival will open with Lynd’s ‘Breakfast with Scot’, a drama which highlights the events that unfold when a gay couple find one of the couple’s teenage nephew dumped on their doorstep.
Also in the line-up is Cynthia Wade’s Oscar-winning documentary short ‘Freeheld’, which chronicles Detective Lieutenant Laurel Hester’s struggle to transfer her earned pension to her domestic partner, Stacie Andree, as she faces a terminal illness. The short will screen alongside Gustav Hofer and Luca Ragazzi’s ‘Suddenly Last Winter’, a reflection on Italian society as the country grapples with a debate on same-sex partnership legislation. Italian directors Hofer and Ragazzi will be in attendance.
The fest will host the world premiere of Tom Maguire’s Northern Irish documentary ‘Out in Africa’, which tells the story of Northern Irish Victor Corrigan and South African Kyle Stuart who get married in an Afrikaaner village.
Jessie Kirby’s ‘Insatiable’ will also have its world premiere. Starring Jon Kenny (D’Unbelievables), Nora-Jane Noone (The Magdalene Sisters), and Laura Donnelly (Rough Diamond, Sugar Rush) the horror is set in an Ireland where the economy has crashed and food is rapidly running out – leading to a hunt for a fresh source of meat, while lesbian romance blossoms.
The new Queer Heroes strand celebrates a diverse range of lesbian and gay heroes, artists and activists and this year includes musician Arthur Russell, who is featured in Matt Wolf’s ‘Wild Combination’.
IFTA winning writer / actor Mark O’Halloran (Garage, Adam & Paul) kicks of the fests new annual event ‘Lavender Lens’, where a well-known gay artist presents a film that inspired their life or career. O’Halloran will introduce Dieterle’s ‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’ at the IFI on 3rd August.
Other highlights include Irish writer Emma Donaghue’s documentary, ‘Immaculate Conceptions’, Bruce LaBruce’s ‘Otto; or, Up With Dead People’, Esther Robinson’s ‘A Walk into the Sea’ and Julian Cole’s ‘With Gilbert and George’ .
“In the spirit of ‘sweet sixteen’ we bring you a GAZE bursting with positivity, experimentation and expanding horizons,” said Programme Director Michele Devlin. “GAZE has matured into one of the strongest showcases of new LGBT cinema in Europe and we're excited to be in a new phase of expansion with some friendly help from new venues as well as long term partners, the IFI.”
The full festival line-up will be announced in mid-July on www.gaze.ie.
