Gran éxito de público y convocatoria en el Festival de Cine Gay Lésbico Trans de Rosario

EL CORTO ESPAÑOL DIARIO DE UN CORAZÓN RESULTÓ GANADOR DE LA MENCIÓN A MEJOR FILM EN COMPETENCIA. Más de 250 personas pasaron por las tres funciones del LesGaiCineVox 2009 en el Centro Cultural Parque de España.

Desde el viernes 9 al domingo 11 de octubre tuvo lugar en Rosario la sexta edición del Festival de Cine LGBT y Diversidad Sexual LesGaiCineVox 2009 en el Centro Cultural Parque de España.

A lo largo de las tres jornadas, pasaron unas 250 por una sala con capacidad para 130 espectadores, lo que ha significado “un éxito en la convocatoria del público de Rosario y de otras localidades” afirmó Paula Martínez, responsable del evento organizado por Vox Asociación Civil.

Durante el Festival se proyectaron 20 films compuestos por documentales, ficciones, largos y cortometrajes. De esa selección —y como decisión del Jurado— Diario de un corazón, del director español Juan José Serrano, resultó ganadora de la Mención Especial a Mejor Film de la Competencia 2009.

Martín Scioli, a nombre del jurado compuesto además por Noelia Casati —coordinadora del Área de la Diversidad Sexual de Rosario— y Gustavo Messiez —cineasta rosarino— señaló que Diario de Un corazón se hizo acreedor a esta mención porque “reune una buena historia, buena fotografía, aborda una problemática muy particular dentro del colectivo LGBT como es el tránsito identitario de las personas trans en la infancia y, además, porque es evidente que conmovió a todas y todos los que la vieron”.

En la foto, Martín Scioli, Juan Manuel Rozas, Luciano Nassano, Paula Martínez y Federico Abib.

El corto de Juan José Serrano comparte menciones a Mejor Guión y Mejor Fotografía con el largometraje Mulligans, de Chip Hale. En tanto, el musical Were the world mine, de Tom Gustafson, fue una de las películas preferidas del público.

Entre las producciones testimoniales destacaron Cuarto creciente, de Ana Cabello Padilla, que se ganó la Mención a Mejor Documental acerca de la Visibilidad Lésbica y Freeheld, de Cynthia Wade, que se llevó la mención a Mejor Historia de Vida.

El LesGaiCineVox fue declarado “De interés cultural” por la Cámara de Diputados de la Provincia de Santa Fe, por el Ministerio de Innovación y Cultura de la Provincia de Santa Fe y por el Concejo Municipal de la Ciudad de Rosario.

En los tres días del festival también estuvo en exhibición la Muestra Fotográfica Imágenes de la Diversidad Afectivo-Sexual, organizada en conjunto por el Concejo Municipal de Rosario y AG Magazine Info.

uno de los cortos exhibidos

VI Festival LesGaiCineVox 2009
Menciones del Jurado

Diario de un corazón, de Juan José Serrano
Mención Especial a Mejor Film de la Competencia 2009

Mulligans, de Chip Hale
Diario de un corazón, de Juan José Serrano
Mención a Mejor Guión y Mejor Fotografía

Cuarto creciente, de Ana Cabello Padilla
Mención a Mejor Documental acerca de la Visibilidad Lésbica

Freeheld, de Cynthia Wade
Mención a Mejor Historia de Vida

El LesGaiCineVox 2009 contó con el apoyo y colaboración de las siguientes entidades locales e internacionales:

• Área de la Diversidad Sexual de la Municipalidad de Rosario
• Programa Universitario de la Diversidad Sexual de la UNR
• Ministerio de Innovación y Cultura del Gobierno de Santa Fe
• Centro Cultural Parque de España
• AG Magazine Info, Diario digital de Noticias LGBT
• Instituto Nacional contra la Discriminación, la Xenofobia y el Racismo (INADI)
• Fundación Triángulo
• Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional y Desarrollo, del Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación del Gobierno de España (AECID)
• Agencia Extremeña de Cooperación Internacional y Desarrollo (AEXCID)
• Cine LGBT, Red Iberoamericana de Cine Lésbico Gay Bisexual y Transexual
• LesGaiCineMad, Festival de cine lésbico gay y transexual de Madrid.

descobri agora que farão um filme sobre o documentário. que legal! e a ellen page vai interpretar stacey, a namorada da policial com câncer.

fonte: afterellen (page?)

no oscar de 2008 (que não assisti também), ganhou para melhor produção em curta-metragem o documentário “freeheld”, de 35 minutos, uma espécie de versão lésbica de philadelphia. foi o tom hanks, inclusive, que entregou o oscar para as duas responsáveis pelo filme, cynthia wave e vanessa roth.

o documentário mostra os últimos momentos de vida da tentente americana laurel hester. ela tem câncer e após passar a vida inteira dedicada à justiça pelas pessoas, não tem o direito de deixar seus benefícios como pensão para a sua same-sex partner, stacie andree. a justiça diz que laurel não pode fazer isso, porque elas não são marido e mulher.

negando esse direito, laurel passou seus últimos meses lutando em tribunais. com um enorme apoio de colegas de trabalho na polícia, da sua namorada e da mídia, ela conseguiu que a lei fosse mudada em seu condado.

uma das coisas mais legais foi que a nomeação foi apresentada em videoconferência por soldados norte-americanos no iraque. que progresso!

o trailer:

o discurso:

First let me make one thing clear…This is my second blog. I am not a good writer, however I try to make it seem like I am by using the synonyms button on word. With that said let me continue with my review of Freeheld directed by Cynthia Wade.

If you read my last blog you could see my disappointment in the first film I reviewed for the USF Human Rights film festival. The second film I saw was significantly better. Not only was it a tear clincher, it also served a purpose.

This documentary follows a dying woman as she struggles to fight for extended pension rights for her domestic partner, and coup with inevitable death. Our tragic heroine, Laurel Hester, was a former police detective for the state of New Jersey. When she is diagnosed with terminal lung cancer and is only given a few years to live fears of what will happen to her domestic partner, Stacey, begin to surface. On the top of the list are pension rights. The state grants pension rights to married couples, but had not yet extended them to couples in domestic partnerships. The stage is set for a battle between Laurel and her county’s fee holders who have the power to change this law. Obviously Laurel is the protagonist and the free holders are the evil antagonists. The free holders consist of a panel of aging wealthy white men (basically what you would expect the “leaders” of a New Jersey county to look like) who are hell bent on not allowing Laurel to pass on her benefits to the woman she loves. The county rallies behind Laurel’s cause and the public, including the governor himself, puts the free holders under an extreme amount of pressure.

It really is an emotion story and brings awareness to gay and lesbian rights. Even today over 1 million gay and lesbian citizens are being denied equal rights. It’s a travesty that films like these help eliminate. I thoroughly enjoyed going to this film (as hard as it was to watch) and was happy to see the audience grow a little from the last film I saw. The audience was just as impressed with the film as I was. There was a question and answer portion at the end of the film, and almost everyone in the audience had something to say.

Right before the free holders final decision and Laurel’s death her hospice worker asks her, “What’s important to you now?” Laurel simply replies, “Stacey.” I haven’t cried since 7th grade gym class but dammit if my eyes didn’t start to water. That moment proved it doesn’t matter what sexual orientation a person has, love is love. And rights shouldn’t be denied to anyone.

This is an important documentary and I suggest for the betterment of mankind everyone should see it. It can now be checked out at the Gleeson Library.

A description of Freeheld can be seen on the USF media studies page

Pictures of the event can be seen on my flickr page

Further information about the film and it’s director can be found on the Freeheld web page

I wanted to see how many capital letters I could fit into one… word(?).

I suppose I could add a “Q” in there for queer measure. I also think there should be an I&S added for Ingrid & Sara and, well, who doesn’t just love an amperand. I’m asking. Who doesn’t love an ampersand? Nobody? Hm. Quiet audience today.

Not much happening on the “Love Sucks” front so here’s an event we think you should check out on Oct. 17:  http://www.gaycenter.org/node/1895. It’s another chance to see the documentary, “Freeheld,” and on account of the venue, you’ll probably bump into some of those gay people I’ve read about recently. Hell, if they’re from Connecticut, they might even be married.

Until next week, loyal readers…

Left to right) Don Bennett, Cynthia Wade, and Steve Goldstein

Producer and director Cynthia Wade showed her Academy award-winning short documentary “Freeheld” to nearly 250 people in Mancini Hall Thursday Sept. 25.  The 38-minute film was followed by a discussion with panelists Wade, journalist Don Bennett and rights-activist Steven Goldstein.

The program was produced by the Ocean County Library’s Diversity Committee.

Hey all. I made a mistake on the last post. Academy Award short documentary winner, “Freeheld,” written and directed by Cynthia Wade, is not showing tonight at Union Docs, it’s Sunday night at 7pm and it’s free.

Also, NewFest needs volunteers tonight so if you’re up for it, help them out. You get free tickets (not sure how many) to NewFest films in return. Details:

“We need volunteers who can come to the location of the party (Prime, 511 w. 28th st.) at 8pm tonight, to help make up our gift bags and other various jobs pre-party.  If you can come and help, we would be very grateful, and I know we can work out some kind of extra reward for coming on such late notice, in addition to voucher tickets to NewFest films.  There is no need to respond to confirm if you are able to volunteer, simply come to Prime tonight and we will welcome your help!  This is a great way to get into the party for free!!”

Just a reminder to all you Natomas LGBTQs out there that you can join our wonderful Yahoo! Group, located on the sidebar to your left. We now have, um, like five members. Yes, you are all coming out of the woodwork like crazy and thank you! Heh.

We’ll be organizing another breakfast very soon and as soon as a few more of you have let us know of your existence, we’ll start adding other things on the calendar.

—

Lauren Hester, 25-year veteran police detective lieutenant in Ocean County, New Jersey she was dying of cancer. As it stood, her partner, Stacie Albee, was not entitled to Hester’s pension when she died. They spent the last months of Hester’s life fighting to have Albee receive her pension benefits so Albee could keep the home they shared. Director Cynthia Wade chronicled their story in, “Freeheld,” the 2008 Academy Award winning documentary about their fight with the Freeholders, the local elected officials of Ocean County. The excellent blog, Pam’s House Blend kept us updated regularly on their progress to the conclusion of their quest.

I had heard and read about Hester’s struggle to secure thisright, that had they been a heterosexual couple, would have been automatic. The New Jersey civil unions bill didn’t come until nine months after Hester’s death.

I pay a lot of taxes. I take care of my home. My children are well-behaved, loving, and kind. My lawn is mowed regularly. I do unto my neighbor like I’d like them to do unto me. When I was partnered, I took it just as seriously as if it was a marriage, though I was denied many of its rights or responsibilities. Our relationship failed for much the same reason over 50% of het marriages fail. I am not really any different except that when I love, I love a woman, not a man. Why should I not enjoy every single right you so carelessly take for granted and may even actively seek to keep me from gaining?

We are not causing any danger to marriage. Marriage is a civil institution, bound by laws in this country. The religious part, you can keep. I believe the only way to provide some equanimity in this country for all consenting adults, is to go to a civil union system across the country, where all couples, both gay and straight are bound by the same rules. Like the Europeans do. Interject your religious beliefs on your relationship after you’ve followed the rule of law.

Stop keeping me a second class citizen. And, hey, if you want to throw out that we are somehow destroying marriage, show me how without pulling the religion card (your arguments there are more than weak too, by the way).

Shlomi Rabi NBC5 Street Team

There are certain battles that feel great to be a part of, especially if you’re the one coming out on top without ever making your opponent feel like they lost. There is a lot to be said for knowing how to fight. It is, to an extent, an art form, and it should come as no surprise that some of the most efficient fighting techniques require minimal exhaustion, and maximal exertion. The ability to get a point across, walking away unscathed, knowing that you won the battle without bullying or stampeding, but through eloquence and clarity, is incredibly satisfying. A battle worth remembering, is one where both sides walk away aware not only of the influence they had, but on the influence they felt.

Today, Wednesday, April 9th, representatives from Equality Illinois are going to the State House to lobby for recognition of Civil Unions in Illinois. It is thanks to their tireless and thankless efforts that we can strive to lead an environment of acceptance and diversity, and teach future generations how to choose their battles. To learn about a truly inspiring battle won through reason and love, read Laura Hester’s story, as told in the compelling and Academy Award winning movie, Freeheld, by Cynthia Wade. So if you, like me, are willing to voice your support for a change that will benefit millions of lives at the click of the mouse, please go to Civil Unions Illinois and know that you would have helped win one battle, peacefully.

There are certain battles that feel great to be a part of, especially if you’re the one coming out on top without ever making your opponent feel like they lost. There is a lot to be said for knowing how to fight. It is, to an extent, an art form, and it should come as no surprise that some of the most efficient fighting techniques require minimal exhaustion, and maximal exertion. The ability to get a point across, walking away unscathed, knowing that you won the battle without bullying or stampeding, but through eloquence and clarity, is incredibly satisfying. A battle worth remembering, is one where both sides walk away aware not only of the influence they had, but on the influence they felt.

Today, Wednesday, April 9th, representatives from Equality Illinois are going to the State House to lobby for recognition of Civil Unions in Illinois. It is thanks to their tireless and thankless efforts that we can strive to lead an environment of acceptance and diversity, and teach future generations how to choose their battles. To learn about a truly inspiring battle won through reason and love, read Laura Hester’s story, as told in the compelling and Academy Award winning movie, Freeheld, by Cynthia Wade. So if you, like me, are willing to voice your support for a change that will benefit millions of lives at the click of the mouse, please go to Civil Unions Illinois and know that you would have helped win one battle, peacefully.