aGLIFF Daily Dispatch #5: Sharon Gless, Queer Youth Media Project

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Sharon Gless at aGLIFF by Jenn BrownYesterday was exhausting; I only made it to three screenings, and late for one at that, so I missed an unexpected highlight. That torrential rain that hit Austin finally pushed the electrical grid too far and caused a blackout for 78704, which cause a disruption of aGLIFF. Incredibly, it only caused one film to be cancelled, one to be shifted to this morning, and only a 45-minute delay for the rest of the evening.

The first round of screenings included a children's program that had a pre-show with Underdog and Muppet Show clips, and an optional cereal bar. The shorts included Buddy G, My Two Moms And Me: The Lost Rings, Tomboy, and Dottie's Magic Pockets: Doing the Flower. While the latter was too trite for my taste, the others were engaging, with Buddy G something that could easily be a kids' morning TV show.  Tomboy, which focuses on a little girl who isn't interested in girly things, is a lesson in diversity.  

That was before the weather got heavy. Sharon Gless, at the festival to support her new film, Hannah Free, declined the offer to go back to her hotel during the blackout. Instead, she worked the lines, talking with people and making the most of it. Once the screening started, even being late and rainy, it was almost at capacity. 

Hannah Free is based on a Claudia Allen's play, and was adapted by the playwright. The story of two long-time lovers dying in separate beds of a nursing home explores the boundaries and limitations of love and family. Hannah is a born wanderer, while Rachel is a homebody. Their often tumultuous relationship, from childhood to old age, is as much due to social mores as their personalities. Hannah's only companion now is her vision of a younger Rachel, whom she talks to as if she were real. When a young woman unexpectedly visits,and keeps visiting, Hannah finally has an opportunity to see Rachel again. 

Poignant and funny, the only distraction is the overly staged sets, as if it were still being performed in front of a live audience. Given that it was filmed in 18 days on a small budget, with some of the crew forgoing wages, it's a forgivable flaw. It doesn't overwhelm the strong story, however, and the audience was very clearly engaged, judging from the reactions.   

Ms. Gless did a short Q&A, and I for one have a new celebrity crush. She loved the role, felt it was easy to play. After the Q&A she was approached by many women who related to the story, and was very gracious with everyone. Slackerwood will post excerpts of the Q&A in a few days.

My final screening of the evening was the Queer Youth Media Project, a joint venture with OutYouth.  Eight queer youth learned the filmmaking process and two teams made a film each: the documentary That's So Gay and the narrative La Vida Bella. The shorts were limited to ten minutes each, but could have been longer. Both had important stories to tell, but I really enjoyed That's So Gay; it was well structured and could easily become a feature-length film.  The filmmakers were very articulate, and there was clear interest from the audience in seeing more. It was fun watching these young, new filmmakers. I could have done without some of their guests texting throughout the screening, though.

I should point out that despite a power outage, and a critical technical difficulty with La Vida Bella, aGLIFF was able to weather the challenges of the day easily.  I feel bad about not making it to more of the shorts programs, but I'm worn out. There are more movies today, but I'm only going to the last two rounds of screenings. 

Tonight, Waxie Moon is giving a performance after the screening of his eponymous documentary (in lieu of a Q&A), and the closing night film is The Big Gay Musical, which is a narrative wrapped up in, well, a big, gay musical.  American Apparel donated 1000 "Legalize Gay" t-shirts for the festival, and if you go to The Big Gay Musical, you can get a free t-shirt of your own.

aGLIFF runs through Sunday, September 13. For up-to-date information, follow the fest on Twitter.