>>PREVIEW
FAIRY TALES INTERNATIONAL GAY AND LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL
May 26 to June 1
Uptown Screen
Over the past decade, the presence of queer cinema in mainstream culture has changed. From Brokeback Mountain, TransAmerica and Capote’s presence at this year’s Oscars ceremonies to the increased number of strong gay characters on television programs as varied as Six Feet Under and Will and Grace, queer lifestyles and representation within art and the media is on a definite artistic upswing.
Celebrating its eighth year, Calgary’s very own Fairy Tales Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has brought together a world-class collection of new film works alongside the intriguing Canadian Freedom of Queer Expression collection of short films screened throughout the festival’s history.
For festival president Gordon Sombrowski, the changing face of queer cinema is one defined by quality of expression over all else.
"The calibre of queer cinema has increased and so has the nature in which these films show how artists are incorporating queer themes or characters in ways that are less direct, with more subtlety and with more expression of the full range of the human experience," he says.
Of particular note in this year’s program is Jan Dunn’s directorial debut Gypo, the U.K.’s first officially sanctioned Dogme 95 production.
"The filmmakers have brilliantly illustrated that the characters’ sexuality isn’t the only thing that defines them. There’s much more to them than meets the eye."
Given the broadening scope of queer cinema itself, Sombrowski says the audience for films involving gay, lesbian, and transgendered people is constantly growing, and from the start, Fairy Tales has aimed at programming for Calgary at large as opposed to strictly queer residents.
"The festival’s mandate from the beginning is to bring the best possible films to Calgary that wouldn’t necessarily have a venue elsewhere," he says. "We bring Fairy Tales together not just for people who consider themselves as gay, lesbian, queer, trans or two-spirited. It’s for everybody interested in film."
An angle close to Sombrowski’s heart, however, is this year’s special focus on the history and development of Canadian queer cinema. Following Saturday’s screening of Canadian-made queer shorts, Fairy Tales presents a special two-part open dialogue – first a panel discussion on Canadian Freedom of Queer Expression, followed by a screening and talk with first nations director Thirza Cuthand.
"We have four panelists coming at the issue from somewhat different perspectives, both historically and through a current perspective, creating a comparison between where we’ve been and where we are. Next year we’ll be taking a look at where we’re going."
Determining the differences between Canadian queer cinema and that of our closest neighbours to the south is an angle of exploration Sombrowski finds fascinating. "We’re trying as a festival… define what makes the two audiences different and to get a better understanding of where the differences lie. I think one of the things that defines us is figuring ourselves out in the context of the American culture machine south of the border. We in Canada have an amazing freedom to do this, period, and no one can underestimate that this is a major thing. What we’re seeing more and more is a Canadian freedom to give our artists a comfort level to express themselves totally."
As to where queer cinema as a whole may be heading, Sombrowski remains faithful that not only will the films themselves experience an opening up of identity and range, but that the presence of gay and lesbian figures onscreen will continue to become less and less of an issue for audiences. "I see more and more accessible films being made for the gay and lesbian audience that are the kinds of films that straight audiences go to see on a regular basis," he says. "Alternately, there’s an increase in works dealing with the ideas of how to create tolerance, acceptance and freedom, but not necessarily assimilation. Around assimilation also comes the issues of the commodifying and commercialization of the queer genre. Essentially the question might be asked, ‘What does it mean to be queer when everything queer is mainstream?’ We’re going to be looking more and more into that in the future."
Were Fairy Tales to accomplish anything, however, Sombrowski’s wish remains simple.
"I hope audiences will take away the idea that they spent their money to see some great films and feel they’ve had a great experience as filmgoers. I hope they’ll take away with them some new ideas to discuss with their friends and others so that there’s more dialogue around the issues that our films raise. I hope we have an effect both in regards to the art and the esthetics the festival shows, and the questions that revolve around what it means to be queer, what it means to be free and what it means to be Canadian." |
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