The Williamstown Film Festival this weekend and next has more films of interest to the LBGT community than we normally see offered in the Berkshires all year. Of course it is nice to see films that have real depth and resonance as well. If Sunday's film Dare is half as good as the opening film was we are in for a treat.
Friday's film debut was Handsome Harry about two sailors in love, a gay bashing, and a reunion decades later. We all have memories of relationships that almost were fulfilled, and that is what that film was about, though it reveals its secrets, and horrors, a bit at a time building to the inevitable reunion.
At breakfast Saturday morning, we had a chance to speak briefly to Adam Salky, director of Sunday's much anticipated film Dare, which arrives via the Sundance Festival. He describes the film as one in which high school students attempt to define their sexuality when a typical m/f couple are both after the school's hottest and most popular guy. You can get a taste of it on their film website.
The single Berkshires screening - in fact the first East Coast screening is at Images Cinema in Williamstown and starts with bagels, coffee and OJ at 10:30. Slated for national release next month, here is a chance to not only see a hot new film, but speak with the director afterwards. He originally created this movie as a short, and it won prizes at Outfest among other places. miss it. It's a great chance to check out this great festival, too. Next weekend there are even more don't miss films of interest to the LGBT community. (See last paragraph.)
Emmy Rossum (The Day After Tomorrow), Zach Gilford (TV's Friday Night Lights) and Ashley Springer (Teeth) head up a stellar cast including Ana Gasteyer (Mean Girls), Rooney Mara (A Nightmare on Elm Street), comedienne Sandra Bernhard (TV's Roseanne) and Alan Cumming (X2: X-Men United) in this captivating story of high school seniors at the crossroads of their adult lives.
When a pompous actor tells good girl Alexa (Rossum) that she hasn't lived, she embarks on a bold journey that takes her to mysterious bad boy Johnny (Gilford). Envious, her shy best friend Ben (Springer) also dares to pursue Johnny, complicating Alexa's romance and pushing the boundaries among the three friends.
And next weekend, the second and last, you absolutely must consider seeing Making the Boys and Humpday at Images, not to mention the spectacular appearance of Ethel for their live music score to La Nave de los Monstruos. We are fortunate to host one of the finest film festivals in America, right here in the Berkshires.
it is such a pleasure to have an alternative to those lowest-common-denominator Hollywood films that play gay characters for laughs, like Sacha Baron Cohen's despicable Bruno. And it is great to have Images in operation for those of us who love film. See the article above for my view of the Berkshire Mall and its lackluster Regal Cinemas.
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