LGBT Film Festival

2 New Films This Weekend at THE NEON + LGBT Film Fest Line-Up!

August 16, 2011 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone.

After a phenomenal 10-week run, it’s time for MIDNIGHT IN PARIS to head out. If you still need to see it (or need to see it one more time), you can find remaining showtimes on ourwebsite. That said, PAGE ONE: INSIDE THE NEW YORK TIMES is leaving after just one week. Hurry down if it’s still on your list.

In addition to holding onto BUCK, we will open two new films – SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN and THE DOUBLE HOUR.

Synopsis for SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN: “In 19th-century China, seven year old girls Snow Flower and Lily are matched as laotong – or “old sames” – bound together for eternity. Isolated by their families, they furtively communicate by taking turns writing in a secret language, nu shu, between the folds of a white silk fan.In a parallel story in present day Shanghai, the laotong’s descendants, Nina and Sophia, struggle to maintain the intimacy of their own childhood friendship in the face of demanding careers, complicated love lives, and a relentlessly evolving Shanghai. Drawing on the lessons of the past, the two modern women must understand the story of their ancestral connection, hidden from them in the folds of the antique white silk fan, or risk losing one another forever.What unfolds are two stories, generations apart, but everlasting in their universal notion of love, hope and friendship.” (Fox Searchlight Pictures) Click HERE to be directed to SNOW FLOWER’s official website.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wlk7TsdhsY’]

Synopsis for THE DOUBLE HOUR: “Guido, a former cop, is a luckless veteran of the speed-dating scene in Turin. But, much to his surprise, he meets Slovenian immigrant Sonia, a chambermaid at a high-end hotel. The two hit it off, and a passionate romance develops. After they leave the city for a romantic getaway in the country, things suddenly take a dark turn. As Sonia’s murky past resurfaces, her reality starts to crumble. Everything in her life begins to change – questions arise and answers only arrive through a continuous twist and turn of events keeping viewers on edge until the film’s final moments.” (Samuel Goldwyn Pictures) Click HERE to be directed to THE DOUBLE HOUR’s official website.

[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4loZt8-MRZw’]

Marketing pieces for The 6th Annual Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival are well underway, and I’m quite pleased with the line-up! In the coming days, you’ll start to see stacks of postcards popping up all over town (if you’d like to place some at your business or favorite hangout, please let me know…I anticipate their arrival any day).

Here’s this year’s line-up:

Fri. Sept. 23 at 7:30 – THE GREEN – sponsored by Square One Salon & Spa

Fri. Sept. 23 postfilm – PARTY at SIDEBAR – sponsored by Lisa Hanauer & Sue Spiegel

Sat. Sept. 24 at 12:30 – GEN SILENT with THE COLONEL’S OUTING & FIRST AND LOVELISS – sponsored by Greater Dayton LGBT Center

Sat. Sept. 24 at 3:00 – TOP DRAWER SHORTS: I DON’T WANT TO GO BACK ALONE, REVOLUTION, LUST LIFE, CHANGE, THE QUEEN, and THE NOT SO SUBTLE SUBTEXT – sponsored by Miami Valley Fair Housing Center

Sat. Sept. 24 at 7:30 – TOMBOY – sponsored by PFLAG Dayton

Sat. Sept. 24 at 9:30 – GOING DOWN IN LA-LA LAND with 52 – sponsored by MJ’s Cafe, JOHN and Marion’s Piazza

Sun. Sept. 25 at 12:30 – CAROL CHANNING: LARGER THAN LIFE – sponsored by Human Race Theatre Company

Sun. Sept. 25 at 3:00 – WEEKEND with EMPIRE – sponsored by Ken Byers

Ticketing details, trailers, and news about visiting artists will be available soon on the festival website. One special treat…The Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra will give a pair of tickets away at each LGBT festival screening to see Lynda Carter when she’s in town!

We don’t anticipate THE DOUBLE HOUR (and maybe even SNOW FLOWER) to stick around too long…so we hope you’ll hurry down.

Take care!

Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for August 19 – August 25:

THE DOUBLE HOUR (NR) 1 Hr 35 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 3:00, 9:30

Monday – Thursday: 2:20, 8:30

SNOW FLOWER AND THE SECRET FAN (PG-13) 2 Hr

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:10, 2:30, 5:00, 7:30, 9:50

Monday – Thursday: 3:00, 5:30, 8:00

BUCK (PG) 1 Hr 28 Min

Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 5:15, 7:20

Monday – Thursday: 4:30, 6:30

COMING SOON:

As always, all dates are tentative. Some of these dates will change.

In some cases, titles may disappear.

Aug 26 ANOTHER EARTH

Aug 26 THE GUARD

Sept. 2 THE TRIP

Sept. 9 LIFE ABOVE ALL

Sept 9 THE WHISTLEBLOWER

Sept 9 BEATS AND RHYMES: A TRIBE CALLED QUEST

Sept 23 HIGHER GROUND

TBD SARAH’S KEY

TBD THE FUTURE

LGBT Film Fest + 2 New Films This Weekend at THE NEON.

September 23, 2010 By Jonathan McNeal Leave a Comment

Hello Everyone,

I had such a great time in Toronto! Thanks for so many of your well-wishes. I saw some really wonderful films and met some incredibly talented people. What a blast! Reviewing my notes from last year’s festival, I had 8 films that topped my list of favorites. Over the past several months, we’ve managed to bring 7 of those films to THE NEON…and #8 – I KILLED MY MOTHER – screens this Friday as part of The 5th Annual Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival. (The other 7 were A SINGLE MAN, MICMACS, I AM LOVE, BRIGHT STAR, FISH TANK, BROKEN EMBRACES, and AN EDUCATION.) In the coming days, I’ll assemble my “Toronto Wrap-Up” – and I’ll keep you posted as to where you can read that.

The projection booth will be busy at THE NEON this weekend. In addition to the LGBT Film Fest, we have 2 films opening – RESTREPO and WILD GRASS – as well as 2 films holding. The schedule changes quite a bit, so make certain you look at the times listed below. (As an FYI – this will more than likely be the final week for GET LOW. WILD GRASS will 100% play for one week only!)

Synopsis for RESTREPO: “To make their bracingly visceral documentary Restrepo, winner of the Grand Jury Prize at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, award-winning journalists Tim Hetherington (Liberia: An Uncivil War) and Sebastian Junger (the books The Perfect Storm and the upcoming War) embedded with the soldiers of Second Platoon, Battle Company, as they fought to build and maintain a remote 15-man outpost in Afghanistan’s rugged Korengal Valley named “Restrepo,” after a platoon medic who was killed in action, which was one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. Hetherington and Junger avoid outside commentary and politics to present the war as it is actually lived by soldiers, through their own eyes and in their own words – their backbreaking labor, deadly firefights, boredom and camaraderie – the terrifying and exhilarating experiences they can never forget.” (taken from movieweb.com) With the access that these soldiers had, it’s incredible that this film was even made.

Synopsis for WILD GRASS: “Alain Resnais, one of the towering figures of the French New Wave, demonstrates he still has plenty to say in this drama based on a novel by Christian Gailly. Marguerite (Sabine Azéma) is a successful dentist with a busy practice and an offbeat hobby, flying small airplanes. One day, while running errands, Marguerite loses her wallet, and it’s found by Georges (André Dussollier), a seemingly happy man with a wife, Suzanne (Anne Consigny), and two children (Vladimir Consigny and Sara Forestier). As Georges looks through the wallet and examines the photos of Marguerite, he finds he’s fascinated with her and her life, and soon his curiosity about her becomes an obsession. Georges’ attempts to integrate himself into Marguerite’s life begin to alarm her, and she hires a private security team (Mathieu Amalric and Michel Vuillermoz) to keep him away, but Georges is determined that his new love for her will not be denied. Les Herbes Folles (aka Wild Grass) received its world premiere at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.” (Mark Deming, Rovi)

The Downtown Dayton LGBT Film Festival starts Friday, and we still have plenty of single tickets left! (Single tickets are just $8.00 each.) My mantra this year: “You don’t have to be Greek to go to the Greek Festival…you just have to love music, dancing and great food! You don’t have to be gay to go to the LGBT Film Festival…you just have to love good films.”
Check out the official website for images and trailers at www.daytonlgbt.com. We’re flying in 4 artists from NYC and L.A. to attend this year’s festival. Casper Andreas – director of VIOLET TENDENCIES (Saturday, Sept. 25 at 9:30), Sarah Louise Lilley – star & producer of NOTHING HAPPENED and Jessica Provenz – writer and producer of NOTHING HAPPENED (Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3:00), and Heath Daniels – writer, star and producer of GO-GO REJECT (also on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3:00) will attend the fest. I hope they’ll have a warm reception with an enthusiastic crowd at each screening – please help to make it happen. We also need your help spreading the word in order to make this the best festival yet! Below is a trailer from Saturday night’s film – A MARINE STORY. With the Senate’s decision to turn down the repeal of “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,” there couldn’t be a more timely film.

Here’s more great news. On Oct. 1, we will begin a one-week run of THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM. “The Elephant in the Living Room is an award winning documentary about the controversial world of raising the deadliest and most exotic animals on earth as common household pets. The story follows the journey of two men at the heart of the issue. One, Tim Harrison, an Oakwood, Ohio police officer whose mission is to protect exotic animals and the public, and the other, Terry Brumfield, a big-hearted man who struggles to keep two pet African lions that he loves like his own family.
Since its premiere in Dayton, Ohio earlier this year, the movie has been playing to sold out crowds all over the country. It has been selected by no less than fifteen film festivals from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles and winning three BEST DOCUMENTARY awards, including one from Academy Award winning director Michael Moore who called the film ‘One of the scariest, most entertaining and technically perfect documentaries.'” (taken from press notes)

Living City Film Fest is at it again! This year, the festival will be a celebration of the career of Jeff Bridges. Here’s the line-up:
THE BIG LEBOWSKI (sponsored by Dublin Pub) – Oct. 15, 16 at 10PM, Oct. 18 at 7PM
THE FABULOUS BAKER BOYS (sponsored by Downtown Dayton Partnership) – Oct. 25 at 7PM
THE LAST PICTURE SHOW (sponsored by Chisano Marketing) – Nov. 1 at 7PM
THUNDERBOLT AND LIGHTFOOT (sponsored by Jeff Martin Florist) – Nov. 8 at 7PM
RANCHO DELUXE (sponsored by CityWide Development) – Nov. 15 at 7PM
Single tickets will be $8 each available before each show. A festival pass (available soon) will be just $30 for all five screenings.

With all that’s going on, we hope to see you this weekend. There’s truly something for everyone!

Take care,
Jonathan

SHOWTIMES for September 24 – September 30:

GET LOW (PG-13) 100 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 1:00, 5:10
Monday – Thursday: 5:10

JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK (R) 84 Minutes
Friday: 3:00, 5:10, 9:45
Saturday: 5:10
Sunday: 7:30, 9:45
Monday – Thursday: 5:10, 7:30

WILD GRASS (PG) 104 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 12:50
Monday – Thursday: 3:00

RESTREPO (R) 93 Minutes
Friday, Saturday, Sunday: 3:10, 7:20, 9:30
Monday – Thursday: 3:10, 7:20

LGBT FILM FEST
I KILLED MY MOTHER (with FREE afterparty in Oregon Dist.) – Friday: 7:30
TOP DRAWER SHORTS (with guest artists) – Saturday: 3:00
A MARINE STORY – Saturday: 7:15
VIOLET TENDENCIES (with guest artists) – Saturday: 9:30
STONEWALL UPRISING – Sunday: 3:00
UNDERTOW – Sunday: 5:15

COMING SOON:

As always, all dates are tentative. Some of these dates will change.

Oct. 1 THE ELEPHANT IN THE LIVING ROOM
Oct. 1   MAO’S LAST DANCER
Oct. 8   IT’S KIND OF A FUNNY STORY
Oct. 8   LEBANON
Oct. 15   NEVER LET ME GO
Oct. 15   A WOMAN, A MAN & A NOODLE SHOP
Oct. 22   YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER
Nov. 5   CAIRO TIME
Nov. 12   INSIDE JOB
Nov. 19   TAMARA DREW
Dec. 24   MADE IN DAGENHAM
TBD   ANIMAL KINGDOM
TBD   FAREWELL

Jane’s Best Bets (9/22 – 9/26)

September 22, 2010 By Dayton937 2 Comments

Photo Credit: Alli Shillito

Wow, it’s hard to believe that it is officially autumn! And in Dayton, do you know what “falls” in autumn? If your answer is leaves, sorry, you only get partial credit. Although leaves do fall in the autumn, there are also many fun festivals and events that fall during this time of the year! So let’s not waste anytime in checking out our options for the first week of fall!

On Wednesday, head to the Community Blood Center to Give the Best Pint in Town, as blood donations are vital to the health of our community. Whether you’re a pessimist or optimist, it really doesn’t matter. You can “B Negative” or “B Positive”, as the Community Blood Center is accepting of all types! Plus, you get a cool Octoberfest shirt for donating, which will be just in time for Oktoberfest going on at the Dayton Art Institute this weekend! Speaking of blood/health issues… are you tired of hearing biased opinions when it comes to our nation’s health care bill? If so, join HYPE (Helping Young Professinals Emerge) and the Troy, Tipp City, Covington, and Piqua Areas Chamber of Commerce for the presentation, Demystifying the Nation’s Health Care Bill, which will discuss an un-biased, non-partisan view on this important issue. In case anyone is wondering, I am by no means a politician (my friends tell me I’m too honest), nor do I have any political agenda. Also on Wednesday…if you enjoy outdoor activities and would like to volunteer at GearFest this year, make sure you attend the GearFest Volunteer Orientation. Or, if you had a rough day, perhaps you need a glass of wine, so check out the Pina Winery in Napa Valley Tasting at the Wine Gallery downtown.

On Thursday, put away your iPod for the day and tune into Mix 107.7 for their Radiothon for RMHC (Ronald McDonald House Charities). The event is happening all day (6:00AM-7:00PM), so even if your boss doesn’t let you listen to music at work and you work the standard 9-5 job, you still have 5 hours to be listening! You will also be able to make donations online and at some McDonald’s locations. Also Thursday…if you enjoy the theater scene, there are several plays from which to choose: Disney’s Alice in Wonderland Jr. at Town Hall Theatre, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels at La Comedia (dinner and a show), and August: Osage County at Wright State’s Festival Playhouse, which is about an Okalahoma family. I’m not sure why they didn’t just call it Oklahoma.

On Friday, if you don’t already have lunch plans and enjoy networking with other area young professionals, head on over to Murray’s Place for Generation Dayton’s ‘4th Friday Lunch’. If you are a UD grad like me and are itching for an excuse to make it back on campus, check out the ArtBeat Festival of the Arts, which will feature local and student performing groups, as well as food and art vendors. In downtown Tipp City, check out the Tipp City Mum Festival. Although the theme of this year’s festival is Law Enforcement, “Mum’s the Word! You Have the Right to Remain Silent”, you can see I’m not good at keeping mum about it…I just hope I don’t get in trouble for mentioning it here. If you’ve decided to spend Friday night at The Greene, be sure to check out the 80s cover band Stranger. And if you want to preview the Dayton Art Institute’s Oktoberfest, listen to the band Velvet Crush, and avoid the crowds, be sure to purchase tickets for their Preview Party, which is also happening on Friday. And, if you have extra tickets, feel free to send them my way!

On Saturday, get your walking shoes out to support one of two great causes. Participate in the St. Vincent de Paul – 2010 Friends of the Poor Walk or the Great Strides – Walk for Cystic Fibrosis. After getting your exercise in, if you’re the “sweet” type, head to the Montgomery County Fairgrounds for the Chocolate Festival. And if you’re the “salty” type, the Germantown Pretzel Festival is the place to be. Or, if you’re the healthy type, head over to Lebanon (the city, not the country) for the Country Applefest or to the Aullwood Audubon Center and Farm for the Aullwood Apple Fest. If you’re the shy type, head back to the Tipp City Mum Festival. If you enjoy Hispanic food and breaking piñatas, then check out the Hispanic Heritage Festival and Flea Market at College Hill Community Church in North Dayton. And, the “must attend” festival of the week is the DAI Oktoberfest, which will feature live entertainment, unique arts and crafts, and a variety of beers and international foods. Plus, if you attended the jumpstART event last week, you will be able to get in free with your admission pass! Or, check out this article to find out more about Oktoberfest AND how to win tickets from DMM! Also, just in case outdoor festivals are not your thing and you’d instead prefer to kick back and watch movies, make a trip to The Neon for the LGBT Film Festival, where several films will be featured, including Top Drawer Shorts, A Marine Story, and Violet Tendencies.

On Sunday morning, head to The Winds in Yellow Spring and then to The Little Art Theatre for Brunch and a Movie. Or, check out one (or more!) of the festivals you missed or liked so much that you want to explore again! The Aullwood Apple Fest, the Tipp City Mum Festival, the Pretzel Festival, and DAI’s Oktoberfest will still be happening places to be!

And now it’s time for the Dumb Joke of the Week. Drum roll please…

Why did Humty Dumpty have a great fall?

He wanted to make up for a lousy summer.

These are just a few best bets from the DMM Calendar. There are plenty more events listed there, so if you haven’t, I encourage you to check it out today! Also, if you have an event to share or promote, please submit it – it’s great marketing and better yet, it’s FREE! And finally, if you have a dumb joke to share, I’m all ears!