REEL
COOL:
The Official Hotel Headquarters and The
Newsletter of the
Guest Services Suite for PIGLFF 2008
www.pennslanding.hyatt.com
June 2008
It’s only a month away, and getting closer ever day!
Check back often for announcements and updates -
always to members first in our
monthly newsletter.
Mark your calendars
NOW for PIGLFF 2008 –
the largest LGBT film event on the East
Coast!
PFS
Member Exclusive: Advance Ticket Sales- June 20th
General Public: Ticket
Dear Friends,
They tell me that every cloud has a silver lining. I know this is true because I’m a daydreamer, and find myself staring upwards on a fairly regular basis. I also know it’s true because, just the other day, I discovered I had been making a mistake for weeks now, but not the sort of mistake that one regrets making.
The proverbial cloud is the Closing Night of the 14th
The silver lining is that you now have one extra day of festival to celebrate!
And, really, this festival is shaping up to be quite the event. Our Opening Night film is already no stranger to PIGLFF (that’s our hip shorthand for Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival)—two years ago we opened our 12th festival with Another Gay Movie; last year at our 13th festival we featured a script reading of Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild; this year, our 14th festival kicks off with a premiere of Another Gay Sequel! I believe the correct term for that would be “staying power.”
Our Closing Night film—Were The World Mine—has been racking up jury and audience awards left and right as it’s swept through the festival circuit.
And that’s just the beginning (and, well, ending…but you get what I mean). We have guests coming to town. Guests like Jane Lynch. We have 40th Anniversary Screenings. 40th Anniversary Screenings like a brand-new 35mm print of Midnight Cowboy. We have 13 days of festival, film, parties, receptions….
I’m overwhelmed just thinking about it. And I’ve only just begun to give you a glimpse of what we’re creating here.
I’ll have more to tell you over the following days and weeks, but for now I hope you’ll join me in general anticipation and excitement.
And in July, you can join me for the fun. Because “fun” it will
certainly be.
-Jared Miller
Membership Coordinator
PIGLFF ’08 Members Event
Because the Film Society is nothing without its members…
I
won’t tell you too much now. I just want
you to know that I’m planning quite a nice Members reception for you during the
festival.
I’ll
give you a few hints:
- It will be held a few
short blocks from the Film venues
- It will be hosted
amidst a room full of art
- There will be
Pringles and Tang!
Excited
yet? Of course you are,
there’s art, PFS Members…and Tang! Not
to mention the music (I’ve already started to build the playlist),
raffles, trivia, cocktails, and snacks that I’m holding off from telling you
about.
I’m
a sucker for a surprise; don’t hold it against me. You’ll find out soon enough.
Thursday, July 17th, from
Mark you
calendar now, because it’s sure to be a great time!
Troc Movie Monday - 6/30
Barbarella
Join us at the Trocadero (
Doors open at
Barbarella (1968) will begin at
This event is free to PFS Members
when they show their membership cards; $3 to all other patrons.
Free raffle prizes courtesy of
TLA Video.
For more information, please
visit www.thetroc.com
Join me for a Drink…
This year at PIGLFF, we are trying something new. Monday, July 14th through Thursday
the 17th we will be hosting a Happy Hour each day at a different bar
around
Monday, July 14 •
Knock
Restaurant and Bar
Looking for a place to mix and mingle before you head to
your screening? Stop by for specialty priced drinks and tasty finger foods for
your tongue to play with. Ask about the signature Festival drink. Oh yeah,
don’t forget to save some room for your film!
Show your ticket stub,
Festival Badge, or PFS Membership Card to receive drink discounts.
Tuesday, July 15 •
Stir
So you’ve seen a couple of films and you’re feeling
adventurous enough to try something new. Join us at STIR, the newest venue to
Show your ticket stub,
Festival Badge, or PFS Membership Card to receive drink discounts.
Wednesday, July 16 •
Bump
Stop by and enjoy discounted specialty drinks as the
festival kicks into fifth gear with more enticing films for your eyes and ears
to see.
Show your ticket stub,
Festival Badge, or PFS Membership Card to receive drink discounts.
Thursday, July 17 •
Sisters
With $1 drafts, $2 bottled beer,
$3 mixed drinks and light bites; this is the place to hang out before you go
see your favorite film. With special guest DJ The Baraness spinning today’s hottest music, make sure you stop
by to get your drink on and shake what your momma gave ya!
“Sure, you say it’s good, but what
do other people say?”:
I could tell you how great
some of the films coming to the fest are going to be, but maybe you’ll call me
a biased opinion. Fine. If that’s the case, I’ll just present you
with a bunch of quotes from critics around the nation who have already seen and
praised these films.
For additional information (including filmmakers and plot
write-ups) on these films and many more, don’t forget to check the Program
Guide found in TLA Video locations, or online starting on June 23rd.
|
Film Title |
The Critics Say… |
|
Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild |
“This movie, even more than the first, is a litmus test of sorts. It reveals how honest and fluid you are sexually, whether you can laugh at yourself and the crudeness of being a human being, not some perfect queer stereotype.” “It’s fresh and revolutionary in its approach to being gay
and having a laugh with the whole gay experience. It’s an important voice.”—RuPaul |
|
Breakfast with Scot |
“What makes Breakfast tasty, however, is the unpredictable dynamics between the main characters, spiced up by realistic side characters who drift in and out of their orbits. Scot may be outrageous, but the film’s message, about accepting the weirdness in yourself, is anything but strange.” “Breakfast with Scot
is a witty comedy with lots of heart… With a full endorsement from the
National Hockey League, Breakfast
is the first GLBT film to be supported by a professional sports team.” |
|
Saturn in Opposition |
“Ugly horoscopes and uglier twists of fate test the bonds
of friendship for a group of polysexual Roman
40-somethings in Saturn in Opposition…
a worthwhile affirmation of everyone’s need to be loved and understood by at
least one person (and possibly more)… Ozpetek’s observing script, co-written as usual with
Gianni Romoli, here brings some originality and
truth to what could have been a trite melodramatic storyline.” |
|
Sex Positive |
“Director Daryl Wein does a good
job of painting a picture of the late-seventies/early-eighties NYC gay
scene. It comes across as a singular
moment in time, when this culture of promiscuity was able to be accepted as
normal, between prior years’ conservatism and the fear that the disease (AIDS)
later created… There’s a well-crafted sense of chaos, especially when what
seems like common sense advice in retrospect is ignored and discredited by
people who don’t want to compromise their own lives to save them.” |
|
XXY |
“The potential for this film to go very wrong was
great. After all, hermaphroditism is a
subject that could easily end up being played for its ‘freak’ value. That XXY
explores the issue carefully from the emotional viewpoint, without being
exploitative makes it all the more remarkable when you consider that this is Lucía Puenzo’s directorial
debut.” |
|
Squeezebox! |
“The REAL good-time flick… was Squeezebox!, the rollicking documentary about the ‘90’s drag rock
party… which flourished in the face of Giuliani’s sickening ‘quality of life’
campaign. The flick moves seamlessly
between concert footage, interview, and gay-historical context, spiced up
with…swarms of mascara-wanded rockers who broke
down barriers at the messy, boozy, all-accepting hellhole.” |
|
Were the World Mine |
“For a low-budget production, World looks fantastic… but it’s biggest
asset is Jessica Fogle’s beautiful score. Adapted from Shakespeare’s own text (this
film is based off A Midsummer Night’s
Dream), World’s songs swoop and
soar, and the actors nail every falsetto.
The film’s not perfect, but that’s almost part of the charm. Like a high school musical, Were the World Mine has an infectious,
‘let’s put on a show’ energy—don’t be surprised if
at the end, audiences stand up and applaud.” |
On a budget but still want to see great
films? Volunteer! WE NEED YOU!
14th
Each summer, we look forward to
And as a “thank you” for all your
hard work and effort, you’ll also receive a complimentary ticket for every shift you work. Re
For more information, please contact
These
people recognize a good deal when they see one!
Wilkommen! Bienvenue! Welco
PFS
gratefully acknowledges all new and returning cast
Producers: Ralph Hirshorn
Best
Boys/Best Girls: Marisa
McClellan, Neale Secor,
Sarah Collett
Extras: Adrienne M. Smith, Edd
Leonard, Frank Ocker
Keep Your Reel Love Alive!
Are you enjoying your PFS membership?
Relishing the opportunity to see major studio films before their
official release dates? Basking in the
admiration of family, friends, and co-workers who consider you a film
oracle? Don’t let your PFS Membership
expire. Renew today and keep your reel
love alive!
Joining or renewing couldn’t be easier.
Contact our Membership Coordinator,
Thanks
for Playing a Starring Role!
The