Editor

Chicago Filmmakers and Presenting Sponsors Showtime, Comcast, and The L Word are pleased to announce the 26th edition of Reeling, the second-oldest lesbian and gay film festival in the world, and a premiere cultural event for Chicago’s LGBT community and film-appreciating audiences. Reeling 2007 will take place November 8-18 and will include almost 70 programs. Screenings will be held at the Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.), Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema (2828 N. Clark St.), Film Row Cinema (Columbia College Chicago, 1104 S. Wabash Ave.), Center On Halsted (3656 N. Halsted St.), Lakeshore Theater (3175 N. Broadway St.), Leather Archives & Museum (6418 N. Greenview Ave.), and Chicago Filmmakers (5243 N. Clark St.). Tickets will be available for purchase beginning in mid-October.

This year’s festival is more global than ever, offering work from 28 countries and in genres ranging from romantic comedy to esoteric experimental. The lineup of short films, in particular, is the most impressive in the festival’s history, and will introduce audiences to new and emerging artists whose work is sure to be seen again in festivals to come.

Reeling is planning an unprecedented number of special events in conjunction with the films, keeping the party going long after the credits have stopped rolling.

SPECIAL FESTIVAL EVENTS

Opening Night: Thursday, November 8
SHELTER
Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.)
6:00 PM Gala Reception / 8:00 PM Screening

Reeling is kicking off a glamorous 2007 festival by rolling out the pink carpet at the Chicago History Museum for a film that has been inspiring standing ovations at festivals throughout the US.

Shelter (directed by Jonah Markowitz) is the tale of Zach (Trevor Wright), an artist and surfer whose life becomes complicated when he falls in love with his best friend’s older brother Shaun (Brad Rowe of Billy’s Hollywood Screen Kiss, Body Shots, and Full Frontal). Having given up an art school scholarship to hold his dysfunctional family together, Zach has become resigned to working at a diner, maintaining an on-again/off-again relationship with his long-time girlfriend, and caring for his neglected nephew (whose irresponsible mother is played by Six Feet Under’s Tina Holmes). But when Zach becomes reacquainted with Shaun, a writer and surfing buddy who has recently returned home from L.A., he discovers a freedom on the waves and in his heart that wipes him out. Ultimately, Shelter is not just about sexy surfers riding the waves, or even the grin-while-you're-driving moment you realize the exhilarating rush of new love is more than just infatuation; it’s about finding out who you are and what you truly want.

Prior to the screening of Shelter, Reeling will host a surfing-themed pre-party in the halls of the Chicago History Museum. Sponsored by the Chicago History Museum and Out at CHM, guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres provided by Whole Foods, as well as an open bar sponsored by Stella Artois and Ketel One’s extravagant martini ice bar.

Film and Gala: $45 / $40 for members, Film Only: $15 / $12 for members

Closing Night: Sunday, November 18
THE CURIOSITY OF CHANCE
Chicago History Museum (1601 N. Clark St.)
6:00 PM Gala Reception / 7:30 PM Screening
9:30 PM After-party at Andy’s Jazz Club (11 E. Hubbard)

Electric pink leg warmers and crimped hair is back in style thanks to our exuberant Closing Night film The Curiosity of Chance (written/directed by Russell P. Marleau), a time warp trip to the 1980s. New Wave angst and gender-bending fashion are all the rage, and out and proud Chance Marquis (Illinois native Tad Hilgenbrink) is the new kid at Brickland International High. Immediately terrorized by the school’s bullying jock, Chance decides to fight back with flair (and with the help of his band of outsiders) in this award-winning feature that takes all the high school movie stereotypes and turns them queer side out. Brett Chukerman of Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds (also an Illinois native) co-stars in this delightful new comedy with a queer twist.

Prior to the film, guests will enjoy hors d’oeuvres and an open bar sponsored by Stella Artois and Stolichnaya Russian Vodka. The Closing Night event will also include a silent auction sponsored by Orbitz, Olivia Cruises, and Showtime. The auction will feature two round trip tickets to Europe from Orbitz, a seven-day Olivia Cruise for two, and memorabilia from Showtime favorites The L Word and Queer as Folk, as well as donations by some of Chicago's finest gay-friendly establishments.

Following the film, guests are invited to Andy’s Jazz Club, where the musical stylings of New York Jazz great Mercedes Hall (mother of ‘80s icon Anthony Michael Hall) will provide the elegant and entertaining end to Reeling’s eleven-day event.

Film, Pre-party, and End of Fest Celebrations: $45 / $40 for members, Pre-party and Film: $30 / $27 for members, Film Only: $15 / $12 for members

Spotlight Presentation: Saturday, November 9
A FOUR LETTER WORD
Landmark’s Century Centre Cinema (2828 N. Clark St.)
7:30 PM Screening followed by After-party

Writer/director Casper Andreas is back with the outrageous second chapter to 2004’s Slutty Summer, and dares ask the question: Can a playboy overcome the complications of the scariest four letter word in the gay dictionary … love? When party boy Luke’s new crush, macho man Stephen, calls him a gay cliché, promiscuous Luke begins to reconsider monogamy. But is Stephen everything he appears to be? With Slutty Summer’s same delightful set of queer, straight, and everything-in-between characters rounding out the ensemble, A Four Letter Word is a sex-crazed gay sitcom with a pulse.

Following A Four Letter Word, Reeling is hosting an official after-party. Hors d’oeuvres and drinks will be provided by Stella Artois and Stolichnaya Russian Vodka.

Spotlight Film and Spotlight Party: $20 / $18 for members, Film Only: $10 / $8 for members

Special Event: Friday, November 16
ITTY BITTY TITTY COMMITTEE
Film Row Cinema at Columbia College Chicago (1104 S. Wabash)
7:00 PM Screening / 9:00 PM After-party at Crimson Lounge (333 N. Dearborn)

But I’m a Cheerleader director Jamie Babbit brings her outrageous and colorful style back to Reeling this year with the film that has won best feature and audience awards at festivals from New Zealand to Barcelona. Persuaded by the sexy and flirtatious Sadie, innocent young Latina lesbian Anna impulsively joins the underground anarchist/feminist group Clits in Action (or the C(I)A). As she falls increasingly harder for Sadie (who turns out to be in a committed relationship), Anna breaks cleanly out of her shell and may just turn out to be the most ambitious anarchist of them all.

After the screening of Itty Bitty Titty Committee, we’re celebrating the biggest lesbian film of the year with Showtime’s Official L Word and Itty Bitty Pink After-party. Hotel Sax Chicago’s sexy and intimate Crimson Lounge will host this celebration with giveaways from The L Word, Showtime, and Olivia Cruises, as well as live music, hors d’oeuvres, and cocktails provided by Stella Artois and Stolichnaya Russian Vodka. Look out for The L Word and Itty Bitty Titty Committee stars as well!

Spotlight Film and Spotlight Party: $30 / $27 for members, Film Only: $10 / $8 for members, Party Only: $25 / $22 for members

Spotlight Presentation: Saturday, November 17
2 MINUTES LATER
Film Row Cinema at Columbia College Chicago (1104 S. Wabash)
9:00 PM Screening followed by Red Bull Art of Can Exhibition After-party at River East Art Center (435 E. Illinois St.)

Fusing elements of classic film noir and the buddy movie into a snug queer package, Open Cam director Robert Gaston has instigated an intriguing new genre and unites one of cinema’s most unlikely duos—gay men and … gay women! The disappearance of smug but sexy photographer Kyle brings together a steamy lesbian private detective and the victim’s closeted brother in this thrilling sex-laced murder mystery.

The chic River East Arts Center in Streeterville will play host to the 2 Minutes Later Spotlight After-party sponsored by Red Bull’s Art of Can Exhibition. Guests will enjoy complimentary Red Bull and Ketel One Vodka while viewing the artwork of several artists that utilized the blue and silver Red Bull can as their inspiration and their material. (The Red Bull Art of Can gallery event runs throughout the festival.)

Spotlight Film and Spotlight Party: $17 / $15 for members, Film Only: $10 / $8 for members

Hot Button Issues at Reeling This Year

Whether it’s being gay or transgender in the US or the Middle East, the tribulations of the LGBT community are inextricably interwoven with religion and culture. As lesbians, gays, and transgender people continue to fight for acknowledgement and respect across the world, controversy will continue to be part of the equation. This year, Reeling faces these issues head on with documentaries and dramatic films that explore compelling stories and explode with real life events.

Two of our documentary films, Jerusalem is Proud to Present and The Birthday, highlight the intersection of religion and homosexuality in the Middle East. In Jerusalem is Proud to Present Orthodox Jews, Muslims, and Christians violently protest against the prospect of a gay pride parade in the holy city of Jerusalem. In The Birthday, the filmmakers follow Iranians undergoing the government-approved process of gender reassignment surgery in a country where homosexuality is strictly against the law.

Catherine Crouch’s short film The Gendercator has been one of the most controversial films of the year. This short satirical take on gender and social norms uses the “Rip Van Winkle” model to explore the dystopian possibilities of the religious right forcing gender non-conformists into strict gender identities. Protests from sectors of the trans community have led to the film being pulled from the line-up of at least one prominent LGBT film festival. To address these concerns Reeling will be bringing together speakers from a variety of disciplines and perspectives to offer expert insight and points of view relating to gender, trans issues, and queer film in a free panel discussion.

International Highlights

From Iran to Israel, Morocco to Taiwan, Iceland to the Bahamas, international filmmakers tell profound and personal stories that are culturally specific yet universal. Thousands of miles from their origins, the eclectic characters from these diverse cultures visit the screens of Chicago for eleven days.

This year’s selection of films from Asia have been well received by audiences and critics alike. Zero Chou’s Taiwanese film Spider Lillies is a stylish, hip drama about the blooming romance of a timid tattoo artist and a sexy webcam girl, and was the 2007 winner of Berlin’s Teddy Award for best gay/lesbian feature film. A tender, heartbreaking account of the healing of a painful rift between a gay son and his old-fashioned father, the Taiwanese film The Way We Write is about young Zhen-Zhen, a curious spitfire of a girl, whose innocent perspective serves as the framework for the father and son’s reunion. Variety’s Derek Elley writes about Leesong Hee-il’s Korean feature No Regret: “Whether it is the lush, soft-focus lensing of the Seoul nightlife, or the violent spasms exchanged between Sumin and Jaemin, amidst throes of conflicting passion and desire, there is not a single false moment in this auspicious directorial debut.” Our Asian Persuasion program includes shorts that explore Asian American identity.

France once again has made a strong showing in both our feature and shorts programs. Actress-turned-director Zabou Breitman’s The Man of My Life, a charming and languid tale set in the French countryside, is about a family man’s unexpected infatuation with his gay neighbor. The sexy and engrossing One to Another follows 20-year-old Lucie’s investigation into the disappearance of her promiscuous gay brother Pierre. My Super 8 Season takes place during 1968’s political and cultural upheaval in Paris as a university student and his friends struggle to change the world with a Marxist gay revolution. Our provocative shorts program L’Amour Francais features two works by fascinating director Sylvie Ballyot, including Love and Words, a documentary shot in Yemen, where homosexuality carries a death sentence; and the emotionally complex Like Father, Like Daughter in which a daughter escapes the pressures of taking care of her invalid father by having rough sex in bars.

>From an introspective German drama to a colorful Spanish musical, other European films in the festival further diversify the mood and tone of this year’s Reeling. German director Angelina Maccarone’s visually stunning and intricate film Vivere centers on the interwoven tales of three women on the run, each trying to save the other, and in the process, trying to save themselves. Modest and tender, While You Are Here is a sensitive tale of the companionship and affection between the unlikely duo of an elderly man and a quiet hustler. Three Madrid couples lives become intertwined in The Two Sides of the Bed, the bisexual-romantic-musical-comedy sequel to the award-winning The Other Side of the Bed.

Two documentaries by Carolina Valencia examine the evolving culture of gay Cuba under Fidel Castro’s regime. The Two Cubas looks at the strong family and personal bonds that sustain and strengthen gay Cuban culture and the heartbreak that results when a member of the family decides to leave. Voodoo Woman is a powerful first person account of director Valencia’s attempt to find answers to a personal struggle with gender identity by consulting with voodoun priests.

American Features

The eclectic mix in this year’s festival features films by established filmmakers as well as emerging new American talents.

This year’s comedies include writer/director/star Michelle Ehlen’s award-winning debut film Butch Jamie. Putting a gay twist on Tootsie, Ehlen creates a quirky, gender-bending comedy full of wit and community inside jokes as Jamie, a frustrated and desperate actor, takes some secret cross-dressing liberties and finally lands a breakout role. Starrbooty is an outlandish and outrageous exploitation film that combines elements of John Waters, Russ Meyer, and The Naked Gun to tell the story of the sexy and salacious agency operative (and subsequent undercover street hooker) Starrbooty, played by the sassy drag diva RuPaul. Naked boys will be at the festival in abundance, with the premiere of Naked Boys Singing!, the film version of the long-running hit play of the same name.

A proliferation of gay cable channels, such as Here TV!, has inspired the burgeoning genre of gay television soaps and Reeling reflects this with three new programs made in the style of television shows. Amber Sharp’s Don't Go, starring Guinevere Turner as an intersex person, follows the lives and loves of a diverse group of vibrant individuals in Los Angeles. Deondray Gossett and Quincy Le Near’s award-winning television series The DL Chronicles tells the sometimes painful, sometimes touching, and always sexy stories of men of color who are leading clandestine sexual lifestyles. Producer Stephen Israel (Boy Culture) and writer/director Glenn Gaylord (Boychick) follow Ricca Pike, a butch lesbian who must pretend to be straight in order to live with her two gay male roommates, in Lez Be Friends a wacky, loving homage to the great sitcoms of the '70s.

Some of the dramas in this year’s Reeling reinvent old tales, while others give us new stories untold before. The Walker, written and directed by Paul Schrader (writer of Taxi Driver, American Gigolo, Raging Bull, and Affliction) has already been met with rave reviews, and Woody Harrelson’s turn as a D.C. escort has been proclaimed “the performance of his lifetime” by The Guardian. Acclaimed British filmmaker Duncan Roy (Method, AKA) puts a homo-erotically charged twist on The Picture of Dorian Gray, the classic Oscar Wilde tale of vanity and corruption of the soul. Incorporating daring music, clever art direction, and split-screen techniques, Roy's bold and stylish adaptation examines provocative and relevant themes such as hedonism, gay hustling, AIDS, the obsession with eternal youth, and the true meaning of art. Spencer Schilly’s The Houseboy gives us an unflinchingly honest modern gay story as it follows a hipster boy toy on a spree of Internet hookups, drugs, and anonymous sex before his planned Christmas Eve suicide.

Highlighting films in the experimental category is William E. Jones’s V.O., in which the director combines sound segments from classic foreign language films with non-sexual video segments from gay porn films produced before 1985 in a variation on what DJs call a “mash-up.”

Shorts Programs

From lovelorn gay zombies to Icelandic wrestlers, this year’s shorts programs are our most globally diverse and most impressive ever. With over 500 film entries in 2007, Reeling had a great pool of shorts from which to choose. The result is a lineup of over 20 shorts programs.

Seven programs this year are specifically devoted to international films. The surprising number of entries from northern Europe enabled us to compile two excellent programs of films from Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Iceland: Nordic Boys in Love and Girls of the Midnight Sun. And shorts from Australia and New Zealand were programmed in Girls Down Under and Boys Down Under. The universal language of gay is the uniting thread of International Male Shorts, which gives us contract killers with jealousy issues, a Swiss country boy’s exposure to the wide world of gay, and other fascinating foreign tales. Chance meetings, spur of the moment adventures, forbidden lust, and internet meet ups are all part of the modern woman’s battle to find happiness in the International Lesbian Shorts program. The films in Global Male Shorts features stories from Mexico to Thailand, Brazil to France. And look out for gay hamsters and their fight for gay marriage!

American and foreign shorts are combined in other dramatic shorts programs. The Secret Society of Girls program features mysterious, fascinating, charming, and at times disturbing films that explore the unique intimacy of girls. In Dangerous Hearts, innocent outsiders encounter some rough strangers on the tough city streets. Dynamic, inventive, and irreverent, OUTstanding Lesbian and Gay Shorts features some of the most captivating films ever put to screen, and up and coming directors to keep an eye on. Straight men not opposed to experimentation and the gay men attracted to them learn a lot about love, friendship, and freedom when they let down their barriers and open themselves up in Straight But Seductive.

With names like these, who could forget about the funny side of shorts? The Funnyboner program features an impregnated playboy, a tender yet masculine underwater sea creature, and a faghag that could drive you to murder. Our laugh-out-loud Funny Lingus program successfully counters the question: who says lesbians aren’t funny?

Documentaries

Though truth might not always be stranger than fiction, it can make for the best filmmaking. Documentaries are often the most compelling, engaging, and accomplished works of the festival, and this year is no exception.

Local filmmaker Ron Pajak’s world premiere documentary feature Quearborn & Perversion traces the history of LGBT Chicago through interviews with lesbian and gay Chicago pioneers. Between the Lines is a delicate, honest portrait of the marginalization and celebration of “India’s Third Gender,” the Hijra. One of the most moving films of the festival, Red Without Blue is a tender and bittersweet portrayal of Mark and Alex Farley, identical twins from Missoula, Montana, who struggle with Alex’s transition into the female Clair. Trained in the Ways of Men follows the story of 17-year-old Gwen Araujo, who was beaten and strangled to death by four men with whom she had been intimate after they discovered she was biologically male.

African American Focus

Innovative, original, and often incredibly personal, this year’s selection of African American features and shorts is our most abundant and thought-provoking ever.

Two programs, one a documentary (Abigail Child’s On the Down Low) and one a series from gay television network Here! TV (DL Chronicles), address the controversial phenomenon of “down low” and its effect on the African American community. Dee Rees’ short film Pariah follows a lesbian teen as she unsuccessfully juggles multiple identities to please her friends and family. Blueprint and Underneath are impressive first features by rising young talents who effortlessly speak to an under-represented community. Kirk Shannon-Butts (proclaimed by some to be a young gay Spike Lee) has written and directed Blueprint, which follows the impromptu romance of reserved college student Keith and street-smart Nathan. Underneath, directed by Cherisse Deaton and written by her partner Katrina Deaton, is the charming story of a conflicted young lesbian’s empowering journey of self-discovery.

More Venues, More Events, More Fun!

>From Columbia College’s Film Row Cinema to the vibrant new Center on Halsted to the Leather Archives & Museum in Rogers Park, filmgoers in any part of Chicago will have the opportunity to experience great LGBT cinema. And what’s better than a fabulous film? A fabulous film followed by a great after-party! This year’s festival has an event almost every night of the week in celebration of the wonderful films and their creators. In addition to Opening Night (Shelter) and Closing Night (The Curiosity of Chance) events, the festival will highlight two spotlight films with after-parties (A Four Letter Word and Two Minutes Later), and will offer special events around Itty Bitty Titty Committee (The Official L Word and Itty Bitty Pink Party), as well as a karaoke party after Starrbooty, and a furry after-party following the documentary Bears.

Visiting Artists

Thanks to major travel sponsorship by Chicago-based Orbitz, Hotel Sax Chicago and Sofitel Water Tower Chicago, the festival will host visiting filmmakers, producers, and actors who will appear at screenings and special artist receptions. House 5863 and Ardmore House, and The Inn of Lincoln Park will also host festival visitors.

Just a few of this year’s expected guests include Starrbooty’s RuPaul, Naked Boys Singing Writer Bruce Vilanch, Two Minutes Later director Robert Gaston and star Jessica Graham, and The Curiosity of Chance director Russell P. Marleau and star Brett Chukerman,

Sponsors

Presenting Sponsors for Reeling 2007 are Showtime, The L Word, and Comcast.

Major Sponsors include Orbitz, Tylenol PM, Columbia College Chicago, and Stella Artois. Our Host Hotel Sponsors are Hotel Sax Chicago and Sofitel Chicago Water Tower. This year’s Premiere Media Sponsor is WXRT Radio. Supporting Sponsors include Interactive Male, CNA, Black Cat Productions, Here! TV, Chicago History Museum and Out At CHM, Gerber Hart Library, Piñata Graphics, and Chicago Reader. Participating Sponsors for this year’s Reeling include The Nielsen Company, Chicago Department of Public Health, Goose Island Beer Company, Steamworks, and Landmark’s Century Centre Cinemas. Community Sponsors are Stolichnaya Russian Vodka, Illinois Film Office, House 5863 and Ardmore House, Whole Foods Market, Twisted Media, Ketel One Vodka, Olivia, Center on Halsted, Andy’s Jazz Club, The Lakeshore Theater, Windy City Media, Chipotle, and Red Bull Art of Can Exhibition. This year’s Media Sponsors are ChicagoPride.com, dykediva.com, and Time Out Chicago. Screening Sponsors include Inn of Lincoln Park, Leather Archives & Museum, and the Consulate General of France. Event Sponsors include Girlbar and T’s Restaurant and Bar.

Public Information
For more information, the public can contact the festival hotline at (312) 458-9059 or consult the festival website at www.reelingfilmfestival.org.

Ticket Information and Prices
Tickets and festival passes may be purchased:
•On the internet at www.reelingfilmfestival.org
•Via phone (beginning Oct 27) at 773-293-1447
•Tickets may also be purchased in person (beginning Oct 27) at Chicago Filmmakers, 5243 N. Clark St., Monday- Friday, 10 AM – 6 PM and on Saturday (October 27 & Nov 3 only), Noon – 5 PM.

Ticket Prices
Regular Screenings: $10 / $8 members

Special Admissions Programs:

Opening Night Film:
Shelter
Film Only: $15 / $12 members
Film & Gala: $45 / $40 members

Spotlight Film:
A Four Letter Word
Film Only: $10 / $8 for members
Film & After-party: $20 / $18 for members

Starrbooty
Film Only: $10 / $8 for members
Film & Karaoke Party: $20 / $18 for members

Bears
Film Only: $10 / $8 for members
Film & Furry After-party: $17 / $15 for members

Showtime’s Official L Word and Itty Bitty Pink After-party
Itty Bitty Titty Committee Film Only: $10 / $8 for members
Film & Party: $30 / $27 for members
Party Only: $25 / $22 for members

Spotlight Film:
2 Minutes Later
Film Only: $10 / $8 for members
Film & Gallery Event: $17 / $15 for members

Closing Night Film:
The Curiosity of Chance
Film Only: $15 / $12 for members
Film & Pre-party: $30 / $27 for members
Film, Pre-party, & End of Fest Celebrations: $45 / $40 for members