Friday June 1, 2007 SGN.org |
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Volume 35 Issue 22 |
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Wednesday, Aug 20, 2008
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Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival: first Korean Gay movie, new Kate Clinton work, cast of 'Dante's Cove', and true aloha spirit |
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| Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival: first Korean Gay movie, new Kate Clinton work, cast of 'Dante's Cove', and true aloha spirit | ||
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by Ron Anders -
SGN A&E Writer The Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival, one of Hawaii's premier Gay and Lesbian events, was great fun for this viewer and first-time Hawaii traveler. The first two nights of the festival (now in its 18th year) were at the Doris Duke Theater at the Honolulu Academy of Arts. The excitement ramped up on the third and fourth nights, when the festival moved to the brand-new Honolulu Design Center, a massive, gleaming, hi-tech building which houses the Cupola Theater, where the films were screened - along with chic furniture showrooms and eateries, including Stage (reportedly Honolulu's new 5-star restaurant). The festival opened with a screening of No Regret, the first Korean film to portray Gay characters. The film, given best film honors by festival judges, is the tale of a young man who makes his living as a boy-for-rent. It begins on a light note (romantic, funny), then grows darker and meaner, turning into a nightmarish film noir. The real find in the movie is Lee Young-Hoon, whose performance is always convincing and authentic, despite the plot's outrageous twists and turns. The winner in the documentary category was Red Without Blue, about the relationship between identical twin brothers as one transitions from male to female. Standout films in the fest also included Laughing Matters&The Men, a documentary showcasing Gay male comics, who perform their (very funny) shtick, as well as reveal their personal stories about growing up Gay. Bruce Vilanch (the writer for innumerable award shows) brings down the house with his insider stories about Hollywood celebrities (affectionately skewering Cher) and tells a hilarious tale about writing a "dick joke" for the Oscars. Also on the comic side was Kate Clinton - 25 Year Anniversary - a world premiere, which showed this very smart and very funny woman to her best advantage. Of special interest to this native New Yorker was The Saint of 9/11, a documentary about Father Mychal Judge, chaplain for the Fire Department of New York who perished in the World Trade Center disaster. It follows his journey as a recovering alcoholic, a Gay man and much loved and respected priest. Coffee Date mined the comic complications that result from a straight man being hooked up (as a practical joke) on a blind date with a Gay man. Though none too subtle, it provided some good laughs, as well as serious eye-candy in the person of Wilson Cruz, as the seductively funny Gay part of the equation. The keynote speaker at the festival's Gala Benefit and Silent Auction was Kim Coco Iwamoto, the highest elected Transgendered office holder in the United States - having been elected to Hawaii's state-level Board of Education. Her generosity of spirit was obvious in her talk - and the audience seemed to have genuine affection for her. We also heard from Jack Law, the founder of the festival and owner of Hula's, Honolulu's favorite Gay bar, where festival-goers and staff celebrated after each night's screenings. After hearing them talk, we were all treated to an elaborate and delicious self-serve gourmet meal. There were also celebrity sightings. Hunky cast members of the here! Channel's Gay-gothic soap opera, Dante's Cove (filmed on Oahu) were in attendance, including Charlie David. He was also the star of another festival feature, A Four Letter Word - a flamboyant, over-the-top romantic comedy set in New York. I had a chance to talk with Thea Gill, a new cast member of the show who is still fondly remembered for her role as Lindsay in Queer As Folk. She was charming and seemed to be having a ball. On a personal note, the film festival staff was so welcoming and friendly that I wanted to bring them all back to Seattle with me. There was a genuine sense of cooperation among them - and it was fun just hanging out with them. They all had great senses of humor, as well as a sharp perspective on the festival's importance as a way to reach out to the Gay and Lesbian community. The Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival was a fine introduction to the "aloha spirit" for me. |
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copyright Seattle Gay News - DigitalTeamWorks 2007