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St. Cloud State University
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Diversions
Film festival eradicates stereotypes
By Diana Matusewic
Published:
Thursday, February 6, 2003
A film festival, unlike any other in St. Cloud, has turned into an annual tradition.
After having a successful debut last year, St. Cloud OutLoud has planned its second annual film festival for Feb. 8 at the Paramount Theater (Studio C). "Love makes a family" is the theme with a photo exhibit by Gigi Kaeser; most of the photos are at the Paramount and there are a few on the left side of the front entry at Kiehle.
This annual event is to raise awareness of GLBT and to steer the community away from stereotypes.
"I hope they gain an understanding that love makes the family. GLBT people make good parents like heterosexual people do," said Michael Smith, one of the founders of St. Cloud OutLoud, "We don't have a choice in being homosexual, but we do have a choice in how we live our true feelings."
Ron Gregg, a former professor of film studies at SCSU, found a selection of films that addressed gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender issues.
Each film addresses different kinds of families in order to broaden people's perspective. "Ruth & Connie: Every Room in the House" is about breaking away from the traditional family. In this documentary, two housewives with kids from the '50s, end up falling in love with each other in the '70s. They decide to divorce their husbands to be with each other. The other two films are about friends that are so close that they are just like a family.
"A lot of times people will develop a chosen family rather than a biological one," Smith said. "It's important that we get films that people can relate to."
The Business of Fancy Dancing is a story of a Native American who is gay (two spirited) and his best friend from whom he has grown apart after they left the reservation for college. Their friendship got complicated with the lead coming out and his success as a poet. Sixteen years after high school they reunited. Besides his best friend he has two other close friends that he's known since high school; "The Cockettes" is a documentary of a commune family of homosexual hippies that had a film series of gender-bending performances in the '60s.
"It goes beyond GLBT issues; the films deal with people who are pushed to the margins of society and they too find a family," said Kathryn Gainey, assistant professor of art education. "There's a lot of diversity involved in the GLBT film festival."
Last year's films explored various issues including bias in the boy scouts "Scouting for All", closeted lesbian relationship "Stray Dogs" and gender-bending "Hedwig and the Angry Inch."
According to Smith this film festival is unique in that it has speakers to introduce the films and a discussion about each one afterwards. And it's free.
"The University of Minnesota has a GLBT film festival but it isn't really an educational event. It's like going to a movie," Gainey said.
Ruth Debra is the speaker for "Ruth & Connie" and Nick Metcalf for "The Business of Fancy Dancing." Both were chosen because their lives mirror the lead characters. Leo Treadway is the ideal speaker for "The Cockettes" since he saw a live performance.
Open reception is at 6 p.m. and the Mayor, John Allenbecker will be doing the introduction. The first film is planned for 7 p.m. and the last one is at 11 p.m.
Sponsoring this event is St. Cloud OutLoud which has been existent for a year and a half and is planning on becoming a non-profit organization. Central Minnesota community foundation and central Minnesota arts board are the other sponsors. The Human Rights office helped co-fund the portrait exhibit.
Paula Van Avery, human rights director, said that the film festival is one way to get correct information on the GLBT community.
"I think it's a great opportunity to gain visibility (and) I think the community itself is misunderstood," she said.
