BentLenses

2008-04-20T13:08:00.003+10:00

Greetings...

Now that our website is up and running we've decided to cease posting to this blog.

For the most up-to-date screenings information on Bent Lenses please bookmark our website: www.bentlenses.org

We will continue to post screening details through ACTQueer.

Best,
The Bent Lenses Crew

April Offerings from Bent Lenses...

2008-03-27T19:29:00.007+11:00

We're back with another couple of beaut movies for April...

Sunday, 13th April

In the dirtiest, funniest, most scandalous gay-teen-sex-comedy-parody ever, four gay friends make a pact to lose their virginity by the end of the summer. But that’s easier said than done, as the boys face giant sex toys, naked celebrities, masochistic teachers and an uncontrollable romance with a quiche. With a dozen jokes a minute and who’s who of gay celebrities. Another Gay Movie is a candy-colored romp where getting laid is all that matters!

Friday, 18th April

In a nation where sexuality in general is taboo, lesbian sex, lust and sexual representation are even more marginalized. By visiting writers, academics and "sexperts," and going inside sex shops, erotic dance clubs and lesbian-owned porn companies, this documentary series will go beyond mass appeal to find out what really turns on lesbians and perhaps any woman who has ever had a girl-on-girl fantasy.

Please check out our website for more details!

AVAILABLE MEN & COFFEE DATE

2008-03-12T14:04:00.028+11:00

Hello, we're Back!!!

Here we are back again for 2008! To kick off the season we have two films about dating, just perfect for the Easter long weekend...

FRIDAY, 21 March 2008

AVAILABLE MEN is a comedic case of mistaken identity when two guys meet up for a blind date... with the wrong guys. Stars Richard Ruccolo from 'All Over the Guy'. Director: David Dean Bottrell, USA, 2006, 15 mins.

COFFEE DATE is a fast-paced comedy filled with sexual shenanigans of a misguided kind. Straight-laced Todd (Jonathan Bray) embarks on a blind date with Kelly, but his mundane world is quickly turned inside out when his female date turns out to be a hunk (Wilson Cruz, Party Monster). Friends and family, even his mother, not only think he's gay, but help thrust him towards this new romantic endeavour! Surrounded by an excellent supporting cast including comical Jonathan Silverman and Oscar®-nominated Sally Krikland, Coffee Date is a refreshing, madcap comedy of errors and the perfect metrosexual date movie. Screenwriter / Director: Stewart Wade, USA, 2005, 94mins.

Screening: Friday, 21 March - Doors open @ 7.00pm with Tickets & Bar open from 7.15pm. Films screen from 7.45pm @ Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMaG), London Circuit, Civic (opp Bailey's Corner). Ticket prices $10.

Please note: Films are Rated R. Restricted to 18 years and over.

EDGEPLAY

2007-11-21T19:46:00.000+11:00

Friday, 23 November

Doors open @ 7pm, Bar open from 7.15pm**, Film starts @ 7.45pm

Hello again,

Our final offering is a fantastic farewell to BentFest2007. This film kicks ass! Edgeplay chronicles the rise and disintegration of the seminal '70's all-teenage-girl rock band 'The Runaways', whose members included then unknown future rock stars Lita Ford and Joan Jett. The film explores the effects of verbal, emotional and psychological abuse on girls too young to drink, but old enough for sex, drugs & rock n roll.
110mins, D. Victory Tischler-Blue
"Powerful & extremely moving" Film Threat

Film screens @ CMaG
Ticket Prices#: $12 Full / $7 Members* & Concessions*
*Members / Concession Cards must be presented for discounted entry
** Pride Awards - in association with SpringOUT 2007
# Includes lucky door prizes

Paragraph 175 & Parting Glances

2007-11-13T19:07:00.000+11:00

Greetings,
Well, when too much Queer cinema is never enough, we're back again for another weekend of film. Check our website for more details.

Friday, 16 November 2007 @ CMaG - Film starts at 7.30pm

PARAGRAPH 175

From two-time Academy Award winner Rob Epstein (Common Threads: Stories from the Quilt and The Times of Harvey Milk), Rupert Everett narrates this true story of the last untold tale from the Third Reich. From 1933-45, 100,000 men were arrested for homosexuality under Paragraph 175, the sodomy provision of the German penal code dating back to 1871. Enforced by the Nazi Party, many were sent to concentration camps. This film hears the story of five of the few remaining survivors of this dark period in Queer history.

81mins, D. Rob Epstein & Jeffrey Freidman
"Exquisitely lyrical" Dennis Harvey, Variety
"Not to be missed! Devastating... elegant and powerful" David Ansen, Newsweek

Saturday, 17 November 2007 @ Arc Cinema, National Film & Screen Archive - Film starts at 7.30pm

PARTING GLANCES

In a salute to SpringOUT 2007, and in partnership with the glorious new Arc Cinema (National Film & Sound Archive) we present a one-off screening of this seminal queer film. As Michael and Robert, a gay couple in New York, prepare for Robert's departure for a two-year work assignment in Africa, Michael must face Robert's true motives for leaving while dealing with their circle of eccentric friends, including Nick (a young Steve Buscemi), who is living with AIDS. Bill Sherwood's landmark queer feature has been recently restored under UCLA's Outfest Legacy Project.
90mins, D. Bill Sherwood
"Relentlessly upbeat... Buscemi has a powerfully anarchic presence" Janet Maslin, NY Times

And just a reminder about 'THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED', screening this Thursday night (15th Nov) at the Arc Cinema. Please refer to the previous 5th October entry below.

Hot Pink Shorts

2007-11-05T10:37:00.000+11:00

Friday, 9th November 2007

Always Bent Lenses biggest night of the festival, this year we launch BentFest2007 with a collection of the hottest films from Queer Screen's 'My Queer Career' + 1.

Screens at CMaG, London Circuit, Civic. Doors open from 7pm.

Prada Handbag: A girl with a hair loss problem and an obsession with wigs becomes a drag queen. D. Stuart Vauvert, 20mins

A Bear, Where?: A bear goes in search of a furry soul mate. Animated. D. Jeremy Stewart, 3mins

Disappointment: An exploration into the darker side of the city of churches, Adelaide. D. Unreasonable Adults, 17mins

In The Ladies Lounge: Two young women of the 21st century discover a kinship with Beirut dykes of the 1920s. D. Fadia Aboud, 12mins

Mizu: A Japanese man reflects on the death of his mother. D. Peter Humble, 6mins

Salt: A love story about three people who share a passion for food and each other. D. Campbell Farquhar, 3mins

Seeya Rach: Mel's girlfriend Rach is headed overseas. This is Mel's goodbye video. D. Pearl Tan, 7mins

The Manual: Psychiatric treatment of homosexuality in a fictional tale. D. Sarah Spillane, 15mins

Ready Or Not: Explores the struggle to be true to yourself through raw, real and life affirming stories. D. Katherine Wilkinson, 17mins

Saturday, 10th November 2007

TAN LINES

The Canberra debut screening of an Aussie drama. Cute teen Midget Hollow (Jack Baxter) wanders through life riding big waves and partying with surfer boys. When Midget's best friend's gay brother Cass arrives on the scene, the two quickly dive head first into a clandestine sea of sexual awakening. As his lusty romance with the dark-eyed Adonis is soon discovered, Midget has to navigate between his friends' reaction and his newfound love, all while growing up during a hot summer of fun in the sun! 109mins, D. Ed Aldridge, 109mins

Screens at CMaG, London Circuit, Civic. Doors open from 7pm.

BentFest 2007 is coming! Stay tuned for more information.

2007-10-05T19:29:00.000+10:00

However, we'd like to let you know about the following film that is being screened at the National Film and Screen Archive. Though not part of BentFest 2007, we commend it to you.

THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED (2006, dir Kirby Dick) Is a very comic examination of the US censorship system, with a special interest inhow the system has a double standard for the depiction of Gay and Straight sex. And one of its characters, employed by the director to chase after the nameless members of the US MPAA ratings panel, is a fascinating Lesbian private detective.

It screens on 15 Nov at 7.30pm at ARC National Film and Sound ArchiveMcCoy Circuit Acton Canberra ACT 2601 AUSTRALIA

phone: +61 2 6248 2054

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/This_Film_Is_Not_Yet_Rated

Pride Awards at BentFest

2006-12-05T20:22:00.000+11:00

The Canberra Pride Awards were presented on the closing night of SpringOut and the BentFest. Andrew Barr presented the awards to some very deserving people who have dedicated their time and energy over many years to contribute to our community.

The 2006 Pride Awards recipients: Leanne Linmore, John Guppy, Robert Henderson and The Purple Party Committee.

Close of BentFest 2006

2006-12-05T19:56:00.000+11:00

Thank you everyone for coming along and making BentFest 2006 a fun and successful event!

Justin from BentLenses drawing the raffle with Pam, a BentLenses sponsor and Robert winner pride awards 2006

Sordid Lives at Holy Grail Civic Thurs 30th

2006-11-28T23:33:00.000+11:00

This Thursday 30 November is the closing night of BentFest and also the pride awards night.

And we've saved the best for last...

Sordid Lives, a black comedy about white trash that Variety described as "screamingly funny". Featuring some of the funniest lines you've ever heard, delivered by a brilliant cast.

Come and have dinner at The Holy Grail before the movie. Tables of 4 or more will receive a complimentary bottle of wine. It's recommended that you are seated for dinner by 7pm. Book now to ensure you receive prime seating for the movie.

The Holy Grail Cnr Akuna & Bunda Streets, Civic Phone 6257 9717
Menus available here
Ticket sales: 7.00pm$12 or $7 members/concessionFilm starts: 8.30pm
Notes: 18+Some male nudity

Fabulous Fundraising Super Raffle

2006-11-26T09:24:00.000+11:00

Super raffle draw will be on Thursday 30th November.
last chance to buy tickets...

BentLenses would like to thank our sponsors who have very kindly donated to our popular yearly fundraising raffle. The raffle provides a very welcome source of additional funds for us, helping cover our venue hire, insurance costs as well as screening fees.

First Prize
Art Monthly 1 yr subscription
East West Trade gift voucher
Milk & Honey dinner voucher
Mooble gift voucher
Fur Faces Pet minding services
Cowboys and Angels clothing voucher
Diafora gift voucher

Runners up Girl's pack
Miss Bianca: Red leather wrist restraints & collar
Pink Sofa: Subscription
WISEA@ Kaleen: 1 hr remedial massage
East West Trade: gift voucher
Electric Shadows: book voucher
Mustang Ranch: gift pack

Runners up Boy's pack
WISEA@ Kaleen: 1 hr remedial massage
East West Trade: gift voucher
Electric Shadows: book voucher
Mustang Ranch: gift pack
WISEA@ Kaleen: SUN FX spray tan
Exodus: clothing voucher
Blue Magazine: selection of special editions

BentFest happy snaps

2006-11-23T19:25:00.000+11:00

Bent Lenses volunteers, sponsors and members at the opening night and the Amnesty screening at CMAG.

Popcorn!

2006-11-22T20:01:00.000+11:00

Don't forget to buy some popcorn at the movies this Friday.

At a commercial cinema on the weekend I paid $10 for popcorn & a coke. At BentLenses you can purchase a popcorn & coke for the price of $2:50. If you are a BentLenses member tickets only cost $7.

Theo designer of the BentLenses website and poster enjoying the popcorn on opening night.

Next BentFest screening Friday 24 November

2006-11-22T19:28:00.000+11:00

Saving Face is screening this Friday 24th at Canberra Museum and Gallery

A Chinese-American surgeon, living in Manhattan, is shocked when her single mother shows up on her doorstep pregnant. To help her mom save face and avoid the taboo in the Chinese community of an unmarried woman pregnant, the doctor helps her mom find Mr. Right. Cultures clash in this film that explores culture shock.
Director Alice Wu
Language English

...more info
Official website:
Interview with Saving Face's Alice Wu and Joan Chen

Hot Pink Shorts Winners 2006

2006-11-19T09:56:00.000+11:00

This year's winners of the Hot Pink Shorts competition were selected from a very strong field. Prodigal Son was chosen as the winner of the Judges Choice award and the Canberra production About Personality won the Audience Choice Award. Maiara Skarheim’s One End Stands was a very popular audience choice and was also highly commended by the judges. Poppy was also praised by the judges.

Directors of the Audience Favourite, About Personality, Scott Malcolm and Matt Wright have donated their prize money to the AIDS Action Council. Mark, from BentLenses, presenting the cheque.

The judges for 2006: Sonia Gherdevich and Andrew Barr.

Sonia is currently the acting Senior Curator of Documents and Artefacts at the National Filmand Sound Archive.
Andrew Barr is the member for Molongolo. He is the first openly gay MP in the ACT and the first openly gay Cabinet member anywhere in Australia.

The Filmmakers: From left Maiara Skarheim Director of One End Stands, Scott Malcolm, Maiara's partner, Matt Wright (front) directors of About Personality, Katherine Goldie Director of Shed and Rose.

Hot Pink Shorts 2006

2006-11-12T23:27:00.000+11:00

The 2006 Shortlist screening this Friday at Coombes Lecture Theatre

Poppy
11.5 minutes (2005), Director – Sophie Boord

“In a confused state two poppy-wash cowboys encounter the Black Rider. A surreal and laconic take on the Western”. Produced at the University of Technology, Sydney.

Boys Grammar
8 minutes (2005), Director – Dean Francis

Based on a true event of a couple of years ago. Boys at a private school struggle with their sexuality, and a boy is attacked in the school swimming locker rooms by his school-mates after it is perceived that he is gay. Produced at the Australian Film, Television and Radio School.

Two Nights
11 minutes (2006), Director – Rolmar Baldonado

“Over two nights, a young Chinese immigrant has sexual encounters with two very different individuals. Consequently, he has to choose between the one he wants and the one that wants him”. Paralleling the two nights of the one protagonist, the movie highlights the challenges of attraction and looking for love. Part of the Australian Film, Television and Radio School’s 2006 Graduation.

The Prodigal Son
27 minutes – Documentary (2006), Director – Tony Radevsky

When Ted came out as gay to his parents, his mother Ljubica insisted it was a passing phase and his father Alexo refused to speak to him. Fifteen years passed, with no communication between father and son – until Alexo discovered he was suffering from a serious illness. The Prodigal Son, the emotional story of a gay man in his 40s who is reunited with his traditional, Macedonian family after being estranged from his father for 15 years.
Winner: Flickerfest IF Media Award for Most Popular Film at Flickerfest 2006.

Shed
8.5 minutes (2005), Director – Kathryn Goldie

“Shed explores the difficulty one man faces when his world is turned upside down by a phone call that threatens to destroy his relationship with his daughter”.
Finalist in the 2005 SnowyFest International Film Festival

And Everything Nice
7 minutes (2005), Director – Craig Boreham & Peta Lenehan

“The curiosity of a schoolgirl leads her to skip a day at school to observe a classmate as she wanders through the city”.
Shown at the 2006 Mardi Gras QueerScreen Short Film Festival.

One End Stands
11 minutes (2005), Director – Maiara Skarheim
“We all know the game but how well do we play it?
And who the hell is making the rules? Follow this young lesbian's scenic tour through her frustration and desire as she dives into the saucy trials and tribulation of getting a date, finding love … or just having good sex!” A young lesbian goes out clubbing with friends, frustrated by the lack of interest that other women show in her.
Shown at the 2006 Mardi Gras QueerScreen Short Film Festival.

About Personality 30 minutes (2005), Director – Scott Malcom and Matt Wright

“An engaging and informative documentary which takes a look into what it might mean to be queer. Relaxing and intimate portraits spoken with candour, explore the diverse questions of queer life and challenge the diverse assumptions perpetuated by Australian society.”
Screened at the 2006 Brisbane Queer Film festival.

BentFest: guide to venues, directions, maps…

2006-10-30T18:13:00.000+11:00

BentFest 2006 will be screening from a selection of well known Canberra venues.

The Coombes lecture theatre on the ANU Campus will host the Opening Night on the 10th and the Hot Pink Shorts competition on the 17th.

Click here for map of ANU Campus

Canberra Museum and Gallery, the home of our regular screenings throughout the year, will be the venue for the Amnesty Documentary: Dangerous Living, Screening on Sunday the 19th November and the lesbian film Saving Face on the 24th November.

The address of Canberra Museum and Gallery:
Cnr. London Circuit and Civic Square, Canberra City
Click here for map of Civic

The popular Canberra nightclub Holy Grail will host the close of BentFest 2006 and the Pride awards! Sordid Lives will be screening at Holy Grail on Thursday 30th November. Drinks and the Pride awards will precede the screening.

BentLenses - Annual General Meeting

2006-10-17T22:32:00.000+10:00

BentLenses will be holding our Annual General Meeting at Westlund House - this Wednesday the 18th October 2006.
The meeting starts at 6:30pm.

*all welcome!

Map for Westlund House

Women in Love and Gillery's little secret - screening this Friday

2006-10-17T22:19:00.000+10:00

It's movie time again this Friday the 20th October.
Can YOU keep a secret about the women you love?

"Women In Love"
(2005) USA, 59mins
Director: Karen Everet

A wild story of love and friendship set within the
sexually charged lesbian community of San Francisco.
Through home videos, candid interviews and video
diaries, award-winning lesbian filmmaker, Karen
Everett poses universal questions about the nature of
relationships, monogamy, and polyamory. Karen (My
Femme Divine) turns the camera on herself once more,
in this intensely introspective, raw, and fearless
autobiographical documentary that delves into the
difficult terrain of love, romance, relationships,
sex, polyamory, self-defined family, and how one
lesbian tries to juggle the various aspects of her
life. Beginning in the 1980s and culled from nearly
250 hours of home videos, candid interviews, and video
diaries, Everett captures a lesbian sexual renaissance
that was taking place in sex positive San Francisco in
the midst of the AIDS epidemic. While we are privy to
all the juicy, sexy details, we also follow Everett on
a personal journey that includes self-doubt, painful
loneliness, and heartbreak. Everett appeals to the
voyeur in us all as she unapologetically films even
the most sacred and intimate moments to bring her own
experience of lesbian life to the screen. (LD)

Short before the feature:
"Gillery's Little Secret" (2005) USA, 25minsDirector: Tina ScorzafavaBeautifully shot on super16 and superbly acted,starring Annabeth Gish, this short film tells thestory of a woman's journey to return home to confronta past love, uncovering a secret only now forced intothe light.

Time: tickets on sale from 7pm, film at 7.30pm
(come early and have a drink from the bar)

Cost: $12 Full / $7 Members & Concessions
(members don't forget your membership cards)

Location: Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG),
London Cct, Civic (opp. Bailey's Corner)

Festival - Tickets on Sale!

2006-10-12T20:40:00.000+10:00

Bring a little extra cash to this Friday night's film because we'll have tickets on sale for the opening night of BentFest 2006, our annual film festival. The opening film is "50 ways of saying fabulous" and will screen at Coombes Theatre, ANU on Friday 10 November.
See our website for more details.

Also - many thanks to Theo from Symagy (& also from BentLenses) for our new BentFest logo!

50 ways of saying fabulous
Admit one

Luster is screening on Friday the 13th!

Don't be scared to go out this Friday the 13th. Come out with us and watch "Luster", a refreshingly funny and sexy black comedy. It's got a sexy young blonde, a musician into S&M, a clean-cut record store customer, a hunky cousin, and a lesbian artist seductress. Sound like a party you've been to?

Time: tickets on sale from 7pm, film at 7.30pm(come early and have a drink from the bar)
Cost: $12 Full / $7 Members & Concessions (members don't forget your membership cards)Location: Canberra Museum and Gallery (CMAG), London Cct, Civic (opp. Bailey's Corner)

Calling for entries: Hot Pink Shorts

2006-10-01T22:31:00.000+10:00

ARE YOU READY TO TAKE ON CANBERRA?

Call for short film entries – BentFest 2006 ‘Hot Pink Shorts’ competition.

Canberra’s gay and lesbian film festival opens on the 10 November and runs to 1 December.

One of the most popular aspects of the festival is our short-film competition. Entries are now open for this!

The short film competition is open to all short films that have been made by, or for, members of the Queer community. Production date is open, although films that have been entered in previous Capital Queer Film Festivals are ineligible for the 2006 Competition. Films must not exceed 30 minutes in length. We can accept films only in VHS or DVD format.

Entries for the short film competition close Tuesday 24thth October 2005 and will be short-listed by the Bent Lenses Committee. All films on the short-list will be screened on the evening of Friday 24th November at The Australian National University’s Coombes Theatre. Judging of finalists will take place by a panel and announced on the evening of Friday 24th November.

First Prize is Aus$700. There is also an ‘audience favourite’ award of $300. This will be selected through an audience survey/poll on the night.

Our aim is to bring queer screen culture to Canberra and to support the development of independent film-makers. So, we encourage you to enter your short film for competition, even if you have never entered a festival before or are unsure if the film is good enough…. This will help our festival and also give you a chance to have your films shown publicly on the big screen. Where possible Bent Lenses will endeavour to screen, with due permission from the film maker, short films which are not short listed for competition.

For more information about the festival or to obtain an entry form, please email capitalqueerfilm@hotmail.com

2006-09-27T10:33:00.000+10:00

Technorati Profile

Website Makeover!

2006-09-27T10:22:00.000+10:00

The new website for BentLenses is up and running.
bentlenses.interact.com.au
Many thanks to Theo from Symagy who volunteered his time and resources to design the site and Mark Semmler our webmaster.

BentFest: Screening Sordid Lives

2006-09-19T19:58:00.000+10:00

Sordid Lives
Screening - Thursday 30th November

Keep your social calendar clear Canberra’s Queer Film Festival will be screening Sordid Lives. - A black comedy about white trash.

If you've got a taste for big hair, broad Texas accents, and gay rights, this mixture of white-trash comedy and coming-out melodrama is for you. Sordid Lives starts out as chicken-fried farce, as a funeral is prepared for a woman who died when she tripped over her adulterous lover's wooden legs; about midway the emphasis shifts to a drag queen unfairly held in a mental institution and the dead woman's grandson, an actor in Los Angeles who hasn't come out to his mother, and of course a lesbian country singer played by Olivia! But it must be said that the cast (including Bonnie Bedelia, Beau Bridges, Delta Burke, and Olivia Newton-John) dive right in, no matter how over-the-top their characters get. — Bret Fetzer (Amazon)
Starring Delta Burke, Beau Bridges and with appearance and songs by Olivia Newton John Dir: Del Shores, USA, 2000

Olivia Newton John as Bitsy Mae Harling, a lesbian ex-con country and western singer

More about Sordid Lives

San Francisco Bay Times:
http://www.sfbaytimes.com/index.php?sec=article&article_id=5195

Del Shores Playwright
http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsS/shores-del.html

Listen to the Soundtrack
http://www.cduniverse.com/productinfo.asp?pid=1888216&BAB=E

BentFest: Canberra's Queer Film Festival - Opens Friday November 10 2006

2006-09-17T21:22:00.000+10:00

Opening Night - Friday 10 November 2006

50 ways of Saying Fabulous will screen on the opening night of Canberra's queer film festival.

See the official site for more information about this widely acclaimed New Zealand film:
http://50waysofsayingfabulous.com

A coming of age tale, following 12 year old Billy (Patterson), who has the misfortune to be growing up gay in Otago in the 70’s.

He’s obsessed with the heroine of his favourite TV show, awful at rugby and upstaged by his tomboy cousin Lou (Beattie). While Lou is tough enough to get away with being different, Billy is the target for bullies, at least whenever Lou can't protect him.

Things take a turn with the arrival of the gawky, slightly older Roy (Collins). Billy is torn between gratitude at having a new friend and glee at finally having somebody even lower on the social totem pole. As Billy gets increasingly, secretly intimate with Roy, he comes under pressure to deride him in front of others. Meanwhile things get trickier still when Billy starts obsessing over hunky farmhand Jamie (Dorman).
50 ways of Saying Fabulous is screening currently at film festivals the world over.
The tale of Billy, a charming thirteen-year-old who seems unlikely to join the school rugby team or follow in his father's farmer footsteps. Set in 1970s rural New Zealand, it's an exploration and celebration of difference and of being true to one's self.

Cast
Andrew Patterson, Harriet Beattie, Jay Collins, Georgia McNeil, Michael Dorman, Rima Te Wiata

Directed by
Stewart Main (Desperate Remedies)

Written by
Stewart Main (based on the novel by Graeme Aitken)

Cinematography by
Simon Raby

Festivals & Awards
Toronto Film Festival OutTakes Film Festival [NZ] Queer Film Festival [Australia]

[film review courtesy of http://www.flicks.co.nz/movie.php?movieid=414]

Screenings - Canberra Museum and Gallery

2006-09-15T20:50:00.000+10:00

Bent Lenses: next film screens Friday - 22 September 2006

'The Aggressives'

(2004) USA, 75mins, Director: Daniel Peddle

A compelling documentary that grants access to an otherwise inaccessible and, as yet, uncommodified subculture of NYC's working class African-American 'Aggressives'. These lesbian identified women slip between the cracks of drag king, butch and transgender to create something else entirely. The director Daniel Peddle is a white man and fashion industry casting director specialising in 'real people'. He follows the lives of these 'studs and players' over a period of five years, documenting what is important to them: relationships, sex, work, play, family and survival. The variety of gender expressions is impressive. From the meltingly handsome army recruit, Marquise, who considers taking hormones against his girlfriend's wishes, to Kisha, catwalk model and courier who describes 'being Aggressive' as 'basically being about who wears the pants. I'm aggressive. I'm femme aggressive. I'm a beautiful aggressive woman.'

Tickets on sale from 7pm

Film starts at 7.30pm

Patrons must be 18+

About the author and this blog

2006-09-15T20:19:00.000+10:00

I'm Robyn van Dyk and the author of this blog. I am the festival director for 2006 and have been a part of BentLenses since 2001. I directed the festival also in 2005 and have been the treasurer for BentLenses since we started.

The aim of this blog is to advertise the festival and keep everyone up to date on the films we will be screening as well as when and where events will be held. Another important aim of this blog is to document the festival events, the films screened, the winners of our Hot Pink Shorts comp, venues and many other aspects that go into making a successful festival. This kind of information can be lost and forgotten over time.

A lot of work goes into putting on a festival even a small event such as ours. BentLenses is run by a small dedicated group of volunteers, we have some sponsorship from the local community, including the Gay and Lesbian Tennis Club and other local businesses.

We would like to thank Canberra's GLBTI community for coming to our regular screenings throughout the year and supporting our festival each Spring!

I hope you enjoy BentFest 2006!

Robyn