From June 20-30, Frameline: The San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival is showing an eclectic lineup of films steeped in social, political, and sexual themes, pushing the boundaries and bringing audiences closer to the incredible stories of numerous individuals and communities, both fictional and real. Tickets for screenings are available at http://ticketing.frameline.org/festival/. Here is a glance at two of this year’s festival entries:
C.O.G. (USA, 2013)
Based on the unassuming essay by David Sedaris and under the steady direction of Kyle Patrick Alvarez, C.O.G. is the piercingly honest tale of a young man’s escape from his privileged Ivy-league world into the apple orchards and Christian community of a small town outside Portland, OR. The sold out audience at the Castro Theatre laughed, cheered, sat silent, and gasped, and left with a welcome sense of renewal, as if the film’s flawed characters had challenged each of us to examine ourselves in a way we hadn’t considered for some time.
C.O.G. screened on Saturday, June 22nd. For more info on the film, visit the film’s festival page or C.O.G.’s official website at http://www.cog-movie.com/
In the Name Of (Poland, 2012)
In the Name Of tells the affecting story of a priest in a remote Polish village where he oversees a group of troubled and disabled teens and must balance his duties and his faith with his blossoming relationship with one of the young men. The film is a powerful commentary on the Catholic Church and its treatment of homosexuality. Even though the film does not take a hateful stance, it pushes the viewer into feeling the struggles of those shackled by the rules of society and religion, and the fragility of tested values.
In the Name Of will be screening at the Castro Theatre tomorrow, Tuesday, June 25, at 7:00 PM.
For tickets, visit the film’s festival page.
