The 34th annual Frameline LGBT Film Festival, which remains the largest of its kind in the world, will take place in San Francisco from June 17-27. Packed into those eleven days will be hundreds of narrative films, documentaries, and shorts covering nearly every conceivable angle of the LGBT experience from just about every corner of the globe. After the jump, Spinning Platters helps you narrow it all down by picking three films from each of four main categories.
OPENING/CLOSING/CENTERPIECE/SHOWCASE FILMS
Beautiful Darling: The Life and Times of Candy Darling, Warhol Superstar
Wednesday, June 23, 7:00 PM
Castro Theatre
USA, 2009, 85 min. Transgender pioneer Candy Darling was a queen among muses, inspiring Andy Warhol, Lou Reed, and Richard Avedon, among others. This hypnotically engaging film explores the universal question her life poses: Does anyone see me for who I really am?
The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls
Sunday, June 20, 3:45 PM
Castro Theatre
New Zealand, 2009, 84 min. A documentary escapade about this pair of yodeling, lesbian, comedian, activist twin sisters, The Topp Twins, who have captured the hearts of their home country, New Zealand, and became national treasures. An indisputable audience favorite at film festivals around the world.
Howl
Sunday, June 27, 7:30 PM
Castro Theatre
USA, 2010, 90 min. James Franco stars as a young Allen Ginsberg in this highly-anticipated genre-bender about the spark of a literary revolution. A star-studded cast (including Jon Hamm, Jeff Daniels, and Mary-Louise Parker), spectacular animation, and a minimalist score make this a fascinating portrait of groundbreaking poet Ginsberg and Howl’s obscenity trial.
SAN FRANCISCO CINEMA
Baby Jane?
Tuesday, June 22, 9:45 PM
Castro Theatre
USA, 2009, 97 min. Bette and Joan, eat your hearts out! This drag-studded recreation of the 1962 classic What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? drops us back into the depths of sisterly detestation. Featuring a top-notch cast of local queens, including half of the drag Golden Girls cast (Matthew Martin, pictured above, and erstwhile Trannyshack hostess Heklina).
The Stranger in Us
Wednesday, June 23, 6:45 PM
Roxie Theater
USA, 2010, 106 min. This local debut feature is a sympathetic portrait of losing and regaining oneself in the concrete jungle. When a struggling poet leaves his abusive boyfriend, he befriends a mostly-straight hustler, and they forge a new path together through SF’s gritty streets.
Trans Francisco
Saturday, June 19, 11:00 AM
Victoria Theatre
USA, 2009, 54 min. Trans Francisco uncovers the diverse — and often misunderstood — lives of transwomen in the Bay Area. Shown with When I’m Not Alone, the story of a victim of abuse who finds hope at a clubhouse for people with disabilities.
DOCUMENTARIES
The Sisters
Tuesday, June 22, 7:00 PM
Victoria Theatre
Austria, 2009, 74 min. Since their inception to combat HIV and AIDS, the infamous Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence have established missions all over the world with glitter, wit, and charity. Come explore the Sisterhood in locations ranging from Berlin to San Francisco to Uruguay.
8: The Mormon Proposition
Friday, June 18, 7:00 PM
Victoria Theatre
USA, 2010, 78 min. Get ready to get mad all over again. Fresh from Sundance, 8: The Mormon Proposition shows the devastating emotional impact caused by the Mormon Church’s fight against gay marriage in California.
William S. Burroughs: A Man Within
Sunday, June 20, 7:00 PM
Victoria Theatre
USA, 2009, 90 min. This long-awaited documentary follows the life and times of Beat writer, literary outlaw, and ex-junkie William S. Burroughs. Combining never-before-seen footage and interviews with a counterculture who’s-who, A Man Within is a revealing portrait of the man behind the icon.
U.S. FEATURES AND WORLD CINEMA
BearCity
Saturday, June 26, 8:30 PM
Castro Theatre
USA, 2010, 100 min. A quirky group of fuzzy, funny friends is getting ready for the annual summer celebration of bears, but plans keep getting turned upside down. It’s a hairy Sex and the City — seriously, sit with that image for a few minutes.
Mädchen in Uniform
Wednesday, June 23, 1:30 PM
Castro Theatre
Germany, 1958, 95 min. A rare and influential gem pulled from the archives! German screen legend Romy Schneider stars as Manuela, the spirited teenage orphan who arrives at a strict all-girls boarding school. Full of sugar, spice, and a nice bunch of hormones, she falls in love with her teacher, Fräulein von Bernburg (the beautiful Lilli Palmer) — much to the dismay of the school’s authoritarian headmistress.
Spring Fever
Thursday, June 24, 9:30 PM
Castro Theatre
Hong Kong, 2009, 115 min. Set in the damp, moody springtime of Nanjing, this Peyton Place-meets-Jules et Jim Cannes award-winning drama follows the clandestine gay and bisexual trysts of five young people in this impressionistic look at modern life in urban China.
For a complete Frameline schedule and ticket information, check out their official site.
