This year’s Opening Night feature film is Queens --– a delightful and very contemporary screwball comedy that stars several of Spain’s best-known acting divas playing mothers whose gay sons are about to get married in Spain’s first mass same-sex wedding.
Director Q Allan Brocka, whose comedy Eating Out was a hit at Out Takes 2004, returns with another sexy, sophisticated feature Boy Culture, which is a situation comedy about a rent boy and his queer ‘family’ of roommates that plays with all the usual conventions of gay cinema and gives them a new twist.
Other recent hits on the queer film festival circuit include Loggerheads, a stunning feature about love and family relationships that revolves around a young drifter, and Unveiled. Out Takes programmer Wendy Houlahan says “Unveiled is one of the best lesbian features we’ve seen in recent years. It’s a very moving drama about an Iranian refugee who is forced to survive in Germany by passing as a man.”
“We’re also thrilled to have secured Loving Annabelle, which was a lesbian favourite at the recent Melbourne queer film festival. It’s a sexy and modern re-telling of the lesbian classic Maidens in Uniform with its taboo subject of love between a student and a teacher.”
Out Takes has undergone re-branding in 2006 and now has a brand spanking new look and feel. The festival name ‘Out Takes 2006: A Reel Queer Film Festival’ is a move away from ‘Gay & Lesbian Film Festival’ to incorporate the name of the community group that has organised Out Takes since 1995 and also to reflect the fact that the festival includes films and documentaries with a variety of queer themes and characters. For example, this year Out Takes 2006 includes Both – a new feature film about a woman dealing with her past and intersex identity, and a number of transgender documentaries such as the novel, fun Norwegian doco 100% Human which is both a documentary and a musical!
The festival organisers are producing larger programme brochures this year. Look out for the distinctive Out Takes cover image which has been art-directed by award-winning photographer Ross Brown and Ad agency Young and Rubicam. Programmes are available in Auckland, Wellington and Christchuch from 1 May 2006.
Other innovations in 2006 include a membership scheme to replace bonus cards. Members can receive discounted prices on tickets and also go in a draw to win a trip to Fiji. Memberships cost just $6 and can be purchased online until 20 May.
Festival Dates
Out Takes 2006: A Reel Queer Film Festival is presented in three cities:
Auckland
25 May – 5 June, Village SKYCITY Cinemas, Queen Street
Wellington
1 – 11 June, Paramount
Christchurch
8 – 14 June, Regent on Worcester Cinemas
