community
CELEBRATING LONG BEACH PRIDE by chris carpenter Although it is located a good 30 miles from the
RAINBOW REEL FILM FEST
glitz and glamor of Hollywood, the Filmmakers’ Gallery of Long Beach is rapidly becoming known within the movie industry. The intimate screening room is located at 2238 E. Broadway, just down from Hot Java and other popular LGBTQ establishments. It recently hosted local premieres of the Jennifer Aniston-starring Cake (written by out Long Beach resident Patrick Tobin) and the award-winning trans hit Tangerine, among others. This month, founders/curators Paul Belsito and Steven Roche will debut the Rainbow Reel Pride Party during Long Beach Pride weekend. This LGBTQ-themed short film festival, amusingly subtitled Do These Shorts Make Me Look Gay?, takes place on Saturday, May 21 from 2 to 7 p.m., with doors opening at 1:30 p.m. The Filmmakers’ Gallery will mark its fourth anniversary this June. “We are pleased with it and keep striving to make it better,” Belsito said during a recent phone interview with he and Roche, who are also married. “Our goal and mission is to spotlight other artists and educate Long Beach about the city’s filmmaking history.” Indeed, Charlie Chaplin and other notables had studio space in the seaside community south of L.A., way back in the silent film era.
Our goal and mission is to spotlight other artists and educate Long Beach about the city’s filmmaking history.”
Rainbow Reel Pride Party will spotlight current LGBTQ web series episodes and independent short films. Several of their producers and actors will be in attendance. A yet-to-be-announced feature film will also be screened. The general admission charge of $20 ($15 for Gallery members) includes rainbow-themed cocktails served with Skittles and Mike & Ike’s candies, hot appetizers, decadent desserts and, of course, popcorn. “We presented a month of Pride-related films last
year but not during Pride weekend itself because it’s just too crazy,” Belsito remarked. The weekend draws tens of thousands of people to Long Beach between the annual festival, parade and related events. The Filmmakers’ Gallery is just a few short blocks from Sunday’s parade route. Belsito and Roche are successful filmmakers themselves, having produced the anti-bullying documentary Teach Your Children Well, narrated by Lily Tomlin and the popular web series Child of the ‘70s. Asked if they prefer to be known as documentarians, Belsito replied, “We are film- makers in general; we don’t want to pigeonhole ourselves.” The pair is currently developing a new web series that will star MADtv’s hilarious Debra Wilson and David Mandel-Bloch, better known as young warlock Adam Stephens on TV’s Bewitched back in the ‘70s. In addition to serving as a screening room,
the Filmmakers’ Gallery will be presenting a professional acting class starting in May, as well as a documentary filmmaking seminar.
For more information about all their upcoming events, check out the Filmmakers’ Gallery Facebook page or go to
thefilmmakersgallery.com.
RAINBOW REEL PRIDE WEB SERIES EPISODES SELECTIONS AND SHORT FILMS FOR SATURDAY:
My Sister Is So Gay: A 2 to 3:30 p.m. screening, followed by a Q&A with the cast and crew.
Daddy Hunt: The Serial: A 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. screening, followed by a Q&A with the cast via Skype.
Child Of The ‘70s episodes: Keeping Up With Ralph, Coming
Out...To My Wife, My Coming Out Song—Gay Gay, Dating In L.A. and Casting In L.A: 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. screenings, followed by a Q&A via Skype with Ralph Mayer.
Surprise LGBT Feature Film at 5:15 p.m. with “Surprise special guests” there to sign autographs for an additional $20 per personally- addressed photo.
As if that weren’t enough to feature during Pride month, the Filmmakers’ Gallery will also be screening the 1980 camp classic Can’t Stop the Music, starring The Village People and Bruce Jenner (pre-Caitlyn), on Saturday, May 14 and a Divine Intervention tribute to drag actor Divine on Sunday, May 15.
I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Pride cinematically.
10
RAGE monthly | MAY 2016
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64