desert rage PALM SPRINGS


COOL QUEER CINEMA


Opening Night Gala Tuesday, June 20 6:30 to 10 p.m. Camelot Theatres, 2300 E Baristo Road Kick off the 23rd edition of ShortFest with feel-good films and comedies!


INTERNATIONAL SHORTFEST HOT SHORTS AND


Palm Springs International ShortFest (PSISF) has become the most “sizzle-worthy” short film event in North America, bragging rights backed up by the fact that over 100 have gone on to receive Oscar nominations and/or awards. The annual, diminutive-but-noteworthy, silver screen affair serves up


more than 325 short films from over 50 countries, grouped in roughly 90-minute “themed” programs. Assemblages that feature comedy, romance, animation, action, documentaries and include an impressive swath of LGBT-themed content amongst the many offerings. With so much to choose from, we’ve had to limit our selections to the


few that best address the LGBT community...And our page count. But, don’t limit yourself, there are hundreds more to choose from!


by joel martens


Blind Sex: France, Director Sarah Santamaria-Mertens. Louise, a 20-year- old blind girl, has a chance encounter at a nudist campsite that shakes up her regular habits.


The Nettle:Czech Republic, Director Piaoyu Xie. Nikola begins a process of self-discovery just as he leaves to join his girlfriend on summer vacation at her father’s house in the country.


Apart from Everything:Canada, Director Ben Lewis. After a two-year absence and a stint in rehab, Fran (Tatiana Maslany,Orphan Black) returns to face the fallout with the girlfriend and brother she left behind.


Dust:Canada, Director J. Adam Brown. When Isaac begins his transition from male to female, Logan must deal with the grief of “losing” his older brother.


Yes But No Thanks: Canada, Director Alexa-Jeanne Dubé. An exploration of an ambiguous relationship marked with admiration, power games, maternal tenderness and sexual attraction.


I Like Girls:Canada, Director Diane Obomsawin. Through endearing anthropomorphic figures, various women recount the awkwardness and joy of their first loves.


The Mess He Made:USA, Director Matthew Puccini. A man spends 15 minutes waiting for the results of a Rapid HIV Test.


Ocean Swells:Norway, Director Sverre Matias Glenne. Two young men find safety in each other’s friendship, taking shelter from online dating and past relationships.


(More to be announced)


LGBT SLATE OF FILMS:


Sunset:USA, Director Gary Jaffe. In spring 1942, a young duty-bound gay man must decide whether to serve overseas or stay in New York City with his streetwise lover.


The World In Your Window: New Zealand, Director Zoe McIntosh. Eight-year-old Jesse and an unexpected friend, try to help Jesse’s father stop looking back and move forward.


(le) Rebound:France/Germany, Director Laura Beckner. A heartbroken young woman follows a rebound fling to France to escape from her past.


Goddess:India/USA, Director Karishma Dube. A closeted lesbian in New Delhi risks family and social boundaries as she pursues her household maid, Devi.


Spring:USA, Director Laurel Parmet. Amanda struggles to keep something inside as she spends the day taking pictures of her best friend.


Love the Sinner:USA, Director Geeta Gandbhir. Evangelical roots of homophobia are explored in the wake of the recent gun massacre in Orlando.


All Of Me:U.K., Director Daphne Schmon. Viv, a talented genderqueer musician faces late stage Leukemia. A bone marrow transplant from her estranged family is her best hope, but reconnecting means confronting a difficult past.


Tonight It’s You:USA, Director Dominic Haxton. Bored one night, CJ, uses a hookup app to meet Hunter. When Hunter’s father discovers what’s going on, things take a dark turn.


Marz:USA, Director Bobby Yan. A friendship is put to the test after a fleeting encounter stirs up emotions that neither are equipped to answer.


Alex and the Handyman:USA, Director Nicholas Colia. A precocious nine-year-old boy develops a crush on a twenty-five-year-old handyman.


Virtual Reality Lounge Thursday and Friday, June 22 and 23 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Riviera Resort & Spa, 1600 N Indian Canyon Drive FREE to the public. Experience the immense potential that virtual reality has in overcoming economic, physical, social and geographical boundaries.


ShortFest Forum Riviera Resort & Spa, 1600 N Indian Canyon Drive Working industry professionals from a variety of disciplines who share their knowledge and practical experience, covering a wide range of trends and new practices throughout the global film community.


ShortFest Film Market Tuesday, June 20 through Saturday, June 24, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, June 25 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Riviera Resort & Spa Exclusively set up to promote the business of short films, the Film Market library consists of over 3,500 titles available for viewing at screening stations. Open to accredited sales agents, distributors, festival organiz- ers, filmmakers and other industry representatives.


Closing Night Awards Sunday, June 25 6:30 to 10 p.m. Camelot Theatres, 2300 E Baristo Road Honors the winning films and filmmakers from 2017’s slate of short films selected by this year’s audience and jury of film professionals.


The Streets Are Ours: Two Lives Cross in Karachi: USA/Pakistan, 2017, 17 minutes, Director Michelle Fiordaliso. A documentary: When Fawzia Mirza, an American actress meets Sabeen Mahmud, a world-renowned Pakistani activist and founder of a progressive cafe (T2F), Mirza’s life changes forever.


My Mom and The Girl: USA, 2016, 20 minutes, Director Susie Singer Carter. Dinner with friends takes a dark turn and leads retired jazz singer (Valerie Harper) suffering with Alzheimer’s and her caregiver (Liz Torres) to a proverbial crossroads on the streets of East Los Angeles where they encounter The Girl (Harmony Santana).


Individual tickets for short film screenings will be available for purchase beginning Wednesday, June 14, with passes for 2017 ShortFest available now. For more informa- tion, go topsfilmfest.org/2017-shortfest.


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RAGE monthly | JUNE 2017


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