people don’t understand the culture. As I travel to other countries, I’ve never had a problem as a gay man. The Latino countries and culture have been totally accepting and I’ve been treated with nothing but respect. Latinos are not a monster to the LGBTQ community. Talk to me about your drag beginnings. I first put on drag when I was


“When we first talked about starting CineGay, there was a lot of fighting, a lot of doubts. There was a lot of concern the festival would lose sponsors, but it all worked out.”


friends who died working


in the fields back to Mexico for burial. I lived


in Stockton, Califor- nia at the time and started


18, 46 years ago. I knew I was gay since I was little and my parents gave me unconditional love. My dad read about LGBTQ topics and spoke to me when I was 18. My dad and my mom were very open and supportive. I was the middle child out of nine and my parents told my eight brothers and sisters, “Someday, Franko is going to bring a boyfriend home and we will all accept him.” My father also encouraged us all to become educated, he would say “Use your mind, not your fist” to solve problems. My father actually gave me my drag name! He told me to be Franceska with a K so it would sound stronger. How did your amazing history of community involvement begin? I had to raise $3,000 to send the bodies of three of my


asking around for money. A gay bar there encouraged me to perform in drag for a fundraiser. That was the beginning and I raised the money I needed. I kept raising money for child abuse, farm workers, and people with HIV and did the first ever Latino AIDS fundraiser in San Diego in 1985. I also opened a hospice, Las Memorias, in Tijuana back in the 1980s and it’s still going strong, we open the door to all, everyone is welcome.


Any final words or word of advice to share? I do what I can to help those in


need, I create for everyone, not just Latinos. It takes a village, mi hijo.


NOTEWORTHY SOMOS! OFFERINGS


Body Electric This Brazilian drama is “very youthful and full of energy,” according to programmer Esparza. It also won a Grand Jury award at Outfest in 2017 for Outstanding International Narrative Feature. In the film, carefree Elias works at a textile factory, juggling long shifts, dreams of the sea, and animated nights out with no-strings sexual encounters. As he tries to discern where his future may lead him, Elias tries to take pleasure in the small things in life. After yet another night of working overtime, he and his coworkers decide to go out for a bit of fun, ultimately leading to new encounters and unexpected desires. Muy caliente!


Bones of Contention The dark history of Spain’s Franco era, including the punishing persecution of the LGBTQ community, is the subject of this unsettling yet absorbing and moving documentary. It is centered on the poetry and actions of famed Spanish poet Federico García Lorca, a longtime symbol of the gay movement in the Franco dictatorship.


En algún lugar Set against the background of a broken U.S. immigra- tion system, this is at heart a love story between Abel and Diego. When tragedy strikes and Diego’s immigra- tion status is revealed, the two young men discover the power of love during uncertain times.


Tierra Firme Eva and Kat, both in their mid-30’s, share a humble yet carefree lifestyle in their London canal boat. Things between them get turned upside down when Eva presents Kat with an ultimatum: she wants a child. Kat resists, knowing that it will end the bohemian lifestyle she’s always envisioned with Eva. But when Kat’s best friend, Roger, drops in from Barcelona, they decide to use him as a donor to start a family. Ultimately, they all have to redefine their concept of what it means to be a family.


Signature Move Zaynab, a thirty-something Pakistani, Muslim, lesbian in Chicago, takes care of her sweet and TV-obsessed mother. As Zaynab falls for Alma, a bold and very bright Mexican woman, she searches for her identity in life, love and wrestling. This relatable tale has won numerous awards at other film festivals including FilmOut and Outfest.


As a programmer of Long Beach’s annual QFilm Festival, I was curious


to know what Esparza thinks of the current quality of LGBTQ films being submitted to his and other festivals. “It becomes harder and harder to say ‘no’ to filmmakers,” he reported to my general agreement. “There are so many exceptional films submitted every year; we hate to have to reject so many great submissions, which makes the curatorial job more challenging.”


A selection of terrific LGBTQ short films will also be screened. Complete Somos! Film Showcase information including dates, showtimes and ticket sales may be found at sdlatinofilm.com.


MARCH 2018 | RAGE monthly 11


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