Working through arts collaboration, SLC Film Center and Salt Lake Film Society present the 7th annual “Damn! These Heels: LGBT Film Festival.” Opening night celebrations to take place on Thursday evening, June 10th at 7:00 p.m. with a screening of JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK followed by a Gala celebration presented by Queer Lounge. The festival will continue through Sunday, June 13 and includes 16 unreleased and world premiere films as well as four shorts by lesbian, gay, transgender or bi-sexual storytellers.
All screenings for the festival take place at Salt Lake Film Society’s historic Tower Theatre, 900 S. 876 E. Passes can be purchased at the box office of the Tower Theatre and online at www.damntheseheels.org beginning May 17. A limited number of V.I.P ‘Grizzly’ passes will be offered for $50 that include all-access to Opening Night celebrations and Gala, plus seating at the Centerpiece Screenings of the much anticipated “8: The Mormon Proposition” and “Howl.” Additional ‘Goldilocks’ passes are another way to see the Centerpiece Screenings and may be purchased for $25 and will include entry to all Friday, Saturday and Sunday screenings (a savings of $55 off individual screening prices). Individual tickets to non-Centerpiece Screenings will be available at the Tower during the fest for $5.00.
The Festival line-up for this year includes some of the best American Independent and foreign LGBT films as well as a re-issue of a 1977 classic and a midnight cult film. The programming team’s curatorial choices include talented directors as; Rob Epstein, Reed Cowan, and Cheryl Dunye.
The complete list of the 7th Annual “Damn! These Heels: LGBT Film Festival”
OPENING NIGHT w/party hosted by Queer Lounge
JOAN RIVERS: A PIECE OF WORK
Directed by Ricki Stern & Anne Sundberg
A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old. (84 min. USA)
2010 Sundance Film festival, 2010 Tribeca Film Festival
CENTERPIECE SCREENINGS
8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION
Directed by Reed Cowan
The Mormon Church, with its front-group THE NATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR MARRIAGE, has been coordinating, financing and leading the effort to stop the advancement of marriage equality for more than three decades. (80 min. USA) 2010 Sundance Film Festival
HOWL
Directed by Rob Epstein
It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads. (90 min. USA) 2010 Sundance Film Festival, 2010 Berlin International Film Festival
REGULAR SCREENINGS
BORN IN ’68 (Nés en 68), French w/English Subtitles
Directed by Olivier Ducastel
A group of revolutionary students experiences rebellion, enlightenment, and change while establishing a commune devoted to free love, anarchy, and nudism, only to see their children eventually engage in a similarly styled rebellion 20 years later. (173 min. France)
EYES WIDE OPEN (Einaym Phuhot), Hebrew & Yiddish w/English subtitles
Directed By Haim Tabakman
Aaron Fleishman is a father of 4 who takes over the family kosher butcher shop following the death of his father. Aarons observant world is turned upside down with the arrival of a young Yeshiva student Ezri. (95 min. Israel/Germany/France) 2009 Cannes International Film Festival; 2009 Toronto International Film Festival; 2010 International Film Festival Rotterdam
FOUR FACED LIAR
Directed by Jacob Chase
A story of love and lies for four twenty-somethings looking to find themselves in New York City. Through their chance meeting, the four bond and over time all of their relationships with one another morph into love, betrayal and heartbreak for all. (88 min. USA) 2010 Slamdance Film Festival
MY BUDDY CLAUDIA (Meu Amigo Claudia), Portuguese w/English subtitles
Directed by Dácio Pinheiro
We will follow he transvestite Claudia Wonder, and what happened in the city of Sao Paulo in the 70's, 80's, 90's and 2000's. She broke through the prejudices and was able to take the transvestites away from the police columns to the cultural pages of newspapers and magazines. (87 min. Brazil) 2009 Frameline International Film Festival
THE OWLS
Directed by Cheryl Dunye
The Owls is an experimental thriller about four aging lesbians who accidentally kill a younger one and try to get away with it. (76 min. USA) 2010 Berlin International Film Festival
PATRICK 1.5, Swedish w/English subtitles
Directed by Ella Lemhagen
Goran and Sven have been cleared for adoption and they have a possibility to adopt a Swedish orphan, Patrick 1.5. But when Patrick arrives he turns out to be someone else, a 15-year-old homophobic with a criminal past. (103 min. Sweden) 2008 Toronto International Film Festival; 2009 Outfest Film Festival
PLAN B, Spanish w/English subtitles
Directed by Marco Berger
When Bruno is dumped by his girlfriend, his mind plans a cold, sweet vengeance but, along the way something else happens. (103 min. Argentina) 2009 Rome Film Festival; 2009 London Film Festival; 2010 Palm Springs International Film Festival; 2010 FilmOut San Diego
UNDERTOW (Contracorriente), Spanish w/English Subtitles
Directed by Javier Fuentes-León
An unusual ghost story set on the Peruvian seaside; a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town's rigid traditions. (100 min. Peru/Columbia) Winner, Audience Award - World Cinema 2010 Sundance Film Festival, Winner, Sebastian Award - San Sebastian International Film Festival 2009
VIOLET TENDENCIES
Directed by Casper Andreas
A woman tries to distance herself from her gay friends in an effort to land a straight boyfriend. (101 min. USA) 2010 Berlin International Film Festival
WILLIAM S. BURROUGHS: A MAN WITHIN
Directed by Yony Leyser
This extremely personal documentary breaks the surface of the troubled and brilliant world of one of the greatest authors of all time. This is the first and only posthumous documentary about this legendary figure. (90 min. USA) 2010 Slamdance Film Festival
WE HAVE TO STOP NOW
Directed by Robyn Dettman
A hilarious web-series featuring two lesbian therapists struggle to keep up the pretense of staying together when a documentary film crew invades their home after the success of their book "How to Succeed in Marriage without Even Trying." (76 min. USA)
WORD IS OUT
Directed by Nancy Adair, Andrew Brown, Rob Epstein
Twenty-six homosexual men and lesbian women give in-depth interviews to the filmmakers, revealing aspects about gay life that shatter widespread stereotypes. This 1977 documentary also examines the issues of racial minorities within the gay community. Beautifully restored for its 30th anniversary. (124 min. USA)
ZOMBIES OF MASS DESTRUCTION
Directed by Kevin Hamedani
Life in a conservative small town is complicated enough for a young Iranian-American woman and a not-completely-out gay couple, but now they also have to deal with zombie hordes in this splatter-filled comedy. (92 min. USA) 2010 After Dark Horror Fest; 2010 FilmOut San Diego
SHORT FILMS
TREMBLE AND SPARK MOUSE’S BIRTHDAY
Directed by KA Burkhardt Directed by Barry Morse
JIZ & THE MAMOGRAMS THE SINGLE MOTHER
Directed by Sienna D’Enema Directed by Ryan Logan
The 7th Annual “Damn! These Heels: LGBT Film Festival” is generously sponsored by the Utah Pride Center and X96. Additional support provided by The B.W. Bastian Foundation, Salt Lake City Weekly, Dancing Llama Foundation, KRCL, Molding Box, Q Salt Lake, Queer Lounge, Weinholtz Family Foundation, James Dabakis.
For information on how to sponsor or volunteer, please contact the programming team at 801.746.7000 or visit us on the official “Damn! These Heels: LGBT Film Festival” website at www.damntheseheels.org.
SLC Film Center brings the world of film to local audiences through free community screenings and discussions, outreach programs, and visiting artists and professionals. Emphasizing social content and artistic excellence, we present the best documentary, independent, and dramatic cinema year-round. We collaborate with various educational and community organizations to promote a diversity of ideas, to provide forums for underrepresented groups, and to develop new audiences for film.
The SLC Film Center and its programs are made possible largely by funding from: The George S. and Dolores Dore Eccles Foundation, The Swartz Foundation, Zoo, Arts and Parks and the Utah Humanities Council
Salt Lake Film Society (SLFS) was founded by community-minded film enthusiasts in 2001 to provide independent, foreign and documentary film as well as related cultural and educational programs to Salt Lake County residents all year round. SLFS operates the Historic Tower Theatre and Broadway Centre Cinemas as well as 12 educational, low-income access and film fostering around the county and the state. SLFS is a community link to diverse artistic voices and ensures Utah's minority demographics have opportunities to see their culture represented through the moving image. SLFS combines purpose with community and creates a unique environment of challenge, discussion or growth in different experiences in the motion picture arts. To learn more about supporting SLFS by becoming a member, volunteer or sponsor call 801-746-0038 or visit www.saltlakefilmsociety.org
Contact: SLC Film Center
Levi Elder
lelder@slcfilmcenter.org
801.746.7000
