Lights, camera, queerness! LGBTQ cinephiles rejoice for Prism 36, the 36th annual edition of Austin’s oldest and queerest celebration of cinema from aGLIFF, aka the All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival.
This year’s festival theme is “Find Your Friends,” according to aGLIFF Board President Todd Hogan. Utilizing film and the theatre as a gathering space reflects the need for community in the face of anti-LGBTQ legislative attacks across the country. “We believe in the universal language of film, which helps people discover shared humanity,” Hogan said. “As we continue to confront institutional bias, we are more driven than ever to educate both within and outside our LGBTQ+ community through powerful stories captured on film.”
Opening night film Glitter & Doom, a jukebox musical featuring the Grammy Award winning music of the Indigo Girls, follows a romance between a musician and a run-away kid. “I’m excited to kick off PRISM 36 with Glitter & Doom, a bold, queer vision full of music, dance and imagery, capturing all the possibilities of film,” said Artistic Director Bears Rebecca Fonté. A fully star-stocked cast brings the glitter, featuring Alex Diaz, Alan Cammish, Missy Pyle, Ming-Na Wen, Tig Notaro, Peppermint, and Beth Malone. Plus, cameos from the Indigo Girls’ Amy Ray and Emily Saliers. “The Indigo Girls have given us so many great songs over the years,” Fonté said, “but now director Tom Gustafson has reimagined them with all the pizazz of Moulin Rouge to turn even beloved classics into something unexpected.”
aGLIFF PRISM 36 runs in-person August 23-27, virtually Aug. 28-Sept. 4. Badges $125 (early bird discount price of $95 through July 23). Single-screening tickets $15, $25 for Glitter & Doom. Available at agliff.org.
Here is the current Prism 36 film lineup, with updates to come over the next few weeks.
Glitter & Doom
D: Tom Gustafson
USA, 2023, 115 mins.
A jukebox musical by way of queer icons the Indigo Girls, this is the story of an emo singer-songwriter and an impulsive circus performer who fall in love in the streets of Meixco. Think big Baz Luhrmann cityscapes and charged romantic melodies. Starring: Alex Diaz, Alan Cammish, Ming-Na Wen, Missi Pyle, Tig Notaro, Peppermint, Beth Malone, Kate Pierson.
1946: A Mistranslation That Changed Culture
D: Sharon “Rocky” Roggio
USA, 2022, 92 mins.
A search for the roots of modern Christian homophobia by a conservative woman leads her to find a mysterious answer in the archives of the translation team for the Bible’s Revised Standard Edition. Starring Cheryl Anderson, Kathy Baldock, Steve Greenberg.
Chasing Chasing Amy
D: Sav Rodgers
USA, 2022, 95 mins.
Sav Rodgers turns a trans eye on the film Chasing Amy, whose problematic place in LGBTQ filmography and cisgender creator clash with its foundational place in his own queer history. Documenting a pilgrimage to the filming locations of the 1997 feature, Rodgers and his girlfriend wrestle with why the film means so much to him. Starring Kevin Smith, Joey Lauren Adams, Guinevere Turner, Andrew Ahn.
Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn
D: Timothy Harris
USA, 2023, 94 mins.
A deep dive into “what it means to be electable in America” focuses on primary candidate in Pennsylvania’s 2022 Senate race Malcolm Kenyatta, a North Philly resident whose Black gay identity runs up against a long history of white, straight Senators. Starring Malcolm Kenyatta, Matthew Jordan-Miller Kenyatta.
Lie With Me
D: Oliver Peyon
France, 2022, 98 mins.
This French adaptation of a Philippe Besson novel follows a queer author returning to Cognac, France, and reliving memories of young love. Starring Guillaume de Tonquédec, Victor Belmondo, Guilaine Londez.
Two Lives in Pittsburgh
D: Brian Silverman
USA, 2022, 91 mins.
A blue-collar man has his old-school ways challenged by his child’s exploration of gender, and must find a way to be the man his child needs him to be. Starring Annie O’Donnell, Sky Elobar, Brian Silverman.
This article appears in June 23 • 2023.
