THE SEaTTlE TranSgEndEr film fESTival may 13–16 2010

2010
THE SEaTTlE TranSgEndEr film fESTival may 13–16

EXPLORING OUR LIVES
When the idea of a
transgender film festival
was being tossed around
Three Dollar Bill Cinema’s office a
little less than a decade ago, I didn’t
think much about its future. But now
Translations: The Seattle Transgender
Film Festival has existed for five
consecutive years (two years in
conjunction with the Gender Odyssey
conference and three years as its
own stand-alone event), and all of a
sudden, here it is, a milestone I never
imagined.
As a festival founder, I’ve had
the unique opportunity to see how
the quality of transgender film has
changed and grown over this period.
Story lines are better developed, and
some of the cinematography is pretty
damn impressive. Documentaries are
shifting from simple transition stories
into larger explorations of our lives as
people. This is exciting progress.
I’m especially excited this year
about our opening night film: Riot Acts
is a perfect fit for this music centric,
transgender-positive city. I thought I
knew who all the transgender musicians
were—until I saw this film and was
blown away by the diverse collection
of talented and thoughtful musicians.
And after the screening, we’ll enjoy a
rare opportunity to see some of these
amazing artists perform live.
Another stand out is Amateur.
This powerful and provocative short
film delves into the intimacies of
human interaction, exploring fear
and forgiveness on both sides of the
attraction equation. I can’t wait to
see more from this young and very
talented filmmaker.
Thank you for your support of
Translations: The Seattle Transgender
Film Festival. Here’s to the next five years.
Cresdan maite, Festival Founder

DIAGNOSING DIFFERENCE
(Annalise Ophelian; 2009; US; 63 min)
Most of us know that Gender Identity
Disorder (GID) is a disorder listed in
diagnostic manuals used by the medical
community and insurance companies to
categorize transgender people. While some
in the transgender and gender variant
communities support the purpose of a GID
classification, others say it’s completely
useless and some believe it’s outright
harmful. Diagnosing Difference examines
the issues surrounding GID through
interviews with a diverse group of scholars,
activists, and artists who identify on the
trans spectrum. This topical, informative,
FILMS
and occasionally humorous documentary
brings an important issue facing the trans
community front and center. Preceded by
DAY OF REMEMBRANCE (2009; US; 3 min).
A student produced report on the signing
of the historic, gender identity inclusive,
hate crimes bill. Sat, May 15, 1pm, NW
Film Forum
DINAH EAST
(Gene Nash; 1970; US; 90 min) Have
you ever heard the rumor that actress
and icon Mae West was actually a man?
Dinah East takes that story and runs
with it in this campy cult classic. Jeremy
Stockwell and Warhol superstar Ultra
Violet star in this sexy and scandalous
rags-to-riches story of a girl who makes
it in Hollywood while hiding an explosive

secret. The movie itself spawned even
more rumors–did the real-life West
have the film pulled from distribution
and all copies destroyed? Or did she
see it ten years before her death and
find the whole thing hilarious? While
it helps to have a sense of humor and
imagination to enjoy Dinah East, at
its core is a refreshing story focusing
on the importance of individual human
relationships, while steering away from
labels and the conjecture of identity.
Sat, May 15, 9pm, NW Film Forum
FOREVER’S GONNA START
TONIGHT
(Michelle Lawler; 2009; US; 54 min)
In her heyday, Vicki Marlane was
part of the first wave of people on the
performance circuit of what we currently
understand to be drag. But Vicki is not in
drag, she is a performer in her seventies
who still works in San Francisco’s
nightclubs, bringing down the house and
putting female performers more than
half her age to shame. This revealing
documentary follows Vicki’s wild journey
through life, from carnival sideshows
and romantic road trips to present day.
Preceded by JANENe (Joriah Goad; 2009; US;
5 min). Seattle performer Anita Goodman
plays a lonely escort, enjoying the last
few hours of her day before a rendezvous
with a sailor. Sat, May 15, 3pm, NW
Film Forum
\
LOVE INTERESTS:
SHORT FILmS
You’ll surely be smitten with this care–
fully curated collection of transgender
short films that examine the dynamics

of love in a myriad of relationships.
Calpernia Adams plays a woman unsure
about coming out to her new boyfriend
and goes through a hilarious process to
make her apartment TRANSPROOFED
(Andrea James; 2009; US; 14 min). CAT’S CRADLE
(Raymond Rea; 2010; US; 4 min) uses a childhood
game to represent our relationships to
others and ourselves. REMEMBER ME
IN RED (Hector Ceballos: 2010; US; in Spanish;15
min) is the wish one woman tries to fulfill
and to rightfully honor her friend’s
memory, while a secretive SEÑORITA
(Vincent Sandoval; 2009; Philippines/US; in Tagalog;
15 min) leads a double life to be a guardian
to a young boy in her care. GOSSAMER
WALLS (Malic Amalya & Peter Miller; 2007; US; 5
min) show an abstract memory of family
and childhood through the negative
lens. A rumination on the dangers of
first crushes and the value of clean
guns, BLINK (Silas Howard; 2009; US; 11 min)
also reveals the habits of sea cucumbers.
And, AMATEUR (Daniel Treviño; 2009; US; 15
min) is about staying in the moment,
taking a risk, and learning to forgive.
Don’t miss this collection of thoughtprovoking
and entertaining short films!
Total Running Time: 79 min. Sun,
May 16, 3pm, NW Film Forum
mAGGOTS AND mEN
Maggots And Men is an experimental
historical narrative set in a mythologized,
post-revolutionary Russia that reimagines
the 1921 rebellion of the radical
and courageous Russian Kronstadt sailors
with a twist of gender anarchy. The film is
set in an all male Russian naval base, but
cast with actors from a range of masculine
gender expressions, resulting in a film
that redefines male, challenges the binary
gender construct, and intentionally creates
confusion. And acknowledging a long
tradition of homosexuality amongst sailors,
the film has provocative sex scenes that
evolve organically out of teamwork in close
quarters. Maggots And Men positions
the struggle for gender equality within a
larger struggle for peace and justice, and
illuminates the gender revolution currently
taking place in our society. Sat, May 15,
7pm, NW Film Forum

mAINSTAY
(Elliot Montague; 2009; US; 50 min)
In the wintry landscape of rural Maine,
Fischer has just returned home upon
hearing of his ex-lover Hannah’s sudden
death. After a two-year absence, Fischer
is well into his transition from female to
male–an experience that he shared only
with Hannah. With the loss of this source
of validation, Fischer begins to rebuild his
fragile relationship with his brother and
mother. In the public realm of the small
town, Fischer must engage with the people
of his past, thus forcing him to negotiate
the tenuous boundaries between his queer
identity and his perceived “straight” male
body. Preceded by AMATEUR (Daniel
Treviño; 2009; US; 15 min). A withdrawn country
boy goes on a camping trip and becomes
interested in a confident gender-bending
girl named Sam. Sat, May 15, 5pm, NW
Film Forum
mY BUDDY CLAUDIA
(Dácio Pinheiro; 2009; Brazil; in
Portuguese; 86 min) For over thirty
years Brazilians came to know Claudia
Wonder through music, magazines, and
film. She was a transwoman from São
Paulo who managed to come out of the
newspapers’ crime section to become
a highlight in the culture pages. My
Buddy Claudia follows this remarkable
woman from her difficult childhood, to
her role as the first travesti to act in ’70s
mainstream soft-core, to her days of
activism and being a rock star in the ’80s.
Through the film we learn much about
Brazil itself, while being exposed to
Claudia’s many facets from courageous
to profane. Sun, May 16, 5pm, NW
Film Forum Warning: Contains brief
nudity and sex on screen.

OPEN
(Jake Yuzna: 2009; US; 90 min) Winner
of the Special Jury Award for LGBT film
at the 2010 Berlin International Film
Festival, Open presents a visually striking
and emotionally moving portrayal of
relationships for a new millennium.
When the young hermaphrodite Cynthia
meets Gen and Jay, a couple recovering
from plastic surgery, she learns of
Pandrogeny, in which two people merge
their facial features in order to reflect
one unified entity. Cynthia abandons her
suburban life to embark on a road trip
with Gen through anachronistic America.
A young transman, Syd, meets a young
punk, Nick, and after a sexual encounter
they find themselves falling in love. But
are Syd and Nick ready to deal with the
implications of their unique romance?
Open’s cast of real hermaphroditic,
pandrogynous, and transpeople bring
authenticity to this story of emerging
possibilities for human connection. Sun,
May 16, 7pm, NW Film Forum
QUEERLY CANADIAN
These films from our neighbors up
north present two unique perspectives
on gender queer experiences.
COMPROMISING POSITIONS (Auden
Cody Neuman & Mik Turje; 2008; Canada; 35 min)
presents the world of queer wrestling,
where scrappy young queers willingly
risk injury by one another’s hands. This
unruly combat sport is a sub-cultural
phenomenon popping up in urban centers
across Canada. Two genderqueer rascals
with a passion for kicking ass, embark
on a filmmaking adventure to explore
queer identity through combat. AND
THE REST IS DRAG (Melisa Brittain; 2009;
Canada; 31 min) explores gender from the
perspective of drag kings who consciously
and politically queer their gender, both

on and off stage. Using an eclectic mix of
performance footage, still photography,
and interviews, the film draws audiences
into the sexy, rebellious, and sometimes
humorous world of drag kinging. Sun,
May 16, 1pm, NW Film Forum
REALITY TG
Is visibility a means to social acceptance? Do
the drawbacks of too much (or unchecked)
visibility outweigh the good it can
accomplish? There has been an explosion
of transgender people on talk shows,
dramas, and especially reality television.
We’ll screen some recent reality programs
that feature transwomen as cast members
and discuss how this representation affects
the whole trans community. Join Sara
Michelle Fetters, film and TV reviewer,
and Three Dollar Bill Cinema Executive
Director, Rachael Brister for a discussion
on this fascinating broadcast trend. Thurs,
May 13, 6:15pm, Capitol Hill Library
RIOT ACTS
(Madsen Minax; 2009; US; 72 min)
Riot Acts follows the careers of some
of the best transgender musicians
playing across North America today.
With interviews and performances
by first rate musical acts such as The
Clicks, Coyote Grace, and Katastrophe,
Riot Acts explores the passion these
musicians have for their craft, the
impact gender has on their careers,
their audiences, and their lyrics.
Through interviews with artists across
every genre and gender, Riot Acts
illuminates the challenges and triumphs
of transgender people. Following the
exhilarating screening of Riot Acts
director Madsen Minax and featured
musician Adhamh Roland will give
an exclusive performance during our
Opening Night party! Fri, May 14,
7:30pm, erickson Theatre

Buy your tickets in advance and save $1 per ticket! (not available for youth/senior
discount). Box office opens 1 hour before the first screening of the day. After that time
you can buy tickets to any screening for that day. REALITY TG is a free program. Your
ticket to RIOT ACTS includes the Opening Night Party with live music performances.
mORE INFO AND TICKETS
sponsorED BY:
TICKETS
$50 for a festival pass $8 for single tickets
$6 for single tickets for Three Dollar Bill Cinema
members. (Limit two tickets per member per screening.)
$5 youth & senior discount
(youth are 21 and under, seniors are 65 and over). Youth and Senior discount is only
available day of show at the box office. Must present ID.

THURS, MAY 13 CAPITOL HILL LIBRARY 425 Harvard Ave. E.
6:15pm Reality TG
FRI, MAY 14 ERICKSON THEATRE 1524 Harvard Ave.
7:30pm Riot Acts
SAT, MAY 15 NORTHWEST FILM FORUM 1515 12th Ave.
1pm Diagnosing Difference
3pm Forever’s Gonna Start Tonight
5pm Mainstay
7pm Maggots And Men
9pm Dinah East
SUN, MAY 16 NORTHWEST FILM FORUM 1515 12th Ave.
1pm Queerly Canadian (Compromising Positions / And The Rest is Drag)
3pm Love Interests: Short Films
5pm My Buddy Claudia
7pm Open
SCHEDULE