September 16-18 the QFilm Festival will will be showing over twenty films made this year by some of the top independent LGBT filmmakers. Every year is unique and 2011 promises to be another excellent event and even more special with its international block of films.

QFilms has invited Popo Fan, a twenty-six year old Chinese filmmaker to screen “Be A Woman,” a documentary about drag queens who live in Nanning China. Popo follows them from their glittery stage performances in nightclubs to their dressing rooms as they put on and take off their pancake makeup (there is even a catfight!). “Be A Woman” gives an honest and often sad look at queer men in a gender variant subculture and gives voice to their untold and difficult lives. Marginalized by society, disowned by their parents and shunned from family they live for the nights they are able to perform and make the best of their circumstances with resilience, wit and humor.

In 2004 Popo began making films while studying at the Beijing Film Academy. “I went into filmmaking because I was bad at math. They didn’t have the requirements other universities had so I took a class.” He was often around homophobic students and one colleague in particular, a young man, would often make disparaging comments about gays during class. His studies became even more uncomfortable when they later became roommates at the Academy. Popo being true to himself did not hide his sexuality and would openly watch gay films in their room. Eventually his colleague began watching them too and they became best friends. “It was at that time I knew films could change the world!”

Popo initially had no interest in documentaries and instead concentrated on writing for TV. He changed his mind when he went to a gay pride parade in Taipei for a film project. “It was so exciting to be around other gay people. I knew then it (documentaries) was what I wanted to do.”

Later during a sightseeing tour he found himself in Nanning where he met his first drag queens. “I found them beautiful, interesting and very hardworking performers. They had great spirit and opened me up to different ideas about gender and sexuality.”

After leaving school in 2007 he wrote a legal and mainstream published book on LGBT films. It sold over 10,000 copies and instantly gained him respect and notoriety among many in the LGBT community.

Funding is difficult enough for any filmmaker but LGBTQ films made in Mainland China face even greater challengers. In 2008 Popo was awarded a $4,500 grant from the Astraea Lesbian Foundation for Justice and began production of “Be A Woman.” It took him three years to complete.

Be A Woman is special not only for its rare insights but also for the fact that in the era of Chinese censorship, it is practically a miracle that this movie was even made. LGBTQ films are censored by the Chinese government and cannot be screened in mainstream theaters. They find their way to their audiences in living rooms, private venues and LGBTQ centers in cities like Beijing and Hangzhou and in some cases now make their way into universities.

Fortunately Be A Woman has now made it overseas to the QFilm Festival and is being screened Saturday the 17th at 3:00pm. Tickets can be purchased by going to the QFilms website or can be purchased at the door. A special question and answer period will take place after the movie.

COMPLETE SCHEDULE OF 2011 QFILM FESTIVAL & RELATED EVENTS:

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16th
5:00PM FIT at the Art Theatre
7:15pm TOMBOY at the Art
8:00-10:30pm Opening Night Party at The Center Long Beach
9:15pm JUDAS KISS at the Art, followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and cast members.
11:30pm After Party at Paradise Bar & Grill

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17th
12:30pm INSPIRED: THE VOICES AGAINST PROP 8 at the Art, followed by Q&A with the filmmakers and available subjects who appear in the film.
1:00pm I AM at The Center
2:45pm WOMEN IN SHORTS program at the Art, followed by Q&A with available filmmakers and cast members.
3:00pm BE A WOMAN at The Center
5:15pm MEN IN BRIEFS program at the Art, followed by Q & A with available filmmakers and cast members.
7:30pm CHO DEPENDENT at the Art
8:00-10:30pm Saturday Night Party at The Center
9:15pm LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR, followed by Q & A with the filmmakers and cast members.
11:30pm After Party at Paradise Bar & Grill

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18th
10:30am Brunch at Café Ambrosia
12:00pm PHOTOS OF ANGIE at the Art, preceded by short film CHARLOTTE and followed by Q & A with the filmmakers.
12:45pm BISEXUAL REVOLUTION at The Center, followed by discussion.
1:45pm WE WERE HERE at the Art, preceded by world premiere short film UB2.
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4:00pm LONGHORNS at the Art, preceded by short film COUPLES THERAPY and followed by Q & A
with available filmmakers and cast members.
6:15pm WISH ME AWAY at the Art
7:00-9:30pm Closing Night Party at The Center
8:00pm HOLLYWOOD TO DOLLYWOOD at the Art

“A film that can save your life” —Roger Ebert
“Richly inspiring and informative documentary!” —LA Times
“A must-see movie!” —San Francisco Chronicle

About the film: Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to battle these very conditions. There is a solution so comprehensive, but so utterly straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously? FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled with diet.

“Gay people are accepted by their Creator just as they are,” says Timane, who founded Rizi Timane Ministries to explode the myths behind what the Bible does and does not say about homosexuality, and to advocate on behalf of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community. “My ultimate goal is to enable all LGBT people who want to know God, but have been turned off by religion, to understand that God loves them just as they are, and also to help those who are struggling with their spirituality and sexuality.”

Born in Northern Nigeria, West Africa and raised in a fundamentalist Christian home, Timane was taught from an early age that homosexuality was a sin. Yet Timane, like many LGBT Christians today, has discovered that nothing is wrong with her, and that her sexuality is a God-given trait. Her struggles and persecution from identifying herself openly as a lesbian in Africa inspire her ministry today.

“What’s Wrong With This Picture?” provides a snapshot of the hypocrisy within many churches today, as well as the need for a more inclusive gospel and a greater understanding of Jesus’ teachings. The film covers a weeklong journey that profiles religious leaders who vehemently advocate against homosexuality yet struggle to practice what they preach; “ex-gays” who are faltering on their paths of conversion; a bishop who condemns same-sex marriage but takes a broader view of pedophilia; and a gay veteran’s funeral, which is interrupted and chastised by pastors of a homophobic church. With the film’s conclusion, the key question remaining is, “What’s wrong with this picture?”

“This documentary, which will soon be making its way to gay and lesbian film festivals, exposes powerful wrongdoing taking place in the United States every day,” explains Timane, who holds a counseling diploma and degrees in social policy and business management and is a J.D. degree candidate. “The horrible and painful struggle associated with religion and sexuality is responsible for everything from depression to drug addiction, self-abuse, family dysfunction, isolation, suicides and much, much more. ‘What’s Wrong With This Picture?’ is a wake-up call, as well as a call to action. We’ve got to put a stop to the inhumane nature of our contemporary culture that’s still breeding such unnecessary, tragic consequences.”

To view the movie trailer or learn more, visit http://www.rizigospel.org.

Proceeds from this special event will benefit AIDS/LifeCycle in sponsorship of Team Long Beach riders!

Tickets on sale now!!  For tickets and info, visit lbcinema.org/TimeWarp4ALC
http://lbcinema.org/TimeWarp4ALC!

$15 General Admission
$25 VIP – Your extra generous donation gets you Priority Seating – first few
rows of the theatre, up close and personal with the cast!

ALL ticket holders will be given a Goodie Bag with toilet paper, a mini water
gun, and surprises…

SWING BY LOLA’S MEXICAN CUISINE
www.lolasmexicancuisine.com/index1.html BEFORE THE SHOW!!  Lola’s will be staying open late until Midnight to get you fed before the show – and
they’ll be donating 10% of their proceeds towards our event production costs! Enjoy the best Mexican food in the LBC on the night of the show!

The Rocky Horror Picture Show is the longest-running theatrical release in film history.  Released in1975 film, the film has accomplished a large
international following and is one of the most well known and financially successful midnight movies of all time. In 2005, the film was selected for
preservation in the United States National Film Registryby the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant”.
An adaptation of Richard O’Brien’s classic rock musical stage play The Rocky Horror Show, The Rocky Horror Picture Show is a parody of science
fiction and B-movie horror films. Director Jim Sharman collaborated on the screenplay with O’Brien, who wrote both the book and lyrics for the stage. The film introduces Tim Curry and features Susan Sarandon, Barry Bostwick, and classic rock veteran Meat Loaf.  Thirty-five years after its initial release, The Rocky Horror Picture Show continues to delight audiences around the world, and after almost five years, the film returns to its original Long Beach home, The Art Theatre.

Each week throughout the show, die-hard Lynch fans and curious newcomers alike can view one of Lynch’s seminal films presented by the Long Beach Cinamatheque. Each screening will be accompanied by the release of a limited edition, signed 18” x 24” print. Films will be screened at the Art Theatre of Long Beach on Friday nights at midnight (BLUE VELVET, March 4th; ERASERHEAD, March 12th; LOST HIGHWAY, March 18th; WILD AT HEART, March 25th), and FREE at Cherry Beach at 7pm (DUNE, March 4th). The Art Theatre of Long Beach is located at 2025 East 4th St., Long Beach, CA 90814. Details here: http://lbcinema.org

David Lynch’s filmic oeuvre manages to pull noir, camp and—sometimes—even brutal realism together into ominous narratives and this uniquely intermeshed sensibility has been inspiring artists of all mediums for decades now. Those included in this show work primarily in two-dimensions, a format well-suited to probing Lynch’s eccentric visual world. Some explicitly respond to or appropriate the director’s imagery, like UK artist Famous When Dead whose “Rabbit” is a refined portrait of the quietly patriarchal animal that appeared first in an online sitcom and later in “Inland Empire,” or Aurora Armijo’s distraught portrait of Lynch’s repeat leading lady, Laura Dern.

But others take a looser approach. Handiedan’s “Lost Highway” is, like all of her work, fragmented and darkly nostalgic—in other words, wholly resonate with a Lynchian aesthetic—and Bryan Schnelle’s slick explorations of the visually absurd have an unsettling glamour that would be at home in “Mulholland Drive,” or even parts of “Blue Velvet.” David Atkinson’s bloody “What About Bob” makes implicit, eerie Lynchian violence aggressively explicit, and John Ottinger’s “Dark Father” speculates on what would have happened if Lynch had directed “Return of the Jedi.”

It’s been forty years since David Lynch moved to Los Angeles, and thirty-five since “Eraserhead” debuted. In that time, he’s become embedded in the collective psyches of aesthetes and film buffs. This exhibition explores what his legacy might mean, though it makes no definitive interpretation, generously leaving the interpreting to its viewers.

About Phone Booth Gallery
Established in 2008, Phone Booth Gallery exhibits many talented contemporary artists from around the globe. Owned and operated out of Long Beach, CA. www.phoneboothgallery.com

About Long Beach Cinematheque
Long Beach Cinematheque is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded by Logan Crow and dedicated to the celebration and study of classic and independent cinema by providing opportunities for the Long Beach community to experience and share film classics throughout the city; by curating special events that incorporate film with live music and multimedia art; by collaborating with independent organizations and theatres in shared community events; by supporting with scholarships the efforts and dreams of student filmmakers; and by welcoming guest speakers such as filmmakers and film historians to speak to audiences as part of their cinematic experience.

For more information about the event, or to schedule an interview with any of the artists, please contact Garry Booth.

PURCHASE TICKETS (limited entry)
$15 in advance
$20 the day of the event
(includes: donation, two drinks, snacks, raffle prizes)

For more information visit

http://centerlb.org/
http://lgb2network.com/
http://www.arttheatrelongbeach.com/

The Long Beach Cinematheque is teaming up with Anderson’s Paint and Hardware [714 Pine Ave, Long Beach, CA 90813; 562-437-2929] and Venice Dreams Boutique [800 Pine Ave #108,  Long Beach, CA 90813; 562-612-3600] to bring you an outdoor screening of Richard Donner’s 1978 classic SUPERMAN – and doing it in support of the dedicated and important work of Long Beach-based food bank Food Finders [3434 Atlantic Ave., Long Beach, CA 90807; 562-598-3003; www.foodfinders.org]!

Food Finders is working hard to meet their Thanksgiving goal of 100,000 pounds of food to feed impoverished and hungry people in Los Angeles and Orange Counties, and you can help them meet that goal! Our screening of Superman is FREE to the public, and all we ask is that you kindly donate canned food, all of which will be collected by Food Finders at the event!
Gates open at 6pm with a DJ set by Long Beach’s Lili De La Mora and Sarajeva Vazquez. Superman begins at 7pm after a brief introduction of the event and our sponsors. The tireless girls of the Long Beach Roller Derby will be on hand to sell soda and concessions!

E-mail lbcinematheque@gmail.com for more information, or if you would like to participate in this community event as a sponsor – all sponsors of this event will be acknowledged with an onscreen logo at this event, as well as during our introduction!

Have more than canned food to donate? Click here for a full list of items that Food Finders will accept.
This event has been generously sponsored by the superheroes at:
Downtown Long Beach Association – http://dlba.org/
Anderson’s Paint and Hardware – http://www.andersonpaintandhardware.com/
Venice Dreams Boutique – http://venicedreams.net/
Long Beach Roller Derby – http://www.longbeachrollerderby.com/

Presented by the Long Beach Cinematheque. http://lbcinema.org/
–

Long Beach Cinematheque is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization dedicated to the celebration of classic cinema and to providing opportunities for audiences to experience film classics on the big screen in Long Beach; by curating special events that incorporate film with live music and multimedia art; by collaborating with independent organizations and theatres in shared community events; by supporting with grants the efforts and dreams of student filmmakers; and by welcoming guest speakers such as filmmakers and film historians to speak to audiences as part of their cinematic experience.

• Fri Oct 1-Mondo Midnite: Swedish Vampire Hit, ‘Let the Right One In’ 11:55 PM
Winner of over 60 international awards, and was recently voted the #1 Film of the Decade by Squidoo.com! See the 2008 Swedish masterpiece one last time on the big screen (on the night of the release of its 2010 US remake “Let Me In”) on a great 35mm print courtesy of Magnet Releasing!

• Fri Oct 8- Mondo Midnite: Political zomedy ‘Zombies Of Mass Destruction’ 11:55 PM
From director Kevin Hamedani, life is wonderful for the people in the quiet, island town of Port Gamble….until a zombie virus outbreak!

• Thurs Oct 7 – Sun Oct 10 Long Beach Q Film Festival (See website for movies & show times!)
It’s that time of year again and, as usual, the Long Beach Q Film Festival is chock full o’ award winning feature films, documentaries, shorts, VIP parties and fab entertainers. Q Fest fundraiser benefiting The Center and Long Beach Pride. Tickets and Festival Info: www.centerlb.org/programs/QFilms2010/QFilms2010-index.html

• Sat Oct 16 – 4-7pm: Empower Women! Los Angeles Area Premiere of the “Glow Project” Movie to Benefit LA Homeless Women Center
There is growing concern about the welfare of women who have hit hard times and have no place to feel safe. Many are trying to find jobs so they can become self-sufficient. To reach out to these women, anti-aging experts Cynthia Rowland and Jackie Silver, co-hosts of “The Ageless Sisters BlogTalk” health and beauty radio show, have organized an event to benefit the Los Angeles Downtown Women’s Center, that is making a difference in the daily lives of LA’s homeless women. This is the only LA/OC Area screening & debut of the “Glow Project Movie”, praised by top women’s associations, such as Ladies Who Launch, Women’s Leadership Exchange & eWomenNetwork! More info here: www.glowproject.org and http://4thstreetlongbeach.com/events/glow-project-movie-benefit/

• Sat Oct 16 – Acclaimed Cambodian Documentary, “Enemies of the People” Followed by Director Q&A 1:30P
Last–chance screening of the acclaimed Cambodian Documentary, “Enemies of the People”
“An inspiring film!” – New York Times
A ground-breaking documentary on Cambodia’s Killing Fields, extraordinary confessions obtained by an extraordinary by Cambodian filmmaker.
http://enemiesofthepeoplemovie.com/

About The Art Theatre:
Voted THE NUMBER ONE INDEPENDENT THEATRE in Long Beach by OC Weekly and District Weekly, the Art opened as a silent movie theatre and included a pipe organ and orchestra pit. It is the oldest operating single screen house in Long Beach in 1924. Our art deco, streamline moderne-style historical landmark is famous for its screening of the most imaginative and stimulating independent, documentary, animated, alternative lifestyle, and foreign language films. After one million dollars of loving restoration, and the addition of a wine bar and coffee bar to round out a full evening experience, we are proud to continue this long-running tradition.

www.arttheatrelongbeach.com
2025 East 4th Street
Long Beach, CA 90814-1001
(562) 438-5435

LOLA’S MEXICAN CUISINE (http://lolasmexicancuisine.com/) will be donating 20% of their proceeds to Team Tough Titties from 5:30pm – 9:30pm!

ART DU VIN WINE BAR (http://www.facebook.com/pages/Long-Beach-CA/Art-Du-Vin/94…716672894) will be donating 10% of their proceeds to Team Tough Titties from 5:30pm – 11pm!

At midnight MONDO CELLULOID will be screening a groundbreaking classic, directed by a man who was very famously a fan of breasts – the late, great Russ Meyer! With gratitude to Russ Meyer Films (http://www.rmfilms.com/), the Art Theatre of Long Beach is getting a rarely-screened 35mm print of the 1965 classic “FASTER, PUSSYCAT! KILL! KILL!”  Mondo Celluloid will be donating 10% of their proceeds for the evening to Team Tough Titties, as well as opening the doors to the Team to raise more awareness and donations by raffling off prizes!

Tickets to “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” are now available online at: http://tinyurl.com/23p5pzg

You can also donate to Tough Titties directly, and learn more about their team and the Team Spirit 10K, by clicking here: http://www.teamspiritonline.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=category&layout=blog&id=16&Itemid=100093

See the “Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” trailer here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQr8CC0jiIU

To support Mondo Celluloid’s next major community event, the 3rd annual 4th Street Zombie Walk, click here: http://lbcinematheque.chipin.com/lb-zombie-walk-2010

“Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!” was the very first midnight screening Mondo Celluloid ever put on, back in the Vista Theatre Silver Lake days – we are very excited to bring this film to Long Beach, and in support of a great cause!

Presented by Mondo Celluloid, a program of the Long Beach Cinematheque.

Dedicated to programming eclectic and diverse events and film screenings in Long Beach, from specialty film festivals, short films series, experimental multimedia performances, classics, and more.  A California not-for-profit organization, Tax ID 27-0950151.  www.mondocelluloid.com