Austin’s oldest film festival, aGLIFF (The All Genders, Lifestyles, and Identities Film Festival) announces this month's community screening: “Tahara," available starting Wednesday, Feb. 24. Free tickets available.
Queer Black Filmmaker Breaking Stigmas with 'Tahara'/ Starting 7 p.m., Wednesday, Feb. 24
aGLIFF Partners with Austin Black Pride, Austin Jewish Film Festival for Screening
In partnership with Austin Black Pride and Austin Jewish Film Festival, this month’s aGLIFF’s community screening is “Tahara” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 24. A Q&A, featuring director Olivia Peace and writer/producer Jess Zeidman will follow the film, which will be available to view through March 2.
This film, with a Queer Black director and a Queer Black lead, is another wonderful opportunity for us to take in some perspectives for Black History and Black Pride. aGLIFF Artistic Director Bears Rebecca Fonté says. "When someone faces the intersectionality of Black, Queer, and Jewish, as in Olivia Peace’s film, it really gives an opportunity to break apart the stigma of ‘otherness.’
ABOUT THE FILM Tahara is a queer, coming-of-age drama about an anxious teen girl who is manipulated into a romantic encounter with her best friend during the funeral service of their former Hebrew school classmate. It's authenticity is built on a foundation of diversity and inclusivity, both in front of and behind the camera, that is representative of the world most of us live in.
Fonté says, "Tahara forces characters, scene after scene, into situations in which they stumble with language and must face their shortcomings. The film won the inaugural NewFest Directorial Feature Debut Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award as well as screening at Outfest, Frameline, Inside Out, and Slamdance."
GRAB YOUR TICKETS
All events are FREE for aGLIFF members who register in advance. Tickets are $12
for non-members. Event registration for members and single tickets are now available here.
ALL ABOARD!
Hop on the aGLIFF train for the best access to aGLIFF’s year-round
programming, your own festival badge and an array of other perks depending on the level of membership. Plus, you’ll be supporting the aGLIFF mission to cultivate Texas’ LGBTQIA+ community by enlightening, educating and entertaining our clients and patrons through programs that enrich the community and ally communities while expanding LGBTQIA+ awareness.
Memberships start for as low as $25 a month and you can get yours now.
Sundance, Screenings and Seeking Screeners
aGLIFF Artistic Director shares missives on the festival circuit
From the pandemic desk of the artistic director,
I’ve been attending my eighth Sundance this year, which involves me sitting on my couch watching my giant screen TV, so pretty much the way I've spent the last year anyway. I’ve seen a lot of great films, and some I hope to be able to bring back for us at Prism.
The animated feature Flee — which Neon picked up — follows an Afghani refugee as he makes his way to Denmark. A harrowing and honest story, the hand drawn animation style allows the story of persecution and escape to somehow strike closer to the heart. Filled with 80s pop music and the fear of growing up gay in Afghanistan, Flee is a documentary that jumps off the screen.
I also got a chance to Ma Belle, My Beauty, a film about a New Orleans polyamorous triad in the hot Summer countryside of France. The best Queer film though was another corset-ripping lesbian period-piece, The World To Come, with glorious cinematography, picture-perfect costumes and settings, and intense romance that plays out in, around and between the pages of what can be written in a diary in 1856. The ending is both tragic and beautiful, and I know this is going to be one of the hottest titles of the year.
I managed to see something like 40 films but unfortunately this Sundance was a little light on LGBTQIA material. I’m off to Rotterdam next, strangely also located on my couch.
MONTHLY SCREENINGS
I hope everyone enjoyed Cicada last month and I’m really excited to be able to partner with both the Austin Jewish Film Festival and Austin Black Pride on our next monthly screening. For Black History month, I wanted to showcase a film with both a Queer Black director and a Queer Black lead that speaks to the modern social landscape. When someone faces the intersectionality of being Black, Queer, and Jewish, like in Olivia Peace’s film, it really gives an opportunity to break apart the stigma of ‘otherness.’
WANT TO HELP PICK FILMS?
Finally, if you like watching Queer movies as much as I do, and maybe want to go to this year’s festival for free, or maybe you just wanna brag about having seen all the movies before everyone else, you might be interested in being on our Program Selection Committee. I'm looking for people to join our already awesome group. About 40 hours of film viewing will get you a badge for the 2021 fest, and its pretty darn fun too. I’m especially looking for BIPOC film fans and those of you in the 18-35 year old bracket.. Want to chat about it? Email film@agliff.org for more information.
That’s it for now.
Power and Light,
Bears Rebecca Fonté
Thanks to our aGLIFF Annual Sponsors:
This project is supported in part by the Cultural Arts Division of the City of Austin Economic Development Department.
The animated feature Flee — which Neon picked up — follows an Afghani refugee as he makes his way to Denmark. A harrowing and honest story, the hand drawn animation style allows the story of persecution and escape to somehow strike closer to the heart. Filled with 80s pop music and the fear of growing up gay in Afghanistan, Flee is a documentary that jumps off the screen.
