One weekend, four screens, dozens of films!  GAZE is back in Smithfield’s Lighthouse cinema this August Bank Holiday weekend, and before you wonder where to begin, we at Gaelick are here to help!  We caught up with Festival Programmer Yvonne O’Reilly (left) to see what’s not to be missed, and report our findings back to you!

Fresh from scouring the globe for new queer cinema, Yvonne told us that one of the themes of this year’s Programme is the number of films that will be of interest to both boys and girls, a sign perhaps of the growing sophistication of not only what’s on offer now, but also our tastes as an audience.  A good example would be the Festival’s opening film, I Killed My Mother , by Xavier Dolan.  Only 22 years old, he wrote, directed, starred and produced the feature, “a big talent to watch out for.”  The film deals with his relationship with his mother and his attempt to realise his own identity, including his sexual identity.  Yvonne described this one as “inspirational, uplifting and funny, critically acclaimed, entertaining”.  Sounds like a good opener to us!

One very noticeable theme this year is the amount of highly accomplished debut movies in the programme.  One that comes highly recommended is Leo’s Room, a “fantastic Uruguayan debut, reminiscent of Magnolia, quirky, accomplished, beautifully shot and well crafted.”  And staying in South America, this time from Argentina, The Last Summer of La Boyita “a bit like XXY, deals with same theme, looks beautiful, produced by Pedro Almodovar, should not be missed!”  Also Paulista, set in Sao Paulo, Brazil, comes highly recommended, a nod to Tales of the City with a cracking soundtrack to boot.

2010 seems to have been a great year for documentaries, and I for one cannot wait to see The Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls, which Yvonne guarantees will be one of the most uplifting films you’ll see this year.  It tells the story of Jools and Lynda Topp, lesbian twin sisters, yodeling political activists who helped change outlooks and policies of their native New Zealand.  GAZE says its “sweet, touching and hilarious.”  Gaelick says “sold!”

Assume Nothing, another Kiwi documentary feature, is at its core a story about a photographer making a book who assumed a masculine identity after becoming sick, and her exploration of different attitudes to her change.  Told through use of film, photography and collage, it looks beautiful, as is befitting a film made by an artist about artists.  Other docs to watch out for include Stonewall Uprising , the definitive portrayal of the seminal ‘Rosa Park’s moment in the history of gay rights, and Stand Up: My Best Friend – based on interviews of young LGBT people and their straight best friends and family members, , this was produced in association with BelongTo.  We love them!

Prima Donna: The Story Rufus Wainwright’s Opera, is going to be a huge draw, I’m sure.  Regular readers of Gaelick will be aware of Bear’s love of all things Wainwright and McGarrigle, so I won’t be surprising you when I say that I plan to be first in line for this one!  As well as the star himself, it features his sister Martha, his late mother Kate McGarrigle, we see the dynamic between Rufus and his mother, and his sister, “a wonderful family documentary as well as the story of the opera he wrote, a great document of the creative process. “

Since the Festival turns 18 this year, what better time to feature a retrospective of Irish Shorts, to look back at the various shorts programmed over the years?  This is a great chance to see the early work of directors who went on to accomplish great things, one example being Bongo Bong by Ken Wardrop (His & Hers).   An intriguing prospect with a definite Irish link is Cracks, directed by Jordan Scott (daughter of Ridley).

Shot in Wicklow & Meath, set in a boarding school, Yvonne tells me this is a “cross between Lord of the Flies and The Children’s Hour”, which is enough to hook me!  It looks beautifully shot, with the production values you come to expect from the Scott dynasty.  Set in the 1930’s in a girls boarding school, and starring Eva Green (her of Bond movie fame) and Juno Temple (Atonement), it is not to be missed.

More Irish interest as Susan Lynch stars in The Secret Diaries of Miss Anne Lister.  A BBC costume drama that looks like a right romp, if you missed it on TV you’d do well to catch this “audacious and funny, heartfelt and well-paced, a delightful film, recommended for all.”

What else does Yvonne recommend?  Because there’s more!  And then Came Lola, a homage to Run Lola Run, looks like a clever, sophisticated rom-com, a great date movie!   Ander , the closing film, is set in Basque Country, and I’m automatically smitten by the description of “Gay Glenroe” for this very sharp and funny Spanish film.  This is another fabulous looking debut film, and director Roberto Caston will be present at the screening.  Gently paced, beautiful, Yvonne reckons this will “leave everyone with a smile on their faces” at the end of the festival.

So, see you at the Lighthouse!  I’ll be the one wandering around in a wonderful, googly-eyed GAZE daze, come say hello!

The 18^th Annual Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival takes place in the Lighthouse Cinema, Smithfield from Thursday 29^th July until Monday 2^nd August.  See the entire programme at www.gaze.ie.  Tickets can be booked at www.lighthousecinema.ie, or by calling 01 879 7601.

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