PlanetOut Short Movie Awards…and "Pariah"
Hi, it's Anne, wrapping up on all the happenings from Saturday. My day started with a crazy dash to the press screening of Tom Kalin's incest-among-socialites drama Savage Grace, which proved to be an intense experience right after my first cup of coffee. It required a monumental mood change to head right over to my next screening. One of this year's big-name premieres, The Great Buck Henry stars John Malkovich as a has-been mentalist, Colin Hanks as his underachieving assistant, and my new favorite actress Emily Blunt as a wise-ass publicist who comes memorably between the two.
Colin's dad, Tom Hanks, was on hand to introduce the movie -- fitting, since Hanks's Playtone Pictures produced it and he, Hanks Sr., is in it for a couple of scenes. Pleasant if not a home run, Buck Henry gives Malkovich lots of chances to put his special madness on display, and Hanks the Younger lots of opportunities to use that deadpan "you've gotta be kidding" take we so associate with his father.
PLANETOUT SHORT MOVIE AWARDS
Next stop, Main Street -- meaning the Queer Lounge -- for the PlanetOut party, featuring PNO's annual presentation of the $10,000 Short Movie Award, sponsored by Scion. On the bus down, I got a chance to hang out with two old friends:
Kathy Wolfe (left) and Maria Lynn, the driving forces behind Wolfe Video. Whichever queer DVD first inspired you, chances are you got it courtesy of these ladies. As we hit the pavement on Main Street…
Outdoors, Park City was looking particularly postcard-like. Indoors, the PNO party got underway.
With our Scion representative looking on, Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival director Carol Coombes (center) and PlanetOut entertainment editor Jenny Stewart (right) announced the five winners. The Grand Prize went to Claudia Morgado Escanilla for "No Bikini," which you can see later this year at the Miami G&L Film Fest or surf over to Gay.com and see right now.
All night long, the creme de la queer turned up to celebrate. Naturally GLAAD was in the house…
Rashad Robinson, GLAAD's senior director of media programs, absolutely could not keep his hands off his BlackBerry.
PlanetOut's Dave Posegay (left) and Chris Frederick blissed out.
Nicole, Brianne, Christy, Jeimi and Amanda (not necessarily in that order) surveyed the action from the sidelines.
Adepero Oduye, star of the short film "Pariah," sported the killer ensemble of the evening. The whole "Pariah" posse partied with us, including writer-director Dee Rees, her partner and producer Nikita Cooper, and costar Pernell Walker. They were leaving soon, because tonight their film was premiering. I went along to the screening, to see what they'd been up to.
GIVE IT UP FOR "PARIAH"
The ride over was one of those Sundance nail-biters. Would the slooow-moving bus would get us there on time? It did -- barely. But we were so late, Dee and Nikita had to walk me in as part of their crew.
An NYU film student, Dee had been mentored on this film by Spike Lee. Obviously he knows talent when he sees it. Rees hit home with her story of a Bronx teenager caught between two worlds, changing into her butch clothes at school and back to her earrings and girly tops to go home to her parents' house. Oduye and Walker, neither of whom is gay, convinced completely. And the cinematography, by Bradford Young, is layered and evocative. For the audience tonight, and apparently for festival programmers and talent scouts in general, "Pariah" will be remembered as one of Sundance 2008's gems. Producer Effie Brown (Rocket Science, Real Women Have Curves) has already signed on to develop the short as a feature.
Give it up for "Pariah!" Even in a blurry shot, you can feel the joy: (l to r) Oduye, Walker, Young, Cooper, and Rees soak up the applause.
Rising stars: Walker (left) and Oduye, radiant after the Q&A, posed against this year's Sundance screensaver.
Proud parents: Bradford Young, Nikita Cooper, and Dee Rees can finally exhale. With tonight's premiere, they're on their way. However hyped Sundance gets, tonight has been all about the good stuff: seeing talent spread its wings. That never gets old.
Great film. Adepero has a big future!!!!!
Posted by: ham | January 25, 2008 at 05:43 PM
Great film. Adepero has a big future!!!!!
Posted by: ham | January 25, 2008 at 05:44 PM
Great film. Adepero has a big future!!!!!
Posted by: ham | January 25, 2008 at 05:44 PM