by Maria DeBlassie
Daily Lobo
A film festival in Albuquerque aims to change stereotypes about gays and lesbians on mainstream television and film.
"The D Word," a parody on the television series "The L Word" is one of many films to be shown at the third annual Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Albuquerque and Santa Fe on Friday.
Roberto Appicciafoco, festival director of the Closet Cinema organization, said the people involved in "The D Word" didn't feel "The L Word" was a complete representation of the lesbian community and they wanted to make it more real.
"This is about reality," said Jodi Delaney, marketing consultant for the Center for Contemporary Arts.
Movies will be shown at the Guild Cinema, the Southwest Film Center and Santa Fe's Center for Contemporary Arts, Appicciafoco said.
Appicciafoco said he always wondered why there wasn't a major film festival in Albuquerque and decided three years ago the city would be a good home for the Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. Appicciafoco said New Mexico has a large gay and lesbian community.
"The support has definitely been really tremendous here in New Mexico," Appicciafoco said. "It has a large arts community and celebrates diversity."
He said there is a range of movies from all over the world, from drama and suspense, to comedies, short films and documentaries.
"There's something for everybody," he said.
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The opening-night movie in Albuquerque is "Wilby Wonderful," about a small town with a big problem, Appicciafoco said. After the screening at the Guild Cinema, Appicciafoco said there will be a party at Laru Ni Hati, their official festival lounge.
Delaney said one of her favorite movies is "Ruthie and Connie: Every Room in the House," a film about a long-term lesbian relationship. Both Ruthie and Connie will be at the film festival to talk about their film after its screening.
Other movies include a documentary on gay Republicans and an Argentinean comedy, "El Favor" about two lesbians looking to have a baby, Delaney said.
As a film festival, Appicciafoco said people will get to see movies they normally wouldn't be able to find. It also enables people to see the many issues the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community deals with, he said. Although shows like "Will and Grace" and "Queer as Folk" have created bridges of understanding, he said, they can also lead to stereotyping of gays.
"The film festival shows there's many different facets," he said. "Not everyone's going to be like one of the characters of 'Will and Grace,' 'Queer as Folk' or 'The L Word.'"
Not only will there be movies, but Appicciafoco said they will have a panel discussion on transgender issues and another one on the AIDS epidemic.
An art show featuring artist Gay Block will be displayed throughout the week at the Center for Contemporary Arts, Delaney said.
This is a year of many firsts for the festival, Appicciafoco said, including their first Queer Brunch hosted by Laru Ni Hati and a day devoted to women in film, titled Mucha Muchachas.
"It's the only thing of its kind in the Southwest," Delaney said.
