SouthFlorida.com | City Link Magazine

Is there life for gay and lesbian cinema after Brokeback Mountain? That's a question the eighth annual Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, taking place Friday through April 30, will ponder formally in a panel led by film scholar B. Ruby Rich this Sunday and informally throughout the event's entertaining and informative run. But for veteran attendees of gay and lesbian film festivals, the question may be both ironic and irrelevant, as if there were only one gay love story to be filmed and Brokeback was it.

The question certainly frustrates festival co-director Carol Coombes, who's tired of being told that gay and lesbian film festivals are now redundant just because one gay-themed movie had a big impact at the box office and garnered several major awards. "We have been showing gay imagery for years," Coombes says, pointing out that the San Francisco International LGBT Film Festival will celebrate its 30th year this June. "I loved Transamerica, but it figures they would only accept a Desperate Housewife in the role and not a real transgendered person."

Coombes, who helms the festival with Jaie Laplante, adds that even gay filmmakers are reassessing their approach to gay festivals. "They all think that they have the next Brokeback Mountain, so maybe they need to hold back and give their film to [the Toronto International Film Festival]," she explains. "Gay and lesbian films have always been in mainstream festivals. And at the end, it all works out. We have a mutual relationship. I understand gay and lesbian filmmakers don't always want to be in a niche festival, and there will always be movies that won't ever play the mainstream."

The 2005 Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival saw a 20 percent increase in attendance over the year before and 13,000 admissions overall, so its future appears quite secure. For further evidence, consider the depth of this year's program, which includes three panels, films from Iceland to the Philippines, fascinating documentaries detailing everything from crystal meth use to fag hags, and short film programs appealing to virtually all races and ethnicities. Coombes describes this year's offerings as "truly astonishing."

In particular, she recommends Small Town Gay Bar, a Kevin Smith-produced documentary that was a hit at Sundance and will screen April 27 at South Beach Cinema 18. The film looks at the difficulties faced by gays in northeastern Mississippi, who often travel as far as 90 miles to enjoy the company of their own. "These gays are very far removed from being embraced by the mainstream," Coombes says. "There's still a struggle out there, and we don't have it as easy as we think we do."

The festival is also targeting young gays who are just embracing their sexuality. The documentary Hinieni: Coming Out in a Jewish High School will screen April 30 at Blank Chapel at Temple Emanu-El, 1701 Washington Ave., in Miami Beach. "This is something I really wanted to do," Coombes says, "taking the film -- a real coming-of-age film -- to an outside audience in a place of worship."

Coombes, who is known for her idiosyncratic, ruby-red hair and colorful, vintage outfits, says she is proud of the festival's slate of special events. On Saturday, the festival will salute the film distribution company TLA Releasing, known for its gutsy and often gay-oriented movies, with a screening of 20 Centimeters at the Colony Theatre and an afterparty at The National Hotel in Miami Beach. The following day, the popular Web site Planetout.com will present its annual short-movie awards at South Beach Cinema 18, followed by a reception at the Hotel of South Beach. Finally, the festival will honor the work of notable French filmmaker Fran�ois Ozon, whose movies include Swimming Pool and 8 Women, April 28 at South Beach Cinema 18.

Of course, the festival is almost as well-known for its galas and afterparties as it is for its movies. This year will be no different, with bashes taking place throughout the event.