Southwest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2008

Transferring to a new high school is never fun but, when her two moms move to a generic suburb (leaving her two dads behind in the city), Tru is sure her life is over. Mocked by new classmates she loathes, Tru decides to maintain a low profile for eternity, or graduation, whichever comes first. Tru’s plans are ruined when the school’s star quarterback asks her out. Tru soon realizes that her new “boyfriend” mostly wants her help keeping his most private secret: he’s gay. Tru agrees, but when the school sissy wants her help in starting a Gay-Straight Alliance, and when a gorgeous guy kisses her (and means it), and when her “boyfriend” frets about how Tru’s new friends might hurt his image…what’s a proudly gay-affirming straight girl to do? Produced in partnership with California’s Gay-Straight Alliance Network, Tru Loved addresses such serious issues as being “out” in high school, interracial dating, and school-sanctioned homophobia with empathy and genuine humor. Tru Loved also boasts a winning, diverse cast comprised of newcomers (starring Najarra Townsend, from the indie sensation You and Me and Everyone We Know, and featuring Tye Olson, acclaimed star of Watercolors) as well as a coterie of “gay-list” celebrities (Bruce Vilanch, Alec Mapa, Jane Lynch and Dave Kopay, to name but a few) alongside a full roster of friendly “allied” faces (look for Star Trek’s Nichelle Nichols as a salty, scene-stealing grandmother). Tru Loved is a fun, fresh delightful gay teen romantic comedy for the entire family – don’t miss it! — Brian Herrera

Following in the footsteps of last year’s powerful drama, Glue (which won the juried prize for best first feature at Frameline), the Argentinians have again returned center stage to achieve critical success with the brilliant and moving XXY. In her debut film, director Lucia Puenzo has crafted a movie as stunning, rough and unpredictable as the Uruguayan shoreline where the story unfolds. XXY is a complex portrayal of Alex, a beautiful 15-year-old teenager who just happens to have been born intersex. Brought up female by her loving parents, who decided to leave Buenos Aires for a more remote coastal town, Alex is trying to cope with puberty and the confusion of her changing body. When Alex’s mother surprises the family with a visit from one of the top plastic surgeons in Buenos Aires, both Alex and her father have to question the possibility of having “corrective” female gender assignment surgery. When Alex was born, her parents had decided not to surgically intervene and to allow her to choose her own path when she was older. Now that that time has arrived and she is exploring her own sexuality, the choices seem not so clear. Things are further complicated by Alex’s attraction to Alvaro, the 16-year-old surgeon’s son who, while initially not responsive to Alex’s advances, becomes strongly enmeshed in her drama. Through his powerful reaction to her, Alvaro must question his own burgeoning masculinity. XXY paints a sensitive and intimate portrait of a family that must make difficult decisions in a world that can be less than accepting. The powerful yet tender performances will leave you questioning the nature of gender and our own fragile humanity. —Rachel Popowcer