Southwest Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2009

Biting Hollywood satire meets a melancholy search for love and acceptance in this explosively entertaining film. The film begins in Paris where Jerome still hopes to reunite with his ex, who has moved on. On a desperate whim, Jerome packs his bags and heads for Hollywood. Within his first 24 hours, the Frenchman meets a cute stoner at the beach named Ross (Chad Allen), discovers the frustrating effects of LA public transportation, and chats up transexual hooker Kaleesha, who falls in love immediately and offers him a place to crash. Striving to forget his ex-lover back home, Jerome searches for new experiences and connections on the strange, colorful streets of Los Angeles. Driven by brilliant performances by Eric Debets and gay icon Chad Allen and a profound appreciation of showbiz absurdity, HOLLYWOOD JE T’AIME is insanely funny and unlike anything you’ve ever seen. — Jason Wilby

Three former high school friends reunite and pick up their routine of chasing Mexican immigrants back across the border. However, their frivolity becomes more complicated when one of the boys and his father discover each other’s secrets. Under the guise of being on break from college, David (Benjamin Walker, FLAGS OF OUR FATHERS) returns to his Southwest hometown and resumes border-stalking with his two best friends, Greg and George. Actually troubled and on suspension from school, David tries to reconnect with his father. When he is rebuffed, David devises a plan for his little gang to rip off a semi full of black-market merchandise from his father’s trucking operation. Amid their juvenile antics, each boy struggles with his notions of race and sexuality and tries to stay on the right side of the borders they pretend not to cross. Greg, at the risk of being rejected by his Anglo buddies, tries to court a seductive Mexican woman (who has a head for creative immigration solutions), and a smoldering tension builds as David rediscovers a physical and emotional bond with George. Originally a stage play, this intense and racially charged movie presents a timely, strong story with nuanced acting from the entire cast, which includes Victor Rasuk (recently of STOP-LOSS) newcomer Brian J. Smith and film and television mainstay Peter Gallagher as David’s father. —Brandie Erisman