The 2005 Southwest Gay and Lesbian film Festival, produced by Closet Cinema and the Center for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Santa Fe will have its 2005 run from September 16-22. The venues include the historic Guild Cinema, Southwest Film Center, and CCA Cinematheque. With over fifty feature-length and short-film entries, including the perspectives of 18 foreign countries, the Festival is the largest GLBT film festival in New Mexico and the surrounding region.

Panel discussions, a photography exhibit, and numerous parties round out the Festival. Events in Santa Fe will take place exclusively at the CCA Cinematheque, 1050 Old Pecos Trail. In Albuquerque, the Festival will be presented at the Southwest Film Center at the UNM Student Building, and Guild Cinema, 3405 Central Avenue NE.


Opening SWGLFF is Côte D’ Azur, a delightful story written and directed by Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau (My Life on Ice & The Adventures of Felix). Côte D’ Azur is the story of a lively French family vacationing on the Mediterranean coast. No one is who they seem yet no one seems to mind! Also, Wilby Wonderful, a bittersweet comedy about a small town with a big problem, opens in Albuquerque with a fabulous Opening Night Party to follow at Laru Ni Hati / Café Cubano.

Unveiled and Summer Storm will be our Closing Night Films. Summer Storm closes Albuquerque at the Guild Cinema and depicts the thrill and pain of first love, and the challenges faced by friends in a difficult divide. Don’t miss this irresistible coming-of-age story! Also, Unveiled, which closes at CCA Cinematheque, is a powerful story of the struggles of refugees, the confines of gender, and the power of love. This deeply moving, intimate, yet universal film will stay with you long after the curtain closes. Following the screening, the Closing Night Party will take place at Cowgirl Hall of Fame in Santa Fe.

Other highlights of this year’s festival include a sneak peek at the Sundance Channel’s new reality series Transgeneration, plus many more dramas, documentaries, and short films that both celebrate and illuminate GLBT life. Documentaries include Same Sex America, a look at events following one of the most important dates in GLBT history, the powerful Ending Aids: The Search for a Cure, and the controversial Gay Republicans. And lets not forget our decadent and popular midnight movies, which includes a brand new print of Barbarella! This intergalactic cult favorite, starring Jane Fonda, should not be missed!


Two panel discussions will take place: At noon on Saturday, September 17, CCA will host a discussion, titled “Aids: In Search of a Cure.” The talk will bring participants up to date on some of the current research challenges involved in the creation of an AIDS vaccine, including the history of vaccine research, obstacles, and prospects for the future. At 2:00 pm on Saturday, September 17, “TransTalks,” a discussion about Transgender issues will take place at the Southwest Film Center in Albuquerque.

Finally, an exhibit by Santa Fe photographer Gay Block will be at CCA from
September 10 – October 15. Titled “The Last Dance, 1974 & 2005,” the thirty
photographs in this exhibition highlight the transformation of both medium and artist over a thirty-year span. In 1974, Block photographed the closing of the posh Rice Hotel in Houston; in 2005, she photographed the last dance at Santa Fe’s Paramount nightclub. The black-and-white gelatin silver prints of Texan wealth hang in stark contrast to the intimate color digital prints of a contemporary lesbian lifestyle.

Festival Director Roberto Appicciafoco said, “Closet Cinema is committed to showcasing queer cinema in New Mexico, to promote a positive and informative view on GLBT life as well as expand and enlighten communities throughout. It’s all about building bridges and celebrating diversity. I am very happy to be in our third year and expanding to Santa Fe to continue to promote queer lifestyles and cinema.”

“The ‘Southwest Gay and Lesbian Film Festival’ is another example of the diversity of film programming that CCA is committed to providing the Santa Fe community,” said CCA Executive Director Steve Buck. “This event will open up further dialogue about gay, lesbian, bi and transgender issues, and bring a lot of great entertainment to an underserved community. With panel discussions and an art exhibit designed to engage the public, it’s a wonderful example of what CCA is all about.”