Editor

Out Film CT is pleased to announce that the Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is celebrating its 24th year this May.  Throughout the year Out Film CT brings informational and entertaining lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) films to the region.  As part of the organization's mission to present timely films on topics relevant to the LGBT community, Out Film CT has shown documentaries, shorts, and full-length feature films on gay marriage, overturning California's Prop 8, and global human rights violations.  Most recently Out Film CT celebrated the repeal of the "Don't Ask Don't Tell" with a special presentation of the film A Marine Story which depicts one woman's struggle with the now outdated military policy.  This year's festival will continue to provide Connecticut residents with a range of films that span from funny to fundamental.

"As attitudes and policies related to LGBT rights continue to change in the U.S., so do the scope of films about the LGBT community.  We are delighted to uncover the best of these new films and share them with our enthusiastic audiences each year." said festival director Shane Engstrom. 

Here are a few of the films being considered for this year's program (subject to availability):

• Gun Hill Road - In this 2011 Sundance Film Festival premiere, an ex-con returns home to the Bronx after three year in prison to discover his wife estranged and his teenage son exploring a sexual transformation that puts the fragile bonds of their family to the test.
• KickOff - Sparks fly when a fledgling, 5-on-a-side gay soccer team takes on the league's most feared squad in this comedy by the creator of the British hit Metrosexuality.
• Gen Silent - LGBT people who fought the earliest battles for equality now face so much fear about discrimination, or worse, in health care/long-term care that they hide their past lives, are afraid to ask for help, and die earlier. But, a small group of professionals is trying to change that.
• We Were Here - Straight from Sundance, this compelling documentary takes a deep and reflective look back at the arrival and impact of AIDS in San Francisco, and how the City's inhabitants dealt with that unprecedented calamity.

Presented by Out Film CT, the festival runs from Thursday, May 26th through Saturday, June 4th, 2011 at Cinestudio on the campus of Trinity College, 300 Summit Street, in Hartford, CT.  Films are frequently accompanied by live question and answer sessions with filmmakers and actors.  Additionally, movie buffs can bid on a wide range of exciting items that include exotic travel, fine dining, artwork, and spa packages, at the silent auction which runs for the duration of the festival. 

Films are shown nightly at 7:30 p.m., with matinees on weekends (5/28-5/29 and 6/4) at 3:00 p.m.  Admission prices are $9 for general admission and $7 for students and seniors, except for Opening/Closing gala screenings (Friday, 5/27 & Saturday, 6/4) which cost $15 and $12 respectively; gala admission price includes the films, food, beverages and musical entertainment.  Tickets will be available online two weeks prior to the festival or at the door.

Out Film CT is a nonprofit cultural organization dedicated to presenting outstanding LGBT cinema and other theatrical events throughout the year, culminating in the 10-day Connecticut Gay & Lesbian Film Festival.  As Connecticut's longest-running film festival, it has become a distinctive fixture in our state's cultural landscape, bringing the community together to introduce, celebrate and rediscover the ideas and values that make the LGBT community unique.

For more information, call 860-586-1136, or visit http://www.outfilmct.org/.