QFest Day 12

I’m so tempted to post the winners for tonight’s Jury Prize and Audience Awards before tonight’s Awards ceremony. I’d also like to post the e-mails of behind the scenes chatter regarding, Gail Shister’s interview of Sharon Gless before the screening of Hanna Free and Sharon’s displeasure. But posting either thing would be poor intern/journalistic integrity. (Edge Philadelphia does a great job of summing up what we in the audience were feeling during the Q&A)

Saturday, I saw the second screening of Fruit Fly, debut feature of writer/composer/director H.P. Mendoza. Mendoza is Filipino and the movie musical was funded by the Center for Asian American Media, hence the predominantly Asian cast. Still, I was struck by both the naturalness, and a longing to see more films where the protagonist (L.A. Renigen) and supporting cast is multi-cultural without it being subtitled. Sure, some of the plot line involves heritage, however, the movie is mostly about being young, hanging out and finding artistic expression. Of course since it features songs such as Gay, Gay, Gay and Hag Fag, its also got quite a bit of gaiety!

Most of the song lyrics are quite entertaining, but the score as a whole – ordinary music theater fare. The production value is pretty good, Shot in HD over a 20-day period in the Castro and Mission neighborhood of San Francisco.

I got a chance to talk to H.P. at Sisters Night Club Friday night, mostly about his love of Philadelphia. I hope he took my advice and went to Capogiro’s before heading back to SF.

Rating: Pretty Middle Toe

Stay tuned for reviews of St. Trinian’s and Hanna Free, but I need to run to the theater now for Closing Night’s – The Big Gay Musical!