QFest Wrap Up

Well, it looks like my QFest internship has come to an end, although I still need 60 hours to complete my credits. I'll work that out.

I've learned a lot from "top" to "bottom" and drank way too much QFest sponsored booze!

The Jury Award for First Time Director went to Nancy Kissim, director of Drool, which I had already chosen as my favorite film of the festival. To view the list of Jury and Audience Awards click HERE

The festival staff all seemed to agree, that the Loews Hotel was wonderful to work with for accommodations and the closing night party. I was on the door for the closing night party and had the fun of turning away a few cheapskates that tried to get in with their theater ticket, but without a party ticket. I also was in charge of doling out the party bags. You wouldn't believe how adamant people are about getting swag, even when it's mediocre swag.

Prior to the party, the closing night show, The Big Gay Musical, wasn't what I expected. I thought it would be over-the-top-camp, have a lot of references straight viewers were not hip to, be totally raunchy and have really big, glitzy musical numbers. At first, I was pleasantly surprised that this wasn't the case, but upon further review, I think it should have been.

We are introduced to the cast members of an Off Broadway musical (was the musical within the musical called "The Big Gay Musical"?, I can't remember) at any rate, it has a funny, and wouldn't it be a riot if it were true premise; that after God created Adam and Eve and after Eve ate the apple which got them tossed out of Eden, the angels suggested God create two men this time around - Adam and Steve.

There's a Tammy Faye Baker type character that's trying to "save" her nephew by sending him to I'm Going "Straight" To Heaven camp, and a forbidden love interest for the nephew.

The musical outside of the musical, features Paul (Daniel Robinson) who wants to be a married, family man, married to a husband, of course. After getting dumped by his boyfriend, because of a false rumor that he's HIV positive, he decides to become a slut.

Eddie (Joey Dudding) is a good Christian boy, a virgin, who is very close to his parents, who up until this point don't know he's gay. Of course he wreaks of homosexuality, and has obviously been taking ballet since the age of 5...

The other characters are mostly Greek chorus.

Director, Casper Andreas & co-director/screenwriter Fred M. Caruso did a very good job of weaving the musical throughout the musical. The obvious message of the piece - God made each of us just the way we are supposed to be, is preachy, but not to the point of being self-righteous. The real problem, the film is preaching to the choir, anyone adhering to the whole "It's an abomination thing" is never going to see this film.

Food Footnote: Other than a banana reference, I really can't find a food and film tie in for this one.

Rating: My Pretty Middle Toe