And yet, this year I find myself lacking the motivation to attend. The spark that ignited within me one year ago has failed to even flicker in excitement. Why that is, I do not know. It's not to say there is a shortage of quality film this time around. As expected, many of the pieces being shown sound quite good. Some dreadfully predictable, and others outright offensive. After so many years watching the progress of mainstream film, I hold niche categories to an even higher standard. Too many clichè characters, concepts and storylines continue to fill an already offensive image of the community. It becomes difficult to promote diversity when certain films resort to money-making tactics of Old Hollywood, effectively pushing back the cause a few decades for the sake of a "good laugh" or relatability factor (which is quite hypocritical in its own right). I've stopped putting up with it in mainstream entertainment, and should never of had to deal with it in LGBT cinema.
At last year's OutfestLA, I had the great honor of watching a screening of Robin Williams's final film, Boulevard. It was such an amazing experience to see him commanding such a role with great effort, as he has done masterfully throughout his career. I applauded the film and could not wait to see another. On a separate day of the festival, The Way He Looks premiered to an adoring crowd. This cinematic gem follows the story of a blind youth trying to make his own way through life and coming to terms with his budding sexuality. It was so wonderfully crafted and offered a unique perspective to the genre, as well as an incredibly simple yet powerful solution to the usual storm of dramatics.
Perhaps it was witnessing such a high caliber of film that moved me to a state in which I could no longer settle for less. We fill our minds with such dribble on a daily basis, with hardly any progress on systemic evolution. The same stories are told over and over, by the same people, with the same looks. Representation is sorely lacking, as all developing roles are filled by generic templates common of Hollywood culture, and lesser, more forgettable roles are filled by stereotypes meant to serve as a literary byproduct. And now, to see these types of films receive praise as "the best and brightest in LGBT cinema" merely because the cast or crew play for another team, serves as nothing but a severe offense to both the medium as well as the people it's meant to help. Taking "what works" in mainstream entertainment and merely making it gay is not what I call progress.
Am I overreacting? Being a bit of a bitch? Maybe, but I don't care. While tons of crap continues to get pushed out into the public eye, there are amazing programs being ignored that serve as solutions to many of these programs. Powerful women undefined by men; LGBT characters with unique personalities relevant to their lifestyles and career choices; stories not defined by inevitable "love" and relationships, but rather evolution of the self. These are the kind of productions that deserve the community's attention and praise.
Now don't misunderstand. I love a cute romance or good, cheesy comedy. Definitely a nice, raunchy film or two. There's nothing wrong with a bunch of bitchy queens delivering an onslaught of dry humor and sarcasm. But do they really deserve a top ten slot year after year? If we want mainstream entertainment to change their perception of us, shouldn't we adjust the one we have of ourselves?
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