Frameline48: Rise Up – Doc Shorts
In a time when queer folks and women’s bodies are under attack by politicians, these shorts defy the persecution. Check out new films from queer artists Kimberly Reed, Chella Man, Hao Zhou, and Alex Hedison.
This program has a content advisory. For more information, please click here.
Short films showing in this program:
Alok
Directed by Alex Hedison
A compelling portrait of Alok, acclaimed non-binary author, poet, comedian, and public speaker. Executive produced by Jodie Foster, Alok is directed by Alex Hedison (The L Word) and features appearances from fellow queer influencers Dylan Mulvaney and Chani Nicholas. (19 mins)
The Callers
Directed by Lindsey Dryden
The Callers combines anonymous documentary testimony with imagined creative scenes to tell the story of those who have called the oldest queer support line in the UK. Since 1974, listening volunteers at LGBT Switchboard have been taking anonymous calls and messages from queer people across Britain, on everything from where to find the nearest leather club to how to come out, start a family or mend a broken heart.
By “taking the story” with their callers, volunteers accompany them on a part of their journey and help them imagine the future they long for. The film is a love letter to queer memory and possibility, LGBTQ+ community and care, and the power of collective imagination to create the lives we dream of. (20 mins)
The Device That Turned Me Into a Cyborg Was Born the Same Year I Was
Directed by Chella Man
Through visual metaphors and circumstantial installations, Chella Man (Chestnut, Frameline47) explores his cyborg identity and personal relationship to the freedom and constraints cochlear implants created. (3 mins)
Seat 31: Zooey Zephyr
Directed by Kimberly Reed
When Zooey Zephyr was expelled from the Montana House of Representatives for speaking on a bill banning transgender medical care, she made a nearby bench her “office.” Director Kimberly Reed’s (Prodigal Sons, Frameline33) cameras land next to Zooey, capturing shocking, funny, and joyous events. (14 mins)
There Are Things to Do
Directed by Mike Syers
Urvashi Vaid, an outspoken immigrant, lesbian, and woman of color was an LGBTQ+ superhero helped shape the modern day gay rights movement. Her vision for the movement serves as a roadmap of initiatives & tools for generations of activist as they face anti-LGBTQ+ backlash. The film features Urvashi’s life in Provincetown, MA and 34-year relationship with partner Kate Clinton, and inspires us that the best place to build community & work towards equality starts at home. (18 mins)
Volver
Directed by Borja Larrondo & Diego Sánchez
A group of artists from the LGTBQ+ collective return to their hometowns aboard a pride float. A road movie that travels through the Spanish geography making visible the cultural clash with the most intransigent past. (17 mins)
Wouldn’t Make It Any Other Way
Directed by Hao Zhou
Having built a colorful queer life in an American prairie town, an aspiring costume designer visits their island homeland of Guam to make costumes for a children’s theatre and reconnect with distanced parents. (20 mins)
Expected Guests:
Alex Hedison, Director (Alok)
Meggan Lennon, Producer (Alok)
Lindsey Dryden, Director (The Callers)
Mike Syers, Director (There Are Things to Do)
