Reeling Reborn: 31st Edition Of The LGBT Film Festival Begins Thursday
By Rob Christopher in Arts & Entertainment on Nov 6, 2013 5:10PM
Many years ago, watching Muppet Treasure Island while settled in a threadbare, caved-in seat, it would have been hard for us to imagine that one day the second-oldest LGBT film festival in the world would choose the Logan Theatre for its main venue. But times have certainly changed. The Logan received a super-duper facelift last year, while the neighborhood around it has gentrified so fast it's like something out of a science fiction movie. And gay marriage in Illinois is about to become a reality and now the Logan is the main theater for the return of Reeling, The Chicago LGBT International Film Festival.
Reeling returns after a one-year hiatus, a period of reflection and stock-taking that we heartily applaud. It appears to have renewed a commitment to reach out to the entire LGBT community, not just the Boystown-centric festivalgoers clustered near Landmark Century, the festival's most recent base venue.
Although the Logan will host the bulk of the festival's screenings, other events are being held at venues across the city, including the Music Box, the Laugh Factory, Block Cinema, The DuSable Museum, Sidetrack, Puerto Rican Arts Alliance, and even the Edgewater branch of Chicago Public Library.
The scope and focus of the festival have also been retooled. This edition will unspool over eight days, noticeably shorter than in years past (perhaps a frank acknowledgement that quality LGBT fare is anything but plentiful?) Opening Night feature G.B.F., a comedy about the rivalry among popular high school girls anxious to snag newbie student Tanner as their Gay Best Friend, and other movies such as Who's Afraid of Vagina Wolf? sound like traditional Reeling crowd pleasers. But this year's festival isn't afraid to be edgy.
How else to describe the choice of Ludwig II from Austria/Germany as one of the three Closing Night Features? Because let's face it, gays have a reputation for steering clear of subtitles unless penetration is involved. Certainly one of the most anticipated movies in the lineup is James Franco and Travis Mathews' infamous Interior. Leather Bar., which imagines what it was like to be an extra in the 1980 film Cruising.
Local filmmaker Stephen Cone, whose movie The Wise Kids played at Reeling in 2011, is back with a new coming-of-age dramedy, Black Box. There are also numerous programs of shorts (both romantic and otherwise), and several documentaries, such as The Abominable Crime and I Am Divine. This year's Reeling might be shorter in duration, but its lineup features something for everyone.
The Reeling LGBT International Film Festival runs Nov. 7-14. Most tickets are $12.