Lineup Announced for 22nd Annual TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival

Three Dollar Bill Cinema announces the five gala film events for the 22nd Annual Twist: Seattle Queer Film Festival. This highly anticipated 11 day festival presents over sixty short showcases and feature length film programs at six locations around Seattle. Record attendance is expected and celebrity guests and directors will attend multiple events. For the first time ever, the opening night gala will be at KEXP's new Gathering Space. The closing night gala is at Il Fornaio inside Pacific Place and themed receptions will follow each of the three centerpiece features.

Check www.twistfilmfest.org on September 15, 2017 for a complete list of guests in attendance and festival films.

Three Dollar Bill Cinema Executive Director Jason Plourde elaborates, "this year's gala films include an in depth look at one of the queer community's most beloved writers and important activists, Armistead Maupin. And once we realized we could bookend the festival with Trudie Styler's star-studded film Freak Show that addresses the contemporary issues facing today's youth -we knew we had put together one of our biggest and best festivals ever."

ADVANCE TICKET PRICES: All prices listed below increase by $2 at the door

Opening Night Gala $33

Closing Night Gala $20

Centerpiece films $15

Festival passes $85- $240

Regular screening tickets $11 ($8 for members, $9 for people with disabilities, youth under 21 & seniors over 65)

Opening Night Gala

The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin

SIFF Cinema Uptown - OCT 12, 7:15PM

Click here for Trailer: The Untold Tales

Jennifer Kroot & Bill Weber; 2017; USA; 91 min.

Co-directors Jennifer Kroot and Bill Weber (previous collaborators on TO BE TAKEI)open our festival with this delightful documentary about Armistead Maupin, one of the world's most beloved storytellers and creator of Tales of the City. Both poignant and laugh-out-loud funny, this disarmingly frank look at Maupin's life and work follows his evolution from a conservative son of the Old South into a gay rights pioneer whose novels have inspired millions to claim their own truth. Grant Nelleson's funky and florid graphics punctuate the gorgeous archival footage and photographs. Endearing interviews with Armistead Maupin, Neil Gaiman, Laura Linney, Olympia Dukakis, Sir Ian McKellen, Amy Tan, and Margaret Cho add to the narrative.

Closing Night Gala

Freak Show

AMC Pacific Place - OCT 22, 7:00PM

Click here for a Clip from Freak Show

Trudie Styler; 2017; USA; 91 min.

Legendary club kid James St. James's young adult novel Freak Show was an ode to all things Gaga, Mercury, and Wilde. First time director Trudie Styler gives life to this delightfully amusing coming-of-age feature. Her personal connections (Styler is married to Sting) undoubtedly played a role in securing Alex Lawther (The Imitation Game) as Billy Bloom, Abigail Breslin (Scream Queens) as Lynette and a list of cameos that include Laverne Cox (Orange Is the New Black) as an anchorwoman, Bette Middler as Billy's inspirational mother and John McEnroe as a screaming coach (of course). When Billy Decides to run for homecoming queen, despite hordes of conservative classmates at his high school devoted to football and Jesus, nothing will stop his wardrobe and sense of style from being utterly fabulous. Billy is no stranger to bullying, but just when he feels the most deserted, star football player Flip (Ian Nelson) befriends him in an effort to ease the harassment. A reluctant alliance with Blah Blah Blah (AnnaSophia Robb, The Carrie Diaries) further dispels his isolation. This story reminds us that community is to be cherished, and that each and every one of us has a significant role to play in its creation.

Centerpiece Films

Saturday Church

SIFF Cinema Egyptian - SUNDAY, OCT 15, 7:00PM

Damon Cardasis; 2017; USA; 81 min.

In this Glee-ful coming-of-age musical, Ulysses (dynamic newcomer Luka Kain) struggles to come to terms with the reality of a dismal home life with his bigoted aunt Rose (ReGina Taylor). The limits placed on him by a religious upbringing only serve to heighten the vibrant, joyful queerness of his internal world, glimpses of which slowly expand as Ulysses comes to know himself and reframe his relationship with his family. Ulysses finds refuge in Saturday Church, a weekly community space run by a street-smart volunteer (Kate Bornstein). Newfound friends and queens of The New York City piers give Ulysses a platform and welcoming environment. Voguing competitions with gender-bending outfits, bursts of rose petals, and kaleidoscopic visuals show us that the heart of the performer is what makes a powerful performance.

Apricot Groves

SIFF CINEMA EGYPTIAN - WEDNESDAY, OCT 18, 7:00PM

Click Here for Trailer: Apricot Groves

Pouria Heidary Oureh; 2016; Armenia; 80 min.; in Armenian and English with English subtitles

Queer cinema so infrequently originates in Middle Eastern countries, which makes this rare feature a fortunate blessing for audiences here in the United States. This intentional and beautifully crafted feature makes a triumphant return after screening at the 2017 Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival. Aram, an Iranian-Armenian transmasculine youth who immigrated to the United States in childhood, travels to Armenia for the first time to propose to a girlfriend Aram met and lived with in America. Aram encounters many cultural, religious, and national differences on the 24-hour trip, but even harder obstacles lie ahead: finding acceptance by getting the blessing and approval of those who must transcend their culture. This is a story of family, faith, brotherhood, and love. It's a moving reflection on the themes of secrecy and identity, as well as an intricate example of the endurance and complications that permeate conservative religious expectations.

BPM

AMC Pacific Place - FRIDAY, OCT 20, 6:45PM

Click here for Trailer: BPM

Robin Campillo; 2017; France; 140 min.; in French with English subtitles.

A blaring air horn signals an immediate sense of urgency at the start of writer-director Robin Campillo's epic, heart-wrenching love story of courageous, resilient people who fought for our very existence. Based on his life as an ACT UP activist in the early '90s, Campillo draws on his personal relationships and experiences fighting pharmaceutical companies for the release of new life-saving protease inhibitor drugs against the backdrop of fear and indifference from the general public and government. Its exquisitely crafted finale left journalists in stunned silence at the Cannes Film Festival and was the winner of the Grand Prix, Queer Palm, and Film Critics' Awards.

Panel Discussion

SaturGay Morning Panel: Queers & Women in Comics

SIFF Cinema Egyptian - SATURDAY, OCT 14, 12:15PM

$5

Learn about trailblazers doing amazing work to shift the climate in the superhero and online comic universe, including our own local transgender webcomic personality Jesska Nightmare! Have your media literacy lenses packed and ready to investigate the intersectionality of comics and film, particularly considering recent exciting developments of the Wonder Woman phenomena. Panelists include: Tatiana Gill (Moderator and Seattle cartoonist), Roberta Gregory (LGBT comics creator since the mid '70s), Isabella Price (comics creator and filmmaker) and Jessica Nightmare (writer, illustrator, and cartoonist).

Workshop

How to be a Trans Ally

Northwest Film Forum - THURSDAY, OCT 19, 5:00PM

FREE: Open to All

Are you new to transgender concepts? Join us for a screening of GENDERIZE (Audience Award winner for Best Documentary Short, Translations 2017) in which three young siblings share their thoughts on gender. Four years later, they exhibit a more developed perspective, exploring privilege, sexism, puberty, and parenting. Following the screening, join an open discussion facilitated by Aidan Key, director of Gender Diversity and founder of the Gender Odyssey conference. Bring your questions to this educational evening: gain a working vocabulary, more understanding of gender-nonconforming folks, and tools for allyship...then make your way across the hall forTRANS SHORTS!

About Three Dollar Bill Cinema

Three Dollar Bill Cinema provides access to films by, for, and about lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) people and their families, and a forum for LGBTQ+ filmmakers to share and discuss their work with audiences. We curate themed screenings throughout the year and produce programs in partnership with other arts, cultural, and service delivery organizations. Our biggest programs are TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival, Translations: Seattle Transgender Film Festival, Reel Queer Youth, and the free Three Dollar Bill Outdoor Cinema in Cal Anderson Park. For more details, visit www.threedollarbillcinema.org.

About TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival

TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival has been held annually in October since 1996. The festival has grown into the largest event of its kind in the Pacific Northwest, gaining industry and audience recognition for showcasing the latest and greatest in queer film, from major motion picture premieres to emerging talent. An important venue in the Seattle film scene-and the social event of the season-the festival provides unique opportunities for visiting and local filmmakers to engage and entertain over 10,000 attendees.