Frameline presenters share their picks from lineup
Frameline, San Francisco’s iconic LGBTQ film festival, will have its longest run in history, from Thursday, June 10, through June 27. The package includes drivein showings, streaming across the country, indoor screenings and even outdoor movie nights at Oracle Park.
Before the program was put together, organizers worried that the pandemic would make it difficult to come up with a strong lineup. But the opposite happened: There weren’t enough slots for all the excellent work, including big productions, romances and period dramas.
“The hard part was we didn’t have enough slots for all the work and all the creative energy that people were able to muster while being locked down,” said Allegra Madsen, Frameline’s director of programming.
With that in mind, Madsen and the film festival’s senior programmer, Peter Stein, shared highlights with The Chronicle about Frameline’s schedule to help folks navigate this year’s offerings.
“Every film in this program is here
for a reason, because there is something beautiful or exceptional or relevant to this moment,” Madsen said. “Take a leap of faith and trust that you’re going to experience something about you.”
Q: Did you see any overarching themes from the films for Frameline 45?
Madsen: One thing I saw in all the films were the weird and beautiful machinations that people go through to connect with one another and to escape being lonely.
Stein: The themes are more intricate and complex. The films address issues like allyship, or race, or xenophobia where the queerness, per se, is only one of the elements of life.
Q: Name a hidden gem in the lineup.
Stein: “Nico.” It centers on a young PersianGerman woman in Berlin who becomes a victim of a xenophobic attack. It’s an exploration of what it takes to become resilient against hate — and is uplifting.
Madsen: “Metamorphosis.” It’s a narrative from the Philippines about an intersex youth who, until a pivotal moment, has identified as male. It is a beautiful, unusual take on the comingofage story.
Q: Which films stood out for their acting?
Madsen: I put my money behind “Language Lessons.” Literally, the entire film is the two characters (played by Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass) on (Zoom) screens. Acting to a camera, and not a person, is a real feat.
Stein: In the documentary “Truman and Tennessee,” the voiceover character performances are fantastic. They (Jim Parsons as Truman Capote, and Zachary Quinto as Tennessee Williams) capture something about the characters of these two gay literary lions.
Q: What’s a worthwhile romantic film in the lineup?
Stein: “Boy Meets Boy.” It’s a breezy summer romance in the style of “Weekend” and “Before Sunrise.”
Madsen: I’m going to go with “Noor & Layla,” a lesbian short in the Realness & Revelations program. It’s a beautiful marriage of a love story with culture and prayer.
Q: Name a funny film. Madsen: “Sweetheart.” It’s a summer romance
that follows a teenager who is in that angsty, selfabsorbed and also incredibly charming moment in life. It has those “Oh, I remember that” moments. I’m mortified, but I completely understand where she is. It just makes you laugh.
Stein: The “Fun in Shorts” program — all (the films) made me laugh out loud. The closing one is “Sunday Dinner,” about a very raucous Italian family dinner. I’m so excited that people can see these shorts at the Castro Theatre, and laugh together as a community again.
Q: How about a sexy film?
Madsen: Francois Ozon’s “Summer of 85.” It has tight acid wash jeans, feathered hair, a beach in France, and then it turns dark, which may say something about me. (laughs)
Stein: I’ll pick the same film. Super, super sexy. That’s a drivein showing only — tinted windows are a must!
Q: What film stands out as a crowdpleaser?
Madsen: “Fanny: The Right to Rock.” It follows this allfemale rock band in the ’60s and ’70s, and then their comeback. You will leave this film feeling pumped.
Stein: “No Straight Lines,” the closing night film. It is the story of queer comics. It’s fun, upbeat — a discovery film.
Q: My Aunt Mabel is in town from Kansas. What film should I watch with her?
Madsen: I’m just going to go ahead and say it: “Raw! Uncut! Video!” It’s time Aunt Mabel knows who we are. (laughs) Seriously, I would recommend “Jump, Darling,” about a grandmother (Cloris Leachman in her final film role) transitioning into life stages, and her grandson, a wayward queer artist.
Stein: “A Sexplanation,” about those cringey conversations that you’ve never really had with your older relatives. It’ll probably open up a very interesting conversation with Aunt Mabel.