Arts & Entertainment

Teenagers Egghead (Louis Tomeo) and Twinkie (Sabrina Jie-A-Fa) have been best friends since childhood, but recently they’ve been keeping secrets from each other. Egghead has a secret crush on Twinkie. Twinkie is a lesbian infatuated with social media star, BD (Ayden Lee). These awkward truths come to light when Egghead tries to kiss Twinkie, spurring her to come out to her conservative parents and take off on a road trip with Egghead along for the ride. The problem? Egghead doesn’t know that the real purpose of the trip is for Twinkie to meet BD in person, and BD might not be everything she appears to be online. Told in a series of colorful flashbacks, Egghead & Twinkie is a stylized, whip smart, coming-of-age story written by and for Gen Z. 

Sara Kambe Holland (writer / director / producer / editor) is a filmmaker based in Orlando, FL. Her directorial work has screened at festivals all over the country, including the Florida Film Festival, NewFest, and Reeling Film Festival. Her 2019 short film, “Egghead & Twinkie”, won Best Film and Best Director from the Women Making a Scene International Film Project along with a production grant to produce the concept as a full-length feature. She is passionate about positive minority representation and exploring important issues through a comedic lens. 

Egghead & Twinkie  will be shown June 19 at 6 PM at the New Parkway Theatre in Oakland and stream online June 24 – July 2.  To purchase tickets, go to:  www.frameline.org.

In this poignant coming-of-age drama, everyone wants something from high school senior Jake: his father is pushing him to try out for the basketball team – an abandoned dream of his own – and his girlfriend wants to take their relationship to the next level. But it’s not until Aleks, an openly gay teen with a love for basketball, moves in across the street that Jake begins to struggle with his own desires. To get closer to Aleks, Jake devotes himself to making the basketball team – only to realize it’s not basketball he really wants. Meanwhile, Jake finds out that his father is having an affair, which leaves him questioning his entire family foundation. Distraught and confused, Jake pulls away – until he’s finally outed as gay. With the truth in the open, Jake and his father come to terms with the reality of their relationship and expectations for each other. At last able to find the courage to be himself, Jake is ready to face the future with his family and friends by his side. 

Golden Delicious’ director and executive producer Jason Karman (He/Him) is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production and Creative Writing; his films have travelled internationally and won awards. His short film, Lions in Waiting, was selected by Telefilm Canada’s Not Short on Talent at Clermont- Ferrand in 2018. Jason’s debut feature, Golden Delicious, is supported by Telefilm Canada Talent to Watch program, which has launched Canada’s brightest talents. Jason is working on a second feature film with Norman Y. Li, a 2021 Pacific Screenwriting Program graduate. 

Golden Delicious will be shown Monday, June 19 at the Castro Theatre and it will stream online June 24 – July 2.  For more info and to purchase tickets got to:  www.frameline.org. 

Tell us about getting the “Golden Delicious” ball rolling. Did you work with Gorman Lee, or did his script come to you?

Getting the ball rolling took many years, not only because it takes a long time to get feature film funding but I was also gaining my self-confidence as a BIPOC director. I was introduced to Gorrman Lee in 2012 because I wanted a feature script to develop. After an unsuccessful attempt at funding this project in 2013, I continued to create shorts and returned to school to do a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production and Creative Writing in 2016. Up to that point, I was self-taught, so it was valuable to go back to school to fill in my knowledge gap and get tested on what I knew. In 2019, armed with more knowledge, I applied again for funding for Golden Delicious and started getting grants. It took a few more years before we got most of our funding, and we started principal photography in March 2021.  

What about the screenplay really spoke to you, and how faithful is the feature to what was on the page?

Golden Delicious resonated strongly with me because of its strong familial relationships. I could identify with many characters and what they wanted and needed. The feature is faithful to what was on the page because Gorrman wrote a great script, and I understood it. Test audiences dwelled on only a few production design elements, so we scaled them back in the final edit, making them less of a distraction. Time, for example, was chaptered in the script, but on-screen, marking the passage of time with months became a distraction to the story. Instead, emotional transitions were used to show the passage of time.   

The characters are so multi-layered and fully developed. Was it important to you to get the full spectrum of Jake’s life – family, friends, school, the future etc?

It was essential to acknowledge Jake’s surroundings because coming of age doesn’t happen in a vacuum. There is a strong sense of heritage within Asian families that can be debilitating and suffocating to finding happiness. By comparing Jake’s relationships with his family and friends, we start to see what he has and is missing. 

You’ve cast very talented actors. Tell us about casting the leads and about working with a perfect example of an ensemble.

We cast using Zoom starting in December 2020. The process began with finding Jake, the boy next door, Aleks, and his girlfriend, Valerie. Due to COVID restrictions, we didn’t have a chance to do in-person chemistry reads, so everything I interpreted was through my laptop monitor. Often, I identify contrasting elements within actors as it makes them more compelling to watch. I see how well they take direction and look at their acting range. Once Jake, Aleks and Valerie were cast, I looked for actors to complement them. Special attention was given to Jake’s Dad, George, because the actor who played him had to convey a patriarch of the family and one of the antagonists to Jake on his journey. I discovered Ryan Mah, who could play George as a character who is both intimidating and inspiring at the same time.  

As a timely coming-out story, “Golden Delicious” tackles some important themes, including the dangerous nature of young people living their lives online. Why did you decide to explore this aspect of teenage life?

Growing up, I did not have to deal with being online, so I wanted to explore how this affects them. As an educator, I have heard from students that being online can be an overwhelming and confusing experience. My emotions can be amplified online, and I have seen people become alienated online through casual remarks they have made. I can imagine how anxiety-inducing and unforgiving it must be for young people trying to find their identity and place in the world. I wanted to make a film that a teenager could relate to and offer hope during one’s formative years. 

I like that you also explore legacy – Jake feeling pressured to play basketball like his father; Jake’s parents struggling with the restaurant that was handed down to them. Did this have special meaning for you, both personally and as a filmmaker?

My parents owned a restaurant when we first came to Canada and struggled to keep it open. My siblings and I spent time after school helping them. I am unsure if my parents wanted to hand the restaurant down to us, but I certainly felt trapped, and I could see them feeling it too. As the eldest child, I felt the pressure to be a role model, to perform at a time when I wasn’t ready. 

When depicting father/son relations, high school life and sports, it’s impossible not to touch on toxic masculinity. “Golden Delicious” dives deep. What are you hoping audiences take away on this subject?

Toxic masculinity is a subject matter that’s often difficult to talk about. I hope audiences, through the film, will be able to address it in the open with more empathy and understanding instead of assumptions and judgment. In other words, we need to have more conversations about it.

There’s nothing like the double whammy of a girlfriend pressuring you into sex and meeting a hot, out gay boy. How did you depict Jake’s split affections while keeping the gay romance lively and sexy?

I treated Jake’s sexual experiences as firsts regardless of gender. This sets the stakes. However, we automatically compare and measure which experience is better. I used humour in Jake’s gay romance to make that feel livelier and sexier. In doing so, we experience Jake as he processes his growing attraction to the same sex. 

“Golden Delicious” is a delicious mix of a few genres – the coming-of-age/coming-out story, a tender rom-com, an intense family drama. Did you strive to tell a story that wasn’t easily defined? 

I aim to tell a story that feels authentic, and in real life, we often have moments of tenderness and laughter right after intense drama. This is a character-driven story; my characters are like real people who need to vent when confronted with challenging situations. 

“Golden Delicious” has been on the festival circuit since October 2022. Tell us about some of your favourite screenings and the awards that you’ll most cherish.

My favourite screening is the one at the Reelworld Film Festival in Toronto. We were opening night film, and the crowd was engaged. The lead cast and some crew were there, and we could hear how invested they were in the movie and how vocal their reactions were. Afterwards, many audience members stuck around at the afterparty and talked to us for hours. We ate Vietnamese food at 3 am, commiserating what we collectively experienced. It was a magical night that none of us wanted to end.  

What was your reaction when you learned that “Golden Delicious” would be shown at the world’s biggest and oldest LGBTQI+ film festival, Frameline47?

I was thrilled and delighted. We received the Frameline Completion Fund earlier in 2022 but could not complete the film in time for Frameline46.  

Will you and your cast be in SF for the screening, and if so, will it be your first time at Frameline?

My cast and I will be in San Francisco for the Bay Area Premiere. I have visited Frameline before, but for my cast, it will be their first time at the festival, so that will be very special. 

What advice can you offer fellow queer filmmakers struggling to get their work out there?

I would recommend seeing as many queer films on the festival circuit as possible and getting a sense of what kind of stories are being curated and how they are being received. Travel with your film as much as possible because it is a rare and invaluable opportunity for professional development. 

What’s up next for you?

I am working on a queer heist movie and a coming-of-age film about a young woman obsessed with muscle cars. Hoping I can shoot one of these in 2024. Keep an eye out for it. 

Jamie’s dream camping trip is ruined before it even begins when he finds out that his beloved cousin is bringing her new boyfriend. However, Jamie’s initial jealousy of the competent and confident Dan quickly turns into a friendship, as they bond over cooking, games and both being “big boys.”

But as the weekend progresses, despite Jamie’s brother’s attempts to set him up with a girl staying at the campsite, all Jamie wants to do is hang out with Dan. As his burgeoning crush gets him into awkward scrapes and arguments, Jamie begins to come to terms with who he is, and who he desires. Hilarious and heartwarming, BIG BOYS is the type of coming-of-age film we need more of in the world.

“Big Boys” will be shown Sunday, June 11 at Rialto Cinemas in Sebastopol.

Emily Kaye Allen’s Cisco Kid follows Eileen (they/them)–a young queer dreamer who moves to a desert ghost town in Southern Utah, determined to live an independent and untethered life.  Originally a pit-stop for the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad, and then for drivers traversing a former thoroughfare, Cisco was all but abandoned after the construction of an interstate highway. Almost half a century later, Eileen feels called by the town.

We get to know Eileen through objects and anecdotes: the memorabilia they collect; the music they play; a voicemail they leave for their mother. They spend days building a wall made of tires and barbed wire. Seasons pass and progress feels hard won. Set against the startling tableau of the vast Utah desert, Cisco Kid is a portrait of a singular spirit who defiantly walks away from mainstream society and resurrects a place that has been left behind by a changing world.

Emily Kaye Allen is the documentary’s director, cinematographer, and editor. Allen is a photographer and filmmaker based in Brooklyn, NY. Her work explores the connection of characters and story to environment and place. She works as a freelance camera person and teaches video production. Cisco Kid is her debut feature film.

Cisco Kid will be shown at Roxie Theater House 2 Sunday, June 4 at 9 p.m. and available for online streaming June 1 – June 11.  For tickets and more information go to:  https://sfdocfest2023.eventive.org/films/63ef9e2fe2fa12008cfbbd71

Frameline announced the Opening Night film for the 47th iteration of the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival (Frameline47). Fairyland, directed by Andrew Durham and produced by Sofia Coppola, will kick-off an 11-day celebration of LGBTQ+ film in venues throughout San Francisco and Oakland.

Running from June 14–24, 2023 — with a streaming encore to follow from June 24–July 2, 2023 — Frameline47 will also feature Cora Bora, starring Hacks scene-stealer Megan Stalter, as its Oakland Centerpiece film. This year, the festival is presenting a Pride Kickoff film, God Save the Queens. To send guests and filmmakers off in style, the Pride Kickoff event will feature a post-screening performance by drag star Alaska and celebratory party at the iconic Oasis drag bar.  

Frameline is also thrilled to announce that all three films will feature afterparties that are not to be missed. These gatherings include Fairyland’s massive Opening Night Gala at Terra Gallery; the post-screening celebration of Cora Bora at the new, yet-to-be-opened Oakland LGBTQ+ bar Fluid150; and the God Save the Queens afterparty at Oasis..  

“Frameline47 is going to be a festival for the ages. Today, we are announcing just three of our 90 planned screenings to provide festival goers with a taste of all the wonderful — and wonderfully queer — films and events to come,” says James Woolley, Executive Director of Frameline. “We are delighted to open the 2023 festival with the San Francisco-set Fairyland, which illustrates the power of queer art and community. That spirit will be exemplified throughout Frameline47, in so many ways, which is why we are proud to feature not just film screenings, but filmmaker Q&As, and performances like Alaska’s.” 

“Fairyland is the perfect film to open Frameline47 as it’s a film anchored in the rich, gay history of San Francisco, and connected to the heart and soul of The Castro,” says Allegra Madsen, Director of Programming at Frameline. “Adapted beautifully from Alysia Abbott’s memoir, Fairyland is a quintessentially San Francisco story of a queer father-daughter relationship during the ‘70s and ‘80s. Every year, Frameline’s Opening Night screening and party are amazing events, but this year we are honored to celebrate a hometown story, made by a hometown team. Frameline47’s Opening Night will be legendary.” 

Tickets to all three films are on sale now. While admittance to the Opening Night Gala is reserved for Fairyland ticket holders, party-only tickets for Cora Bora and God Save the Queens are available for purchase. Additionally, festivalgoers can purchase Castro Passes, which provide access to 45 of the 47 Castro Theatre-based programs at a significant discount. Castro Passes are now available to Frameline members for $280 ($6.22 per film). The full festival line-up for Frameline47 will be announced on May 18.  

Frameline47 is made possible with generous support from BANK OF AMERICA, GILEAD, SHOWTIME, HILTON SAN FRANCISCO UNION SQUARE, and TOMORROW PARTNERS. 

OPENING NIGHT FILM & GALA
Fairyland | Wednesday, June 14 | Castro Theatre, 6:30 PM 
Helmed by Andrew Durham in his directorial debut and produced by Sofia Coppola (Lost in Translation), this evocative adaptation of Alysia Abbott’s memoir captivates with its exhilarating depiction of the early days of gay liberation in a more bohemian San Francisco. Scoot McNairy (Halt and Catch Fire) is a revelation as queer poet Steve Abbott, who is trying to balance fatherhood and writing with an enthusiastic exploration of his sexuality. Fairyland is a moving film, which captures the way that optimistic, heady era gave way to the shattering reality of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. Following Fairyland, join us for our glittering Opening Night Gala at San Francisco’s Terra Gallery. 

OAKLAND CENTERPIECE 
Cora Bora | Saturday, June 17 | The New Parkway Theater, 6:00 PM 
Directed by Hannah Pearl Utt, this hilarious follow-up to her Frameline43 Centerpiece, Before You Know It, gives Hacks scene-stealer and queer comedy maven Megan Stalter the star vehicle she so rightly deserves. After chasing her dreams of becoming a musician all the way to LA — think a millennial Phoebe Buffay — Cora experiences limited success, which prompts this chaotic, poly bisexual protagonist to make a surprise trip back to Portland. Eager to win back her girlfriend (Fresh’s Jojo T. Gibbs), Cora is met with a series of messy reunions, a search for a lost (and misgendered) pet, and a clumsy pansexual orgy. Following Cora Bora, join us for our Oakland Centerpiece party at the yet-to-be-opened Fluid510, a new LGBTQ+ bar in Oakland. 

PRIDE KICK-OFF FILM + PARTY 
God Save the Queens | Friday, June 22 | Castro Theatre, 7:00 PM 
Buckle up for director Jordan Danger’s quick-witted queer group therapy film, which features a veritable roster of Drag Race royalty: Alaska, Laganja Estranja, Kelly Mantle, Manilla Luzon, and even Michelle Visage herself. God Save the Queens chronicles the highs and lows that befall four Los Angeles drag queens after they land in a desert retreat — not exactly by choice — to get their careers back on track after their respective PR disasters. Following God Save the Queens, join us for a drag party at Oasis, featuring a performance by star Alaska.  

CONNECT WITH FRAMELINE 
Twitter: @framelinefest
Facebook: @frameline
Instagram: @framelinefest

ABOUT FRAMELINE 
Frameline’s mission is to change the world through the power of queer cinema. As a media arts nonprofit, Frameline’s integrated programs connect filmmakers and audiences in San Francisco and around the globe. Frameline provides critical funding for emerging LGBTQ+ filmmakers, reaches hundreds of thousands with a collection of over 250 films distributed worldwide, inspires thousands of students in schools across the nation with free films and curricula through Youth in Motion, and creates an international stage for the world’s best LGBTQ+ film through the San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival and additional year-round screenings and cinematic events. 

The 22nd San Francisco Documentary Film Festival (SF DocFest) will be held June 1 – 11, 2023. SF DocFest will screen 39 features and 47 shorts. The festival will once again be presented as a hybrid of virtual screenings and live presentations. There are 35 films that will screen at the Roxie Theater in San Francisco. The majority of the in-person screenings held at the Roxie Theater will also include live Q&A sessions.  For those who are unable to attend in person, the festival may be attended virtually through on-demand screenings and pre-recorded Q&A sessions. A selection of 83 films will be available virtually during the festival at https://watch.eventive.org/sfdocfest2023.  The full festival program may be found at https://sfdocfest2023.eventive.org. Find a working folder of available media assets here: 2023 SF DOCFEST Media Assets. Please find a few of this year’s festival program highlights below. HEADLINERS OPENING NIGHTFrom the Opening Night Film, 26.2 TO LIFE, directed by Christine Yoo.

26.2 TO LIFE Christine Yoo Filmed inside California’s oldest state prison, 26.2 TO LIFE explores the transformative power of San Quentin’s 1000 Mile Club, in which incarcerated men train for and run a marathon on the dirt and concrete path circling the prison yard. Through intimate access behind the walls of the infamous correctional facility, the film confronts the meaning of personal transformation within the greater crisis of the American carceral state. FANTASTIC NEGRITO: HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND YET? Yvan Iturriaga, Francisco Nuñez Capriles Mercurial bluesman Fantastic Negrito (Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz) faces his demons amidst the mental health crisis ravaging his community. Digging deep as a survivor of domestic abuse, drug violence, and brutal racism, the film captures Negrito creating his most personal album to date.   CENTERPIECE HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY Leslie Tai There is a city in Southern California that is teeming with pregnant women from China. HOW TO HAVE AN AMERICAN BABY is a kaleidoscopic voyage, told through multiple perspectives, into the booming shadow economy of Chinese birth tourism that has taken over the Chinese enclaves of Los Angeles County.  CLOSING NIGHTFrom the film, BLACK BARBIE, directed by Lagueria Davis.BLACK BARBIE Lagueria Davis Through intimate access to a charismatic Mattel insider, Beulah Mae Mitchell, BLACK BARBIE delves into the cross section of merchandise and representation as Black women struggle to elevate their own voices and stories, refusing to be invisible. SATAN WANTS YOU Steve Adames, Sean Horlor SATAN WANTS YOU is a feature documentary about the shocking story of how a young woman and her psychiatrist helped ignite the global Satanic Panic with their bestselling memoir Michelle Remembers.  SPECIAL EVENTS OPENING NIGHT ART SHOW AND AFTERPARTY Thursday, June 1, 2023 at 8:00 PM PT 518 Valencia Gallery, 518 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 Free, tickets available here. Join the cast and crew from 26.2 TO LIFE in celebrating opening night at the 22nd annual San Francisco Documentary Film Festival. The evening also pays tribute to Ronnie Goodman, who originated the idea of holding a marathon inside San Quentin.Goodman was a homeless exhibited artist encamped near the Roxie Theater that was known throughout the local community for his work. Pieces of his art will be showcased at the gallery.  PRINCE’S BIRTHDAY SING-A-LONG PARTY Saturday, June 3, 2023 at 9:30 PM PT Roxie Theater House 1, 3117 16th St, San Francisco, CA 94103 $15, tickets available here.  Dearly beloved, we are gathered here on this day… to celebrate the Purple One’s birthday! Sing along to a program of Prince and Prince-adjacent music videos. Don’t worry, lyrics are provided.  “DOCUMENTARY GHOSTS” PANEL Sunday, June 4, 2023 at 1:00 PM PT 518 Valencia Gallery, 518 Valencia St, San Francisco, CA 94110 Free, tickets available here. Many filmmakers have had film projects that, for a variety of reasons, they just couldn’t complete. How do we know when to say “I’m done?” How do you mourn the loss of the project that never was and move forward with clarity? Filmmakers share thoughts, ideas, and personal experiences with their “documentary ghosts.”  A conversation with filmmakers Katie Galloway, Nancy Kates, and others, moderated by Jennifer Steinman Sternin. Followed by a hosted social mixer.  Co-presented by the Bay Area Women Directors’ Collective (BAWDC) and the Documentary Producers Alliance (DPA).  TICKETS AND PASSES Individual tickets and passes are available for this year’s festival.  Note that masks are not required this year, but we kindly ask that you stay home if you are feeling sick, may be experiencing any symptoms, or may have been exposed to any contagions.  Individual tickets for virtual shows are $10 each.  Individual tickets for screenings at the Roxie Theater range from $15-24 each.  Live + Virtual Pass is $175 each. It includes access to all virtual on-demand films via the online screening platform (June 1-11) and all live festival screenings at the Roxie Theater (June 1-8).  Live + Virtual Donor Pass is $225 each.  It includes access to all virtual on-demand films via the online screening platform (June 1-11) and all live festival screenings at the Roxie Theater (June 1-8). Additionally, you’ll receive recognition for your generous support of independent film storytelling. Virtual Screening Pass is $90 each. It includes access to all virtual on-demand films via the online screening platform (June 1-11).  Virtual Screening Donor Pass is $140 each. It includes access to all virtual on-demand films via the online screening platform (June 1-11). Additionally, you’ll receive recognition for your generous support of independent film storytelling.