“I think film is such an amazing way people come together, no matter whether it’s a small independent film or a huge blockbuster,” said Walker, who has loved movies all her life. “So many people are committed to bringing a single vision alive. I think it’s magic.”
Walker, who moved to Dayton at the end of 2019, previously served as a volunteer at the Anchorage International Film Festival in Alaska. When she arrived in Dayton and began working at The Neon movie theater, she heard about the local festival devoted to bringing LGBTQIA+ stories to the big screen. She offered to get involved.
How it works
Serving on any film festival committee is a major time commitment. In this case, the call for films goes out in May; by June and July, the screeners are pouring in. Walker estimates she receives an email from festival director Jonathan McNeal every week or two. Each email includes links to 5-15 films she’ll need to screen.
“We watch them at home by ourselves and give each one a rating of 1-10,” Walker said. When she finished one she asked herself a series of questions: “Do I like this film and would I watch it again? Would I ask anyone else to watch it? Does it take too long to get into it? Is it too long?”
She tries to give each film the benefit of the doubt.
“If a movie is really bad, I’ll stop watching it but that doesn’t happen very often. I avoid doing a lot of research about a film, but I may look up the synopsis of it or watch a trailer.”
In the busiest months — June and July — Walker estimates she’s watching 20 hours of movies a week. In August, the whole committee gets together to decide which films will be shown at the festival and determine the best slot on the schedule for each.
“I love storytelling in all of its forms and I’m always fascinated by the different stories that can be told through a short, a feature, a documentary,” Walker said. “Everybody on this committee is completely committed to supporting queer films. It’s so important to have visual representations of how other people are living their lives.”
She’s hoping this year’s audiences will be delighted and charmed, as she has been, by what they see.
“This particular lineup is a lot of fun, a good mix. All of these films are a romp!”
“McNeal said this year’s line up is quite varied. “Our feature-length films run the spectrum from drama to comedy to horror/comedy to documentary. Even the three documentaries we’re playing are quite varied - one is deeply personal, one documents a queer landmark, and another covers the career of an American fashion icon, Bob Mackie. On top of those, our two packages of shorts cover so much ground in just 90 minutes each.”
Kicking off the weekend
An extra day has been added to the festival this year. A trio of films focusing on drag performers will kick things off Thursday, Oct. 10.
The feature-length film, entitled “Lady Like,” is a documentary about Lady Camden, aka Rex Wheeler, a popular character on “RuPaul’s Drag Race,” the American reality competition television series.
The film’s director, Luke Willis, first met Lady Camden through the dance community of San Francisco. The two began collaborating but the pandemic interrupted their plans to create “a world of campy queer cinematic videos.”
“Then Rex called me out of the blue to reveal that he had just finished filming season 14 of ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race.’ Obviously I screamed. Then I cried. Then I dug in to see how I could help.”
It wasn’t long before Willis realized there was a lot more to Lady Camden and Rex Wheeler than what could be seen on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
“I realized Lady Camden doesn’t create fantasy, beauty, and joy because she wants to, but because she needs to,” Willis said. “That was the moment I decided to begin ‘Lady Like.’”
In many ways, he believes Rex Wheeler’s story of finding Lady Camden and sharing her with the world was also his story of becoming a filmmaker. “The need to bring beauty and joy to the world comes from this childhood in which we both had to hide who we were,” he said. “Our happiness was found in secrecy - with brutal and dire circumstances if we were found out. As young adults we each found art, specifically dance, as a medium in which we could process that deeply rooted shame, guilt, and fear of who we truly are. When dance didn’t work out quite as we had hoped, both of us ventured into a fragile unknown world of being freelance artists.”
Willlis said one of the toughest things about making the documentary was keeping up with Lady Camden’s tough and rigorous style as she became famous. “Documentary filmmaking is a completely different beast. The whole process is reversed and so much is happening on the fly.”
Willis is hoping those who see his film will be inspired to go out into the world and courageously seek their own corner of the sky. “This film is about resilience and perseverance in the pursuit of finding your place, your people and your purpose,” he said. “By watching Lady Camden struggle and struggle and refuse to give up I hope others can see a path for themselves to keep going and to keep pursuing a place, a community and a passion that makes them feel whole.”
He believes storytelling, film and theater are critical to our success as a species. “Our rituals of storytelling are how we learn to be the people we are and how we grow collectively as a unit. They are the very thing that separates us from other species. Film festivals provide that space for people to come together and engage with storytelling and storytellers and stories that can help us find better ways of being.”
HOW TO GO
What: “Out Here Dayton Film Fest”
When: 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10, 7 p.m. Oct. 11 and Oct. 12 and 12:30 p.m. Oct. 13
Where: The Neon, 130 E 5th St., Dayton
Tickets: Festival passes are $75 for the entire weekend; single tickets are $10.
More info: (937) 222-8452 or outheredayton.org
SCHEDULE
THURSDAY, OCT. 10:
7:30 p.m.
LADY LIKE – 89 min., USA/UK – dir. Luke Willis
A student of dance, Lady Camden had performed ballet across many international stages before lip syncing on the catwalk of RuPaul’s Drag Race.
Preceded by:
STAN BEHAVIOR – 15 min., USA – dir. Tyler C. Peterson
A drag queen (Ginger Minj) embarks on a quest for better workplace rights but ends up in a dicey situation.
KINGS – 6 min., USA – dir. Eric Garcia
Two drag kings fall in love during a bathroom quickie.
FRIDAY, OCT 11:
7 p.m.
THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS – 98 min., Canada/Pakistan – dir. Fawzia Mirza
Queer Pakistani grad student Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories - from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming-of-age in rural Canada.
Preceded by:
QUEEN SIZE – 19 min., France – dir. Avril Besson
This morning, Marina has an appointment with Charlie to sell her a mattress. This evening, she will cancel her plane ticket.
9:30 p.m.
FRIDAY NIGHT PARTY – at Lily’s Bistro. Cocktails, appetizers and community…all with the purchase of a festival pass or ticket to THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS.
SATURDAY, OCT 12:
12:30 p.m.
TOP DRAWER SHORTS – Pack #1
THERE ARE THINGS TO DO – 18 min., USA – dir. Mike Syers
Urvashi Vaid, an outspoken immigrant, lesbian, and woman of color was an LGBTQ+ superhero who helped shape the modern-day movement.
GOODBYE TANGO – 15 min., USA – dir. Jason Laurits
The sudden death of Ruth’s beloved hamster reveals a decaying marriage with her curmudgeon wife, Connie.
MÉLANGE – 15 min., USA - dir. Deshon Leek
Two estranged men reconnect in a jazz bar where they embark on a forbidden dance.
RIPE! – 18 min., Spain/USA – dir. Tusk
On the Catalonian coast, an American exchange student joins a bleach-blonde local for a friendly game of futbol.
BUST – 11 min., USA – dir. Angelis Field
A trans girl cop with the NYPD goes undercover to make a drug bust.
KASBI – 12 min., USA – dir. Farah Jabir
A middle-aged Pakistani housewife hires a young, self-assured sex worker to keep her company for the night.
DREAM BURGER – 9 min., Switzerland/UK – dir. Sami Kali
Luke and Simon always go for burgers together after tennis, but this time, Luke wants to tell Simon how he really feels.
3:30
A HOUSE IS NOT A DISCO – 91 min., USA – dir. Brian J. Smith
Gorgeous and emotionally charged, A HOUSE IS NOT A DISCO goes behind the scenes of the infamous Fire Island Pines, a gay fantasyland on the East Coast, to uncover real life pleasures and simmering conflict - capturing the energy and ideas of today’s residents, as millennials connect with old timers to reframe the focus and value of the community.
BEHIND THE SCENES VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nU2b2feV7Y
7 p.m.
BOB MACKIE: NAKED ILLUSION – 105 min., USA – dir. Matthew Miele
Showcases the six-decade career of award-winning costume designer, Bob Mackie. And like his costumes, Mackie is wholly unique and unfiltered, which makes for a compelling and candid subject- with interviews including Cher, Pink, Tom Ford, Miley Cyrus, RuPaul, Carol Burnett, and more.
Preceded by:
WOULDN’T MAKE IT ANY OTHER WAY – 21 min., USA – Hao Zhou
an aspiring costume designer visits their island homeland of Guam to make costumes for a children’s theatre and reconnect with distanced parents.
9:45 p.m.
MOTHER FATHER SISTER BROTHER FRANK – 86 min., Canada – dir. Cadan Douglas
The Jennings family are having their traditional Sunday dinner. As tensions reach a boiling point, an unwanted guest arrives: Frank, Father’s wayward brother. To what end with Mother, Father, Sister, and Brother go to get rid of Frank? Mindy Cohn and Enrico Colantoni star in this comedy horror that’s full of violence, gore and big laughs.
Preceded by:
THE DINNER – 12 min., Spain – dir. Jesus Martinez
There are some issues which cannot be left for later.
SUNDAY, OCT 13:
12:30 p.m.
TOP DRAWER SHORTS – Pack #2
SEAT 31: ZOEY ZEPHYR – 15 min., USA – dir. Kimberly Reed
Zooey Zephyr was expelled from the Montana House of Representatives for speaking on a bill banning transgender medical care.
THE PANSY OF PICKADEE – 8 min., Australia – dir. Gus George & Paddy Moraha
A queer young man who uses his special skills to save his friends and family.
GRACE – 14 min., USA – dir. Natalie Jasmine Harris
Sixteen-year-old Grace prepares for her baptism in the rural 1950s South.
THRESHOLD – 18 min., USA – dir. Gregory Brecher
After thirty years of marriage, Joan and Susie are about to cross a different threshold.
ONE NIGHT AT BABES – 30 min., USA – dir. Angelo Madsen Minax
When aging conservative townsfolk and younger queer leftists begin sharing the same watering hole, a delicate allegiance flourishes.
ILY, BYE – 14 min., USA – dir. Taylor James
Unfortunately, Siobhan can’t get her foot out of her mouth long enough to get her foot in the door.
3:15
WHAT A FEELING – 111 min., Austria – dir. Kat Rohrer
A chance encounter at a lesbian bar brings two women of a certain age living strikingly different lives together in this winning romantic comedy. Named after Irene Cara’s classic anthem from Flashdance, WHAT A FEELING blends heart with a lack of self-consciousness, telling a poignant story of new love amongst two women in the “sandwich generation” while also never taking itself too seriously.
6:00
TURTLES – 82 min., Belgium/Canada – dir. David Lambert
Now in their 60s, Thom and Henri are a married couple living an outwardly sweet existence at their quaint home in Brussels with their pet turtles Topsy and Turvy. As they celebrate Henri’s retirement from the police force, Thom sees this as a perfect opportunity to rekindle their passion after 35 years. But Henri can’t cope with his newfound lack of purpose, and thus… the two start to drive each other crazy.
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