Gay Entertainment Report
By On Top Magazine Staff
Published: April 23, 2008

In Miami the mojitos are sweet, the pink flamingos indigen, and the GLBT films hot. That's because the Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival 2008 will premiere several featured films and shorts over its ten day run starting April 25th.

Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato (Inside Deep Throat, Party Monster, The Eyes of Tammy Faye) bring their screen adaption of the best selling Robert Trachtenberg book When I Knew to Miami first. The short film interviews GLBT people from all over the country and asks, “When did you know you are gay?” The answers can be sad, funny, and even inspiring.

During the course of the festival, the film's directors will continue their work by inviting attendees to share their moments as well. These stories are to be shown as a second part of the short during the festival.

From the 2005 book:

Micheal Aller, 64, Miami Beach's tourism director and protocol chief: “I was 14. I was driving around with my father in the car. I told my dad, 'I like the girls and I like boys, but with the boys I get excited.' My father turned and said, 'I was wondering when you were going to get around to this.'”

You can watch sample interviews at the book's website www.wheniknew.com

What's earlier than a premiere? A pre-premiere? Or, as director Todd Stephens calls it, a work-in-progress? Miami audiences will squeal in delight at their luck after watching work-in-progress for Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild!

Stephens returns with an equally outrageous sequel to Another Gay Movie. Four teens (Andy, Nico, Jarod, and Griff) travel to Fort Lauderdale's spring break looking for action where they enter a “Gays Gone Wild” contest hosted by Tyrelle Tyrelle (RuPaul) and Sandi Cove (Lady Bunny).

Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild! is as campy, utterly gay, and outrageous as the original.

Finally, in Miami you'll be surrounded with aspiring directorial talent as PlanetOut hands out awards for their Short Movie Awards 2008 competition.

The five shorts judged best out of 90 will be screened on Sunday April 27th.

Director Claudia Morgado-Escanilla's short No Bikini is this year's grand prize winner. A little girl passes as a boy after she abandons her top at swim camp. The short film raises important questions about gender conformity. You are left with much to ponder after only 8 minutes.

The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival runs from April 25th to May 4th. For more information, visit the festival's website at www.mglff.com.

Gay Entertainment Report is a feature of On Top Magazine and can be reached at ontopmag@ontopmag.com.