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Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival (June 3rd through June 6th)

Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival

In celebration of this year’s Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival we are sponsoring two films.  The Mormon Proposition and Out in Silence.  Sign up to win two free tickets to either of the films.  Just fill out the form and we’ll randomly pick a winner on Tuesday, June 1st.   Read below for a description of the films or go to http://www.queerdocfest.org/

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THE MORMON PROPOSITION

Fri, June 4th, 7pm Director Reed Cowan in attendance On June 17, 2008, same-sex couples in California began legally saying “I do” after the state’s Supreme Court ruled firmly on the side of marriage equality.  The victory was short-lived, however, as a well-orchestrated campaign to overturn the ruling was placed on the state’s ballot as Proposition 8.  For many gay Americans, Election Day 2008 was a case of emotional extremes.  The exhilarating spirit of “Yes We Can” was met with the incomprehensible results of Prop 8, where a majority of California voters said, “No You Can’t.” In 8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION, director Reed Cowan and co-director Steven Greenstreet, both former Mormons, skillfully investigate and expose the massive role the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints played in the California ballot measure.  Documenting the money trail and the under-the-radar machinations, while weaving in interviews with politicians, historians, church members and those most directly affected by the outcome, Cowan and Greenstreet uncover a secretive, decades-long crusade by the church against LGBT citizens and marriage equality. Narrated by Academy Award-winning screenwriter Dustin Lance Black (Milk) – who was also raised Mormon -  8: THE MORMON PROPOSITION is a fascinating exposé on the inner workings of the LDS church and its preoccupation with denying civil rights to gay and lesbian people across the country. 8:  The Mormon Proposition:  Dir Reed Cowan 2009 USA 80 min. Community Partner: Basic Rights Oregon

Out in the Silence

Sun, June 6th, 4:45pm When filmmaker Joe Wilson submitted a same-sex wedding announcement to his hometown newspaper in Oil City, Pa., he had no idea what was in store. A flurry of hateful letters to the editor compelled him to leave the progressive bubble of Washington, D.C., and return to his roots for a firsthand look at what it means to be queer today in rural America. Wilson responds to a desperate plea from the mother of a gay teenager who is forced to drop out of school when teachers turn a blind eye to relentless bullying. Meanwhile, a lesbian couple work to give back to their tight-knit community by renovating a rundown theater—only to be tormented by a right-wing radio host who denounces their “homosexual agenda.” Wilson also confronts an evangelical pastor whose mind slowly opens after seeing the young student stand up for his rights, proving that friendships can come in the most unlikely of places. Fresh on the heels of Mississippi teenager Constance McMillen’s fight to take her girlfriend to the prom, OUT IN THE SILENCE serves as a candid reminder that the nationwide struggle for equality is far from over—and that the next generation of leaders has arrived.  – Jimmy Radosta Out in the Silence: Dirs Joe Wilson and Dean Hamer 2009 USA 57 min. Community Parnters: Rural Organizing Project, Basic Rights Oregon and Portland PFLAG