Touted as California’s largest film festival, as well as the world’s oldest LGBTQ cinematic event, Frameline proudly spotlights stories that reflect the wide-ranging diversity of lives within a vibrant global community.
The festival kicks off Juneteenth (June 19) with a celebration in San Francisco’s Castro District that celebrates the numerous contributions from queer Black performers and artists, and includes a screening outside of the Castro Theatre of the HBO documentary “Lil Nas X: Long Live Montero” as well as a drag show and dance party.
The program runs from then through June 29 with screenings in San Francisco and Oakland, along with a virtual program of select titles. Most screenings cost $19.50-$24; for tickets, passes, a complete schedule and more information, visit www.frameline.org
Here are 11 films we wholeheartedly recommend.
“All Shall Be Well”: When a partner dies a big part of yourself withers away forever. That’s what grief-stricken Angie (Patra Au, in one of the year’s best performances) experiences once Pat (Lin-Lin Li), her lover and companion of 40 years, passes away in Hong Kong. Angie’s grief turns even more mournful when Pat’s family members decline to honor their relationship and start taking what is emotionally and tangibly Angie’s. Ray Yeung’s near-perfect drama — the best film in this entire bunch – takes a calm but piercing overview on how one family’s repressed, unspoken sentiments about queer love leads them to treat someone they once invited to their table and into their homes as if she were an incidental outsider, not worthy of consideration now. Yeung’s film is a beauty in every way, and even finds hope for Angie in the comforting arms of others. Screening: 6 p.m. June 27, Herbst Theatre; Yeung slated to attend.
“Linda Perry: Let It Die Here”: Don Hardy’s revelatory portrait of the former San Francisco musician/singer/producer doesn’t gloss over anything about the person best known as the lead singer of 4 Non Blondes. And it’s all the better for it. Alameda native Hardy (“Citizen Penn”) zooms unflinchingly into intimate, sometimes anguished moments as well as recording sessions and chats with other music pioneers (Dolly Parton, Brandi Carlile, Christina Aguilera). “Let It Die Here” is most remarkable in just how frank it is and how willing Perry was to allow Hardy to keep the camera rolling as she wrangles with demons, including a fraught relationship with her mom and being consumed by an unrelenting, unforgiving perfectionist work ethic. It’s an amazing portrait into the restless mind of a creative spark plug. Screening: 6:30 p.m. June 28, Herbst Theatre; Perry is slated to attend as well as perform at San Francisco’s Pride Kickoff Party at Oasis at 9 p.m. June 28).
“I Don’t Understand You”: A romantic little getaway to Italy turns into a bloody disaster for married American couple Cole (Andrew Rannells) and Dom (Nick Kroll) in directors David Joseph Craig and Brian Crano’s witty, oh-so dark comedy. Anxiously awaiting word on if they’ll become parents, the twosome drive into the boonies for dinner at a rustic home in the dark of night. Everything that could go wrong does. “I Don’t Understand You” illustrates how miscommunication trips everyone up and how stereotypical cultural assumptions can send us down a dark path we just shouldn’t travel. Screening: 6 p.m. June 22, Palace of Fine Arts; Craig and Crano slated to attend.
“High Tide”: An undocumented Brazilian immigrant Laurenco (Marco Pigossi in a breakout performance) follows his beau to the gay haven of Provincetown where his heart promptly gets broken. Playwright Marco Calvani’s directorial debut begins post-breakup with Lourenço meeting a charming Black New Yorker (James Bland) who also feels like he is an unwelcome stranger in America. “High Tide” is more character-driven than plot-driven (not a bad thing) and refreshingly refuses to neatly resolve Lourenço’s plight while still opening a window for his realistic happiness. Screening: 8:30 p.m. June 28, Herbst Theatre; Calvani and Pigossi slated to attend.
“My Old Ass”: What would you do if your 39-year-old self appeared and warned your 18-year-old self to stay away from a particular someone you can’t resist? That’s the predicament facing Elliott (Maisy Stella) who, while tripping on ‘shrooms on a camping trip with friends, gets visited by her cynical older self (Aubrey Plaza), a presence that foreshadows seismic emotional shifts. Director/writer Megan Park’s peppy-at-first comedy hinges on a gimmick, but I bet you too will be in a puddle of tears by its moving, profound end. Screening: 8:45 p.m. June 21, Palace of Fine Arts.
“National Anthem”: Dylan (Charlie Plummer, in a sensitive, delicate performance) has always been a loner, working quietly at construction jobs at various sites in New Mexico when he’s not tending to his younger brother since mom is often too drunk to do so. Dylan’s world view expands in a burst of rainbow colors once he starts working at a queer ranch called the House of Splendor. It is there — amongst trans and gay rodeo competitors and horseback riders — that he lassoes not only a voice, a crush, but his own tribe. Director/co-writer Luke Gilford’s professional resume (he’s an ace photographer) and personal brushes with queer rodeo give his feature debut an authentic texture as it captures a unique and expressive home on the range. Screening: 6 p.m. June 23, Roxie Theater (advance tickets sold out, rush seats still available); Gilford and executive producer Zachary Drucker plan to attend. Opens July 12 in San Francisco.
“Extremely Unique Dynamic”: Just when you think there are no more creative possibilities to be mined for the meta comedy storyline about friends making a film only to discover more about each other, along comes the talented duo of Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung. Both are charming as L.A. best friends who are parting ways after the weekend since Ryan (Xu) is moving away to be with his girlfriend. The hilarious, rapid-paced banter between the two guys — one who is gay — is stuffed with clever cinematic references. Xu and Leung’s film, co-directed by Katherine Dudas, is bright, kooky and so much fun. Screening: 3:30 p.m. June 22, Vogue Theatre; Xu, Leung and executive producer Francis Bonilla and producer Noel Do-Murakami slated to attend.
“Riley”: High school football star Dakota Riley (Jake Holley, adroitly handling a difficult role) lashes out at anyone who suggests or even jokes about his being gay. Truth is, he is buried deep in the closet in a macho world and it’s not only eating him up alive but destroying relationships. Writer/director Benjamin Howard’s debut feels like you’re watching a lived experience, and that’s because it is based partly on his life. It is that rawness and realness that gives “Riley” its extra edge, making it a more formidable queer drama about how repression in a hyper-masculine setting can strangle and suffocate someone until they come up for air. Screening: 6 p.m. June 27, the Vogue; with Howard slated to attend.
“In the Summers”: In her poetic and finely tuned debut, director/screenwriter Alessandra Lacorazza zooms in on four separate summertime visits that two siblings, from childhood to early adulthood, spend with their volatile but loving father in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Lacorazza concentrates just on that time and illustrates a family’s changing dynamics and the transitions each person in the family undergoes as time goes by. (Pay attention to dad’s pool; it’s a telling barometer of what dad’s life is like during each visit.) René Pérez Joglar, as the complicated father at the center of it all, is sensational, as are the various actors playing the children, teens and young adults. It’s a haunting and humane tale that unexpectedly stabs you in the heart at its beautiful end. Screening: 6 p.m. June 20, Palace of Fine Arts; Lacorazza salted to attend.
“Perfect Endings”: Brazilian filmmaker Daniel Ribeiro follows up his adorable “The Way He Looks” with this sexy jaunt into the hookups of a single fledgling filmmaker (Artur Volpi) who dips his toe back into the dating scene and stumbles upon a side job filming lovers in action. Breezy and erotic, Ribeiro’s dramedy is an extra-steamy throwback to old-school sex comedies that reminds us that love, accompanied by lust, can come walking through the door when it’s least expected. Sadly this Northern American premiere is at rush, but with a bit of persistence you might be able to score a ticket. Screening: 8:30 p.m. June 27, the Vogue; Ribeiro, Volpi and producer Diana Almeida slated to attend.
“Lady Like”: Fans of “Ru Paul’s Drag Race” and drag star/contestant Lady Camden (San Franciscan Rex Wheeler) should sashay their way over to San Francisco-based filmmaker Luke Willis’s look behind the flashy curtains of that popular series (16 seasons and counting.) “Lady Like” makes wises choices (including some fun animation sequences) as Camden/Wheeler recounts a painful childhood, a passion for ballet and a commitment to excellence when onstage. Screening: 8:30 p.m. June 26, the Vogue; with Willis, Lady Camden and producer Cookie Walukas slated to attend.
Contact Randy Myers at soitsrandy@gmail.com.