PARK CITY, Utah – Of all the major film festivals in the U.S., if not in the world, Sundance is undoubtedly the most gay-friendly. Established in 1981 by Robert Redford, Sundance has become a critical venue for independent movie makers to see and be seen. Running for ten days every January, Sundance showcases more than a hundred films, including dozens of national and world premieres. There are numerous filmmaking seminars and way too many parties. But most of all, Sundance is a networking opportunity for filmmakers, producers, executives, the press, and aspiring artists.
The Sundance 2005 Queer List listed exactly 21 films in the festival this year. Films were included in this roster if they featured a GLBT character or if their producer or director were a member of the GLBT community—this, according to Levi Elder at the Sundance Film Festival Press Office. I did, however, discover a few omissions from this list. These included Matt Mulhern’s Duane Hopwood, which features a gay couple, and Paul Provenza and Penn Jillette’s The Aristocrats, which includes gay comedians and an ungodly amount of gay content throughout the film.
The following capsule reviews are from this year’s Sundance screenings.
