The rainbow state will become even more colorful with the arrival of the annual Honolulu Rainbow Film Festival June 4-7. Celebrating its 26th continuous year, the LGBT filmfest is one of the longest-running in the country and will be screening more than 23 films and shorts over the 4-day event at two locations.
Numerous special guests are scheduled to attend, including trailblazing out gay athlete Greg Louganis -- whose documentary Back On Board: Greg Louganis is featured as the centerpiece film of the fest -- and April Carrion of RuPaul's Drag Race in support of the film Mala Mala, which explores Puerto Rico's trans community.
Take a look at the full list of films slated to be screened at the festival below, and enter for the chance to win a trip for two to attend the event -- which includes airfare on Hawaiian Airlines, a four-night stay at an Aqua Hospitality hotel in Waikiki, VIP all-access passes, and more -- at the festival's official website.
Films Screening at the Doris Duke Theatre June 4 and 5
The Last One
Thursday, June 4, 4:30 p.m.
In the 1980s and '90s, as AIDS ravaged gay communities across the country, the AIDS Memorial Quilt was born out of a public battle for treatment and understanding. This documentary traces its history as an international art project and the role it continues to play as a response to a disease that still imperils vulnerable communities around the world. Through the intensely personal stories of its founders, volunteers, and panel-makers, The Last One examines how stigma, discrimination, social status, and limited access to care intensify the far-reaching effects of a disease that has already claimed 30 million lives and continues to infect millions more. (2014, U.S., 74 min.)
Fresno
Festival Opening Night Film
Thursday, June 4, 8:15 p.m.
Shannon (Judy Greer) is fresh out of sex rehab when her younger, overly optimistic lesbian sister Martha (Natasha Lyonne) lands her a job as a maid at Fresno Suites, the local hotel. When Shannon jeopardizes her fresh start by accidentally killing a hotel guest after a post-rehab relapse, Martha goes to great lengths to help her sister cover up the crime. This dark comedy, directed by fan favorite Jamie Babbit (But I'm a Cheerleader, Itty Bitty Titty Committee, Breaking the Girls), features a host of familiar faces, including Aubrey Plaza, Fred Armisen, and Molly Shannon. (2015, U.S., 85 min.)
Seoul Mates
Friday, June 5, 6 p.m.
Alice, a 30-year-old Filipina trans woman, flew to Korea to chase after her boyfriend who she discovers is now living with his new girlfriend. Joon, a 25-year-old Korean musician, is pressured by his traditional parents to find a more stable job and girlfriend. At a bridge in the middle of Seoul, the two brokenhearted souls fatedly cross paths. Tagalog and Korean with English subtitles. (2014, Philippines and Korea, 115 min.)
Films Screening at the Kahala Consolidated Theatres June 6 and 7
Xenia
Saturday, June 6, 11:45 a.m.
After the death of their mother, 16-year-old Dany leaves Crete to join his older brother, Odysseas, in Athens. Born to an Albanian mother and a Greek father they never met, the two brothers decide to look for their father and force him to acknowledge their existence. At the same time, the television show Greek Star is holding auditions. Dany dreams that Odysseas, a gifted singer, could become the new star of the contest in a country that refuses to accept them. Greek with English subtitles. (2014, Greece, 128 min.)
Game Face
Saturday, June 6, 11:55 a.m.
This documentary tells the parallel story of Fallon Fox, MMA's first transgender pro fighter, and Terrence Clemens, a rising college basketball player in Oklahoma who happens to be gay. The film follows both athletes during their coming-out process and sheds light on the obstacles LGBT sports players encounter throughout their careers. Recently premiered at the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. (2015, U.S., 95 min.)
Open Up to Me
Saturday, June 6, 1:55 p.m.
Maarit is a beautiful and intelligent transgender woman. Struck by the powerful and unexpected emotional effects of gender change, she lives a subdued life, guided by a longing to reunite with her estranged daughter. Maarit's cool personality attracts the attention of Sami, an unhappily married teacher and soccer coach. His therapist, Maarit's employer, leaves on the darkest day of Sami's marriage; reluctantly, Maarrit, agrees to listen as he pours his heart out. Maarit and Sami begin a friendship that ultimately engulfs Maarit in a world of long-awaited fulfillment and emotional devastation. Finnish with English subtitles. (2013, Finland, 95 min.)
Hidden Away
Saturday, June 6, 2:30 p.m.
Two teens, Ibrahim and Rafa, share a brief but profound encounter in a crowded nightclub. When the two boys meet again, they form a close bond and decide to work together to find a way for the Moroccan Ibrahim to escape the threat of deportation and live the life he wants. Spanish with English subtitles. (2014, Spain, 88 min.)
Tab Hunter Confidential
Saturday, June 6, 3:55 p.m.
In the 1950s, Tab Hunter is number 1 at the box office and number 1 on the music charts. He is Hollywood's most sought-after star and America's boy next door. Natalie Wood, Debbie Reynolds, and Sophia Loren are just a few of the actresses he is romantically linked to. Nothing, it seems, can damage his skyrocketing career. Nothing, except for the fact that Tab Hunter is secretly gay. Now Tab Hunter's secret is out and, for the first time, we meet the real man. (2015, U.S., 90 min.)
Mala Mala
Saturday, June 6, 4:25 p.m.
This unique documentary is an exploration of self-discovery and activism within Puerto Rico's trans community that highlights a diverse collection of subjects including LGBTQ advocates, business owners, sex workers, and a boisterous group of drag performers. Featuring April Carrion of RuPaul's Drag Race season 6, Mala Mala portrays a road to acceptance paved with triumphant highs and devastating lows. Spanish with English subtitles. (2014, Puerto Rico, 89 min.)
Liz in September
Saturday, June 6, 5:50 p.m.
Every year, Liz (Patricia Velasquez), a hard-core party girl and womanizer, celebrates her birthday with her friends at a Caribbean beach retreat. This year is different. She is sick but hates pity, so she hides her terminal illness. When a young outsider arrives, Liz is dared to seduce her. But the ingenue is deeply wounded by the recent death of her young son, and nothing turns out as expected. Spanish with English subtitles. (2014, Venezuela, 100 min.)
Drown
Saturday, June 6, 6:20 p.m.
Sun-drenched lifeguards, white sand beaches, competition, and jealousy encompass this taut Australian drama. Len is a Surf Lifesaving champion, a legend in the cloistered surf club just like his father. But Len's renowned status is threatened when the younger, faster, fitter and openly gay Phil arrives at the club. Over the summer season, Len starts to develop unexpected, confusing feelings for Phil; emotions he cannot bear. After a series of violent attacks and humiliating acts, Len is confronted with a fundamental question -- can he accept the truth about his sexuality or will he succumb to complete oblivion? (2015, Australia, 96 min.)
Back on Board: Greg Louganis
Festival Centerpiece Film
Saturday, June 6, 7:55 p.m.
An intimate portrait of the public triumphs and private struggles of the trailblazing openly gay athlete. This refreshingly candid documentary follows the four-time Olympic champion over the past three years as he struggles with financial insecurity and reunites with the sport he once dominated. Back On Board won the Audience Award for Best Feature Documentary at Outfest 2014. Screening will be followed by Q&A with Greg Louganis. (2014, U.S., 86 min.)
Late Night Shorts
Saturday, June 6, 10 p.m.
A compendium of prestigious Iris Prize titles (Aban + Khorshid, Brace, Middle Man, Surprise) as well as projects with ties to Hawaii (Ma/ddy). Filmmakers and cast in attendance. (108 min.)
Lyle
Saturday, June 6, 10:25 p.m.
Leah (Gaby Hoffmann) and June (Ingrid Jungermann) have found the perfect Brooklyn brownstone apartment in which to nurture their growing family. Despite the weird neighbors -- like the off-putting landlady downstairs and the group of models upstairs -- they're falling in love with this new life, until tragedy strikes and their infant daughter, Lyle, dies in a bizarre accident. Leah's grief over the death of her child turns to paranoia when she begins to suspect her eccentric neighbors are involved in a satanic pact. (2014, U.S., 65 min.)
In the Turn
Sunday, June 7, 12:30 p.m.
This documentary follows Crystal, a 10-year-old transgender girl, as she navigates growing up in rural Canada. After being denied the right to participate in athletics due to her gender, Crystal serendipitously discovers the Vagine Regime, an international queer collective of roller derby players made up of people of all shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and identities. The Vagine Regime not only accepts Crystal but actively supports her journey. In the Turn weaves Crystal's story into the broader narrative of the evolution of roller derby from a niche sport into a social movement with strong roots in the LGBTQ community. (2014, U.S., 91 min.)
In the Grayscale
Sunday, June 7, 12:40 p.m.
This sensitive coming-out drama bares a bisexual perspective so often overlooked in LGBT film. Bruno has a perfect life: beautiful wife and son, a nice house, a nice car, and his own architectural firm. But Bruno has a deep sense of unease. He decides to leave his wife and spend some time alone to find himself. A businessman offers him an opportunity to build an iconic landmark in the city of Santiago, Chile. Excited by this professional challenge, Bruno feels it may provide the spark he craves in his life. He starts working with a young history teacher named Fer who is energetic, captivating, and gay. It is the beginning of an unexpected, intense, and passionate romance that eventually forces Bruno to make major decisions about his future. Spanish with English subtitles. (2015, Chile, 98 min.)
Coming of Age Shorts
Sunday, June 7, 2:25 p.m.
A presentation of youth-themed short films. The showcase includes All God's Creatures (winner of the 2014 Iris Prize), Bombshell, Boy, Greco-Roman, Human Warmth, The Little Deputy, and Hetero, which was filmed in Hawaii. (87 min.)
The Summer of Sangaile
Sunday, June 7, 3 p.m.
Seventeen-year-old Sangaile is fascinated by stunt planes. Afraid of heights, she has never dared to even enter one of the cockpits. At a summer aeronautical show, near her parents' lakeside villa, she meets Auste, who unlike Sangaile lives her life to the fullest in creative and daring ways. As the two girls become lovers, Sangaile shares her most intimate secrets and finds in Auste the only person who truly allows her to fly. This visual masterpiece premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the World Cinema Dramatic Directing Award. Lithuanian with English subtitles. (2015, Lithuania, 88 min.)
Something Must Break
Sunday, June 7, 4:20 p.m.
Stockholm, as seen from the fringes: deserted industrial areas, grubby clubs, and badly maintained parks. Here the gay Sebastian dresses as a woman and often seeks danger in his sexual adventures with strangers. When things nearly go wrong in a public restroom, there is Andreas -- a guardian angel in a scruffy leather jacket. Even though Andreas isn't gay, the attraction between them turns out to be more powerful than any label. Swedish with English subtitles. (2014, Sweden, 85 min.)
I Feel Like Disco
Sunday, June 7, 5 p.m.
Florian Herbst is happiest when his dad isn't home; then he can dance around the house with his mum, wear crazy costumes, and forget all his troubles. And Hanno Herbst doesn't really know what to do with his son, who has two left hands and a much too big belly, and is interested in neither sports nor girls. With a tender dominance, mum keeps the family's fragile harmony in check and protects her two men from each other -- at least until one terrible morning, when the house of cards collapses and mum vanishes from their lives in an instant. Father and son are left behind, completely overwhelmed, but gradually learn to cope and find common ground. German with English subtitles. (2013, Germany, 90 min.)
I Am Michael
Festival Closing Night Film
Sunday, June 7, 6:05 p.m.
This poignant debut from Justin Kelly depicts the fascinating true-life story of Michael Glatze (James Franco), the charismatic and outspoken coeditor of the iconic XY Magazine. Following a traumatic health scare and plagued by fear, Michael begins to question his beliefs and his identity. He leaves his charming and intelligent boyfriend (Zachary Quinto), renounces his gay life, and, after a period of spiritual exploration, eventually becomes the pastor of his own church. More than just a story about "a gay man who goes straight," I Am Michael examines the power of belief and the desire to belong. (2015, U.S., 100 min.)
The Third One
Sunday, June 7, 8:10 p.m.
After meeting in a chat room, Fede arrives at a downtown building to have an intimate encounter with an older gay couple. As the night unfolds, Fede has an intense and telling experience. The next morning finds him changed, as if suddenly he has found a new way to love. Spanish with English subtitles. (2014, Argentina, 70 min.)
The Smell of Us
Sunday, June 7, 9:10 p.m.
The newest film from director Larry Clark (Kids). Math, Marie, Pacman, JP, Guillaume and Toff meet up every day at the Dome -- behind the Museum of Modern Art, opposite the Eiffel Tower -- skateboarding, goofing off, or getting stoned as they ignore the smart crowd of art lovers. Some of them are inseparable, bound by complicated family ties. They live for the moment, amid the lure of easy money, anonymous Internet pickups, and trashy parties filled with sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. French with English subtitles. (2014, France, 88 min.)
Bizarre
Sunday, June 7, 9:45 p.m.
This eccentric, unconventional fable follows Maurice, an 18-year-old boy from France with a dark past. Having just arrived in Brooklyn, he has no friends and no place to stay. On a chance encounter, he is taken in by two beautiful women, Kim and Betty, who give him room and board and a job at their famous underground cabaret club. In this ephemeral refuge of fantasy and freedom, he begins a disturbing relationship with a fascinating bartender, Luka. But Maurice's past catches up to him, and the liberating world in which he is now entwined begins to unravel. (2015, France and U.S., 98 min.)
