There are some pretty amazing people that make up our big queer Frameline family, and we want to shine a spotlight on those folks that keep Frameline running day-in and day-out. So, we're introducing a new Member Spotlight to our blog and E-News -- look for interviews with really cool people every other week.
How long have you been a Frameline member?
Wow, I can't remember. I saw my first queer film in the Fest in '86, the year I got to town, and probably became a member shortly after that. I've been a member at the Benefactor level since Frameline 23.
What do you look forward to in the Festival and what keeps you coming back?
I love good film! And especially queer film. After all those years of negative portrayals of queers on TV, banged into my little queer-boy head and psyhce, year after year, I really did internalize that being queer was a horrible thing, where the best option was becoming a lonely old uncle-type, and more likely I'd be done in by some thugs, or do myself in, or perhaps, if I'm lucky, die a tragic death after getting a small taste of love (which would be OK, 'cause the straight person who I helped would have a happy life). Frameline is a wonderful antidote to those years of training to be a closet case -- way cheaper and way better than therapy. It's also like a family reunion, where I get to see so many people who I only see once a year for 11 days. And some of my favorite films I've ever seen have been at Frameline. I'm always excited to see the new (and old) films that will be shown in the next festival.
What's the most fun or life-changing thing that has ever happened to you during the Festival?
I cried during the first film I saw in '86. It was so liberating to see beautiful queer people living their lives bigger than life on the huge Castro Theatre screen. And afterwards I hung out with the cute boy sitting next to me in the theatre, who also cried during the film. We had a wonderful time together.
In one sentence, what does Frameline mean to you?
Every year Frameline provides 11 days where I do nothing but watch films, discuss films and life, and have a lot of fun doing it.
If, for one day, you could meet one character from queer film history, who would it be and why?
There's so much to choose from (!). Meeting Magnus Hirschfeld would certainly be edifying, seeing how a visionary, devoted his life for the benefit of so many. Or meeting Harvey Milk. Perhaps meeting these two be as fascinating as meeting Harry Hay, who I hung out with years ago. But the fictional character I'd like to hang out with is probably Trevor, of the short film of the same name (from the '90s). I'm way curious how would he learn and grow through the years? How would he handle the ups and downs of life and love? That short gave me so much inspiration, and it has stuck with me all these years because of it.
If you could recommend one LGBT film to a queer youth, what would it be and why?
Were the World Mine would be great for a young queer boy struggling to come out. It shows a boy who knows he's queer, and goes through authentic emotions and fantasies as he struggles to come into his own, ready to start a path of becoming more of who he is in the real world he can create for himself.
When you're not enjoying queer film, what else do you do?
I'm a writer, geek, inventor, and co-founder of Noisebridge, a San Fransisco non-profit hackerspace I co-founded (where people can come to teach and learn and share their knowledge and skills in any field that interests them). I go around the world giving talks, and teaching people who know nothing about it how to make cool things with electronics (using fun and intriguing kits that I designed for this). I make a living from my favorite project, TV-B-Gone, which is a remote control key chain that turns off TVs in public places. I love my work!
Photo by Sarah Deragon, Distribution & Accounts Manager.