It's been ten years since renowned documentary film­maker Marlon Riggs died from AIDS. To celebrate his life and legacy, the Festival presents a special screening of Riggs' landmark gay work Tongues Untied at San Francisco's Roxie Cinema, the location of the film's first public screening.

With the release of Tongues Untied by Frameline Distribution in 1989, Marlon Riggs transformed the personal documentary with an original and culturally specific mix of poetry, personal narrative, hip-hop, and performance, creating a truly singular aesthetic which expanded the boundaries of the documentary form. The film also pro­pelled Riggs and queer cinema to the forefront of the Right's battle to de-fund the National Endowment for the Arts.

Describing the homophobia and racism that confront black gay men, some of the tales in Tongues Untied are troublesome: the man refused entry to a gay bar because of his color; the college student left bleeding on the side­ walk after a gay-bashing; the loneliness and isolation of the drag queen. Yet Riggs also presents the rich flavor of the black gay male experience, from protest marches and smoky bars to the language ofthe "snap diva" and vogue dancer. Fifteen years later, Tongues Untied still retains its rebellious genius and power.

Special guests will include performance artist, play­wright, and director Brian Freeman (associate producer on Tongues Untied), poet and teacher Allen White, and oth­ers who worked both behind and in front of Riggs' camera.