Event

Shorts Program 1

Alfredo's Fire
USA, Italy, 2013, 39 minutes
Director: Andy Abrahams Wilson

On January 1998 Alfredo Ormando, an unknown gay writer from Sicily, shocked the world by immolating himself in St. Peter's Square. Despite the attempt in the gay community to frame the event as the "Italian Stonewall," Alfredo's gesture faded into obscurity. Alfredo's Fire chronicles one man's descent into darkness as he struggles to reconcile his faith and sexuality. Looking at fire as a potent but contradictory symbol of liberation, annihilation, and communion, this film tells a universal story of human longing, frailty and the dire consequences of living a lie.

Novena
Ireland, 2013, 17 minutes
Director: Anna Rodgers

Novena captures a groundbreaking yet little known event in Catholic Ireland. This award winning documentary captures a rare moment when two people who are gay and lesbian, are invited to give a speech at a Catholic mass in Ireland. Directed by award winning filmmaker Anna Rodgers who has made numerous LGBT films, this short documentary is the only record of an unusual speech made during a Novena mass.

What I Hate About Myself
China, 2012, 28 minutes
Director: Ben Mullinkosson, Bobby Moser

In one of the fastest growing cities in the world, the people of Chengdu are restructuring their faces as fast as buildings are being constructed. The Sichuan MyLike Cosmetic Hospital has paired with a local TV station to create the MyLike Beautiful Asia Project. Winners of this competition receive free cosmetic surgery. Eighteen year-old Christine enters the competition, aiming to become more "western." This personal, yet globally relevant film takes a cinéma vérité look into the heart of China asking: what does it mean to want to look "western?"