Outfest '96 kicked off its 11 day run at the DGA with a packed, three theater opening night screening of Stonewall. The film is based on Martin Duberman's tome about the historic drag queen led riots outside of New York's Stonewall Inn Bar in June of '69. Directed by the late Nigel Finch (The Lost Language of Cranes), the film's quirky musical numbers and witty dialogue diffused its pedantic potential, earning writer Rikki Beadle Blair the Outfest Grand Jury Award for OUTstanding Screenwriting. Post-screening, a retrofestively themed Stonewarholesque party grooved into the night, where guests imbibed at a simulated Stonewall Bar, complete with arresting men in uniform - go-go boots and bouffants - who ironically served Coors.

One of the sidebar attractions at Outfest '96 was a soon-to-be-launched website called Planet Out, which seems an apt subheading for the entire festival itself, fast becoming one of the country's premiere showcases for queer filmmakers. With works ranging from a frothy German sex romp about a heterosexual woman and her search for Mr. Right, (she has a gay brother) to a young black lesbian's immersion in Taiwanese culture, this year's program made conscious leaps forward to represent queer artists and their individual concerns the world over. Without the strident tones of years past, where gay and lesbian cinema seemed to cower in the overwhelming shadow of AIDS message movies or coming- out scenarios, some of which were better off left in the closet, the films of Outfest '96 displayed a growing maturity, reflective of queer cinema as a whole.

While the fiction features, with crowd-pleasers like Bruce LaBruce's Hustler White, Cheryl Dunye's Watermelon Woman, and Chris Newby's Madagascar Skin, drew the largest audiences, the real gems were the documentaries and personal expression films, awaiting discovery and much-needed exposure.

Sonali Fernando's richly atmospheric The Body of A Poet, (awarded Outfest '96's Audience Award in Outstanding Short Video Fiction) increased the stakes for experimental cinema by wrapping a riveting theme of cultural and sexual identity around a fluid and mostly narrative-driven camera.

On the documentary front - Debra Chasnoff and Helen Cohen's It's Elementary follows a group of elementary school teachers as they confront the subject of homosexuality in pre-teen classrooms. Wearing its bias like a loud suit, It's Elementary would have been well-served by a few opposing viewpoints, namely the right-wing voting bloc of parents who so dearly want the topic of gay sex banned from schools.

With such an eclectic menu, ranging from the earnest but technically lacking Comrade, the first gay documentary from mainland China, to Gay Cuba, an articulate and clear-eyed view of queer life in Castro's communist Cuba, did this year's festival satiate the average viewer on the street? At nine bucks a pop for features or shorts programs, the festival drew a mostly well-heeled gang from nearby West Hollywood; and the more sexually risqué offerings, a staple at gay film festivals the world over, drew more blanks than cheers this year. Maria Beatty's hard-core lesbian sex flick, The Black Glove, resulted in walkouts from the predominantly gay-male audience; and as one festivalgoer commented, "Some of the sex stuff seemed to border on lame porn."

Outfest '96's overall Grand Jury Prize for Outstanding Narrative Feature was awarded to Fina Torres, for her highly entertaining, Celestial Clockwork. And Susan Streifeld's Female Perversions was the buzz of the festival. An unsettling portrait of two sisters and their various obsessions, erotic and otherwise, Perversions features the powerhouse acting duo of Tilda Swinton and Amy Madigan.

Other crowd favorites were Sharon Pollack's ensemble comedy Everything's Relative, which gave new life to the tired old genre of college reunion flicks. From the producers of The Crying Game, Nik Powell and Stephen Woolley, came the well-received Hollow Reed. A fascinating and starkly realistic portrait of a gay father's attempt to gain legal custody of his son, the Angela Pope directed feature leads a wave of new queer-themed U.K. films rooted in the realities of daily urban life.

Bad girls Jennifer Tilly and Gina Gershon caused quite a stir in the über sexy mob thriller Bound. Written and directed by the Wachowski brothers, the film received an honorable mention by the Grand Jury and is scheduled to be released by Gramercy this October. Japanese "drag kings," women who impersonate men in Tokyo's Club Marilyn, were the subject of the fascinating documentary, Shinjuku Boys. Directed by Kim Longiotto and Jano Williams, the film nabbed the Grand Jury Award for OUTstanding Documentary Feature.

High school, the hotbed of raging hormones, was the backdrop for lesbian features like Rachel Reichman's interracial love story Work, sneak preview fave All Over Me, and closing night comedy Late Bloomers. Directed by Alex Sichel (her directorial debut) and produced by Dolly Hall (Incredibly True Adventures of Two Girls in Love), All Over Me focuses on a New York teen's coming out. Featuring strong acting debuts and an eclectic, punky girl band score, this film, made for under $1 million, is scheduled for a March '97 release by Fine Line.

"Freedom to marry" was the timely theme of the festival's closing night awards reception. Set in a wedding wonderland, the reception was hosted by t.v. writer Bruce Vilanch, sans Elvis garb. While many filmmakers were unavailable to accept awards, director Susan Streitfeld was on hand for an acceptance speech. Pleasantly surprised at 42 to receive the Award for Emerging New Talent, she sent out an inspirational note to all her homies - "Have faith in your vision."

In previous years, the tendency to unintentionally pander to the audience reflected a desire to celebrate the festival's mere existence. Programs were often filled with old Hollywood films which traded on subliminal (or overt) gay-themed content simply because there were not enough queer films coming to market. But with the maturation of the industry as a whole comes a more sophisticated and open-minded audience. Due in big part to dynamic programmer John Cooper, this year's festival was comprised of internationally queer filmmakers grappling with all kinds of personal and social issues, and these films clearly struck chords with many in the audience.

San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival by Charles Lofton
OutFest '96 by Michelle Meyers/David Geffner