Reel Color

One may be the loneliest number, but those who belong to two minorities -- black Jews, say, or Latina Supreme Court nominees -- have it considerably tougher. Kick it up another notch, and you’ve got the rarefied domain inhabited by queer women of color. All but invisible in mainstream media and movies, they essentially have no choice but to compose and create their own images if they want to see their lives and loves onscreen. But don’t go to the fifth annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival expecting a deluge of earnest rants, not with programs like "Queerly Irreverent" (featuring a short with the why-didn’t-I-think-of-that title, “What to Do After the Break-up … with the Sex Toys”) and "CrazySexyLife." The theme of this year’s fest is immigration, played out in a panoply of deeply personal views of culture shock, identity, and assimilation. In particular, tonight's opening night program, "Multiple Borders," weaves the elation of newfound freedom and purpose with the pain of displacement and discrimination. The festival is a celebration of community, of course, but it’s also an honest representation of the ups and downs of a singular subculture.
June 12-14, 7:30 p.m., 2009