Opening Night Gala Screening - "Reinas (Queens)" by Manuel Gòmez Pereira

Centerpiece Gala Screening - "Whole New Thing" by Amnon Buchbinder

Closing Night Gala Screening - "Another Gay Movie" by Todd Stephens

Special Tribute to TLA Entertainment Group

HBO Career Achievement Award to Director François Ozon

Miami, Florida - March 20, 2006 - The celebrated 8th Annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, presented by Sundance Channel and Avis Rent-a-Car has unveiled the line-up of the best gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender films that will be featured during the 10 day event from April 21 to April 30. The screenings will take place at Regal Cinemas South Beach, Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, Colony Theatre and the Gateway Cinemas (located in Fort Lauderdale). The announcement was made today by Co-Directors of the Festival, Carol Coombes and Jaie Laplante.

The 10-day festival will kick-off on Friday, April 21st with the Opening Night Gala presentation and East Coast Premiere of Manuel Gòmez Pereira's Reinas (Queens) at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts in downtown Miami, followed by a spectacular party presented by Karu&Y Restaurant at The Space Miami (Director Manuel Gòmez Periera will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience)

On Wednesday April 26th, the Festival will present the Centerpiece Gala and Florida Premiere screening of Whole New Thing by Amnon Buchbinder at the Colony Theater in South Beach, followed by a spectacular after party at the Hotel Nash which will be transformed into a tour through multi-media artist's work, where you will be guided by Miami Beach Cinematheque down the darkened hallways and through the private quarters of the hotel. (Writer/Director Amnon Buchbinder will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience)

The Festival closes on Sunday April 30th with the Closing Night Gala and Florida Premiere screening of Todd Stephens' hysterical comedy Another Gay Movie featuring a star studded cast including Graham Norton and Scott Thompson at the Gusman Center for the Performing Arts followed by an exciting party at the historic Alfred I. Dupont Building. (Director Todd Stephens and actor Darryl Stephens will attend the screening to discuss the film with the audience)

This year's festival will also pay tribute to the acclaimed independent film distributor TLA Entertainment Group, who will be presented with a special MGLFF Tribute prior to the screening of "20 Centimeters" on Saturday, April 22, 7:00pm at the Colony Theater. TLA Releasing will be celebrating their 25th Anniversary in the industry and has released such audience favorites as "Latter Days," "The Fluffer," "Bulgarian Lovers" and "Bear Cub." (Attending the tribute will be TLA President Raymond Murray and partners Patrick Murray, Eric Moore, Claire Brown Kohler and Richard Wolff)

The HBO Career Achievement Award is presented this year to prolific French director François Ozon, A one man industry in his native country; he has delivered 8 features in a 7-year period. While it would be incorrect to assume that Ozon only confines himself to subject matter which contain gay themes, the recurrence of lesbian and gay storylines in his narratives coupled with the director's self-proclaimed gay sexuality, make his status in French filmmaking fairly unusual, and therefore, worthy of our attention and recognition. The MGLFF is delighted to honor François Ozon. (The award will be presented on his behalf to actor Melvil Poupaud prior to the US premiere of "Time to Leave" on Friday April 28th at 7:30pm at the Regal Cinema South Beach. )

"We are entering our 8th annual Festival season with a record number of members" says Festival co-director Jaie Laplante. "Clearly, the excitement from last year's hugely successful event and our wonderful Monthly Screening Series has attracted the attention of new audiences who are obviously very enthusiastic about our programming. Together with the backing of our government cultural partners, several community foundations and our presenting sponsors Avis Rent-a-Car and Sundance Channel, with our opening night gala presented by Karu&Y, we are in a very strong position to build upon MGLFF's recent growth in national prominence among gay and lesbian film festivals in the United States."

Returning this year as presenting sponsor is Sundance Channel joined by new presenting sponsor Avis Rent-a-Car.

"The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival has secured a reputation as a launching pad for new GLBT content driven titles in the United States" says Festival co-director Carol Coombes. "Once again we are pleased to deliver an eclectic program line-up spread across 10 exciting days. Our 2006 theme of Local Heroes honors those who have made a difference within their communities as is evident in a number of important documentaries including small town gay bar, Zero Degrees of Separation and Be Real. With nearly 100 incoming guests already confirmed we are thrilled to unveil our 8th Annual event".

The breadth and diversity of films this year also include the World Premieres of "Be Real", "Laughing Matters...More!" and "Sun Kissed" as well as the shorts "The Black Box: A Personal Essay Documentary," "Cosa Bella," "Guess Who I Saw Today" and "Surf Gang."

The Festival is also focused on celebrating the best of Queer International Shorts; with six specific programs including France, Spain, Argentina, the Philippines and the best of home-grown talent in What Girls Like and What Boys Want. Also featured this year are the shorts programs "Cries of Freedom: Women of Color, Women of Change," "Life Comes Calling," "Vidas En Transito" and the 7th Annual PlanetOut Short Movie Awards.

The Festival commences on Friday, April 21st at the Gusman Center for Performing Arts with its Opening Night Gala screening of Reinas (Queens), by Manuel Gòmez Pereira, starring Spanish divas Carmen Maura, Marisa Peredas and Veronique Forqùe. The hilarious, touching and contemporary ensemble comedy finds five headstrong mothers coping with the personal family conflicts surrounding the impending marriages of their gay sons. As these five very different women deal with their own desires, prejudices and history they attempt to survive the weekend as sex, anger, bigotry and love hilariously clash in this ultimate wedding film about the strength of love and the importance of family.

On Wednesday, April 26th, at the Colony Theater, the Festival will present the Centerpiece Gala screening of Whole New Thing by director Amnon Buchbinder. This coming of age story about a precocious young teenager is a beguiling and provocative comedy about the discovery of sex at the edge of puberty. The film vividly brings to life the rites of passage of youth and middle age.

On Sunday, May 2nd, at the Gusman Center for Performing Arts, the Festival will host the Closing Night Gala screening of Another Gay Movie, by director Todd Stephens. An uproarious comedy about a teenage virgin dying to have sex while attending high school with his three friends all out-loud and proud. What follows is a raunchy ride on the bumpy road to love while spoofing famous gay movies and the gay lifestyle to hilarious results.

The 7th Annual PlanetOut Short Movie Awards, judged by industry professionals in the cities of Los Angeles, Miami, New York and San Francisco is sponsored by PlanetOut and presented by MGLFF and PlanetOut, honoring the best in Queer short films featuring Documentary, Experimental, Animation, Drama, and Comedy categories. The PlanetOut Short Movie Award Winners 2006 will be screened on April 23rd at the Regal Cinema South Beach.

This year's festival also features an exciting lineup of thought provoking panels including; Beyond Brokeback Mountain (Sunday, April 30th at 1:00pm, Regal Cinema South Beach) which features a panel of film professionals talking about the impact of the hit film on the next wave of gay & lesbian film. Where is queer film going next? B. Ruby Rich (Professor and film scholar) is tentatively scheduled to moderate. Confirmed panelists include Lisa Ades & Lesli Klainberg (Directors Fabulous! The Story of Queer Cinema), Alonso Duralde (Advocate Arts and Entertainment Editor and presenter of the clip show 101 Must See Movies for Gay Men), Marcus Hu (Co-President, Strand Releasing) and Todd Stephens (Director of MGLFF Closing Gala Another Gay Movie).

Last years Festival award winners included Mysterious Skin (HBO Juried Award for Best Feature), The Education of Shelby Knox (HBO Juried Award for Best Documentary), Getting to Know You (HBO Audience Favorite Short), Little Man (HBO Audience Favorite Feature)

FEATURES/DOCUMENTARIES
2006 MIAMI GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

20 CENTIMETERS (Director Ramón Salazar) The musical journey of a lively narcoleptic transsexual who works the streets of Madrid for the money that she needs for her impending sexual reassignment (Spain - Florida Premiere)

50 WAYS OF SAYING FABULOUS (Director Stewart Main) An overweight girly-boy and his tomboy best friend live out adventures from their favorite TV show Adventures In Space... with Billy playing the pony tailed heroine Lana, and Lou as the swaggering hero Brad. But with fall rugby season, the gender-bending idyll comes to an end. (New Zealand- Florida Premiere)

A LOVE TO HIDE (Director Christian Faure) A wartime epic of gay love in Nazi-occupied Europe. Two men who are madly in love take in a young Jewish refugee. They offer protection, and help her establish a false Gentile identity. (France - South Florida Premiere)

ANOTHER GAY MOVIE (Director Todd Stephens) Andy is decidedly queer and much to the horror of his mom. With the help of a sexed-up party dyke who has no trouble scoring cheerleaders and his sexually ambiguous dad, Andy has made a pact with his 3 hunky homo pals that by summer's end, all cherries will be popped. (US-Florida Premiere)

BE REAL (Directors Bobbie Birleffi & Beverly Kopf A revealing documentary of the spirit of local community hero's that feature two outstanding personalities from the South Florida community who become a source of pride for their local gay community. (US- World Premiere)

BOY CULTURE (Director Q. Allan Brocka) Three gay roommates living in Seattle; one a high-end call boy, one recently out of the closet and the other a party boy allowed to live rent-free. Everything changes for the three when a 79 year old man enters the picture. (US- Florida Premiere)

ELEVEN MEN OUT (Director Robert I. Douglas) A soccer superstar lets the news slip that he is gay in a post-game locker room interview. His world begins to unravel as he is banned from professional play. Taken up as a hero by Icelandic's tiny gay community, Ottar accepts an invitation to join a friend's amateur soccer team that already has some closeted gay players inspiring his gay teammates to join him in public declaration. (Iceland - Florida Premiere)

FABULOUS! THE STORY OF QUEER CINEMA (Directors Lisa Ades / Lesli Klainberg) Book-ended by Kenneth Angers avant-garde "Fireworks" and "Brokeback Mountain," this film competently guides the viewer through the history and defining seminal moments of gay and lesbian cinema in the US. (US- South Florida Premiere)

FAG HAGS: WOMEN WHO LOVE MEN (Director Justine Pimlott) What do Patsy from "Absolutely Fabulous", the Queen Mother, "Sex and the City's" Charlotte and our own famous South Beach activist Merle Weiss have in common - why they are all Fag Hags - straight women - who adore and love the company of gay men. (Canada- Florida Premiere)

FAMILY MATTERS (Director David Noy) Two men and one woman decide that their dream to have a baby can only be fulfilled with each other's assistance. Deciding its time to settle down and start a family the men enlist a single straight Israeli musician to have their baby. (Israel - Florida Premiere)

GEORGE MICHAEL: A DIFERENT STORY (Director Southan Morris) From his schoolboy adventures in public toilets to the wrenching story of his Brazilian lover who died of AIDS. There are some things about George Michael that you've never heard before as well as heard too much about: the public sex arrest and the homophobic backlash. This delicious new documentary has it all. (United Kingdom - Florida Premiere)

GYPO (Director Jan Dunn) An unhappily married working-class couple in their forties, barely holding it together is caring for their young daughter's newborn son. When a young Romany Czech refugee is befriended by the family a much warmer response develops with their daughter which begins the possibility of a brighter future. (United Kingdom - Florida Premiere)

HINEINI: COMING OUT IN A JEWISH HIGH SCHOOL (Director Irena Fayngold) In Hebrew the word Hineini means "Here I am", it is how Moses responded to G-d when he called out from the burning bush and what Abraham replied when asked to sacrifice his son Isaac. For Shulamit Izen it signified her decision to come out as a Jewish lesbian, living and studying in a spiritual community (US- Florida Premiere)

JACK SMITH AND THE DESTRUCTION OF ATLANTIS (Director Mary Jordan) Tracing Smith's often overlooked legacy, his role in shaping the counter-cultural revolution, and his influence on relative art world insiders like Warhol, this documentary weaves together interviews with those who knew Smith's genius firsthand and those who doubted his vision. (US - Florida Premiere)

LAUGHING MATTERS....MORE! (Director Andrea Meyerson) We are given an all-access pass to four of the hottest hilarious lesbian comedians working today; Elvira Kurt, Sabrina Matthews, René Hicks and Vickie Shaw in this hilarious documentary sequel. (US - World Premiere)

LOOKING FOR CHEYENNE (Director Oublier Cheyenne) A successful and attractive high school teacher is deeply in love with a struggling, unemployed, dark-haired young journalist whose welfare payments are soon to be cut off. The proud journalist refuses to be taken care of and leaves for a simpler existence in the countryside. (US - North American Premiere)

LOVING ANNABELLE (Director Katherine Brooks) The newest student at this prestigious all-girls' Catholic academy is Annabelle, the rebellious daughter of a senator who's too busy to parent. Underneath her bad-girl persona, Annabelle hungers for love, and it doesn't take long for her to crush out on everyone's favorite English teacher, Simone. A steamy new boarding-school romance destined to set hearts on fire. (US - East Coast Premiere)

METH (Director Todd Ahlberg) For years now, crystal methamphetamine - aka crystal, T, or Tina - has been quietly devastating the gay community. But rather than offer a lecture or statistics, this bold new film pulls us, first-hand, inside the experience of meth, capturing with startling precision every stage in the rapid creep of addiction. (US - East Coast Premiere)

MY BROTHER NIKHIL (Director Onin) When handsome closeted swimming champ Nikhil discovers that he's HIV-positive, he first faces the rejection of his teammates and the break-up of an impending arranged marriage. A heartfelt and groundbreaking story of living with HIV/AIDS in the late 1980's (India - Florida Premiere)

RED DOORS (Director Georgia Lee) A dysfunctional Chinese-American family with three headstrong daughters - a workaholic eldest sister heading towards a 30-year crisis, the mousy middle sister training to be a DR while falling in love with a movie actress and a teenage rap choreographer and disaffected high school senior who is obsessed with devising elaborate "love" gifts for the boy next door. (US- South Florida Premiere)

REINAS (QUEENS) (Director Manuel Gomez Pereira) The country's first mass same-sex wedding is a cheerfully overhyped media circus full of pre-nuptial jitters and clashing egos. Upscale hotelier Magda has agreed to host the event at her five-star establishment, but faces a possible labor strike from her kitchen staff. Magda's son Miguel reluctantly agrees to have future mother-in-law Ofelia stay at his posh apartment, but a furry surprise threatens to sabotage his relationship with hunky fitness trainer Óscar. (Spain - East Coast Premiere)

SAY UNCLE (Director Peter Paige) "Queer as Folk" star Peter Paige casts himself as Paul, an artist who is happiest in the company of children. Yet the extremes to which he follows his bliss - and ignores prevailing social mores - do not sit well with certain mothers in his community. (US - South Florida Premiere)

SCREAMING QUEENS (Directors Victor Silverman / Susan Stryker) Before Stonewall, there was Compton's. An all-night San Francisco diner where transgender prostitutes gathered for a cup of coffee, bawdy gossip, and a brief refuge from the mean streets of the Tenderloin. Compton's was also the site of a drag queen riot, an unknown chapter of gay history that this riveting new documentary brings to life before our very eyes. (US- East Coast Premiere)

SÈVIGNÈ (Director Marta Balletbo-Call) Set against the backdrop of Barcelona's theater community, thespian Júlia Berkowitz is ready for her directorial debut, but is there a play out there that can capture her imagination? Enter Marina a lovelorn TV editor with a provocative pet project: a no-holds-barred account of the obsessive and nearly incestuous bond between 18th Century French socialite Madame de Sévigné and her daughter. (Spain- Florida Premiere)

small town gay bar (Director Malcolm Ingram) Deep in the heart of the homophobic Bible belt of North East Mississippi is home to two gay bars both battling to survive and create a safe getaway place for the local LGBT community. (US - South Florida Premiere)

SUN KISSED (Director Patrick McGuinn) Teddy, a frustrated young writer withdraws to his professor's isolated desert California home to overcome his writer's block. A night of drinking and dancing with Leo, the retreat's charismatic caretaker, unlocks a magnetic attraction between the two men. (US- World Premiere)

THE BLOSSOMING OF MAXIMO OLIVEROS (Director Auraeus Solito) In the slums of Manila, a 12 year old happily steps into the void left by the death of his mother, he cooks, cleans, mends & protects his family of 2 macho older brothers and a rugged father, who are perhaps the sweetest, most gentle den of petty thieves you'll ever encounter. (Philippines- Florida Premiere)

THE MASSEUR (Director Brilliante Mendoza) In the dim little rooms of a Philippine massage parlor, Iliac performs his job with care. He takes his clients from massage to sex silently and seamlessly, and among a stable of handsome, half-naked masseurs, he's a stand-out. But there's no glamour in this life. Iliac turned to massage/prostitution to support his family when his father abandoned them. (Philippines- East Coast Premiere)

TIME TO LEAVE (Director François Ozon) A handsome 31-year-old fashion photographer who discovers he has cancer and less than 3 months to live. He travels to visit the one person he can confide in and let go of his self-protective callousness: his grandmother and soul mate, Laura (played impeccably by the legendary Jeanne Moreau) (France - United States Premiere)

UN AÑO SIN AMOR (A YEAR WITHOUT LOVE) (Director Anahí Berneri) A year in the life of Pablo Perez, a handsome intellectual struggling to get his poetry published while toiling as a French tutor in Buenos Aires during the 1990s. When he learns he has contracted HIV, he begins a journal to track his journey of grappling with the disease and eventually meets a swarthy macho leather dominator. (Argentina - South Florida Premiere)

WHOLE NEW THING (Director Amnon Buchbinder) A thirteen -year-old boy growing up in Nova Scotia is home-schooled by ultra-liberal parents in an atmosphere where casual nudity, recreational pot smoking and open discussions about sex are embraced. Forced to attend public school for the first time -he lands in the home room of a middle aged gay teacher whose lonely secret life consists of solitary nights at home with porn rags and anonymous sex in public washrooms. (Canada - Florida Premiere)

ZERO DEGREES OF SEPARATION (Director Elle Flanders) Selim is Palestinian and Ezra is Israeli. According to many around them, these men should be mortal enemies. Instead, they're lovers. Samira is Palestinian and Edit is Israeli. These women have radically different visions of the country they live in. And yet they fall in love. . (Canada - Florida Premiere)

SHORTS
2005 MIAMI GAY & LESBIAN FILM FESTIVAL

The 8th annual Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is presented by Avis Rent-a-Car and Sundance Channel. The Opening Night Gala is presented by Karu&Y, and the Festival's Awards sponsor is HBO.

The $10,000 Producer's Circle Studio Heads for 2006 are the late Arn Berliner and Stephen Grundstein, and Peter Grigsby & George Weeks, all of Miami Beach.

Additionally, the Festival is sponsored by Absolut, Clear Image Creative Group, Here!TV, Regal Entertainment Group, and Tylenol PM. The Official Host Hotels and Delegate Center are The Hotel of South Beach and the Park Central Hotel.

Other major sponsors include: The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building, Logo TV, Majestic Properties, Miami Boutique Hotels, Passport Magazine, The National Hotel, Hotel Nash, Jet Blue, Air Canada, Icandee Productions, Mellon United National Bank, Perrier, Ultra & Pandora Events, Words on the Beach, PlanetOut.com, Gay.com, New Times, City Link Magazine, She Magazine, TWN, The Wire, Window Media, and the Miami Beach Cinematheque.

The Festival is indebted to the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and the Board of County Commissioners; the Miami Beach Visitor & Convention Authority (VCA) and the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council; the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs and the Florida Arts Council, and the National Endowment for the Arts; the Miami Downtown Development Authority; and the Women's Community Fund. As well, the Festival is supported by a grant from Dade Community Foundation, Greater Miami's permanent endowment made possible by generous donors since 1967.

SCREENING VENUES:

Regal Cinemas, 1100 Lincoln Road, South Beach Gusman Center for the Performing Arts, 174 E. Flagler St. Miami Colony Theater, 1040 Lincoln Road Gateway Cinemas, 1820 East Sunrise, Ft. Lauderdale

GALA PARTY VENUES:

The Space Miami, 100 NE 25 St. Wynwood Arts District, Miami Hotel Nash, 1120 Collins Ave., Miami Beach The Historic Alfred I. Dupont Building, 169 E. Flagler St., Miami

General public tickets are available starting March 25 from Ticketweb. Call 1-866-468-7619
(10:00am-8:00pm daily) and ask for venue "MGLFF." MGLFF members only advance
boxoffice hotline is (305) 531-2117 until April 14th.

Press contact: Jim Dobson / Indie PR (323) 896-6006 pres@mglff.com

Hi res photos of all films are available upon request