Well this past weekend was HUGE. It began Thursday evening, June 12th, with a reception held in our home for Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project (QWOCMAP) celebrating London-based film director Pratibha Parmar. Here's last year's write-up for the screening of her wildly popular movie, Nina's Heavenly Delights at last year's International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival. What a fun and fabulous reception it was. Complete with a signature cocktail. Our house was filled with gorgeous, successful, smart, and talented Lesbiratti (yes, I just made that up). Below are a pictures of our house just before the event (a personal favorite shot of mine) and Pratibha.
The opening night of the 4th Annual Queer Women of Color Film Festival, held at the Brava Theater on Friday the 13th, played to a standing-room-only house. The film festival's focus this year was Queer Asian Pacific Islander Women's films. Waiting in line for the opening of the theater doors with several hundred gorgeous smart successful lesbians, excitement was palpable. The eight film shorts featured BROUGHT THE HOUSE DOWN! My favorites? Well, since you asked, they’d have to be Yo Soy / I Am by director Nancy Angel and Seeing Golda by Michelle Alcedo. Here I am waiting in line and the scene inside the theater:
Food-wise, I've gotta be honest. Food inside the theater was free (as are all the films: radical Lesbian economic justice in action) but the only thing for a hungry Vegan lesbian were Luna bars. And you can only eat so many of those. Next year I will host a table of tasty stick-to-your-ribs Vegan treats for all. And cupcakes of course. So make a point to be there next year!!!!!!!
After the show, at about 10:30pm, Harrison and I scouted the immediate neighborhood for a fast and tasty tamale. No dice. We ended up @ Little Thai on Polk because it was on the way home. Because we were so hungry, it was okay, not great. AND they were out of their brown rice, which is one of their big hooks for me. How can brown rice be creamy and comforting I ask you? They know how. But I was outta luck Friday night.
The following day, the 14th, we went to the afternoon showing, a retrospective of three of Pratibha Parmar's short films, featuring an onstage interview with the incomperable award-winning journalist / writer / activist Helen Zia. So fascinating to view the progression of Pratibha's work and then hear her talk about her intent and process.
After that event we walked 1/2 a block to Roosevelt Tamale Parlor for our dinner. Perfectly lovely people but..........
The Harrison Team were proud sponsors of closing night, Sunday the 15th. Harrison went up on stage to give her thanks to the truly awe inspiring couple responsible for Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project and the festival, Madeleine Lim (QWOCMAP Executive Director) and her wife, Kebo Drew (Festival Manager).
The evening opened with a performace by the all-women percussion band Las Bomberas De La Bahia. They were so righteous and vivacious and some band members danced for us too.
Goddess we were hungry after that show! The evening of short films for the evening had been titled Delectably Yours and many of them revolved around food. So we crossed the street to Casa Sanchez where I had a black bean pupusa. Pretty good for $3.50. Includes all the chips and salsa you can eat. = )
For a lot more photos of our fine adventures this weekend please see the QWOCMAP photo album to your left.
