Pride Films and Plays Announces Contest Finalists and Films Included at Gay Film Weekend in Chicago, 10/18-10/21

Five finalists have been named in Pride Films and Plays' Great Gay Screenplay Contest. These five screenplays will be performed as enhanced staged readings (with movement and design elements) by members of the Artistic Ensemble of Pride Films and Plays during Gay Film Weekend, October 18 to 21, at Center on Halsted's Hoover-Leppen Theatre, 3656 N. Halsted, Chicago.

The finalists include Visalia by Dennis Nivens, A Friend of Dorothy's by Jim Piazza, Barrio Boy by Dennis Shinners, Snowmen by Ethan Steers, and Father Frances by Thomas Ziegler. PFP congratulates the finalists and all who entered the contest. Synopses of the screenplays and biographies of the screenwriters are below.

Gay Film Weekend also includes two free panels on LGBT filmmaking and concludes with a Queer Shorts Film Program curated by Chicago's Indie Boots Film Festival.

Tickets for the screenplay readings and Queer Shorts Film Program are each $10. A Gay Play Weekend Pass allowing admission to all events is $45. Tickets for individual events can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com, or 1-800-838-3006. Weekend passes can be purchased at 773-250-3112 or www.pridefilmsandplays.com.

The Queer Shorts Film Program features:

Half (2012 Indie Boots Audience Award Winner), directed and written by Alex Bohs
Fluid (2012 Indie Boots Honorable Mention), directed and written by Dara Sklar
Skallamann, directed by Maria Bock, written by Lars Jacobsen and Maria Bock
Tuesday Night Make-Out, directed and written by Richard Paro, with segment direction and writing by Cyra K. Polizzi and Breahan Eve Pautsch, and additional segment direction by Katie Jones
Lee, directed and written by Roland WiryawanReverse Cowgirl, directed and written by April Faith Hirschman
Marimacho, directed by Elisha Lim, written by Coco Riot
Bedfellows, directed and written by Pierre StefanosLast Kiss, directed and written by Charles Lum
Heartland Transport, directed and written by Cody Stokes
Make A Mate, directed and written by Jennifer JorDan Day
both/and - Trailer, directed by J. Paul Preseault, written by Jamil Khoury

The schedule for the weekend is:

Thursday, October 18: 7:00 pm A Friend of Dorothy's, directed by Charles A. Berglund, followed by an opening night reception
Friday, October 19: 7:00 pm Barrio Boy, directed by Kyra Morris
Saturday, October 20: 3:00 pm Father Frances, director TBA, 5:00 pm Panel Discussion, "The Evolution of LGBT Cinema", 7:00 pm Visalia, directed by John Nasca
Sunday, October 21: 2:00 pm Snowmen, directed by Alexander St. John, 4:00 pm Panel Discussion, "Making LGBT Films in a Changing World", 5:00 pm Queer Shorts Film Program, 7:00 pm Closing Night Reception

Each screenplay reading and the Queer Shorts Film Program will be followed by audience discussion with the writers and/or filmmakers.

A complete synopsis of the films can be found at http://www.indieboots.org/pfp2012.html.

Barrio Boy by Dennis Shinners, New York, NY

Barrio Boy is the story of a closeted, sexy, young Latino barber who falls hard for a newly arrived, handsome, and charming Irishman during a scorching summer in a tough Brooklyn hood. These uncontainable desires eventually test the seams of the relationships with his friends, family, and ultimately, the bond between him and the new love in his life.

Dennis Shinners grew up in New Jersey, attended NYU's film school and is a writer, producer, and director of on-air promos who has done award-winning campaigns for Nickelodeon, Nick at Nite, Spike TV, Discovery Channel, Disney Channel, TV Land, and the Oxygen Network. He recently completed two short films, Area X and Go-Go, which have enjoyed both domestic and international festival runs and distribution deals. He wrote Barrio Boy as his feature directorial debut.

Father Frances by Thomas Ziegler, Christianland, Virgin Island

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