Monday, September 12, 2011

PACE announces 3rd North LA Gay & Lesbian Film Festival with celebrity guest Bruce Vilanch



PACE, “People Acting for Change and Equality,” announces its 3rd annual North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to be held September 16-22, 2011, at the Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport, LA, with celebrity guest Bruce Vilanch.

Six-time Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch is one of the most sought-after comedy writers in Hollywood. Within the industry, he’s known as the big guy who writes for everyone. To the public, he’s probably best known as a celebrity panelist and head writer for Hollywood Squares for four years, sitting in the square next to his friend and client Whoopi Goldberg, who stole the show with Vilanch’s one-liners. He spent two years as Edna Turnblad on tour and on Broadway in the smash musical adaptation of the John Waters filmHairspray. He scripted most of the Academy Awards telecasts over the last decade.

Opening night festivities on Friday, September 16, will include a lavish reception with Bruce Vilanch visiting with attendees and providing a preview of the stand-up act he’ll deliver the following night, Saturday, September 17 during the festival. On Friday, after the reception, Vilanch will introduce the filmGet Bruce with a Q & A to follow. Get Bruce is an affectionate and hilarious tribute to Vilanch with appearances by some of the many celebrities that he has written material for such as Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, and Whoopi Goldberg. When entertainers want to be sure to say something funny, they “get Bruce” to write for them.

Other films showing during the week-long festival are Undertow, Wish Me Away, Hollywood to Dollywood, Leave It on the Floor, Gen Silent, Thy Will Be Done, and a collection of original submission short films. Some of the films will be followed by panel discussions. Hollywood to Dollywood executive producers and lead actors Mike Bowen and identical twins Gary and Larry Lane will close out the film festival on Thursday, September 22 with a Q & A after their highly entertaining film which documents their road-trip to try to present a script to their idol Dolly Parton. The Korner Lounge will host a Dolly-themed after-party following the Q & A.

Festival passes and individual tickets to all events can be purchased at the Robinson Film Center (617 Texas St., 318-459-4122; www.robinsonfilmcenter.org) beginning August 15. For additional information see the film festival web site: www.nlglff.org.

A pre-festival event will take place on Thursday evening, September 15, at minicine.

Any individual, organization or business interested in becoming a sponsor of the film festival should contact Bryan Sullivan at hairchem@aol.com before the deadline of Monday, August 8.

For more information about PACE, north Louisiana’s leading advocacy organization for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, go to www.pacelouisiana.org.

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Contact information

Baylor Boyd, Film Festival Chair

318-402-6601

baylor_boyd@yahoo.com

Adrienne Critcher, Communications Director

318-869-3930 or 318-393-6556

critcher@earthlink.net

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