aGLIFF Opens Today with "Otto; or, Up With Dead People"

The 21st Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival kicks off today with a slew of great films, and a sure-to-be-awesome opening night afterparty at Oilcan Harry's. aGLIFF is the oldest and largest gay and lesbian film festival in the Southwest, and this year's program contains more than 120 films from 17 countries (including some award-winning drama, documentary, comedy and horror features).

The festival really gets going tonight with an Austinist-sponsored screening of Otto; or, Up With Dead People, a zombie flick with a twist.

This controversial film--by Canadian writer, filmmaker, and photographer Bruce LaBruce--is set in a world much like our own, but where zombies have become common enough to be tolerated, if not respected. But gay zombies…well, there’s still plenty of hatred for them. The fact that they’re not all rushing after “brains” makes this new world creepy and unpredictable; it’s hard to know what will happen. Enter Otto (Jey Cristfar), a young hot prep-school type who believes he’s a zombie (and maybe he is) and finds his way into an extreme avant-garde art film about a gay zombie revolution. One of them is referred to as “the gay Che Guevera of the undead.” You get the idea.

The movie uses a lot of visual razzle dazzle to keep your eyes entertained—black and white, color, weird infra-red effects, animation. But there’s a lot more going on here than just pretty pictures. LaBruce is known for his unusual blending of message-rich independent art and envelope-pushing film, and this one’s no exception. Just about every frame in this film is open to interpretation, and the metaphors abound. There’s a lot to be gleaned here, if you want to look between the lines hard enough.

This one probably won’t be coming to a multiplex near you, so take this opportunity to check it out. Film passes are sold out, but there are still some festival badges left, and individual tickets may be available at the door. Be warned—some scenes in Otto are powerful, and some of them can get pretty graphic. So come in with an open mind. But then, that’s what the aGLIFF is all about!