aGLIFF Interview: Jake H. Gonzales, Programs Director
Channeling intense volunteer passion, subtly opening conservative minds, and standing up to the occasional pesky picketing threat — all in a day's work for Jake H. Gonzales, Programs Director of the Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF). While the act of wading through a preposterous amount of films and contacts would be enough to make us feel that we had the right to walk around slapping...anyone, Jake exudes a most understanding and calm energy that—to us—seems like an incredible feat when you're one week away from launching a film festival.
Although we would have liked to have spent the interview trying to find a way to bottle that energy for ourselves (muah ha ha), asking a few questions involving the diverse lineup of films and events aGLIFF 23 is bringing our way September 7th-12th seemed like the more pertinent thing to do. We convened at Cherrywood Coffeehouse to discuss unforgettable yodelers, angry transwomen, and why it's so damn hard to get people to heart the documentaries like we do. We then forced Jake to play a LGBTQI Pop Culture Thought Game with us. Like we said, really understanding energy.
So, 23 years of aGLIFF. From hip, year-round Drafthouse screenings to youth programs and a handful of amazing parties, it's clear the festival has grown. You've been with aGLIFF a few of those 23 years, so what's been the key to the positive growth?
A lot of it is a staff that is willing to go above and beyond the call of duty on a daily basis. You know, in any non-profit organization—and I've worked with enough of them to know—it's when you have that kind of 'perfect storm' of a staff who takes it above and beyond, and adds in their own personal expertise. Then you've got this nice mix of not only skilled talent, but also almost this perfectionism that won't go away.
As aGLIFF gets ever closer to reaching the "Big Gay Fest" status of Frameline in San Fran and OutFest in LA, do you ever forget you're doing such great LGBTQI work in Texas of all places?
aGLIFF's long-term goal is to become one of the top three international LGBT film festivals, but there's not a day that goes by that I don't forget that I do work in Texas. It's funny how it pops up. We do all this work in Texas, and it becomes most evident when somebody approaches us and says, "Hey, Frameline's showing this great film," or, "NewFest is showing this great film." I just have to go, "My audience will never come and see that movie." It's an east coast film; it's a west coast film — I need third coast films.
It really is funny what I know will play well to our audience, and then inform all of that with my background in entertainment education and international development communication. Since I got to aGLIFF, we program films not based on necessarily what's popular or thematic. So, if I have a film about gay boys falling in love, I don't necessarily pair it with another short film about gay boys falling in love. I'll pair it with a short documentary about a biracial lesbian trying to make it in the big world of New York, and have relationships and adopt a kid. Gay boys can come and watch their films — you're going to sit and learn something first, though. So yeah, we try to do it both externally and internally with aGLIFF and the community.
Have you had any experiences where you did program a 'west coast' or 'east coast movie' on accident?
Yeah, maybe the east coast/west coast label isn't exactly fair, but there's been a couple films since I've gotten there. In my second year, there was definitely one that did not fly at all. It was a documentary. A 118 seat theatre probably had 6 people in it in a prime-time slot on a Saturday. And the director was there! So that's just never a good feeling all around. We finally figured out what it was after the fact by talking to people. The story happened on the west coast and the problems that were facing that person—though kind of universal—were nothing that really interested anybody because that wasn't their life. And for a feature, that's really hard to convince somebody to come and watch. So we try not to do that.
We have to say you put off some amazing, confident, calm energy every time we see you.
Aw, shucks.
So what are your methods of staying strong and keeping your head above the slew of questionable films you have to go through to program a festival?
Coffee. [Laughs] I guess I have to take some responsibility for the programming, but I'll often say that it's really not me. My beginnings with aGLIFF were in March of 2008 as a volunteer and it just so happened that, after the festival that year, the program director left and I was asked to step in. David Sweeney was the executive director at the time, who had a very community-based non-profit experience himself. I had six or seven years at that point of community-based political activism experience, and involving as many people as possible. So we changed the program model from being a core group of maybe 8 to 10 people who watched all of the films and then sat around and kind of decided with each other. We opened it wide up and said we're going to do as many as want to do it.
The first year I was there we had 26 programmers who watched 350 films. And then this year we had 54 programmers watching 450 films. That's a lot of numbers there, but what has happened is the volunteer base has doubled, at least on programming. And in a year that is following the bulk of a recession, most film festivals saw a 25% decrease in the number of submissions they received, and I know that's the case for some of our partner festivals here in Austin. We increased by 100.
Wow.
So something's happening. And I think this year it was that we had the volunteer power base there, and these people are unafraid to do anything. They're really a help. Together they watch the films, they rate them, and then they're the ones that decide the program. I am merely there as a facilitator. And it's obviously worked. We get tons of compliments on how the programming has changed and improved, and how it's a lot more relatable and enjoyable to watch. It's because I have the people who would be going to the festival anyway watching the films and then telling me what they want to see. The formula that wrote itself.
What film can you not wait to unleash on Austin at this year's festival?
Ticked Off Trannies with Knives.
That was one we were going to ask you about. Most Interesting Title Award.
Ticked Off Trannies with Knives came to us really late in the game. It was a film that had been playing the circuit. It played at Tribeca and was picketed. Both Frameline and New Fest banned it from their festivals. And, in all fairness, there's a huge backstory behind it. Essentially, the director, Israel Luna, posted a trailer on the Internet that utilized crime scene footage and pulled on the notes of two very infamous transwomen hate crimes where they were killed. Huge backlash from the trans community, which was completely understandable and justified. But to Israel's credit, he was very responsive and immediately pulled the trailer. He's been doing a lot of work with trans groups across the United States, trying to figure out how to talk about this film in a way that is positive.
So flash forward: I'd returned from Frameline. We already had the movie; I had not screened it yet. I was actually approached by somebody who was at Tribeca, who essentially told me that if we showed it at Austin she would bring all of her friends and picket Austin too, because it was a film that "just did not need to be shown." So I got back and watched it and—I don't keep it a secret—I was in active transition from male to female for 9 months and I'm very close with the trans community...still trying to figure out my own gender identity and all of that, so I got to watch it with that kind of unique eye. There are issues with the film, yes. There are parts of it that we wish would have been done differently. But at its core, it's a story about three transwomen—two of which are killed in a hate crime. One survives. The one that survives gathers all of her friends together, they go out in the forest and learn Kung Fu in true revenge thriller fashion, and then they go kick some ass. You know, that's a film that I can get behind all day long. So we're very excited to unleash that on Austin.
Thankfully, because aGLIFF is not one to shy away. Last year we had House of Numbers, which was an AIDS denialist documentary, which we got tons of flack for. And then again this year with Ticked-Off Trannies. We're not pulling the punches, and aGLIFF is not in the business of censorship. So if something comes along that others aren't showing, we tend to look at it and go, "Why not?" and show it anyway. And thankfully this year we are having the assistance of the Transgender Education Network of Texas, who are going to facilitate a talk-back after the film about their issues, and the wider issues of the trans community. But it all boils down to a couple of loud voices in the trans community who saw the trailer, reacted badly, and now refuse to see the film outright. And our attitude is, if you're not at least willing to watch the film, then... you know, we've seen it. And we aren't giving it a seal of approval, but it is something that is empowering to watch.
So, yodeling lesbian twins? Guessing it's a little different than Tegan and Sara?
You know, that's my number two. And I've never been one to shy away from controversy. Back in college I technically went head to head with a Texas State Senator and won. So not one to shy away from the controversy and that's why we have Ticked-Off Trannies. But Topp Twins, and I'm going to steal this program guide because my programmer, Laura Luthy, has two gems. Oh, that's another thing, all of the programmers at aGLIFF write the program descriptions. These aren't coming from the directors, these are true Austinites. Laura Luthy says that Topp Twins "is the utterly unlikely, entirely true, must-see story of how Jools and Lynda Topp became national superstars and LGBTQI activists through sheer force of their engaging personalities, incredible talent, and penchant for fun." There are some people who aren't happy with us because we're showing a documentary on opening night. I learned my lesson a long time ago: you do not show a documentary on opening night. This isn't a documentary; it is something else entirely. It's one of those films that you sit down, you watch it, and go, "How did I never hear of these two?" Like, their personalities are so big that it's kind of like the shot heard 'round the world kind of thing. How did these people exist and us not know about it?
By the end of the film, they are two people that I will remember for the rest of my life. Haven't met them in person, probably will never meet them in person, but there is no way I will ever forget them. I think what it was is that when they knew who they were—when they knew that they were both lesbian—instead of hiding it, instead of apologizing for it, they went to their parents and said, 'This is what's happening — moving on!' And it's kind of been there life ever since. They are a true delight. Actually, we love their music so much that we've downloaded their CDs from iTunes and we listen to them at the office all the time.
Oh. Hmm, do you jam out to yodeling?
Yeah, we do. Well, it's not all yodeling. They are very multifaceted. And I will say, though the Topp Twins cannot join us in person, they may be joining us by some miracle of technology. We do not want to over-promise, but as of today, we're set to host them at least virtually.
We're kind of upset about your statement about programming documentaries, even though we know it's true. Because with Call Me Troy a couple of years ago — we went to that and Reverend Troy Perry was there, and there was an afterparty with very good energy. Plus, one of the other films we're very excited about this year is The Adults in the Room. Great documentary...
Have you seen it?
Yes, screened it. We kind of go a little doc-crazy when it comes to festivals, and we guess we want other people to as well. We don't know how you get people excited about documentaries, but . . .
A lot of it is purely subject matter. There is a general rule that I maintain, especially in programming now, that if we're going to show a documentary it has to be about something that either hasn't been talked about before or has been done in a way that hasn't been done yet. Which is true across all of these. I mean, yodeling lesbian twins speaks for itself.
Yes.
She's a Boy I Knew is about a transwoman who, instead of turning the camera on herself and documenting her process transitioning, she turned the camera on six of her friends and family and captured it from their perspective. It's never been done before as far as I can tell. Freeing Bernie Baran...about Bernie Baran, who was locked up 21 years ago and just was released on false charges of child molestation and abuse. So there's a way to get people to see them...kind of limits our programming in some respects.
With The Adults in the Room, it seems really relevant to Austin as a college town. Experiencing—being a part of the gay culture—and hearing about people not wanting to get older or being afraid to get older. How [Filmmaker Andy Blubaugh] deals with that on his own. Plus, that question about when is the appropriate age to date and all of that kind of stuff. Very relevant.
Very true. And in the case of Adults in the Room, we actively selected that one for its unique storytelling method, because it's not just documentary and it's not just narrative. It's this cool melding of the two, that as far as I can tell—having done documentary and narrative film personally in the past—this is some kind of artist to be able to tell that story in both modes at the same time.
And with good actors, too.
And with good actors. That always helps.
You were saying your centerpiece is Howl, which stars dreamy James Franco, dreamy Mary-Louise Parker, and dreamy Jon Hamm (Mad Men). That's a pretty good catch.
It's very dreamy.
How did you guys go about getting that?
Gosh, how did we go about getting that one? You know, aGLIFF often receives e-mails from random people or friends of the festival, it doesn't really matter, saying, "Hey, I saw something about this film. We'd really like to see it at aGLIFF 23." And this was one of those. We had two of them this year that we kind of had a big push for me to get them. Howl was the first one, the second was Faith of the Abomination.
Actually, the question I get asked most often is, "How do you know what is opening, centerpiece and what is closing?" And it's something that once you've watched a lot of the films, plus given the length of time I've been with aGLIFF, you kind of get this instinctual feeling just kind of going through of what needs to be opening, what needs to be centerpiece, and what needs to be closing. Because you think of it like a movie. You want to start off strong and have a great climax—Howl—and then give a nice happy ending, which is BearCity. So it just all kind of falls in place every year naturally, but there is a bit of intuition. Howl has the big names. This is going to be its Texas premiere, if not Southwest premiere. It took a lot of work to get this film three weeks before it gets released nationwide. They did not feel comfortable releasing it to a film festival that close. And through lots of badgering and phone calls and e-mails, I let them know I wasn't going to give up...
So you're good at badgering too?
I have to be.
It is at this point that we found ourselves inspired to play a little game to close out the interview. We thought it would be fun to spout off random terms from LGBTQI pop culture and have Jake respond with the first thought that popped up. A little less stressful than the one word version. Jake's response? "I'm good at judging." Awesome.
First one: Willow Rosenberg [Buffy the Vampire Slayer character].
Oh my God, when she came out on national TV...I still sing along to the Buffy musical CD, especially their parts where they're singing back and forth because she's cast a spell on her girlfriend, and the girlfriend finds out. Oh, what a mess!
Ooo, and moving that soda machine with the powerful hand grasp...
Yeah, powerful.
Okay, Anderson Cooper.
That silver-haired fox just needs to come out the damn closet already.
Exactly what we were going for. Rebecca Havemeyer vs. Christeene.
Oh gosh. You know, love Christeene to death, but my loyalties always lie with older Louisiana born and bred debutantes who drink too much, because I'd like to think that's what I will be in 50 years, minus the Louisiana born and bred, but...
Transgeneration [Sundance Documentary TV Series].
You know, I saw that for the first time when I was still at UT and I think it was, again, had that been something that was sent to aGLIFF, we would have shown it hands down. Because it took the trans narrative piece, but applied it to much younger people that have ever been seen on screen before. Groundbreaking.
Mommie Dearest.
Let's just say of Mommie Dearest that I no longer use wire hangers. Just in case.
Thoughts on guyliner.
Oh, I think anybody that wants to wear eyeliner should be more than welcome. Just put it on correctly. Nobody likes a stray stroke.
Elton John.
How old is he now?
Cher.
Is that farewell tour finally...over...yet? Maybe?
Have you seen a preview of that movie with Christina Aguilera that's coming out?
No...
It's kind of got a Showgirls vibe, but it's Cher and Christina Aguilera? I thought it was fake. I'm going to link to that. Okay, um...Lady Gaga.
Really. Like. Her. Music. A. Lot. Each of those needs to be punctuated by a period and a capital letter.
Done. 8: The Mormon Proposition [Documentary].
You know, that's one of those movies I can only watch once because it makes me so mad that...actually now it's making me mad. Next question.
Glee.
Really? You put Glee and Mormon Proposition next to each other?
Sort of? We're jumping around.
You know, any television show that can combine high school drama/angst/outcast kids and musicals?!? Brilliant. I'm there every time.
I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It.
When you say I Kissed a Girl and I Liked It, the only thing I can think of is that church that put up the sign that said, 'You may have kissed a girl and liked it, but now you're going to hell.'
Oh, that's horrible.
Kind of ruined that song for me. As does organized religion of most things in my life.
Amanda Lepore.
Give me more.
New York, socialite...lot of work done.
Oh, yes. Now I've caught on, thank you. You know, if somebody can say your name and then to explain who you are say "had a lot of work done," that means you've had lot of work done and you may want to have dialed that back a few weeks ago.
We hope no one says that about us. Alan Cumming.
You know, he's one of those people who I can't really decide what he is. Because he's done everything, it seems like. Dance, theatre, stage, singing, movies . . . television, probably.
Cologne.
What's that, like a quintuple threat?
Much more than Zac Efron the Triple Threat.
Oh yeah, much more so.
A Single Man.
Fondest memories of Isherwood was last year's documentary Chris and Don: A Love Story about Chris Isherwood and Don, his much younger partner. It's just like classic Super 8 footage from the '50s of them on the beach. Isherwood's like mid to late 30s, maybe early 40s and he's got Don there who's barely 18. And them just all over each other...on Super 8...in the '50s...on the beach...a public beach. I could watch that shit all day long.
Whoa. We need to check that out. All right. We'll stop grilling you with random queerness. Are there any other events coming up for aGLIFF that you're excited about as far as this year's fest?
Yeah! We've gotten together with Jenn Garrison, former aGLIFF board president and Austin film legend. Actually have one of her films in the festival again this year, Three Minutes. We are actually hosting the 10th anniversary screening of her very first documentary PrizeWhores two days after the festival is over. On September 14th at 7:00 at the Alamo Drafthouse South. The tickets are going to benefit aGLIFF and all of its programs. So, very happy to have Jen back for the festival and for a little bit of a retrospective. Hard to believe it's been 10 years.
