Movie Blog: Marriage Debate Heads Up Out Twin Cities Film Fest

As Jim Brunzell already noted in the Twin Cities Daily Planet, there's a definite political question hanging in the air over the Out Twin Cities Film Festival this year.

Marriage.

Minnesota is one of a handful of states set to get their 2004 election cycle on all over again, which is to say that Minnesota -- along with Maine, Maryland and Washington -- is going to put the question of whether to permanently ban marriage equality via the state's constitution in front of voters.

And so "Now more than ever!" could make for an acceptable tagline for the 2012 edition of the film fest, which began only a couple years back. It certainly helps explain the choice of Inspired: The Voices Against Prop 8 -- a documentary look at the mess that's been left in California as lawmakers and law-un-makers continue doing battle over whether to allow gay marriage -- as the fest's opening night selection.

A couple other selections also tough upon the topic, but the strength of this year's line-up (which will keep the festival going for a full four days at St. Anthony Main) is that it keeps its list of topics as broad as the GLBT community is itself. There are movies about:

--  Activism in the face of teen bullying and prejudice (This Is What Love In Action Looks Like),
--  The camaraderie of the nightclub scene (Men to Miss)
--  The world's longest kiss attempt, finally achieved by a same-sex pairing (Our Lips Are Sealed),
--  Transgender youth and how parents cope ... or don't (Gun Hill Road),
--  Gay hero worship, both fictional (Hollywood to Dollywood) and true-life (the perfectly titled documentary Homo Promo)

There is even a documentary look at the aftermath of the openly gay Gene Robinson's consecration as archbishop of the Diocese of New Hampshire of the Episcopal Church, after being elected to the position in Minneapolis.

All this plus at least three programs of short films. As Big Edie memorably demanded to her daughter: "How can you resist it?"