OutFest Closing Night
Calpernia Presents an Award at OutFest 2008
More Pix and info at: http://www.advocateinsider.com/2008/07/awards-night-mi.html
Last night was OutFest’s Awards Night ceremony. I was on the US Dramatic Features jury this year, which meant that for the last two weeks I was seeing several 2+ hour movies a day so that we could vote on awards for Best Feature, Best Actress, Best Actor and Best Screenplay. I also got to be an awards presenter, separately from being on the jury. This is what happens when you are a writer, an activist AND an actress, ha ha. I wore another Richard Bowman/Xavier Othon gown, to the delight of many… Janice Dickensen herself went ga ga for it backstage in the green room.
Momma Helps Me Present
(Image by Andrea James)
When I went up to present the award, the recipients were not there, so I got to talk a little bit to fill time. I shrugged off my wrap lasciviously, inspiring Momma to come stand behind me and block the audience’s view of my chest with her hands, which got people laughing. I made some jokes (?) about needing an agent, and then I made a little humor-tinged jab at what was essentially Hollywood’s GLBT filmmaking community all gathered in one audience. I said something like, “Wow, as soon as you stop casting men in wigs to play transsexual characters, maybe I’ll end up with some work!” I think I got the tone right, because everyone laughed but still “got the message”. Having Momma standing behind me, covering my boobs with her hands, probably helped.
After the awards show, the feature film played. It was “Were the World Mine”, and let me tell you, it is REALLY REALLY good.
Back when I was an angsty teen, I saw “Dead Poets Society” and fell in love with the tragic sad boy character played by Robert Sean Leonard. In that film, Robin Williams (who was coincidentally sitting right behind me in the audience tonight!) played an English teacher who “didn’t play by the rules”, inspiring the hot, sexy students of his boys academy class to open themselves up to literature. Ha ha, at least that was my hormone-addled take on it. My brain overlaid a lot of homoerotic tension onto “Dead Poets Society” because the boys were hot to me (a feminine boycrazy teen living in a boy’s body at the time), but I was also straight out charmed and besotted with Robert Sean Leonard’s character. (Sidenote: I’ve completely outgrown my RSL attraction, ha ha). Why do I mention “Dead Poet’s Society”?
Well, “Were the World Mine” is a musical fantasy set at an all boys school wherein they learn to open themselves to Shakespeare through the tutelage of an out-of-the-ordinary teacher, played by the enchanting Wendie Robie, who I absolutely LOVED in this movie. This film took what I found fun about “Dead Poets Society” and did it all with an updated, musical and overtly gay sensibility. The lead, Tanner Cohen, is someone I knew from beforehand in real life through his gifted photographer boyfriend. He has a similar tender/sensitive/beautiful guy thing going on that I found alluring in RSL, but he is so much more edgy and real than RSL seemed to be. Especially in real life.
Anyway, enough about Dead Poets Society. See “Were the World Mine”!
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Wow Calpernia, Richard Bowman & Xavier Othon must really like you, because they keep on letting you wear their fabulous dresses! I think that pink gown and the Richard/Xavier dress you wore at the GLAAD Media Awards were two of best dresses you have ever worn!
(I hope Richard & Xavier let you keep those dresses!)
Heh, and I think Richard Bowman and Xavier Othon are WAY better designers than that twerp Christian Siriano!
I do adore pink! So much fun to have all sorts of events to get dressed up for.
I think we all can appreciate Momma’s attempts to preserve your modesty, but, I can’t imagine that anyone was having a problem with your appearance prior to her arrival. Of course, you can’t beat her for entertainment value
Just one man’s opinion.
I went and checked out Richard’s page on MySpace Wow!!! I love the clothes.
You look so small and innocent with Momma next to you like that!!!
Calpernia,
I have never corresponded or blogged with anyone on the Internet prior to encountering your Youtube Video and Web site. This is my third communication! So what has motivated me to break my silence now? I am and will always be a heterosexual male. I have also through of myself as liberal person who was excepting and/or tolerant of others. Recently, my teenage son revealed to my wife and I that he is homosexual. It would be difficult to explain the range of emotion my wife and I felt. The initial feeling was one of loss and sadness that my son’s life would most likely be more difficult than we had hoped. I also discovered a subliminal prejudice!. When asked how long my son knew he was gay, his reply was always. The son I love did not change! The only change was my perception of him. I have come to realize that that his sexual preference was not a choice but rather it is who he is.
When watching your video and reading your commentary’s I realized that being female was not your choice but rather who you are. You strength and clarity have been a great help to my understanding homosexuality, transgenderism, etc. It really is not a choice but who you are. I apologize for using this venue to contact you. I wanted to let you know that your activism on this subject has more value than you may realize. Predjudice can not exist without fear, ingnorance and misunderstanding. You voice has served to expose these prejudices and hopefully, one day, eradicate them.