ClexaCon 2019 Spotlight – Web Series/Film Event Schedule – Friday April 12th

By starrymag | March 31, 2019

By: Krista Ann Freego

 

 

All year long I am frustrated that I don’t have regular access to films where I feel represented on the screen. If you share my opinion than join me and come to the ClexaCon Film Festival. Support diversity and representation in the media, support members of the LGBTQIA+ community and help make it so we don’t have once a year to have great representation that tells our stories.

This year will be my third year at ClexaCon. Prior years I was incredibly focused on the panels, both big and small. This year I am turning my focus to the web series and film festival offered by ClexaCon. I decided that I will do an article for each day of the convention highlighting what is being offered and when it is showing. The great news this year is that you do not have to buy a separate ticket to get into the film festival. Attendees can get into the film festival and web series showing their three-day pass, VIP pass or higher. In the two prior years you had to pay an additional cost for access to the film festival and web series showing if you had a regular three-day pass. Without further ado, here is the Friday film festival schedule for ClexaCon:

 

 

11:00 a.m. – 1:00 pm:  United We Fan: Documentary Feature Film (97 minutes run time)

ClexaCon is kicking off their film festival at 11:00 a.m. with United We Fan. United We Fan is a documentary Feature Film which is an exploration of the history and evolution of television’s “save our show” fan campaigns from the letter writing campaigns crowd funding on social media.  You can find out more about this film on its Twitter page, Facebook page or on the ClexaCon website (links below). You can also watch this film ahead of time on Amazon Prime in the USA.

Twitter: https://twitter.com/UnitedWeFanDoc

ClexaCon Website: https://t.co/q6ZSQixkYV

Facebook:  https://t.co/BgH6pFQvDD

Amazon Prime:       https://t.co/xmFa20KSqA

 

1:15 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Shorts Block 1

Better Things to Do: Music Video

Writers: Jared Swanson and Teresa Tuan (who will be in attendance)

Director: Jared Swanson

Cast:  Teresa Tuan, Kelly Carillo and Alena Coons

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“A detective has to decide between doing her job and following her heart. San Francisco’s fog (a/k/a “Karl the Fog” @karlthefog) has been stolen by her ex-girlfriend – a notorious thief with a passion for stealing famous objects from around the world. This is a joyous homage to ‘90s childhood, gay roots, and the one that got away.”

 

Italian 101:

Writer/Director: Emily Gutierrez (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Alex Vatour (who will be in attendance) and Cassandra Williams

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Jen, a shy university student, falls for her cool and confident classmate, Riley. When partnered up for a class project, Jen must decide whether or not she can gather up the courage to ask Riley out on a date.”

 

The Date:

Writer: Emmalie El Fadli (who will be in attendance) and Hansof Waller

Director:  Emmalie El Fadli

Cast: Miriam O’Brien, Claire Cartwright

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Lizzy and Olivia might be total opposites when it comes to careers and dress sense BUT they do have one thing in common…they both swiped right on each other. After swiping right, the two hit it off almost immediately but there’s still one thing left to do…meet.”

 

If This is Wrong:

Writer: Chelsea Woods (who will be in attendance)

Director:  Chelsea Woods and Franzeska Dickson (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Cherish Duke, Katie Kerr, Diana Toshiko

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“When it comes to primetime television’s most homoerotic buddy cop series, it would be hard to find a more obsessed fan than Maria. Black, queer, and a lifelong geek with a love for slash fanfiction. Maria’s deepest passion is the show Bay City and the work of a mysterious fic writer who seems to understand what it’s like to feel like an outsider. But, in real life, Maria finds little empathy from her best friend Anna. In her opinion, all Bay City represents is another case of network queerbaiting and a distraction that holds back Maria from pursuing relationships outside of her laptop. Maria hopes a trip to the coffee shop that inspired her favorite writer’s newest fic might help her bring Anna into the fold.”

 

Getting Started:

Writer/Director:  Andrea Meyerson (who will be in attendance)

Producers: Jennifer Kriz, Andrea Meyerson, Susan Solman

Cast: Dreya Weber, Susan Solman, Dalila Ali Rajah, Jennifer Kriz, Joey Rich, Suzanne Westenhoefer, Gloria Bigelow, Sweet Baby Jai

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“After meeting online, Tori and Joy finally have their first date. Chemistry ensues immediately, but will their mutual attraction be enough to overcome some of the challenges presented?”

 

3:30 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.: Shorts Block 2

Women: Beyond Labels:

Director: Julie Vaillancourt (who will be in attendance)

Original Idea: Julie Antoine

Music: Jean-Yves Cardin

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“At a time when the LGBTQ+ community wants to be more inclusive of the various identities, the RLQ/QLN – Quebec Lesbian Network wishes to put forward the realities of sexually diverse women. This short experimental film highlights the complexity of this reflection.”

 

AU:

Writer/Director: Nicole Allan

Producer: Maya Korn

Cast: Dana Kreitz, Leah Kreitz, Jessica Nahikian

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“AU stands for Alternate Universe. When Syd fears her twin sister will abandon her for a new girlfriend, she uses her scientific invention, a portal to another universe, to finally take control of her life. But will she go too far for her sister?”

 

Other Loving:

Writer/Director: Lise Angelica Johnson (who will be in attendance)

Producer: Lise Angelica Johnson, Dalila Ali Rajah (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Nicole Pacent and Clarissa Thibeaux (who will both be in attendance) and Matt Pascua

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Melissa Simmons has it all. She lives in a quirky, yet beautiful home near Lake Merritt in Oakland, CA. She’s surrounded by art, and most importantly, she has love that’s stable and passionate, at the same time. So, when her lover breaks the news that he’s leaving, Melissa’s life is thrown into chaos. It’s there that she discovers unconditional love in an unexpected place.”

 

Girl Talk:

Writer/Director: Erica Rose

Producer: Chelsea Moore

Cast: Hannah Hodson, Kea Trevett, Alia Guidry, Erica Pappas, Diane Chen

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Girl Talk is a film centered around the complexities of sex, love and intimacy through the lens of Mia, a young and queer identified protagonist. The film redefines the queer narrative. Girl Talk is about the in-between. It is not the coming out story, it’s not about a secret affair, no one dies at the end. We’re showing queer stories that are happening now, that represent the stories we’ve experienced and the stories of our young urban queer community. In the film, we follow Mia as she explores the disparity between emotional and physical intimacy, coming to a head when she meets an intriguing couple.”

 

Alice & Iza:

Writer: Bridget McManus (who will be in attendance)

Director: Christin Baker (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Guinevere Turner (who will be in attendance) Mandahla Rose (who will be in attendance) Bridget McManus, Karman Kregloe (who will be in attendance) Fran Nichols, Ali Leibegott, Chole Curran, Amber Gray, Jibz Cameron

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“A buttoned-up divorcee (Turner) has a chance encounter with a free spirited younger woman (Rose).”

 

5:30 p.m. – 8:15 p.m.: Good Kisser: Feature Film  (82 minutes run time)

Writer/Director: Wendy Jo Carlton (who will be in attendance)

Producers: Gina Mainwal, Anne T. Hanson (who will both be in attendance) Danny Tayara

Cast: Kari Alison Hodge, Rachel Paulson, Julia Eringer (who will all be in attendance) and Courtney McCullough, Carter Rodriguez

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Jenna agrees to a sexy weekend fling with her materialistic girlfriend Kate and the wordly Mia, but as the night unfolds, Jenna notices discomfiting details about them, as the love triangle starts to crack.”

 

9:00 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.: Web Series Premieres

Passage:

Writer: Hilary Esquina (who will be in attendance)

Director: Christin Baker (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Shannon Leigh Reeve, Mandahla Rose (who will be in attendance), Nicole Pacent (who will be in attendance), Ian Ampoyo and Kitty Swink

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Janus Agent Ali Prader is a top paranormal operative for a secret division called Caelus within the government. They rely on her special capabilities to handle the different situations which can arise from interacting with paranormal entities. As a veteran and a mom, Ali is able to balance her professional and personal life – that is until she starts to unravel a thread that opens the door to a new crucial shift in power. ”

 

Functional:

Writer: Daniel Luna (who will be in attendance)

Director: Cheska Bacaltos Masongsong (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Alyssa Perez, Daniel Luna, Ines Ware, Jacob Barnes (all of whom will be in attendance)

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Guillermo and Jazmyne are two best friends looking to find success and acceptance with the little resources (and sobriety) they have. Functional is a new web series that focuses on topics within the LGBTQ+ and Latinx community highlighting the highs and lows that the modern world has to offer.”

 

Riley Parra Season 2:

Writer: Geonn Cannon

Director: Christin Baker (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Marem Hassler, Liz Vassey, Carolyn Ratteray (who will both be in attendance), Marina Sirtis, Maeve Quinlan, Vaughn Armstrong, Whitney Mixter

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Riley Parra grew up in the bad part of town, the crime-ridden No Man’s Land. Now, as a cop in a corrupt department, she strives to make sure the rough streets she left behind aren’t forgotten. In Season 1, the case leads her to the discovery that No Man’s Land is a battleground between angels and demons, and she’s the only chance of defeating evil, Riley chooses to accept the title of Champion of Good. She also loses her partner on the force but finds a partner in life. In Season 2, Riley gets a new partner and discovers who is the Champion of the Demons.”

 

Unqualified:

Writer: Mia Naipaul (who will be in attendance)

Directors: Mia Naipaul and Rocco Shapiro

Cast: Mia Naipaul and Barb Williams (who will both be in attendance) and Satya Polisetti and Katya Timokhina

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Mia (protagonist) finds herself in an unbelievable situation. ”

 

BIFL: The Series:

Writer: Kelsey O’Regan (who will be in attendance)

Director: Daren Taylor (who will be in attendance)

Producer: Amber Rivera (who will be in attendance)

Cast: Anisha Adusumilli, Andrea Nelson, Mandahla Rose (who will be in attendance) Elizabeth Peterson, Michael Sasaki, Philip Orazio, Christopher Dietrick and Haviland Stillwell (who will be in attendance).

Synopsis: (Provided by ClexaCon)

 

“Jill is a little in love with her best friend Chloe and a little terrified to say anything to her about it, even though their roommate Sarah is both convinced that the feelings are mutual and sick to death of waiting for one of them to make a move. When the gang’s New Year’s Eve party ends with on hook-up, one not-quite hook-up, and one not-quite-breakup, everyone is left re-examining what they thought they knew about themselves and each other.”