Gay Film Weekend - Enhanced Staged Readings

This fall, Pride Films and Plays developmental work with writers from around the country continues with Gay Film Weekend. Five finalists- Chris Halligan, James Rosenfield, Barry Brennessel, John Woodard, and JB Berg - have been named in PFP’s Great Gay Screenplay Contest, an international contest for screenplays with LGBT characters and themes. The screenplays named as finalists include a wide array of subject matter ranging from an exciting historical drama of two men battling for their love, a comedy about two men looking for one another in LA, a subversive period drama that weaves characters finding their voices and new paths in life, a fun coming-of-age tale, and a suspenseful story of a spy that develops romantic feelings for a man that happens to be a national security threat. Queer Bits Fall Film Fest will kick off the week of film related activities, with a screening of short LGBT films receiving their Chicago premieres. Queer Bits is on Monday, November 10 at 7:30PM at Public House Theater, 3914 N Clark. A subsequent release will detail the films to be premiered. The five screenplays will be performed as enhanced staged readings from November 14 to 16 during Gay Film Weekend at Center on Halsted's Hoover-Leppen Theatre, 3656 N Halsted. The five finalists are: • 1974 by Chris Halligan • Agent Call Boy by James Rosenfield • The Celestial by Barry Brennessel • Chance Meetings by John Woodard • How to Be a Homosexual by JB Berg The performance schedule for the weekend is: o Friday, November 14 7PM – Agent Call Boy by James Rosenfield o Saturday, November 15 2PM – The Celestial by Barry Brennessel o Saturday, November 15 7PM – How to Be a Homosexual by JB Berg o Sunday, November 16 11AM – 1974 by Chris Halligan o Sunday, November 16 3PM – Chance Meeting by John Woodard Tickets for the readings and the films are all $10 and can be purchased at www.brownpapertickets.com. Below are synopses of the screenplays and bios of the screenwriters: 1974 by Chris Halligan 1974 breaks all the stereotypes surrounding the American Dream as an interconnected group of people must face truths that society had been ignoring for generations, and realize that the lies they’ve been telling themselves to belong might very well destroy them. Christopher M. Halligan has been writing feature scripts for ten years in Los Angeles. He is also a filmmaker and a college professor in Compton. Agent Call Boy by James Rosenfield Secret spy Hake Kingston posing as a call boy is all set to expose and destroy his quarry when he realizes he is in love with him. Which will it be: love or honor? James Rosenfield has written over 30 plays, two novels, and several screenplays which have won or placed over 30 contests. The Celestial by Barry Bressennel Two men from wildly different backgrounds must fight fear and prejudice head on in 1870s California. Barry Brennessel's novels Tinseltown and The Celestial were Lambda Literary Award finalists. The Celestial won the Gold Medal in the 2012 ForeWord Book of the Year Awards. Several of his screenplays have won contests, including Scriptapalooza and the Writers' Digest annual. Chance Meetings by John Woodard Two men seek to find each other again after a lost encounter. While one turns the city upside down, the other places a “Chance Meetings” add in the LA Weekly newspaper. John Woodard is an actor, published playwright, and multiple award winning screen and teleplay writer who resides in Los Angeles, Ca. How to Be a Homosexual by JB Berg In How to Be a Homosexual, a 1970’s teenager learns how to be gay from the “expert” guide of the time, “Everything You Always Wanted To Know About Sex”. JB Berg lives in Venice, California. His writing credits include “Golden Girls”, “Roseanne”, “Gilmore Girls” & the “Brady Bunch” movies.