The 19th annual Pittsburgh International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival continues through Sun., Oct. 24. Films and videos screen at the Harris Theater, Downtown, and at Shepherd Wellness Center auditorium, 4800 Sciota St., in Bloomfield. Tickets are $7.50 for single admissions. Discount passes are available, including the Cheap Thrills Pass ($42 for six admissions) and the Screen Queen Pass ($65 for 10 admissions). Contact 412-232-3277 or www.pilgff.org for more information.
Here is the screening schedule for the remainder of the festival:
Wed., Oct. 20
PROTEUS. Canadian filmmaker John Grayson teams with South African activist Jack Lewis to make this historical drama based on a true story. Set in 18th-century Cape Town, the film depicts the relationship between two men -- a black slave and a white prisoner. In English, Afrikaans and Nama with subtitles. Harris.
Thu., Oct. 21
7 p.m. INESCAPABLE. In this erotic drama from Helen Lesnick, two women -- former lovers reunited when their current partners stage a reunion weekend -- rekindle their relationship. Harris.
9:30 p.m. SUGAR. Adapted from a series of short stories by Bruce LaBruce and directed by John Palmer, this comedy-drama, set in Toronto in the 1980s, follows 18-year-old Cliff's coming out. Harris.
Fri., Oct. 22
9:30 p.m. SLUTTY SUMMER. When twentysomething Marcus gets dumped by his longtime lover, he decides to take the advice of all the hot young men who wait tables with him at a trendy Manhattan eatery. He embarks on a summer fling with Tyler, the stuck-up waiter-slash-model, who eschews relationships. Oh, all these boys try to hide behind their bitchy shells and ribald tales of one-night stands, but underneath they're looking for love and a steady breakfast partner. Caspar Andreas' film is a witty snapshot of one of those youthful summers -- all cocktails, dancing 'til dawn, easy hook-ups, trading insults with pals and a few dented hearts -- plus plenty of sculpted male eye-candy to ogle. To be screened via video projection. Shepherd Wellness Center.
Sat., Oct. 23
5 p.m. LIBERTY 3: STORIES ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH. Employing a complex structure, Pam Walton's documentary examines the lives -- and deaths -- of three older lesbians. To be screened via video projection. Shepherd Wellness Center.
7 p.m. YOUTH SHORTS PROGRAM: REEL QUEER. Short films by and about LBGT youth. The program is free to anyone under 21. To be screened via video projection. Shepherd Wellness Center.
9:30 p.m. BROTHER TO BROTHER. Rodney Evans' debut feature showcases the life of Perry (Anthony Mackie), a young New York artist struggling to reconcile his gay identity with his African-American heritage while not compromising either. Perry meets Bruce Nugent (Roger Robinson), an elderly man who regales him with tales of his youth, when he was young, black and gay -- and a contributor to the vibrant Harlem Renaissance. The film shifts between the two stories, allowing Nugent to come to terms with his life's journey -- he is a homeless poet now -- and Perry to gain perspective on his own struggles under the elder man's tutelage. It's a gimmick that occasionally feels forced, but the historical passages documenting Nugent's work with the literary journal Fire! are fascinating, and ultimately the film's worthy ambition to transcend the coming-out genre smoothes over the film's bumpy spots. To be screened via video projection. Shepherd Wellness Center.
Sun., Oct. 24
4:30 p.m. APRIL'S SHOWER. It's going to be a long afternoon for April -- she's hosting the bridal shower for her ex-girlfriend, Alex, and that means plenty of friends and family from throughout the two never-quite-out women's lives. Trish Doolen's contemporary comedy of manners employs a basic dramatic set-up -- get everybody together in one room, add booze and bitchiness, and then no secret is safe! Not everybody in the large ensemble cast sells their role convincingly -- there's firemen and porn stars -- but you can't help but root for the wannabe homebodies April and Alex. After all, every traditional comedy resolves with a wedding. To be screened via video projection. Shepherd Wellness Center.
6:30 p.m. Panel discussion: "The Other Side of the Screen." Participants will include Casper Andreas (writer/director of Slutty Summer), Portia Kamons (producer of Dorian Blues), Cody Nickell (actor, Dorian Blues), and Becky Rothhaar (writer/director of Comatose). Charlie Humphrey of Pittsburgh Filmmakers will moderate. Shepherd Wellness Center.
8:30 p.m. DORIAN BLUES. CMU graduate Tennyson Bardwell makes his debut feature with this coming-of-age comedy about hapless teen Dorian. This film won several audience awards at other festivals this year. To be screened via video projection. Shepherd Wellness Center.