Each year, the Tampa International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival has the challenge of producing the fifth largest festival of its kind in the country. That joyful burden is shared by the organization's board, staff and volunteers. But the board president is in charge of bringing all the different aspects of an 11-day festival together. This year that task belongs to Ken Hodges.
Hodges first joined TIGLFF's board in 2005. He has always been involved with the arts, and especially film. The Tampa-based real estate agent has landed a few bit parts in movies. He was drawn to TIGLFF because of its reputation as a “filmmaker's film festival.”
This year's TIGLFF takes place from Oct. 6-16 at the Tampa Theatre, Tampa Museum of Art, Muvico Baywalk in St. Petersburg, and multiple party venues. Visit tiglff.com for movie listings and more information.
With Opening Night just a week away, we spent some time with Hodges to find out how his love of film developed, what makes TIGLFF click after 22 years, and what we can expect this year.
WATERMARK: Is there a specific LGBT film that stood out for you as a young man?
KEN HODGES: This dates me, but it would have to be the 1982 film Making Love. At that time, LGBT films were few and far between. Making Love was one of the first that actually had a real story to tell. It was about a married man coming to terms with his sexuality and the love triangle that emerges between the characters played by Kate Jackson, Harry Hamlin and Michael Ontkean. I grew up in the South, where men and women lived in the closet. Making Love showed that being gay was okay. I won’t give away the ending, but it is a must see.
With so many LGBT media outlets these days”Logo, Here!, even Bravo”is it more difficult to attract audiences to LGBT-themed film festivals?
It's a double edged sword. Some people will wait and see certain films when they come out on DVD or online. But some of the best films never find distributors. And in that case the only place to see them is at an LGBT festival like TIGLFF. And some people like it that way; for them it's a matter of community. The festival gives everyone an opportunity to come out and see movies that are by, for and about us in an environment that is accepting, welcoming and comforting.
The official TIGLFF program announces the return of the black tie gala. What inspired that party's resurrection?
The Gala has been around for a few years and has always been well received. We opted not to do it last year due to the downturn in the economy, but people missed it so we decided to bring it back. There aren't many opportunities for us to get together as a community at a formal event. Of course it's black tie optional. This year we're calling it the “Great Gatsby Gala.” It's presented by ALandCHUCK.travel at 9 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 8 at the Don Vicente in Ybor City.
What excites you most about this year's festival?
Without question it would be the quantity and quality of films submitted to us, and that we're presenting. Our new program director, KJ Mohr, did an outstanding job sampling other top film festivals throughout the country. She had the opportunity to personally meet with some great directors and producers and secure their films.
The festival added a third venue this year”the Tampa Museum of Art. Why the addition?
This year, TIGLFF really sought to reach out into the community and collaborate with other organizations. The Tampa Museum of Art is a perfect fit. It's two blocks from our main venue, the Tampa Theatre, and it's a fantastic facility with an intimate screening room that seats 125 people. It's the perfect venue for artistic films, foreign films and documentaries that traditionally draw a smaller crowd.
Pam Iorio was a big supporter of the festival. Is Tampa's new mayor, Bob Buckhorn, also behind the event?
It will be different this year not seeing Pam on Opening Night. But Mayor Buckhorn prepared a welcome letter for our program and is scheduled to address the audience on Opening Night. I hope he'll be there every year, like Pam was.
How would you describe the TIGLFF audience?
Forever changing. Each year, we work hard to make sure we have a wide variety of films for all segments of our community. This year there's a “Youth Showcase” on Sat. Oct 15 starting at 11 a.m. We'll screen Bashment, followed by a panel discussion featuring Community Tampa Bay, USF Pride, and local GSA and youth organizations. We also have a compelling documentary about LGBT elders called Gen Silent. It’s about how the LGBT seniors who spearheaded our battle for equal rights and have been forced back into the closet by homophobia at nursing homes and with health care providers.
How about you? Do you like comedies, dramas or documentaries?
Don’t think of this as a cop out, but I like them all equally. When you love film, and you're watching a good one, you enjoy it. I guess if I had to pick I'd say comedies. It's great to see everyone leave the theater with a smile on their face.
Locals comprise the biggest audience for TIGLFF. Do you get much feedback from outside Tampa Bay?
We're getting a lot of feedback from throughout the country on our Facebook Fan page. It feels good.
Do you talk with the organizers of other LGBT film festivals?
Yes. We're all looking for the best ways to obtain funding and utilize our budgets. Some festivals that occur around the same time of year have reached out to us to see if there are ways that we can share expenses for films and also for things like bringing in talent. Last year we helped the local Jewish Film Festival promote one of their films. This year, the executive director of the Miami Gay and Lesbian Film Festival is coming up for Opening Weekend to see how we run our festival. It’s quite an honor actually.
Other than TIGLFF, what are your favorite LGBT film festivals?
I've been to many, and they all have their own way of organizing and running their events. Outfest in LA is large and sprawling. Newfest in New York takes place in multiple venues so you're just another face in the crowd. Frameline in San Francisco is the granddaddy of LGBT film festivals; it's a lot like ours, but on a grander scale. My favorite is Miami's. It's intimate”both venues are walkable from all the South Beach hotels. .
What's your favorite TIGLFF memory?
I see so many wonderful things happen during our festival, so it's hard to choose. Old friends connect with new friends, people run into people they haven't seen in years, and people even fall in love! The audience gets to meet actors, actresses, producers and directors up close and personal. And of course there are the parties!
One thing stands out: last year we honored Mayor Pam as she was leaving office. We prepared a short video of her from all eight years that she attended. I was sitting next to her in the front row and she looked over at me and said, “This is for me? Really?” Her eyes welled up and she said, “You people are so special. I will never forget you all.”
The other best memory is Opening Night every year. I love seeing a line form around the building, watching the community come together in front of Tampa Theatre, smiles on their faces, socializing in the street with the anticipation of seeing another great line-up of quality LGBT film.
