Orlando films travel to Tampa
Two of the most anticipated documentaries at the upcoming Tampa International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival have Central Florida connections. In Billy & Alan, director Vicki Nantz tells the true story of a loving but turbulent relationship, a tragic suicide, and a fiery will contest – complete with evil matriarch – that could have been lifted from a Southern Gothic novel. Orlando Weekly columnist Billy Manes is narrator, victim, and ultimately hero of this deeply touching film that runs at the Tampa Theatre on Tuesday, Oct. 8 at 8:30 p.m. The movie played recently played to a sold out audience at the Global Peace Film Festival
And then on Thursday, Oct. 10, Memories of a Penitent Heart will be screened at 6:30 p.m. at Muvico Baywalk in St. Petersburg. In this heartbreaking documentary, director Cecelia Aldarondo explores her uncle’s death and her grandmother’s insistence that he repent his homosexuality on his deathbed. When he dies on Easter Sunday, she is convinced it is a miracle. But the movie is about what was lost in that hospital room, and the painful costs of prejudice.
Who’s guarding the guard house?
It may have been a slow news night, but the visuals were undeniable. On Sunday evening, Sept. 22, a car crashed into the guard house at the front of the Parliament House parking lot, first lifting it up and then turning it over on its side. “I saw that booth go up at least 10, 15 feet in the air,” a witness told Channel 9 Eyewitness News. On Facebook, another witness recounted that the accident resulted when two cars tried to pull into the parking lot – at the same time. According to police, there were no serious injuries.
Mimosas and mothers-in-law
Talk about drama. At their commitment ceremony last week at the Crowne Plaza Orlando Universal – first for that upscale venue – Jeffrey Maxwell and Joel Rayburn descended from a glass elevator wearing white tuxedos. More than 120 guests greeted them, and after brunch and a first dance, their mothers traded speeches – and tears.
New LGBT-owned eatery in the Milk District
It’s official. Se7enbites is open for business at 207 N. Primrose in the Milk District east of downtown Orlando. The brainchild of chef Trina Gregory-Probst, Se7enbites will specialize in baked goods with fresh, homegrown ingredients. The catchy name refers to a diet plan that launched Gregory-Probst on a healthier lifestyle that helped her shed more than 100 pounds. Need incentive to stop by? Visit their Facebook page and look at the scrumptious offerings.
