Latin@ Queer Art & Film Festival presents Gay Latino LA: Coming of Age and The Baby Cries

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvRvST9pMa4 Raw, visceral and real, Producer Jonathan Menendez captures the heart and soul of Latino men in Los Angeles as they wrestle with dual, and often dueling, identities. Latino first, and gay in spite of themselves, the film tracks the emotions, conflicts and trials of three men as they struggle with coming out to family and friends, especially their mothers. From arrests for drugs to alcoholism and lack of opportunities for education and employment, each suffers trying to fit being gay into their lives. None know how to find a relationship; one struggles with a boyfriend due to his own alcoholism. Yet each finds a way to blend their ethnicity and sexual orientation. —Mauro Montoya, Southwest Film Festival "I am thrilled to finally see a representation of the Queer Latino experience in film as a California native. Jonathan Menendez Benavides' film is beautifully done and provides a diverse representation of gay Latino life in Los Angeles.” — David M. Pérez, President, Latino GLBT History Project Situated in various locations throughout the City Company of Angels (CoA) Jonathan Menendez’s braided documentary Gay Latino Los Angeles presents the frank, compelling testimonials of three Latino twenty-somethings from different backgrounds and charts their self-discovery and growth over a two-year period. Alex is a Mexican hipster whose hopes for an education and a better life in the U.S. are compromised by his undocumented status. Brian is a Salvadoran who—though educated at UC Berkeley—lacks confidence to enter the workplace even as he yearns to better the world through engaged activism. And Carlos is a Chicano homeboy from South LA whose party lifestyle is self-destructive compensation for not being able to fully come out of the closet. Menendez nests these three testimonials within imagery of an Indigenous tradition that asserts that the search for identity among gay Latinos will lead to the recovery of a rich, neglected history specific to the region. In episodic turns, Alex, Brian, and Carlos demonstrate the dynamic reality of being gay and Latino in LA through their shared experience of negotiating their sexual orientation with their religious upbringing, being abandoned by their families, hiding behind subcultural shields of machismo, and fighting for human rights in an unjust and homophobic society. Through a snapshot of individual lives, Gay Latino Los Angeles reveals the rites of passage that young gays face in their inspiring journey to self-acceptance. — Michael Guillen, Frameline "An honest portrait that goes beyond gay issues and explores identity, race, family and loneliness; the kind of loneliness you feel when trapped between all the layers that build your place in this world. You don’t relate to these characters just because they’re gay, not even because they’re Latino, but because their eyes reflect the painful reality of not knowing what’s going to happen next in your life. And the glue that keeps it all together is Jonathan Menendez’s natural ability as a storyteller. This could’ve been easily turned into another talking heads show with no spice, no flavor, but Menendez manages to tell his own story through the souls of three young men who could easily represent different pieces of the same troubled puzzle." -— Chucho E. Quintero, Jury and Filmmaker, Mix México Latina/o Queer Arts and Film Festival - LQAFF Dir. Jonathan Menendez Benavides www.gaylatino.la/ SHORT FILM "The Baby Cries" Follow David and Marco after the birth of their daughter as they navigate parenthood, family and relationships. -Marco is going to all lengths to unite his protective husband David, his estranged conservative parents and his newborn daughter in a dramedy about love, faith and devotion. Dir. Mario J. Novoa http://thebabycries.com/ HOST Luisa Crespo HONORING Jo Franko's Birthday -- all his friends with regular admission tickets will receive a complimentary pass to his celebration at Arena. -------------------------------------------------- FREE PARKING in private lot across the street from the center. Lots of street parking. Arrive early. (one block east of Highland, just north of Santa Monica Blvd.) -------------------------------------------------- FESTIVAL ART GALLERY “Primary Source: Artifacts of Contemporary Queer Latin@ Performance Art ” Artists: Cathy De La Cruz, Karen Anzoategui, Dorian Wood, Sam White, Reyna the Ripper, Raquel Gutierrez, Rafa Esparza, Jeff Galvan, Avelardo Ibarra, Isaac Ledesma, Alice Cunt, and Yoyo Negrete. April 10 Art Gallery Opening Night Art, spoken word, performances, networking, photo booth, food and fun. Runs April 10­ - May 10, 2014 -------------------------------------------------- COMMUNITY SPONSORS: HBO Latino Print Network -------------------------------------------------- FRIENDS OF THE FESTIVAL: TBA -------------------------------------------------- INDIVIDUAL SUPPORTERS Art Becerra and Alfred Fraijo Lisa Munoz Orman Nidia Haughton Josue Mellark Gregorio Adam Christine Davila -------------------------------------------------- VOLUNTEER http://lqaff.com/volunteer/ PRESS http://lqaff.com/#press DISCOUNTS from participating organizations SPONSOR http://lqaff.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/LQAFF-2014-Sponsorship-Package-2.pdf