The 2013 Tacoma Film Festival is shaping up to be everything a good film fest should be. There are movies from around the world, flicks in a variety of languages, screenings exploring the margins of different societies, and films from the comedy, drama, and short film categories and local ditties. Yes, this festival hosted by The Grand Cinema packs quite the cinematic wallop.
An opening night party with a screening of "G.B.F." ("Gay Best Friend") kicks off the festival tonight. Film enthusiasts will first gather in Annie Wright's Great Hall to scarf down full dinner by Maxwell's Speakeasy and tip a beer or two. Then TFF Executive Director Philip Cowan will hold our hands down to Kemper Theater for the screening of said film that tells the story of popular teenagers Fawcett (Sasha Pieterse), Caprice (Xosha Roquemore) and ‘Shley (Andrea Bowen), and the season's must-have accessory - and golden ticket to being Prom Queen - a G.B.F., or a gay best friend. The only problem? There are no gay men at their school - who are out, at least. But a Grindr-like app allows the girls to identify the closeted Tanner (Michael J. Willett) and adopt him as their own, transforming him from a shy social outcast to the high school's hottest commodity. But, of course, not everyone is pleased with Tanner's sudden rise to stardom.
Bonus: G.B.F. screenwriter George Northy will be in the house and film guru Warren Etheredge will host a Q&A with him after film.
Stuff to know about tonight: 6:30 p.m., film at 7:30 p.m., Annie Wright Kemper Theater, 827 N. Tacoma Ave., $25 Grand Cinema members, $30 non-members, $11 movie only, buy tickets here.
LINK: Weekly Volcano's Tacoma Film Festival preview
LINK: Bible Quiz to screen at Tacoma Film Festival
LINK: DSKNECTD to screen at Tacoma Film Festival