Pensacola Stamped film fest lets everyone experience and celebrate 'someone else's story'

Troy Moon
·7 min read

Pensacola's Stamped Film Festival's name was inspired by the mid-'90s practice of folks in the local LGBTQ+ community stamping bills with the words "Gay Money" and/or a pink triangle to highlight the impact of LGBTQ+ spending in the region – a response against some of the people and businesses who spoke out against gay and lesbian visitors, especially during Memorial Day (Of course, many, many locals and shops welcomed and appreciated the business).

The irony is that today, the Stamped Film Festival, now in its 11th year, doesn't even require money – all events are free for the festival, which runs Friday through Sunday at the Pensacola Little Theater/Clark Family Cultural Center.

There is a donor reception at 6 p.m. Thursday. Those who are not donors or sponsors can attend the reception for a $100 donation. The event will feature meet-and- greets and mingling with festival writers and directors, an open bar and private screenings of some films. For information on the donor reception go to stampedfilmfest.com/packages.

Otherwise, there is no fee to attend any films or presentations.

Stamped is meant to be a vibrant cultural experience using films centered on the LGBTQ+ community to foster awareness, inclusion and diversity at all levels of society, said festival officials.

"We celebrate diversity through the art of storytelling," said Stamped Film Festival President Sid Williams-Heath. "We feel these films entertain, but also educate. If I'm being honest, I'm still learning so much about the trans community. We can learn from these films, which are educational and celebratory."

Each festival night will feature a collection of short films and one feature film. Williams-Heath said each festival day will have themes – universal themes that most anyone can relate to, LGBTQ+ or not. He referred to them as "micro-themes."

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"Knowledge is power, and while it is so lovely to finally see someone on the silver screen that looks and loves like you do – it’s often even more powerful to see, experience and celebrate someone else’s story who doesn’t look or love like you. That’s what all attendees can take away from the festival - an opportunity to share in someone else's story."

The festival's family focus also gets a new dimension with an expanded "family day" focus on Sunday, which will feature a selection of teen short films and films for children and their families. Sunday's activities will also include a "Queer Families Panel Discussion" that will feature numerous panelists, including filmmaker Jake Graf, whose film "Our Baby: A Modern Miracle," will be screened at the festival. Jake and Hannah Graf, a former British Army captain, are a well-known British transgender couple. The film tells the story about the birth of their first child in 2020.

A grant from the festival's presenting sponsor, Sunday's Child, allowed the expansion of the family day activities, said Laynie Gibson, Stamped vice president.

"This year there is a wide range of lived experiences being represented," Gibson said. "There will be a lot of meaningful conversation stemming from this year's films."

There were about 100 film submissions to the festival this year, though only a few dozen were selected.

Gibson said this year's submissions were bolstered by the addition of Los Angeles-based filmmaker and actor Chris McNeany to the submissions team. McNeany was able to use his Los Angeles contacts to bring filmmakers to Pensacola who might not submitted to Stamped otherwise.

Here is the schedule for the 2023 Stamped Film Festival:

Friday

6:15 p.m. - Shorts Block One: "Undeniably Dateable: Whether it’s a chance encounter, a first date, or post break-up, these absolutely adjusted folks are on the market. Buyer beware…"

  • "Mal De Amores" (14 min)

  • "EITR" "(15 min)

  • "Complicated Order" (15 min)

  • "Shafted" (20 min)

  • Directors talk with Del and Emerson

7:55 p.m. - Shorts Block Two: "I Hope You Dance: Celebrating the human spirit through the beauty of dance."

  • "Sean Dorsey Dance: Dreaming Trans and Queer Futures" (10 min)

  • "Collective Resistance" (17 min)

8:45 p.m. - Friday Night Feature: "The Beat Goes On: Pride In Houston" (47 min): This documentary will have you cheering for the lovely folks featured. And "Pride in Houston" may ring some familiar bells of Pride in Pensacola!

Saturday

12:30 p.m. - Shorts Block Three: "Older AND Wiser: Whether it’s wisdom acquired personally, or wisdom acquired through a mentor or family member, these films have something to say from people who have been on the planet for more than a few years."

  • "Hidden Gems" (14 min)

  • "Camille, Marc, Michel, and Me" (23 min)

  • "My Fierce Aunt Bianca" (10 min)

1:40 p.m. - Shorts Block Four: "Alive and Kicking: Four unique short films that embrace the more robust side of humanity. In the immortal words of the Simple Minds song, they’re alive and kicking."

  • "Aikane" (15 min)

  • "Their Voice" (14 min)

  • "How to Carry Water" (15 min)

  • "Brutal" (13 min)

3 p.m. - Shorts Block Five: "It’s Just Me Babe: A group of films that feature individuals who are unabashedly themselves."

  • "Unnamed" (13 min)

  • "Bi the Way" (15 min)

  • "I Identify As Me" (10 min)

  • "Stone" (14 min)

5:30 p.m. - Shorts Block Six: "Livin’ On the Edge: These LGBT+ folks are on the fringe. Just try and look away."

  • "Sapphire" (14 min)

  • "Paradise" (30 min)

6:30 p.m. - Shorts Block Seven: Bold and Beautiful: "Three short films that are sure to inspire, and captivate."

  • "There Are Things To Do" (19 min)

  • "Don’t Say Butterfly" (5 min)

  • "Bitter September" (26 min)

8 p.m. - Saturday Night Feature - "Lie With Me" (1 hour 38 min): A love story that takes you on a roller coaster ride with many unexpected twists and turns, in this unforgettable adaptation of the novel by Phillippe Besson.

Sunday

1:30-2:20 p.m. - Teen Shorts:

  • "From A to Q" (19 min)

  • "El Destino" (16 min)

  • "Evan After Ever" (15 min)

2:30-3:30 p.m. - Drag Story Time

3:30-4:10 p.m. - Children’s Films: These children’s films feature beautiful storytelling through stunning animation. Plenty for the adults.

  • "Pacemaker" (9 min)

  • "Lovie Dovie" (4 min)

  • "The Rainbow Dung Beetle" (7 min)

  • "The Prince’s Dilemma" (5 min)

  • “Aikane” (15 min)

4:30-5:15 p.m. - Sunday feature film: "Our Baby: A Modern Miracle." The story of Britain's most high-profile transgender couple, Hannah and Jake Graf, as they seek to start a family.

5:30-6:30 p.m. - Panel discussion

Related: New documentary shines light on Northwest Florida's older LGBTQ+ community

"This year is the best year in terms of films showcasing a wide range of diversity and content," said Devin Cole, a former Stamped board member who has been involved with the Stamped Film Festival since its inception in 2012 (The festival was billed as the Pensacola LGBTQ+ Film Festival until 2015 when it was rebranded as the the Stamped Film Festival).

"It's a great opportunity to connect the greater community with the LGBTQ+ community, which is a large and encompassing community itself," said Cole, who is president of Strive, a Pensacola transgender advocacy organization.

Williams-Heath said that while there will be plenty of fun and lighthearted moments during the festival, there will also be plenty of opportunities to learn. He feels Sunday's "Queer Families Panel Discussion" will be an important learning experience for many.

"That can be such a vulnerable topic for some couples," he said. "I know there are things that me and my husband can learn and take away."

More details are available at Stamped Film Festival | LGBTQ Film Festival.

This article originally appeared on Aberdeen News: Stamped Film Festival Pensacola celebrates LGBTQ film and animation