Q-Me Con joins Pride of the Ocean on the High SeasHistoric LGBTQ Film Cruise "Pride of the Ocean" to Benefit Vermont's Gay Shorts Film Festival "CineSlam"The Pride of the Ocean cruise on Norwegian Dawn PRIDE OF THE OCEAN will honor LGBTQ filmmakers as part of its historic cruise commemorating the first pride events 40 years ago this June. The Pride of the Ocean cruise to Bermuda embarks May 30th on the Norwegian Dawn from New York City -- only miles away from where the first pride march began. This cruise theme is entitled "OUR HISTORY, OUR FILMS" and will pay tribute to the role of LGBTQ filmmakers in the past 40 years. The programmer for the Pride of the Ocean festival, John Scagliotti, created the first LGBTQ TV series on PBS, IN THE LIFE John also produced the first gay film on PBS, BEFORE STONEWALL, which won two Emmy Awards in 1986. Pride of the Ocean will present a number of pivotal films from the four decades since the Stonewall riots, including Greta Schiller's PARIS WAS A WOMAN, in addition to new works from Casper Andreas, who will be screening a sneak peak of his new film VIOLET TENDENCIES; Dean Hamer and Joe Wilson's OUT IN THE SILENCE and Yun Sun's "Teddy Award" winner, CITY OF BORDERS. In addition to screening films, Pride of the Ocean will also bring together more than 35 LGBTQ filmmakers like Mark Payne (GET HAPPY!), Northern Ireland's Connor Clements (JAMES) and Cheryl Dunye (WATERMELON WOMAN) to socialize with the passengers in intimate dinners, parties and seminars. The seven day cruise will offer free-style ticketing enabling attendees to also participate in many of the other activities and off-shore excursions in Bermuda offered on the Norwegian Dawn's itinerary. "We started looking for different ways to take the LGBTQ film festival into a more intimate world," explains John Scagliotti, programmer of Pride of the Ocean. At our festival, Kopkind CineSlam in Vermont, filmmakers stay for many days at a farm in the country, offering our audience a chance to spend time with them besides the usual Q&A after a screening. We have BBQ's, seminars and dances. That is what we are trying to capture for Pride of the Ocean." Q-Me Con (Queer Media & Entertainment Conference) and Kopkind CineSlam are joining forces with an engaging series of seminars on film distribution and funding. Included in the seminars will be Katherine Linton (former host of In The Life and producer of Lesbian Sex), Susi Walsh (director of the Center for Independent Documentary), Veronique Courtois (President at Casque D'or Films), Kelly Burkhardt (Managing Director of independent film distribution at TLA Releasing), and Vanessa Domico (Founder and President of Outcast Films). "Pride of the Ocean marks an exciting step toward a new level of community building at LGBTQ film festivals, explains Jennifer Howd, Co-founder of Punkmouse and Q-Me Con. "We are extremely honored to be participating in this historic maiden voyage." Pride of the Ocean cruises will be run as benefits for small non-profit LGBTQ film festivals around the country. The first film festival cruise supports the work of Kopkind's CineSlam, which is the LGBTQ shorts film festival in Vermont. Register by March 10th to receive $199 discount for Pride of the Ocean LGBTQ Film Festival on the High Seas. To register online and for more information about the film programming, visit www.prideoftheocean.com. The Pollin Group, located in Chevy Chase, Maryland and led by Jim Pollin, is well established in the Cruise Industry, specializing in corporate and educational managed cruises. After Stonewall Productions manages a number of documentaries and LGBTQ film festivals. For more information about Pride of the Ocean go to www.prideoftheocean.com or The Pollin Group, LLC , 4701 Willard Ave., Suite 1623, Chevy Chase MD 20815 Tel: 301-656-5740,Fax: 301-656-5741 Nationwide: 866-432-0050 Pictures for Press can be downloaded at: http://www.prideoftheocean.com/press.php |
