San Diego is going to be transformed into Hollywood South from April 13 through April 16 at the North Park Theatre, where more than 30 films will screen at this year’s FilmOut festival.

There will be women on the verge, boys on the make and men on the down low. Each frame captures a splice of GLBT life, and the wide variety of tales gives a greater understanding of the universality of “our world.” Far from your typical fare, many of this year’s entries are from foreign lands, covering the geography that separates us yet makes us equal in our quest for acceptance.

The films lined up to entertain and enlighten run the gamut from short subject to regular-length features. But these images are also celluloid time capsules, each an indelible stamp on our history, no matter what their length.

Krista Page

Krista Page, FilmOut’s executive director, sat down with the Gay & Lesbian Times to explain the genesis of FilmOut, the criteria for the films they select, the huge boom of foreign films present this year and what audiences can expect from the festival.

Gay & Lesbian Times: How did FilmOut come to be?

Krista Page: FilmOut was founded nine or 10 years ago by a guy named Joe Ferrelli, who no longer lives in San Diego. It was a tiny, tiny, tiny little film festival. Just after he founded FilmOut, OutFest, which is out of Los Angeles, decided they wanted to have a San Diego section. So Joe kept the not-for-profit open – that was called FilmOut – [and] he started working with OutFest.

A little bit after that, I started working for OutFest. Joe and I produced the San Diego version of OutFest until three years ago, at which point OutFest decided we certainly had a grasp on it; we could certainly carry something by ourselves … at which point I took over the original FilmOut entity. We’ve been in existence now, as FilmOut, for two years.

We are also 100-percent volunteer driven. Not one person is paid within our organization, and it [the festival] wouldn’t happen without our sponsors.

GLT: Is there any certain criteria for the films that are selected?

KP: Obviously, we are trying to please the San Diego market, which is basically white and Latino. And, honest to God, our market is mostly men. So that’s what we want to feed to, is white men and Latinos. We also, though, want to bring the very best films that are available on the festival circuit at any given time. This year, it happened that the very best films on the festival circuit were almost all foreign films. To me, that’s pretty groovy. I don’t know if this town is going to take it like they should or not. I hope they will. We also want to offer a cultural event to the community.

GLT: How many different facets of the community does FilmOut seek to represent?

KP: Absolutely, we try to be inclusive of everyone. [We have] two films from Germany, a film from Taiwan; we’ve got a short from Sweden. Spain always – we try to venture out and find a film from Spain. … India… But, yes, we have represented a broad spectrum of who our community is, from older people to younger people to Asians to Latinos. For the first year, we’ve got a black feature, The D.L. Chronicles, and Strange Fruit.

GLT: What can audiences expect from this year’s FilmOut?

KP: They can expect the best GLBT film festival this city has seen up to this point. One, being at the North Park Theatre, our opening night movie will be the first film shown in the new theater. Because most of the films are foreign, and we don’t have an airline sponsor, we won’t have a lot of talent here. There will be some people at the Boy Shorts program; there will be some people at the Girl Shorts program; and directors, producers and two leads from both Strange Fruit and The D.L. Chronicles – that’s our largest pool of talent this year.

Our association with the San Diego Latino Film Festival, the San Diego Asian Film Festival, Ebony Pride San Diego and the San Diego Women’s Film Foundation; they are working with us as co-presenters this year for the very first time. And our goal with that is to just broaden the audience and expose more people to quality queer-themed film and video. We can work together no matter who we are: being women, being Asian, being black, being Latino – whatever. I think we can all promote our mission through the arts.

Quincy LeNear and Deondray Gossett

The Gay & Lesbian Times spoke with The D.L. Chronicles writer/directors Quincy LeNear and Deondray Gossett about the down-low phenomenon and what could be changed about portrayals of African-Americans in gay films. The two have been partners for 10 years.

Gay & Lesbian Times: Tell us about your film.

Quincy LeNear: It is exploring the lives of men of color who lead double lives, also known as the down low, so to speak. We were inspired to create it after seeing an episode of “Oprah” that included author J.L. King. I guess he had written a book about exposing the life of the down low, or the life that he led, and exposing the lives of all of these men. So he was pretty much going around the nation, being viewed as this expert, so to speak, about this lifestyle. And it was completely blasphemous, as far as we were concerned, and very misleading. It helped, once again, [to] demonize gay and lesbian people, you know, or even people who were gay sexually but didn’t identify as gay – and both of us being African-American men, coming from the same community, knowing the homophobia that exists in our community, as well as the difficulties of even expressing your sexuality. We are very well familiar with these “down low men,” so we wanted to create a series that explored their lives because the situations are always different for every individual.

GLT: What aspect of African-American portrayals in gay films would you like to see change?

Deondray Gossett: Well, there hasn’t been too many [portrayals]. I don’t know if there’s anything to change because we haven’t had enough exposure as it is. I mean, there’s just not a lot out there. So, basically, some of the first, you talk about Noah’s Ark, you talk about Punks, The Ski Trip. I guess I wouldn’t change anything about those because they are – we don’t have enough material to even critique it yet. The thing I would change is to just do more black gay and lesbian films.

Eighteen’s director, Richard Bell, got his start in filmmaking in a most inauspicious way. When he was a lad in elementary school, he was put into a gifted-student program, and one of the benefits of that was access to the school’s video camera. His crowning achievement was a 12-minute opus about World War III, called 1999, starring his seventh-grade classmates. The film had special effects that D-movie director Ed Wood would have been proud to claim as his own, including a milk-carton city that burns to the ground. The film did appear at a local student film festival.

Now, 20-something years later, Bell is coming full circle. His first feature film, Eighteen, is getting its West Coast premiere at FilmOut – minus the burning of helpless dairy product containers.

Gay & Lesbian Times: Tell us about your film.

Richard Bell: Eighteen is about a street kid in modern day who inherits his grandfather’s Second World War memoirs on audiocassette. And that story is told by Ian McKellen, and it’s brought to life, and we actually go into the world of the Second World War. There are these two stories that are basically running a parallel course, and they compare and contrast between the two timelines. But mostly what we begin to understand is that Pip [the film’s main character] and his grandfather are living very similarly on the same path. Not necessarily – like, obviously, Pip isn’t in the horrors of the Second World War – but basically what they are dealing with as young human beings. They are on the same path. Pip’s grandfather’s stories basically give him the leverage that he needs to actually get out of his life and become a young man.

GLT: How did you manage to balance the comedic with the dramatic?

RB: Eighteen is a very, very dark human drama, and it’s provocative and it’s potentially controversial. It’s just very dark, and there are moments of cruelty in the film. … I set out to make a very compelling drama; I didn’t set out to make a tragedy. My goal when writing this was to make an emotional human epic, which is bristling dialogue, big emotion, tragic circumstances. But in writing a human story, I basically used myself, and I’m a pretty funny person. At times, I’m a light-hearted person, and I think that a lot of the humor in Eighteen isn’t like, you know, ha-ha slapstick or anything like that. I think the humor in Eighteen just springs from real moments.

Paul Lekakis got his first break in the entertainment field with the 1980s dance tune “Boom Boom Boom Let’s Go Back To My Room,” and appeared in a handful of movies, including 2001’s Circuit. Fast forward to 2006 and Lekakis is trying his hand at writing, directing and starring in the short film Don’t Tell, Don’t Ask. Any proceeds the film makes once it is released will benefit Project Angel Food.

Gay & Lesbian Times: Tell us about the film.

Paul Lekakis: It’s a message piece about HIV disclosure, and it’s starring me and Dan Ramsey from “The Real World.” And there’s a celebrity endorsement at the end from Harvey Fierstein, Bruce Vilanch and Margaret Cho. [The film] is about two guys who have a hookup, and one of them asks about the other’s status after the fact. It’s kind of like a screech in the whole process of, “Can I get your number?” kind of thing – the aftermath. It’s kind of like a crash, and then they end up going separate ways. And they’re kind of lingering with what just happened. It’s basically about trying to have a good night, and then ending up not having such a great night.

GLT: How difficult is it to get your point across in the timeframe of a short film?

PL: Artistically, you know, it could have been longer, and other people say it could be shorter [laughs]. I just really wanted to set up, to make it in real time basically as much as possible – what it’s like to go out, look for something, find it, have a good time and then have this thing happen. There were a couple of minutes there where I really wanted to leave the viewers with the bad feelings that both characters had; the remorse that they both had was important to me.

At first glance, Whole New Thing seems to be a controversial piece, wherein a 13-year-old boy develops a crush on his 42-year-old teacher, and sets out to seduce him. The Gay & Lesbian Times spoke with its director, Amnon Buchbinder, about the message of his film, which is being likened to Harold and Maude, and how fine the line is when dealing with dicey subject matter.

Gay & Lesbian Times: Tell us about Whole New Thing. Is there a specific message you’re trying to convey?

Amnon Buchbinder: I would hope that the film makes people think about the first time they were in love. I mean, the appeal for me of telling the story was kind of buried in the initial situation. Which was kind of described by my co-writer not as a story idea, but as just mentioning it as something that happened in his life, about having had a crush on a teacher at a very young age. And how I think he put it, if my teacher had said, “Let’s go out back,” I would have been there really fast. And, there was something about that that seemed to me to capture the general foolishness of any first love; not foolishness in a bad sense, but foolishness nevertheless. I just wanted to explore that, and maybe also to explore that in a story about a kid who tries to seduce his teacher. Find some positive things in the foolishness of it.

GLT: How fine a line is it when tackling controversial material to not sensationalize it?

AB: I don’t know if the danger was in sensationalizing it. Certainly people raise their eyebrows when they read the script. I remember one of the funders saying, “I hope you know what you’re doing.” But nobody who sees the movie seems to feel that. It’s really not an issue when people see the movie.

Adam & Steve

The film begins in 1987 at The Limelight in New York City. The hair is Aqua-Netted to perfection, Drakkar Noir is poured on, and the night is ripe for a one-night stand. That’s the intent when Adam (Craig Chester of Swoon, who also directs the film) meets Steve (Malcolm Gets of TV’s “Caroline in the City”). Alas, their date is a flame-out. But unbeknownst to the two, they will meet again nearly 20 years later and fall in love. A year into their courtship, it begins to dawn on the duo that they have indeed met before, which poses the problem of whether or not they can see past the past and align it with the present in order to have a happy future.

Parker Posey (who will next be seen in this summer’s Superman Returns and this fall’s For Your Consideration) is Rhonda, gal-pal extraordinaire and a formerly overweight stand-up comic who shoots off zingers like, “I’m sweating like Whitney Houston going through customs!” Chris Kattan (the artist formerly known as Mango on “Saturday Night Live”) plays Posey’s boyfriend, Steve.

Screens at 7:30 p.m.

Hitch Cock

A short film playing with Adam & Steve in which devoted wife Susan throws a dinner party to celebrate her wonderful and perfect life – yet things aren’t always what they seem.

Unveiled

The story of Fariba, an Iranian woman seeking asylum in Germany after her love for another woman in her homeland leads to persecution. She assumes the identity of a man and goes to work in a factory, where she attracts the attentions of a female worker, Anne. The two forge a kinship, growing so close that Anne begins to suspect Fariba’s true identity. To complicate matters further, the authorities discover Fariba’s whereabouts and order her back to Iran.

Unveiled is a deeply moving film, thanks in large part to its stars, Jasmin Tabatabai (Bandits) and Anneke Kim Sarnau (The Constant Gardener), and is sumptuously shot by director Angelina Maccarone.

This film from Germany is shown with English subtitles.

Screens at 7:00 p.m.

Guys and Balls

Also hailing from Germany, this film (which could fill seats with its title value alone) highlights the plight of underdog Ecki, who is thrown off his soccer team by homophobic team members. So, what’s a gay soccer lovin’ lad to do? Well, for starters, he enlists the help of his sister, a cantankerous ex-soccer star. Step two: start your own all-gay soccer team, naturally. Once Ecki accomplishes this task, it’s time for a smack-down in the form of a grudge match between his new team and his old team.

Guys and Balls is also shown with English subtitles.

Screens at 9:30 p.m.

Say Uncle

Peter Paige of “Queer As Folk” branches out into writing and directing for Say Uncle, as well as starring in it. Paige’s black dramedy centers around Paul, a gay artist who is dealing with his 2-year-old godson moving away and the unexpected emotional void that follows. He gets noticed by Kathy Najimy’s character, who sees Paul coming to a local playground alone and thinks he is up to no good.

Screens at 12:00 noon.

Beautiful Women

With its all-female cast, this very funny, tender, emotional and highly entertaining drama is “a film for women who like women and for men who love women.” Five independent actresses meet at an audition from hell and decide to make a spontaneous road trip together that lasts long into the night. Each woman suppresses a mystery that ultimately exposes them with raw emotion; be it laughter, jealousy, desire, anger or betrayal. This film testifies to be about the importance of friendship, honesty and female bonding, and has a fantastic soundtrack by Queen Bee.

Screens at 2:00 p.m. Co-presented by the San Diego Women Film Foundation.

Weeki Wachee Girls

Best friends Katie and Maura have dreamed of being part of the love mermaid show at Weeki Wachee Spring for as long as they can remember. Things change when Katie discovers Maura kissing another girl.

Screens with Beautiful Women.

Strange Fruit

Set against the backdrop of homophobia and racism in the Deep South, the film follows William Boyals, a gay African-American and successful attorney who investigates the lynching of his gay childhood friend.

Screens at 4:00 p.m. This film is co-presented by Ebony Pride and will be screened with The D.L. Chronicles.

The D.L. Chronicles

Quincy LeNear and Deondray Gossett explore the lives of men on the down low. Both men serve as writers/directors of this 12-part anthology/short film series (the first one, “Episode Wes,” is screening at FilmOut). “Episode Wes” introduces us to Wes Thomas, an upwardly-mobile real estate banker who is overwhelmed by the demands of his marriage, his career and his closeted attraction to men.

Eighteen

Pip (Paul Anthony) is a street kid who’s meeting life head-on in the big city. Along Pip’s path, he stumbles into an unlikely alliance with Clark (Clarence Sponagle), a gay street hustler on the make, and Jenny (Carly Pope), an aspiring social worker who tempts Pip with feelings of love and domesticity. Pip also forges a small but important relationship with a local priest (Alan Cumming), in whom he confides his deepest secret: the death of his brother and the heinous act his father committed against him the night he died. On his 18th birthday, Pip receives his grandfather’s (Brendan Fletcher, portrayed in voice by Ian McKellen) World War II memoirs on audiocassette, relating the story of the day he turned 18, fleeing German forces through the woods of France with a dying comrade (Mark Hildreth) hanging on for life. Eighteen is a heartfelt and cynical, emotional human epic laced with breezy dialogue and realistic, nuanced characters, and is packed with romance, hope, humor and sex.

Screens at 7:00 p.m.

20 Centimeters

The title 20 Centimeters refers to narcoleptic transsexual Marieta’s desire to rid herself of the aforementioned (roughly) eight inches that keeps her from being the glamour puss she longs to be. Filled with splashy musical numbers and a supporting character named Ice Box, this movie from Spain is sure to be one fun flick.

Screens at 9:00 p.m. Co-presented by the San Diego Latino Film Festival.

Kicks off at 12:00 noon.

Mercury in Retrograde

Betsy Brick (Lea DeLaria) is having a bad day. On the eve of her 40th birthday, the compulsive poker player crosses the point of no return – and all debts, both spiritual and earthly, demand payment.

Hi Maya

A tale of two older women who rekindle a youthful romance in a beauty parlor.

Granny Queer

Bursting with audacity, deliciously camp visuals and oddball characters, Granny is here, and she is queer.

Inclinations

A writer can’t seem to find the plot of her erotic short story. When a beautiful friend comes to visit, the characters in her story come alive.

Bikini

A young man borrows his mother’s bikini without her knowing and heads out to the beach.

Day One

A sexy magazine executive’s plans for the perfect first date are thrown into a tailspin when she wakes up with an unexpected friend.

Who’s the Top

From the director of the unforgettable Paris Is Burning comes a fantastical S/M musical comedy in which one writer finds her true self by determining who the bottom is. With Brigitte Bako and Steve Buscemi.

Begins at 4:00 p.m.

Oedipus N+1

Set in a terrifying future reminiscent of cult classics THX1138 and Gattaca, this is the story of a recently deceased young man who awakes in a hospital after his memory has been implanted in a clone of his body.

Styx

Mark works on a ferryboat. One night, his boyfriend Adrien drives aboard, only to tell Mark that he is leaving the lake forever.

Mormor’s Visit

Simon, a Swedish photographer living in New York’s Harlem, answers his doorbell one day to find his grandmother, his Mormor, standing at his doorstep.

Taco Chick and Salsa Girl

Join Taco Chick and Salsa Girl on their latest adventure! Neato Nazi Barbie has an evil diabolical plan to poison off the entire Mexican population in Los Angeles, and hypnotizes Salsa Girl to do the evil deed.

Don’t Tell, Don’t Ask

When is the proper time to disclose HIV status? Harvey Fierstein, Bruce Vilanch and Margaret Cho have a thing or two to say. With Paul Lekakis and Dan Renzi.

The Bridge

A gay couple from Georgia (formerly of the USSR) escape to Australia because of homophobia in their home country. They build a new life in Sydney while they await the response to their immigration applications.

The Journey

A sensitive and beautiful character-driven drama of forbidden love in which young Kiran falls in love with her lifelong best friend, the effervescent Delilah. Their idyllic Indian village tradition still dictates that a girl marry a boy chosen by her family. With longing in her heart, Kiran refrains from expressing her love. However, one day, her neighbor Rajan comes to Kiran asking her to help him compose love letters to Delilah. Thinking this will serve as an outlet for her own feelings, Kiran agrees and writes passionate, poetic love letters to Delilah in Rajan’s name. Delilah suspects that Rajan might not be the author, and soon discovers her friend’s secret.

Screens at 2:00 p.m. Co-presented by the San Diego Asian Film Foundation.

Formula 17

Tien is an innocent 17-year-old who goes to the big city of Taipei for a summer of love and adventure. While in a club on his very first night in the city, he locks eyes with the irresistible and irredeemable Bai, rumored as being the biggest playboy known to mankind. As the summer progresses, fate brings Tien and Bai together again and again. Their love story is intertwined with various comic interludes involving Tien’s newfound friends, a trio of outrageous queens who insist on making a melodrama out of the tiniest crisis. Unbeknownst to Tien, Bai has a secret that changes everything for the young lovers.

Screens at 6:00 p.m. Co-presented by the San Diego Asian Film Foundation.

Whole New Thing

Thirteen-year-old Emerson Thorsen (Aaron Webber) lives with his parents in their eco-home in the wilds of Nova Scotia. Emerson just had his first wet dream and completed writing and illustrating his first book – all 1,000 pages – by hand. However, the home-schooled youth can barely add two plus two, so his mother enrolls him in the local junior high. There, Emerson’s intelligence and androgynous looks confound his classmates and capture the attention of his English teacher, Don Grant (Daniel Maclvor). At 42, the solitary Don has settled into a life of perpetual adolescence, paying regular visits to a park restroom for anonymous sex. Emerson, initially scornful of his teacher, soon develops his first crush on Don. The precociously confident boy, raised in a household of casual nudity and sexual openness, throws himself into this awakening of his heart with dangerous abandon.

Screens at 8:00 p.m.

Ryan’s Life

What if there was a test that could determine if you were gay or straight? (Isn’t that when you decide you’d rather play with Barbie than G.I. Joe, or vice versa?) That’s the premise of Ryan’s Life, a hilarious and touching comedy.

Screens with Whole New Thing.

FilmOut continues to show that the wide berth of subject matter inherent in these films really reflects the depths of storytelling in the GLBT community. There truly is something for everyone. And the box that “other audiences” try to place us in just keeps expanding. Labels that were once marked “handle with care” no longer seem to adhere.

For the full rundown on FilmOut, visit www.filmoutsandiego.com.