NewFest Gay Film Festival

Film lovers visiting the Big Apple will have no shortage of entertainment June 3 through 13, with the premiere of NewFest 2010. Now in its 22nd fabulous year, NewFest is known throughout the community as the go-to film festival for LGBT programming. GayCities has a preview of the festival's highlights: Opening night features The Undertow (Thursday, June 3, 8PM), an unusual ghost story set on the Peruvian seaside, as a married fisherman struggles to reconcile his devotion to his male lover within his town's rigid traditions. Next comes From Beginning to End (Friday, June 4, 9PM; Sunday, June 6, 10:30PM) , a film already emerging as one of NewFest's most anticipated: the tale of two brothers whose relationship is so unusually close as children that it develops into a romantic one as they grow older. Director Aluisio Abranches says his sole intention is to show a love story, "regardless of conditions." Considerably lighter fare highlights NewFest as its 2010 centerpiece. Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (Wednesday, June 9, 8PM) exposes the private dramas of the irreverent, legendary performer as she fights tooth and nail to remain the queen of comedy. Shot as a 'cinema verite'-style documentary, the film reveals a rare glimpse into her comedic process and the toxic mixture of self-doubt and anger that often fuels it. Are you one of those guys for whom romance always turns out to be, well, more than a little bit hairy? Bear City (Friday, June 11, 8PM) is "Sex and the City" meets the NYC bear scene... following a tight-knit pack of friends' conquests, comical mishaps and sweet-yet-lusty romantic encounters. Be sure to buy an extra ticket for your husbear or significant otter. Complementing this torrent of testosterone is Cheryle Dunye's The Owls (Sunday, June 6, 8PM). Dunye calls it her "funny, mysterious and humane generational anthem starring some of the most popular underground artists in Lesbian Cinema." Fans of documentary filmmaking won't want to miss Topp Twins: Untouchable Girls (Thursday, June 10, 7:30PM; Sunday, June 13, 7:30PM) , a profile of the world's only comedic, singing, dancing, lesbian twin sisters. Fun, disarming and musically provocative, the Topp Twins are New Zealand's finest lesbian country and western singers and the country's greatest export since rack of lamb and the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy. These gals must be seen to be believed. NewFest 2010s film guide goes live May 15 at www.newfest.org, with tickets on sale beginning May 17. All movies will be screened at the festivals home in the heart of Chelsea, the School of Visual Arts