We bid a fond farewell to another year of fabulous films, phenomenal parties, and 12 days packed with great gay and lesbian cinema, and we congratulate those films deemed by our juries and audiences to be the best of the best!

Jury Award for Best Feature: Patrik 1,5

Jury Award for Best Documentary: Off and Running

Jury Award for First Time Director: Nancy Kassim, Drool

Jury Award for Best Short Film: Awakening

Audience Award for Best Feature: Hannah Free

Audience Award for Best Documentary: Pop Star on Ice

Audience Award for Best Short Film: Looking For…

Out In Philly – Season 3 • 7:00pm • Ritz East 1
Local Shorts Program • filmmakers in attendance • 79 mins
Out in the Silence • 7:15pm • Ritz East 2
Filmmakers in attendance • Includes two shorts: The Island and Revelations • 69 mins
Make the Yuletide Gay • 9:15pm • Ritz East 1
Does not include short film The Window • 93 mins
Shank • 9:30pm • Ritz East 2
89 mins

The last 11 days have been a whirlwind! But it’s not time to relax just yet – we have a full schedule of screenings tonight including our Closing Night Awards Ceremony, the screening of The Big Gay Musical and our Closing Night bash on the 33rd floor of the Loews Hotel!

Being a PCA Member really has it’s perks! The Alliance Members Reception held at City Tavern was a real feast and an outdoor summer treat.

We were only rained out of one Outdoor Screening at Jamaican Jerk Hut the other 3 showings had great weather, fun energy & delicious eats.

H.P. Mendoza was humbled at receiving The Rising Star Award which he wholeheartedly deserved as writer, composer and director of “Fruit Fly”.

H.P.’s night got even better as judge for Queer Idol Karaoke held at Knock. The winner, dubbed by hostess Needles Jones, as “The White Dyke”, blew us away with her rendition of “Rolling on the River”.

The Our Little Sisters Turns 13 party to celebrate Sisters Night Club’s 13th Anniversary, really got going around midnight. Good thing it wasn’t a school night!

A BIG “Thank You” to DIVE / Shooters and our outstanding panelists for Out and Proud AND in the Film Industry.

The Philadelphia Cinema Alliance, in conjunction with Equality Forum, created the Barbara Gittings Award to honor her life’s work, by acknowledging an out member of the arts, sports or politics. This year’s recipient, director Dee Mosbacher received the honor for her film “Training Rules”, which exposes the devastating emotional impact that homophobia has on all women athletes.

Thank you to Stir and Smirnoff Vodka for sponsoring our Training Bar Party.

Sharon Gless was candid, funny, and lovely in her acceptance of her Gay Icon Award. She acknowledged the Gay and Lesbian Community for supporting her career for so many years and said her role as Hanna Free in “Hanna Free” was the most touching and identifiable of her career (with Chris Cagney being a close second).

A huge “Thank You” to Bochetto & Lentz, PC for sponsoring The VIP Sharon Gless Reception. We had a wonderful turnout at an excellent space!

How could QFest’s exclusive sneak peek screening of the third Eating Out possibly get any better?
With Mink Stole live and in person! The gay icon, who reprises her role as Aunt Helen, will join us for the surprise screening at 7pm on Sunday 19 July at the Prince Music Theater. Tickets are on sale now!.

2:00pm – 3:30pm • Saturday 18 July
DIVE / Shooters in The Curtis Center, 7th & Walnut Sts., 10th Floor
FREE Admission • All Ages and Sexual Orientations Welcome
Featuring four incredibly talented filmmakers:
• H.P. Mendoza, a San Francisco-based director, screenwriter, actor, and composer. Mendoza’s musical Colma was a hit of PIGLFF 2006 and he returns this year with his directorial debut Fruit Fly as well as the QFest 09 Rising Star Honoree.
• Derek Curl, a NY/Philly-based TLA executive and producer of Another Gay Sequel (PIGLFF 2008), Plague Town (PFF 2008), and Houseboy (PIGLFF 2007).
• Faith Trimel, (invited) an LA-based actor, writer, producer, and director of the PIGLFF 2004 favorite Black Aura on an Angel and QFest 09’s “Family”.
• Maurice Jamal, an LA-based writer, producer, actor and director of The Ski Trip, Dirty Laundry, and Friends & Lovers: Ski Trip 2, which is showing at QFest 09.
• Moderated by Thom Cardwell PCA Development Director, who has been with QFest since its inception and has studied and worked in and around film for many years.

We were just dying to show this kooky cult classic but alas, Mother Nature decided it was not be.

Your summer will get a whole lot hotter when QFest serves up this spicy Latin dish! The perfect accompaniment to Spain’s hot web-soap about a group of gorgeous Latinas, Chica Busca Chica, is the sizzling hot star Celia Freijeiro and debut director Sonia Sebastian! The pair will be on hand at both screenings: Part 1: Wednesday 15 July and Part 2: Thursday 16 July both at 7:15 pm in the Ritz East 2. Buy both screenings for $16 and save $5!

Our friends at PhillyGayCalendar came to our Opening Night bash. See what Festivalgoers rank as their favorite gay movie of all time .

It’s hard to believe we squeezed this much gaiety into just 4 days!
But don’t go anywhere – there are 8 more days full of film and fun coming at you!

Opening Night kicked off early with an exclusive VIP reception for Chad Allen at the stunning Rittenhouse Square apartment of Host Committee Gold Members Jay Arnold and Bruce Campbell. The lovely and talented Courtney Custer hosted pre-screening festivities that featured Mayor Nutter’s hilarious and enthusiastic presentation of the city proclamation to QFest and the adorable Chad Allen’s gracious acceptance of this year’s Artistic Achievement Award. A Q&A with first time director Jason Bushman, producer Charlie Wurmfeld, and stars Eric Debets and Chad Allen followed the screening of Hollywood, je t’aime.

Skating sensation Johnny Weir dazzled the audience with his thoughtful remarks and his stunning sequined top after the Saturday screening of Pop Star on Ice, the behind-the-scenes documentary of his life. Johnny and his fans retired to Varga Bar for a bite and a beverage.

Local filmmakers had a busy weekend starting with an LGBT scriptwriting panel discussion at DIVE/Shooters on Saturday (A BIG thank you to our outstanding panelists!) Sunday the Ritz East was filled to capacity for the third installment of Out in Philly, a program of locally-made shorts. Filmmakers and friends headed to DIVE again for an ice cream social featuring products from our generous sponsors Whole Foods, Smart Water, and Vitamin Water.

The nights were no less busy – Festivalgoers filled Tavern on Camac on Friday and Saturday night was alive at Marathon Grill – with “Grrrl Watch”ing!

If you made it to Sunday morning, the Doris Day Brunch at Q BBQ in Old City was the place to be for delicious food and delightful entertainment hosted by the charming Courtney Custer. Doris lovers got their fill with her favorite peach angel food cake and a double-feature of the engrossing new documentary of her life, and the classic Pillow Talk.

Whew!
And that’s just the beginning! There are 8 more days packed with films and events coming at you including Outdoor Screenings Queer Karaoke Sharon Gless another panel and of course our Closing Night film, Awards, and Party! See you at movies – and a whole lot more!

Want to relive Artistic Achievement Award honoree Chad Allen’s touching acceptance speech?
Missed Mayor Michael Nutter stealing the show (again) on Opening Night?
Don’t remember who you kissed at Opening Night Party in Hamilton Hall?
Don’t worry! Thanks to our buddies at StreetTalkin’ and our phenomenal Festival photographer, you can recapture all those memories and much much more through videos and photos.

DIVE / Shooters in The Curtis Center, 7th & Walnut Sts., 10th Floor
FREE Admission • All Ages and Sexual Orientations Welcome
Featuring four incredibly talented filmmakers:
• Katrina Deaton, a Philly-based actress, writer, director (Underneath, PIGLFF 2007) and co-founder of Renaissance LIFE, a haven for at-risk youth to transfer their negative energy into creative expression through art.
• Robert Gaston, a Philly/LA-based director, writer, producer. Gaston’s 2 Minutes Later, starring Philly native Jessica Graham, was a highlight of PFF and PIGLFF in 2007.
• Rob Williams, a prolific LA-based director, writer, and producer has made a feature each of the last 4 years, including PIGLFF 2008’s 3-Day Weekend and this year’s Make the Yuletide Gay.
• Moderated by Kelly Burkhardt whose premiere short Tremble & Spark debuts at QFest this year!

Champion figure skater Johnny Weir will get a chance to watch himself in action - at the Saturday, July 11 screening of Pop Star on Ice, a new documentary that follows his life and his career. The skating sensation will be on hand for questions and autographs following the film.
Then join us for a cocktail and complimentary hors d’oeuvres at Varga Bar, the gayborhood’s hot new hangout at 10th & Spruce.

Follow @QFest and other Tweeters tonight live during our Opening Night Tweet-Up. We will be live tweeting before the movie starts! Use hashtag #pqf09 and follow us on Twitter too!

In Eating Out 3 the deception and partner juggling of the prior two films continues, as bombastic Tiffani and her friend Casey try to lure the gorgeous Zack with a phony online profile using the image of Tiffani's buff ex, Ryan... which works fine until the real Ryan shows up!

Start your Doris day with a delicious brunch at Q BBQ that includes Doris’s own Peach Angel Food Cake, a Q specialty Bloody Maria, and a full day of Doris and Rock. See the full menu.

• Opening and Closing Night Parties Combo

We’re releasing a limited number of tickets for Opening and Closing Night Parties - buy them separately Opening $45 / Closing $35 or buy them both $75 and save $5!

• Back by Popular Demand: The Unlimited VIP Badge

Mix and mingle with stars and other VIPs, giving you the maximum (Festival) pleasure – and save over $300! Includes priority admission to screenings and parties, plus Private Receptions for Chad Allen and Sharon Gless and the Doris Day Brunch. Buy now! $340 / $315 for Members.

• Discounted Add-Ons for All-Access Badge Holders

Badge holders can purchase tickets for the VIP Receptions or the Doris Day Brunch at Member prices!
Buy Doris Day Brunch, VIP Receptions for Chad Allen or Sharon Gless.

• All-Access Badges Are Still Available

A limited number of All-Access Badges are still available, and we’ve even lowered the price this year as our 15th anniversary gift to you! The All-Access Badge gives you priority access to ALL films as well as parties and public events, including Opening and Closing Night festivities. Buy now! $260  / $235 for Members.

Representatives from the media, Alliance Members, and other special guests enjoyed a kickoff cocktail party for QFest 09 at the new Calderwood2 mid-century gallery, where they enjoyed a buffet from Qdoba and cocktails from Smirnoff. See all the coverage on StreetTalkin.com.

Look for program guides at TLA video stores, Whole Foods Markets, Ritz Theaters, around the gayborhood and across the city starting Friday, June 19. Or download the 2009 Program Guide now!

QFest programmers will be on hand to discuss this year’s exciting lineup and to respond to audience questions and comments. This event is free and open to the public.