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'Pink dollars' fund filmfest

By RICK BELL -- Calgary Sun

June 16, 2000

The fairies are coming and there's not a hell of a lot you can do or say about it. After all, they're not spending your money. Pink dollars are paying the freight.

Yes, the fairies are coming.

That's what it says at the top of the press release for Fairy Tales 2000, the Queer Film/Video Festival continuing today downtown at the Uptown Screen, part of Pride Week partying in this city.

There will be many films shown.

Straight Down the Aisle: Confessions of Lesbian Bridesmaids is a fave.

There's also a flick about "two girls getting nasty."

I cannot print the title in this family newspaper.

An eight-minute piece has two couples, one gay and one lesbian, teaming up to have the baby.

The procreators are made of Lego.

You can see "clips of evil queens and witches play off the lesbo-erotic subtext commonly found in children's entertainment."

Or see Dirty Baby Does Fire Island.

Or something on Sexually Repressed Shedding Disorder.

Or "grown men shuffling up an electrical charge on an acrylic carpet."

Say what?

Or ... I know, I know.

Usually, and predictably at this point, the blood would boil, the political pulse would quicken and there would be fulminating forays into condemnation.

How dare these so-and-sos take OUR hard-earned dough and squander it on THEIR salacious celluloid?

What is this government coming to?

We're not talking censorship, we're talking my money.

I myself have said these very things about all kinds of silly slurping from the taxpayer trough.

Particularly in these days of the tight wallet.

But not this time, friend.

You see, the Queer Film/Video Festival (yes, you were so busy slamming petroleum protesters you didn't even notice) is not taking taxpayer money.

It wasn't that they couldn't get any scratch from artsy cheque-signers.

They just decided not to go for the government green.

Kevin Allen is with the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers, who are presenting the self-proclaimed fairy filmfest.

"They don't want to be accused of perverting public money.

"When the organizing committee was setting up the festival to show queer content film, the mandate was NOT to go for festival grants," says Kevin.

"They didn't want to deal with the right-wing whining of the vocal minority.

"The organizers want to be superior to that.

"They don't want controversy. They just want to create a space to show films reflecting gay reality.

"So we're going on. People who object can go and ..."

Bite your tongue.

"This is a completely private-funded event with money from sponsors and ticket sales, run with the help of substantial pink dollars, gay corporate money.

"There is a pretty affluent gay private sector in this city.

"If anybody doesn't like it, they don't have to go to the films.

"We have a lot of freedoms in Canada -- freedom of expression, freedom of association. This is going to a specific community.

"It's for them."

Ald. Jon Lord, also of Casablanca Video, agrees.

Casablanca Video is a proud sponsor of the event.

"I think it's good," says Ald. Lord, who will run as Ralph's buddy in the next provincial vote.

"They're not running to the government with their hands out. If they're paying for it, what's wrong with that?"

Yes, the lesson is learned.

He who pays the piper, calls the tune.

Even if the tune is played by someone or something called Dirty Baby.

The Dinger can be reached at (403) 250-4305 or by e-mail at