Salt Lake City's "Damn These Heels: LGBT Film Festival" Features a Strong, Inclusive Lineup

CineGLAAD , a program of GLAAD that amplifies the voices of filmmakers who highlight the LGBT experience is heading to Salt Lake City for its 7th annual LGBT film festival. "Damn: These Heels: LGBT Film Festival" is presented by the Salt Lake City Film Center

and the Salt Lake Film Society, begins this Thursday, June 10th at 7:00pm. CineGLAAD is spreading the word of this important festival which features 16 unreleased and world premiere films and four shorts that highlight LGBT stories. The festival includes an opening night screening of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, followed by a gala celebration, as well as screenings of 8: The Mormon Proposition and Howl.

The film festival screenings take place at:
Salt Lake Society’s Tower Theatre
876 East 900 South
Salt Lake City, UT 84105

For those who are interested in attending the festival which celebrates LGBT stories, tickets can be purchased at the box office or at the film festival’s website . For LGBT film buffs, the GRIZZLY VIP pass is a must-buy, but quantities are limited! Bring a date, because with the purchase of one GRIZZLY VIP pass, buyers will get another pass free! Tickets can be purchased here or by calling 801.746.7000. The GRIZZLY VIP pass is $50 and the perks include an all-access to Opening Night Celebrations and the Gala following the screening of Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, as well as guaranteed seating in the screenings of LGBT must-sees, 8: The Mormon Proposition and Howl.

Among the highlights of the festival are:

Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (84 min.)
Screening: Thursday, June 10 at 7:00 pm
Directed by Ricki Stern and Anne Sundberg, A Piece of Work follows the life and career of comedienne Joan Rivers as she celebrates her 75th birthday. The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival, and was also screened at the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival.

Among the featured screenings is 8: The Mormon Proposition.

8: The Mormon Proposition (80 min.)
Screening: Friday, June 11 at 7:30 pm
Directed by Reed Cowan, 8: The Mormon Proposition documents the battle for marriage equality waged between thousands of LGBT Americans and the Mormon Church’s group, The National Organization for Marriage. This group has been coordinating, financing, and leading the efforts to halt marriage equality for over 30 years. The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film festival and is scheduled to screen at the 2010 FRAMELINE Film Festival .

Howl (90 min)
Screening: Saturday, June 12 at 7:00 pm
Directed by famed LGBT filmmakers Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman, Howl is centered around the obscenity trial of gay poet Allen Ginsberg (James Franco) that he faced after the publication of his poem, Howl. The film recounts the event by interweaving the story of Ginsberg’s tumultuous life, the reaction of society, and outlandish animation that illustrates the originality of the poem under fire. The film premiered at the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and will be screening at the 2010 FRAMELINE Film Festival and Outfest.

Purchase your tickets today to support “Damn These Heels” and enjoy the LGBT-inclusive lineup! To learn more about these films and others in this year’s lineup, go to http://www.damntheseheels.org/

CineGLAAD celebrates and elevates the voices of filmmakers whose unique stories feature the visibility and inclusion of the LGBT community. To learn more about cineGLAAD, visit http://www.glaad.org/cineGLAAD.