Douglas Crimp in person — special time: 7:00pm

When the ever-influential writer and theorist Douglas Crimp first published an essay called Mourning and Militancy in 1989, he set off a bomb in both the art and AIDS activism worlds in which he was deeply entrenched. In conjunction with the monumental “ACT UP New York” show opening at the artists’ space White Columns, Queer/Art/Film is excited to have Crimp as this month’s guest artist, presenting a highly personal selection of activist videos that have meant the most to him, including Fast Trip, Long Drop by Gregg Bordowitz, and works by Matt Ebert, Ryan Landry, Maria Maggenti, and Jean Carlomusto, many of whom will be with us for tonight’s screening!

Genesis P-Orridge in person!

Starring the ever-charismatic Malcolm McDowell, this still-shocking social satire of fascistic British mores and ritualized boarding school torture holds special meaning for this evening’s presenter Genesis P-Orridge, the pandrogynous founder of the anarchistic industrial bands Throbbing Gristle and Psychic TV. Raised in the UK, Genesis underwent years of hellish bullying at a British private school he/rself, noting that the film “is not nearly as vicious and appallingly sick psychologically as it really was for me.” You won’t want to miss an evening that’s guaranteed to be both highly personal, and eruptive.

James Bidgood in person!

A wild and thrilling tale involving genies, flying horses, beautiful princesses, and dastardly villains, THE THIEF OF BAGDAD’s incredible colors and fantastical innovations made a huge impression on the iconic photographer James Bidgood, director of the legendary erotic underground film Pink Narcissus. During the ’60s and ’70s, Bidgood built elaborate and fantastic sets in his apartment, painted stunning male models in bright hues of pink, blue, and green, and then snapped countless homoerotic pictures, influencing later photographers like Pierre et Gilles and David LaChappelle. At 77, Bidgood remains as much of a treasure as THE THIEF OF BAGDAD, and we’re thrilled to welcome him for a very special evening of Queer/Art/Film.

Pamela Sneed in person!

“Women are made, not born,” said Simone de Beauvoir. And Agnes Varda sets out to prove it in this unabashed paean to female solidarity. The genesis of this goodhearted story about the intimate friendship between two very different women came straight out of Varda’s experience traveling in the US, and witnessing the birth of Women’s Lib at the end of the 1960s. Powerhouse poet and performance artist Pamela Sneed brings us this rare screening of Varda’s vibrant, colorful film. A contrast in feminist style that’s not to be missed!

From award winning director Santosh Sivan, TAHAAN is a stunningly shot, fable-like story set in scenic but strife-ridden Kashmir. The conflict is used as backdrop for the story of an eight-year-old boy, Tahaan, who tries to gain back his beloved pet donkey that has been sold to pay the family debt.

With his father missing in action for three years, Tahaan lives with his older sister, his loving, parable telling grandfather, and mute mother, but is left more or less on his own to wander village and countryside, navigate border checkpoints, and negotiate with merchants and money lenders in an effort to regain his lost pet.

More than a war movie, this is a film about striving, finding life-purpose and, finally, of right and wrong — as Tahaan is recruited by a young militant to throw a grenade into an army compound, building up to a heart-thumping (but thankfully non-tragic) final scene. Like Sivan’s earlier films, TAHAAN is told with warmth, humor and simple honesty, while gorgeous cinematography offers breathtaking views of Kashmir’s snow-covered mountain passes and shimmering lakes, and a recurring encounter with a group of mystic Sufi singers provides a compellingly exotic musical bed.

For ages 3 to 8, Kid Flix Mix is an upbeat, eye-opening, and highly entertaining mix of animated and musical shorts from around the world. Lineup features audience favorites from the past two festivals including Lost and Found, Hedgehug, Aston’s Stones, Mermaid, Booo, and more.

Presented by Sasha Grey,  the adult film star who headlined Soderbergh’s The Girlfriend Experience.

Sasha Grey in person Fri 9/10 at midnight, along with stars Danny Trejo (Robert Rodriguez’s upcoming Machete) and Mark Borchardt (American Movie), Randy Russell and Michael Sottile, and director Frankie Latina!

Grey, Borchardt, Latina, Russell, and Sottile in person Sat 9/11 at midnight!

Midnight shows on sale now — additional shows on sale Monday, 9/6 at 6:00pm.

Two briefcases with mysterious contents are stolen from top Presidential candidate Squire Parks, setting off a deadly series of double-crosses and betrayals. Desperate warring factions of subterranean organizations will stop at nothing to gain possession of the sensitive material. A covert branch of the CIA calls on notorious black ops agent Stanley Cashay, who has been barely existing in a semi-comatose twilight since the murder of his wife. Cashay is offered the identity of his wife’s killer in exchange for locating and returning the cases. Agent Cashay uses the most dangerous weapons at his command, the telephone and his reputation, to unleash a bizarre assortment of operatives, including the deliciously sleazy Casey Thunderbird and exotic Tokyo-based special agent Black Licorice. Along with scores of other beguiling rogues, they initiate a horrifying chain of events, including ruthless torture and brutal killings. When Cashay is finally in possession of the stolen materials, the contents of the briefcases shock even him, and he makes a decision that will change the course of history. Cashay then sets the wheels in motion for bitter revenge and harsh justice, but not before the entire operation is nearly derailed as merciless underworld forces fight back. The final chapters play out as an increasingly surreal vision of modern reality, skirting the edge of sanity and culminating with the wrath of the powerful Director Holiday, a man who would put the fear of God into God Himself.

A concerned mother turned filmmaker aims her camera at the high-stakes, high-pressure culture that has invaded our schools and our children’s lives. RACE TO NOWHERE points to the silent epidemic in our schools: cheating has become commonplace; students are disengaged; stress-related illness and depression are rampant; and many young people arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired. Race to Nowhere is a call to action for families, educators, and policy makers to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.

CHANGE OF PLANS is a delicious comedy of manners from acclaimed Oscar- and César-nominated writer/director Danièle Thompson (Avenue Montaigne). The film centers around a summer dinner party where ten acquaintances, each attempting to mask their own personal troubles, come together for an evening of food, wine and friendship. It’s not long before the couples begin revealing their dissatisfaction with their partners and it becomes obvious that they are planning or having affairs. The all-star ensemble cast includes Dany Boon (Micmacs), Emanuelle Seigner (The Diving Bell and the Butterfly), Karin Viard (Paris), and Marina Hands (Lady Chatterley).

Q&A with director Joshua Seftel; co-presented by Docurama

A thrillingly provocative, modern-day David vs. Goliath battle set in the amphitheater of American politics, P.O.V. presents TAKING ON THE KENNEDYS, a sharply witty and brilliantly concise peek into the “brutal circus” of contemporary political warfare.

In 1994, practicing physician Kevin Vigilante, a Rhode Island Republican who has never held office, challenged Democratic favorite son Patrick Kennedy for a U.S. House seat representing the fifth most Democratic District in the nation – and nearly won. With a record long on public service but short on political experience, Vigilante found himself front and center in a controversial game of distorted television imagery and sound-byte rhetoric, where even an idealistic candidate is forced to sling a little mud in order to stay in the race.

With unrestricted access to the candidates as they plot strategies, court voters, attend fundraisers, debate and vie for media attention, filmmaker Joshua Seftel presents a hard-hitting deconstruction of political campaigns and powerful dynasties, featuring appearances by Caroline Kennedy, Senator Ted Kennedy, John F. Kennedy Jr., and other powerhouse political figures.