The North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (NLGLFF) is pleased to announce that acclaimed comedian, actress, author and singer-songwriter, Margaret Cho, will be this year’s guest celebrity performing her non-conformist brand of comedy at a one-night show, Saturday, September 8, 2012, at the Municipal Auditorium in Shreveport.  Tickets go on sale Friday, April 6 and are $36.25 for reserved seating on the floor and orchestra, or $31.15 general admission for balcony seating.  Tickets are available online at ticketmaster.com, charge by phone 800-745-3000, the CenturyLink Center in Bossier City, local Wal-Mart locations, and the day of the show at the Shreveport Municipal Auditorium.

Margaret Cho is a Korean-American comedian best known for her stand-up routines through which she addresses social and political issues, especially those pertaining to race and sexuality.  Cho has especially endeared herself to LGBT audiences for her stands on homophobia, school bullying and anti-gay politics, and has received awards for her humanitarian efforts on behalf of women, Asians and the LGBT communities.

In addition to her comedy routines, Cho’s illustrious career spans nearly 20 years including the ABC sitcom, All American Girl; the 1999 one-woman Broadway Show, I’m The One That I Want, which resulted in a best-selling book and film of the same name; a stint on season 11 of Dancing with the Stars; and currently a starring role on the Lifetime series, Drop Dead Diva.

The Fourth Annual North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is presented by P.A.C.E. (People Acting for Change & Equality) and will be held September 7 – 13, 2012, at the Robinson Film Festival in Downtown Shreveport.  The festival will feature nationally acclaimed movies, short-films and documentaries geared at bringing awareness to the social and political issues facing the LGBT communities today.  The festival will also feature an opening night event on Friday, September 7.  For more information on NLGLFF, P.A.C.E. and Margaret Cho’s appearance, please visit www.nlglff.org or contact Film Festival Chairman, Pamela Brown, at 318-564-7170.

Margaret Cho tickets, via ticketmaster.com

4^th ANNUAL NLGLFF SPONSORSHIP INFORMATION:

P.A.C.E.’s 4^th Annual North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is soon approaching.  There are several ways to sponsor this event with benefits for each and every level.

Please contact Pamela Brown, our Sponsorship Chair, for further information by email at thaipamela@yahoo.com

TITLE SPONSOR                     $10,000

PLATINUM STAR                    $5,000

GOLD STAR                               $2,500

SILVER STAR                            $1,000

RISING STAR                             $500

SPARKLER                                  $100

VIEW/DOWNLOAD SPONSORSHIP PACKAGE

___________________________________________________________________________

2011 Sponsors:

PLATINUM SPONSORS:

Shannon Palmer

GOLD STAR SPONSORS:

Friend of PACE

Nick Norwood

2011 SILVER STAR SPONSORS:

Chemistry Hair Salon

CityLife Magazine

Linda Goldsberry

Gregory & Heidi Kallenberg

Jeffrey & Sandi Kallenberg

The Korner Lounge

The Reverend Kenneth & Virginia Paul

Young Blooms Floral Design

2011 RISING STAR SPONSORS:

ACLU of Louisiana

All Souls Unitarian Universalist Church

Another Friend of P.A.C.E.

AVIS of North Louisiana

Waynette Ballengee

Billy Boughton

Dr. and Mrs. James D. Boyd

Broadmoor Florist

Donna Burrell & Jane Eggerstedt

Adrienne & Bobby Critcher

Forum For Equality

David W. Hylan Jr.

Jim Ingold

Laurie Lyons and Henry Walker

Sam Medica and Andrew Twyman

minicine?

The Philadelphia Center

Pink Party, Inc.

Shreveport Church of Hope

2011 SPARKLER SPONSORS:

Tom Ayres & Robert Manriquez

Baylor Boyd & Daryl Tuminello

Pamela Brown

Brad Campbell

Tom Campbell

CCP Productions, LLC

Robert Darrow

Ed Finuf

Steven Galbraith

Randy George & Marshall Shaw

David Henington & Dominic Salinas

Mark Hermosillo & Steve Ross

Raymond F. Long

Clay & Meredith Nelson

Sean O’Con and Bill Whitehurst

James Osborne

Outreach at Centenary College of Louisiana

Ray Pliler

Tacomania Cantina

Clay & Sherry Walker

Angie White

for gay couples, a small group of people gathered around the conference table of local civil rights attorneys

and committed to forming a local gay advocacy organization in very conservative northwest Louisiana. This

diverse group of people was brought together by the statewide Forum for Equality and included a longtime

AIDS activist, the Executive Director of a very successful local nonprofit organization, a local college

administrator, an attorney, and the mother of an openly gay college student who had recently

found out that “they” were now “us”. These people, much to the surprise of northwest Louisiana and

even themselves, were about to become very effective advocates for the LGBT community.

2005 was spent building our organization, and we entered 2006 with formal bylaws and dues.

The mission statement of PACE, “People Acting for Change and Equality,” is: “We are a nonpartisan organization that works to advance equality in Northwest Louisiana so that the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community can lead open, honest, responsible, and safe lives at home and in the workplace.”

PACE believes that creating an environment where gay people can thrive is vital not only for gay people and their families, but for our community at large. The research of public policy expert Richard Florida has shown that cities that thrive economically are the ones that are able to attract the “creative class” which includes high-talent and technologically-skilled workers who come together and leverage and enhance each other’s productivity. Florida found that cities that are able to attract and retain the creative class are ones that not only tolerate but embrace a high level of diversity, and in particular are especially welcoming to gays and lesbians. In 2000, Shreveport ranked 63rd of America’s 63 comparably sized cities in their ability to attract the creative class. So the work of PACE is critical not only to improving the lives of the LGBT community but also to the economic success of this region.

PACE has engaged in many projects from explicitly policy-driven ones like conducting Shreveport mayoral forums before elections and lobbying legislators on gay-related legislation to ones seemingly unrelated to public policy like our biggest public event, our gay & lesbian film festival. However, all our events are tied directly or indirectly to creating an environment of equality and safety for the LGBT community. We use events like our film festival, a form of entertainment, as a vehicle to educate a city of potential allies (and foes) that LGBT people exist, live lives of meaning, accomplishment, faith and family like everyone else, but who also face some very difficult challenges and senseless discrimination that others do not face. Our film festival was the catalyst for securing nondiscrimination job protections for City of Shreveport public employees, and having the film festival featured on the cover of our newspaper’s Friday Preview section all three years has given us wonderful PR that we couldn’t have gotten any other way. Our mayor (a Democrat) has always attended our opening night reception, and this year, the President of the Shreveport City Council (a Republican) and his wife attended our reception. There were many straight allies at our reception as our celebrity guest this year noted. We got wonderful coverage in pictures and text in the local newspaper’s society column. PACE has moved the LGBT community from “other” to a very visible, highly-respected part of the northwest Louisiana community that plays an active role in its cultural, economic, and civic life.

Some representative activities and accomplishments include:• First Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, Robinson Film Center (RFC), Sept., 2009, with celebrity guest Leslie Jordan; 2nd film festival, Sept., 2010, with John Waters; 3rd film festival, Sept., 2011, with Bruce Vilanch; PACE and generous sponsors pay for all expenses.

• After working with Mayor Cedric Glover’s office for two years on an employment nondiscrimination executive order (ENDA) covering sexual orientation and gender identity for City of Shreveport workers, it was finally issued after a Shreveport city councilman’s punitive actions against the Robinson Film Center (RFC) for allowing our film festival to be held there. This provoked a strong response from PACE, the RFC, and the local burgeoning film industry, and within days, on Dec. 17, 2009, the mayor issued the ENDA adding sexual orientation, gender identity and disability to the City of Shreveport’s employment nondiscrimination policies. Shreveport City Council followed with a matching resolution, Dec. 21, 2009.

• 2006 and 2010 Shreveport Mayoral Forums: In2006, most candidates attended, including the two who made the run-off; in 2010, all candidates accepted with one (not the winner) cancelling at literally the last second. At the 2006 forum, no candidate would commit to implementing nondiscrimination protections based on sexual orientation for City of Shreveport employees; at the 2010 forum, all candidates said they would issue the same Executive Order that Mayor Glover had issued protecting LGBT employees.

• Pride Dinners, June, 2006-2008; Family Pride Picnics, June, 2009-present. • Responses to passage of California Prop 8 which took away the right of same-sex couples to marry:

(1) In Nov., 2008, “No on Prop 8” rally held in conjunction with LSUS Gay-Straight Alliance in front of the courthouse in downtown Shreveport with 150 people peacefully protesting; (2) Multiple photo shoots similar to the national “NOH8” campaign held with 200 people participating.

• 2011 Hate Crimes Forums held in conjunction with statewide Forum for Equality in response to the hate crime committed in downtown Shreveport and to educate the public on the 2009 Hate Crimes Law; private forum held with gay community and a U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) representative; public forum held with panelists that included representatives from the U.S. DOJ, U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI, Shreveport Police Department, and area clergy.

• National GLAAD Media Seminar, August, 2007, at LSUS, co-sponsored by LSUS Gay-Straight Alliance.

• Family Protection Seminar, November, 2007, conducted by two attorneys to inform gay people about protecting their families through legal documents.

• Interviews conducted with state legislative candidates to determine their positions on LGBT issues, 2007-present.

• State legislators lobbied to support anti-bullying and job protection legislation, 2005-present. • Members speak at various local organizations and to the media on LGBT issues and submit letters to

the editor and guest columns in The (Shreveport) Times. • Multiple social events each year including an “Easter Bonnet Party”, “Big Gay Prom”, Holiday

Party, “PACE attends the Red River Revel” (a music and arts festival in downtown Shreveport)

Individual tickets are now on sale for the Opening Weekend of the 3^rd Annual North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to be held September 16-22, 2011, at the Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport, LA, with celebrity guest Bruce Vilanch.  The film festival is sponsored by PACE, “People Acting for Change and Equality.”

The opening night reception is 6-7:30 p.m., Friday, September 16th, with celebrity guest Bruce Vilanch, six-time Emmy winner and highly sought-after Hollywood comedy writer and stand-up comedian best-known as the head writer and celebrity panelist on Hollywood Squares for four years and head writer for the Academy Awards telecasts for over a decade. There will be heavy hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar. Vilanch will preview his stand-up comedy act at the reception. Tickets are $30.

The reception will be followed by the opening night screening of the hilarious tribute film to Bruce Vilanch, Get Bruce, featuring Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Whoopi Goldberg, and Bette Midler. Vilanch will introduce the film and do a Q & A afterward.  Tickets are regular Robinson Film Center (RFC) film ticket prices.

Saturday night, September 17th from 7:15-8:15 p.m., Vilanch will perform his stand-up comedy act.  Tickets are $20.

Films showing at the film festival are:  Undertow, Wish Me Away, Hollywood to Dollywood, Leave It on the Floor, Gen Silent, Thy Will Be Done, and a collection of original submission short films, all at regular RFC ticket prices.

A festival pass can be used to redeem admission to all the above events for $95.

Panel discussions will follow one screening of Gen Silent and Thy Will Be Done, and the executive producers and lead actors of Hollywood to Dollywood will be present to close out the festival on Thursday, September 22^nd

.

Individual tickets and festival passes can be purchased at the Robinson Film Center (617 Texas St., 318-459-4122; www.robinsonfilmcenter.org).

For more information about PACE, north Louisiana’s leading advocacy organization for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, go to www.pacelouisiana.org.

Our Short Film series, originally scheduled for Thursday, September 22nd, has been moved to the previous night. The combination of seven shorts will play on Wednesday, September 21st, at 7pm upstairs in The Robinson Film Center.  Tickets will soon be available through The Robinson Film Center.

Hollywood To Dollywood will now be closing out our festival Thursday night with personal appearances by its three executive producers, Gary Lane, Larry Lane and Mike Bowen., with a Q&A session immediately following the film.

Thanks!

P.A.C.E. announces 3rd North LA Gay & Lesbian Film Festival Sept. 16-22 with celebrity guest Bruce Vilanch in Shreveport, Louisiana.

PACE, “People Acting for Change and Equality,” announces its 3^rd annual North Louisiana Gay & Lesbian Film Festival to be held September 16-22, 2011, at the Robinson Film Center in downtown Shreveport with celebrity guest Bruce Vilanch.

Six-time Emmy winner Bruce Vilanch is one of the most sought-after comedy writers in Hollywood.  Within the industry, he’s known as the big guy who writes for everyone.  To the public, he’s probably best known as a celebrity panelist and head writer for Hollywood Squares for four years, sitting in the square next to his friend and client Whoopi Goldberg, who stole the show with Vilanch’s one-liners.  He spent two years as Edna Turnblad on tour and on Broadway in the smash musical adaptation of the John Waters film Hairspray. He scripted most of the Academy Awards telecasts over the last decade.

Opening night festivities on Friday, September 16th, will include a lavish reception with Bruce Vilanch visiting with attendees and providing a preview of the stand-up act he’ll deliver the following night during the festival.  On Friday, after the reception, Vilanch will introduce the film Get Bruce with a Q & A to follow.  Get Bruce is an affectionate and hilarious tribute to Vilanch with appearances by some of the many celebrities that he has written material for such as Billy Crystal, Robin Williams, Bette Midler, Lily Tomlin, Carol Burnett, and Whoopi Goldberg.  When an entertainer wants to be sure to say something funny, they “get Bruce” to write for them.

Other films showing during the week-long festival are Undertow, Wish Me Away, Hollywood to Dollywood, Leave It on the Floor, Gen Silent, and Thy Will Be Done. A collection of original submission short films will close out the festival on Thursday, Sept. 22.

Festival passes and individual tickets to all events can be purchased at the Robinson Film Center (617 Texas St., 318-459-4122; www.robinsonfilmcenter.org) beginning August 15th.  For additional information see our festival web site: www.nlglff.org.

A pre-festival event will take place on Thursday evening, September 15th, at minicine in downtown Shreveport.

Any individual, organization or business interested in becoming a sponsor of the film festival should contact Bryan Sullivan at hairchem@aol.com before the deadline of Friday, August 5.

For more information about the festival, contact film festival chair Baylor Boyd at baylor_boyd@yahoo.com.

For more information about PACE, north Louisiana’s leading advocacy organization for the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender community, go to www.pacelouisiana.org

Known for his eclectic eyewear and collection of unique T-shirts, he began as a child model for Lane Bryant, but when his initial efforts as an actor came to naught, he became an entertainment writer for the Chicago Tribune instead. Impressed by his review of her cabaret performance in 1970, Bette Midler hired him to punch up her act where he gave birth to Midler’s famed Sophie Tucker jokes. He later moved to Los Angeles where he wrote for variety shows like the original “Donny and Marie” and “The Brady Bunch Hour” (both ABC) and provided material for Richard Pryor, Lily Tomlin and Joan Rivers. He has maintained his connection with Midler through the years, working on such projects as the feature “Divine Madness” (1980) and the TV special “Bette Midler–Diva Las Vegas” (HBO, 1997), as well as writing for her short-lived but lively sitcom, “Bette!” (CBS, 2000 ).

He made his feature debut as a dress manufacturer in “Mahogany’ (1975), starring Diana Ross, and also contributed material to her live act. Mr. Vilanch put his Muppet-like persona to excellent use as Santa’s number one helper in the syndicated TV-movie “It Nearly Wasn’t Christmas” (1989). On the heels of “Get Bruce!”, Vilanch performed his comedy stylings Off-Broadway in “Bruce Vilanch: Almost Famous” (2000). After a first act reminiscing on his odd path to almost famousness, he opened up the floor to questions in Act II, displaying his amazing ability for off-the-cuff one-liners. As he told US WEEKLY (June 12, 2000), there is a downside to celebrity: “Now, I get knocked if someone tries something that doesn’t work. Before it was the fault of these anonymous people, ‘the writers.’”

Vilanch began contributing to Academy Awards telecasts in 1989, collaborating with the likes of Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg and David Letterman, and graduated to head writer in 2000. He has roasted celebrities like Elizabeth Taylor and President Clinton. The Whoopi connection led to his providing the notorious material Ted Danson performed in blackface at a certain 1993 Friars Club roast of his then- girlfriend Goldberg, but his resume also includes “You Made Me Watch You”, the touching Emmy- winning valedictory Midler crooned as a send-off to Johnny Carson.

He scripted most of the Academy Awards telecasts over the last decade, two of which won Emmys, including the one featuring Billy Crystal’s Hannibal Lecter entrance. Mr. Vilanch has also written for The Tony’s, The Grammy’s, The Emmy’s, and just about every other award show to brighten your television screen. He also participates and volunteers at almost every charity function, especially those dealing with GLBT issues.

Most recently in 2008, Bruce co-wrote “The Showgirl Must Go On” with Bette Midler which opened at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and has since received rave reviews. And in 2006 Bruce was seen on VH1’s popular fitness and nutrition reality- series, “Celebrity Fit Club.” Participating in a type of extreme- makeover-body-edition, the Celebrity Fit Clubbers went through 100 days of Fit Club training. Along the way, they learned about fitness, diets and nutrition.

Bruce’s one-man show, “Almost Famous,” tickled Off-Broadway audiences for three months and has made a number of appearances around the country. He is frequently mistaken for Brad Pitt.