BIG LOVE: ASA + AGLIFF Joint 25th Anniversary Fundraiser
AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) and AGLIFF (Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival) bond together to present BIG LOVE: ASA + AGLIFF Joint 25th Anniversary Fundraiser on Saturday, August 18 at the Dobie Theater to celebrate our nonprofit organizations' accomplishments and to spark inspiration for our future efforts.
Join us as we take a retrospective look at our communities through landmark film programming to follow with a party to bring back the nostalgia of the epic era both organizations were born from. Based on the platform AGLIFF began "to talk" to the LGBTQI community through film, we're bringing ourselves back to Austin's cult classic Dobie Theater events space. ASA and AGLIFF are aligning this powerful event between our organizations. Join us as we honor the progress we've made in 25 years and ignite our passion to continue to improve the lives of those affected by HIV, carry on the battle for equality for LGBTQI individuals and families and continue the LGBTQI discussion through film.
This Joint 25th Anniversary Fundraiser will be a memorable night of reflection and acclamation! Join us for BIG LOVE: ASA and AGLIFF's Joint 25th Anniversary Fundraiser as we travel back in time to reopen the Dobie with screenings of groundbreaking films from the late 80's and an after party
featuring delicious cocktails by Dos Equis, Tecate and St Germain, delectable hors d'oeuvres by Woodland and a late night pizza party by Home Slice pizza. Be ready to hit the dance floor as MOUTHFEEL pumps those 80’s beats and stop by John Pesina's photo area to capture this magical night.
Your participation in this event will directly benefit both AIDS Services of Austin (ASA) and the Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (AGLIFF) Nonprofit Organizations.
VITO 2011 93 min SHOWTIME 7:45 Austin Premier Watch the video The story of Vito Russo, founding father of the gay liberation movement, author of "The Celluloid Closet," and vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s comes to Austin theaters for the first time after headlining film festivals and galvanizing audiences across the US!
In the aftermath of Stonewall, a newly politicized Vito Russo found his voice as a gay activist and critic of LGBT representation in the media. He went on to write "The Celluloid Closet," the first book to critique Hollywood's portrayals of gays on screen. During the AIDS crisis in the 1980s, Vito became a passionate advocate for justice via the newly formed ACT UP, before his death in 1990.
“ I highly recommend it to anyone interested in pop culture, in civil rights, or in how the two are deeply connected. “ – TIME MAGAZINE
Paris Is Burning 1990 71 min SHOWTIME 7:45 Watch the video Before Madonna got dance floors hopping with her international dance sensation, the black and Latino drag queens and transfolk of New York City's ball scene were dazzling audiences with their invented style of dance known as "voguing," a highly imaginative imitation of the fashion poses on the covers of the magazine Vogue. As director Jennie Livingston discovers, the ball culture in 1980s NYC is a space of creativity, outsider community, and belonging, where her subjects band together into family-like "houses" for protection, taking the same last names and competing in elaborate drag balls where awards are given out for authenticity or "realness," as well as other categories like "evening wear" and "executive wear." Both an embracing and a refutation of the world of high fashion, the balls become the social locus of this underclass, underground society of hopeful outcasts, defiantly refusing to be ignored by a world that scorns them. In the 2000s, the descendants of this pageant community would find a home on "America's Next Top Model," teaching their moves to a younger generation of up-and-coming fashion superstars.
Show Me Love 1998 89 min SHOWTIME 6:15 Watch the video Titled after recording artist Robyn's first international hit, this sweet and profoundly realistic tale of two adolescent girls experiencing love, sex, boredom and peer pressure in small-town Sweden is generally cited as one of the best LGBT films of all time. Agnes and Elin are a pair of teenage girls trapped in the small town of Amal, an isolated place where nothing truly exciting ever seems to happen. Agnes is teased for being an outsider, but she doesn't realize that the ever-popular Elin has a crush on her. After an accidental kiss, the two girls learn about themselves and, eventually, about proudly standing up for their emerging identities. A satisfying, touching and honest story about growing up in a confusing world, "Show Me Love" has the distinction of being the film that beat out Titanic at Northern European Box offices.
Parting Glances 1986 90 min SHOWTIME 6:00Watch the video “Parting Glances,” the 1986 stunning debut of the late writer-director Bill Sherwood, tackled AIDS, an urgent issue that no longer could not have been ignored. Set on the Upper West Side and starring Steve Buscemi in one of his first roles, the story depicts 24 hours in the lives of three gay men, who form a most intriguing triangle, though not a ménage a trois. ”I intended the film as an homage to New York and also to the gay community, which, in spite of the AIDS crisis, continues to be such a life force,” said Sherwood.
Our Honorary Hosts
BIG, BIG LOVE - $5000+ Dobie Theater & Events Space I'll Build You A Kingdom - $1000 John Pesina
Looking Out For Love - $500 Steve Davis
House On The Hill - $100 Zach & Steven Herrera & Aichlmayr Ron Bowdoin Peter Dean Frank Genco Gerrell Moore Brent Nguyen
Ivan Ontiveros Amy Rathbun Francis Rusconi Wesley Shackelford Tim Young Barbara Ward Lee A Warbinton Bruce Weatherford
Event Committee Scott Dinger, ASA Lindsay Muse, AGLIFF
Host and Sponsors will be recognized on the invitation and event collateral plus receive honorary treatment. Please contact Lindsay Muse for questions on host levels.
About ASA and AGLIFF Organizations AIDS Services of Austin responds to the HIV needs of the Austin area by providing services that enhance the health and well-being of individuals and the community in the face of an evolving epidemic.
The aGLIFF Nonprofit Organization curates the best in LGBTQI community serving programs. Through our year-round community programs and annual Film Festival Program, we enlighten, educate, and inspire the LGBTQI and straight ally communities.
Our mission is to enhance the health and well-being of the community and people affected by HIV and AIDS.
VITO 2011 93 min SHOWTIME 7:45 Austin Premier 
