The Austin Gay & Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) has announced its 2007 lineup in Austin September 28 – October 4. “Casting Pearls” by Deep Stealth Productions will play in the “Trans Journeys” series:

Saturday, September 29

2:15 PM

Regal Arbor Theater

9828 Great Hills Trail

Austin, TX 78759

Films in “Trans Journeys”:

- Through The Woods (directed by Malic Amalya, 14 minutes) : A transgendered retelling of Little Red Riding Hood.

- Jaywalking (directed by Kathy Huang and Leigh Iacobucci, 9 minutes): About up-and-coming drag king star Jay Walker.

- Donny & Ginger (directed by Jon Bush, 10 minutes): A drag-queen hooker and a cop meet up on a lonely street one cold dark night.

- Casting Pearls (directed by Andrea James, 7 minutes): Calpernia Addams stars as The Actress as she endures a series of casting calls.

- The Birthday (directed by Daisy Mohr and Negin Kianfar, 63 minutes): An Iranian transsexual woman’s experiences transitioning.

The Austin Gay and Lesbian International Film Festival (aGLIFF) is the oldest and largest gay and lesbian film festival in the Southwest.  For more information on the program, see:

* aGLIFF: Trans Journeys (Shorts)

For more on the Deep Stealth short:

* “Casting Pearls” website

Deep Stealth Productions was proud to be part of the 2007 Gender Odyssey conference in Seattle through a screening of the short film “Casting Pearls” on Saturday, September 1st at the Northwest Film Forum.

UNIQUE JOURNEYS: SHORT FILMS

How do we get to the life we want to lead? How many struggles and triumphs are along the way? These films chronicle this process in a variety of ways.

TRANNYMALS GO TO COURT, dirs. Dylan Vade & Abe Bernard, 2007, 12 min.

Eight fierce and fiery-talking genitals expose harmful legal practices and spread unapologetic tranny pride.

CASTING PEARLS, dir. Andrea James, 2006, 7 min.

Transsexual actress Cassandra (Calpernia Addams) endures a series of Hollywood auditions.

MAGGOTS AND MEN, dir. Oakie Treadwell, 2006, 5 min.

A trailer for a historical drama set in post-revolutionary Russia, shot by a cast and crew rampant with gender anarchy.

TASK/IN-PROGRESS, dir. K. Terumi Shorb, 2004, 6 min.

An experimental exploration of race, masculinity, and gender identity.

STRANGE OBJECTS, dir. Jude Mahan, 2004, 4 min.

A high-schooler

Xeni Jardin of boingboing attended the Sunday screening of Girls’ Shorts at Outfest and added a nice writeup of “Casting Pearls” on that site:

“Pearls” is a sharp, funny comedic short told from the pov of a transgendered actress doing her best to remain human while trying to make a living in Hollywood. Contains the most hilarious use of a plastic sausage biscuit ever captured in a motion picture.

* Xeni Jardin official site