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2008 AUDIENCE AWARD WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

Dear Friends:

The Kansas City Gay & Lesbian Film + Video Festival is proud to announce the winning films from our 2008 showcase at the Tivoli Cinemas in Westport.

The Audience Award for Best Feature Film went to the musical fantasy WERE THE WORLD MINE, a spirited twist on Shakespeare's A MIDSUMMER NIGHT'S DREAM.

Get a video sneak peek at one of the musical numbers here.

Listen to some of the amazing original songs at the films MySpace page here.

And, catch a backstage interview with the director and two male leads here.  

Festival audiences also chose CHRIS & DON: A LOVE STORY, the true-life story of the passionate, three-decade relationship between author Christopher Isherwood and artist Don Bachardy, as the winner of Best Feature Documentary.

Over a thousand ballots were cast in this year's competition which also drew some of the highest overall scores in festival history.  The top five films, separated by the narrowest of voting margins, also included the family comedy TRU LOVED; the religious drama SAVE ME and the documentary about service members battling the military's  "don't ask, don't tell" policy, ASK NOT.  

Festival Director Jamie Rich credits the positive audience response to one of the strongest line-ups ever.  "The complexity, depth and overall quality continues to improve," says Rich, "as digital technology enables more people to share their stories and creative talents in the filmmaking process."  

Another of this year's successes was the first film commissioned for the festival, Lisa Marie Evans' WHEN DID YOU KNOW?  

(If you would like to contact Lisa about her film -- including purchasing your own copy -- contact her directly via her website, www.IndyOutties.com)

Lisa's original documentary featuring local responses to the titular question not only drew a sizable crowd, but helped inspire several audience members to fund future filmmaking projects.  Over a thousand dollars was raised for the festival's filmmakers fund which will be used to commission additional films as well as support the creative work of LGBT videographers in the Midwest.  

STAY IN THE KNOW! Sign up to receive our updates via email -- see the box above and to your left -- and get the latest information about special screening events to come, and other programs of interest.

THANKS AGAIN FOR MAKING '08 SO GREAT.