"Tan Lines" To Premiere At Philadelphia Film Festival

An Australian gay surf flick will have its world premiere at the Philadelphia International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in the US.
Tan Lines has been selected as one of 141 movies from more than 23 countries to screen at the festival this week.
The film stars unknown first-time actors Daniel O'Leary and Jack Baxter, who are both heterosexual in real life.
The film was directed, produced and written by Sydney-based Ed Aldridge.
"This sort of film is likely to do the festival circuit, usually for about a year or even two years," Aldridge said in Sydney today, before heading to the US for Friday's premiere.
The low-budget Australian film, shot around Sydney's northern beaches in January, tells of a young man's first gay love affair, born in secret in a small town he fears would never accept it.
"For me, this film has a much more accumulative effect and I hope it has some sort of broader thing to say about sexuality," Aldridge, 27, said.
"I've tried to show that everyone's sexuality is unique and twisted and complex."
While both lead actors found it weird kissing another guy, neither had a problem with playing gay and said it was an important story to tell.
"It feels good to be able to tell that story," O'Leary, 21, said.
"As a straight boy telling that story it is kind of cool as well because homosexuality isn't scary – it wasn't for me and it shouldn't be for other people."
O'Leary is a surfer himself and says the issue of gay surfers is rarely mentioned.
"There is so much homophobic crap that goes on within that culture," he said.
Aldridge is also a keen surfer, living in Bondi in Sydney's east.
Originally from the UK, Aldridge studied film production at London's University of Westminster and has worked on a number of film and television productions in Britain and the US.
Tan Lines, his first feature film, has been financed through private investors.
Aldridge has secured overseas distribution and is hoping the film will be released cinematically in Australia.
But he admits marketing the film will be a hard task.
"It is about 20 films in one," said Aldridge.
"If we don't find the right audience, it won't work. If you sell it as surf, sand and cute boys having a quirky summer of love, the audience is just going to be disappointed."
from The Australian