Fifteen years already? Happy anniversary, ImageOut! For the last decade and a half the Rochester Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival has scoured the planet to bring the best films depicting the lesbian-bisexual-gay-transgender experience to our little corner of it. The 2007 edition - though far bigger than the 1993 version - is no different, with 44 programs set to screen over 10 fall days, October 5-14, at the Little Theatre, the George Eastman House's Dryden Theatre, and the Cinema Theater.

Rochester Contemporary gets in on the action with the "ImageArt" exhibit running for the duration of this year's festival, while the ongoing Youth Project Film Series enables those under 21 to attend select festival films, like the touching "Red Without Blue," for free. And ImageOutreach reminds the community that it's about much more than movies and parties, with sign-language interpretation, partnerships with LBGT-supportive organizations, and subsidized screenings for those who may not be able to afford tickets.

Read on for a humble snapshot of this year's festival, but to get the full picture of ImageOut visit imageout.org.

"Black White + Gray: A Portrait of Sam Wagstaff and Robert Mapplethorpe"

Saturday, October 6, Dryden Theatre, 2:30 p.m.

If you're enamored of the lushly monochromatic homoeroticism of photographer Robert Mapplethorpe, then you arguably have curator and collector Sam Wagstaff to thank for it. The privileged Wagstaff came of age in the sexual repression of 1950s Manhattan and, before his death from AIDS in 1987, amassed a mindboggling trove of images that would essentially define how modern-day aesthetes view photography. While Wagstaff played mentor/lover to the much-younger Mapplethorpe, Mapplethorpe turned the late-blooming Wagstaff on to the balls-out gay lifestyle of the 1970s, immersing them in the naïve hedonism that would eventually claim both their lives. This fascinating documentary by James Crump uses interviews with contemporaries including writer Dominick Dunne and musician Patti Smith to illustrate our collective debt to the eye of Sam Wagstaff, and to demonstrate that without Wagstaff, there might have been no Mapplethorpe.

"Oh Happy Day"

Saturday, October 6, Little Theatre, 4:30 p.m.

There's always one film that stands out as the lamest, and this is it. The tedious tale of a dull one-night stand stretched into a boring courtship, "Oh Happy Day" features two dudes who meet-cute in the men's room of a London advertising industry wingding and later get it on, only to learn - wait for it - that they have to work together on an ad campaign! Cue stolen kisses, pouty misunderstandings, a trite script, and zero chemistry between the leads, and it isn't long before you're thinking about the leaves you ought to be raking. So focus not on the awful Stephen Billington as David, who thinks widening his eyes and baring his teeth qualifies as acting, but on the misused Christopher Colquhoun, who dons some smashing Bond Street suits to play the can-totally-do-better Jonathan. Lousy taste in men but great taste in clothes: who can't relate to that?

"A Four-Letter Word"

Saturday, October 6, Little Theatre, 9:30 p.m.

Screen this fluffy romantic comedy outside the festival setting and I'd trash its terrible acting, predictability, and heavy-handed message. Maybe I'd even say something clever like "‘Suck' is also a four-letter word!" But star and co-writer Jesse Archer taps a bit of the venom by labeling his character "a gay cliché" before the audience can and allows the amusingly clueless Luke to embark upon a believable journey from mouth-breathing club slut to functioning adult. The dialogue still seems to be made up of corny one-liners instead of any real back-and-forth, so it's a credit to Archer's acting that we even care about Luke and his happiness as he bops around New York City meddling in his friends' lives and looking for lust. The ending is obvious within the first few moments, but you may forget all about your predictions thanks to the plethora of naked men.

"Murderess: The Winnie Ruth Judd Story"

Sunday, October 7, Little Theatre, 11:30 a.m.

If anyone tells you that the performances in "Murderess" are wooden, believe them. Geneva native Scott Coblio calls upon a cast of vintage marionettes to tell the true-life tale of 1930s killer Winnie Ruth Judd, who snuffed her two best gal pals and then stuffed them in trunks to be disposed of in Los Angeles. Campily expressive voicework makes up for the puppets' inability to visually emote anything but surprise (which, incidentally, is funny every damn time), and the film's simple sepia tones complement the tiny and timely set design. The L.A.-based Coblio (you may remember him as Koo-Koo Boy's striped frontman) also makes effective use of archival footage and photos from the period, the sensationalistic hype surrounding the (wo)manhunt, the trial, and the nature of infamy ("If you're pretty, you're innocent!"), all too relevant today.

"Family Hero"

Sunday, October 7, Little Theatre, 9:30 p.m.

In French with English subtitles

It's a fairly standard plot device - dead guy sticks it to those he left behind with the surprising conditions of his last will and testament - that's elevated here by an illustrious ensemble of Gallic actors that seems to be having beaucoup de fun. When a cabaret owner dies, his nearest and dearest converge on Nice and find that he left the nightspot to his uninterested godchildren instead of his best friend, who is also the godkids' dad, though they have different mothers. It may sound complicated (truthfully, I had to diagram a little family tree), but when the film features slinky Emmanuelle Béart, spunky Miou-Miou, sassy Catherine Deneuve, and a secret brothel, you know that your commitment will pay off in a most satisfying way. And the gay angle? Slight at best, but it's also rather refreshing to see a film where a person's homosexuality is no big deal.

"We're All Angels"

Monday, October 8, Little Theatre, 5:30 p.m.

There are a number of anomalies within the phrase "gay Christian pop duo," but that's how the music industry defines Jason and deMarco. The longtime couple would ideally like to abandon the pigeonholing...but then would anyone be filming them? Robert Nuñez's frothy documentary tracks the couple as they travel the country to play gigs and record a CD, occasionally pausing to pour their hearts out to the camera in a blend of self-promotion and psychotherapy about their relationship, their career, and their devotion to a faith that doesn't always appreciate it. Blond Jason has powerful pipes, a boy-band air, and oodles of insecurity over the attentiveness of his man, while the stunning deMarco looks as though God's hand came down and brought Michelangelo's David to life.

"Red Without Blue"

Wednesday, October 10, Little Theatre, 5:30 p.m.

What is it about a lens that causes people to open their hearts, mouths, and lives with such abandon? This sweetly poignant documentary relates the story of Mark and Alex, identical twins whose lives were so intertwined that the gay teens even attempted suicide together. As adults Mark seems comfortable on the West Coast with his art-student life and burgeoning relationship with a boy named David, but Alex is now known as Clair, a fresh-faced Sarah Lawrence sociology major contemplating the final stages of gender reassignment (or, as she puts it, shopping for vaginas). And though we hear from Mark and Clair's incredibly supportive parents, the film's heart is the evolution of the bond between Mark and Clair, who discuss their shared experiences (both good and bad), power shifts, and hopes for their future as brother and sister.

"The Witnesses"

Wednesday, October 10, Little Theatre, 9:30 p.m.

In French with English subtitles

The latest film from director André Téchiné ("Wild Reeds") is a beautifully acted drama set against the backdrop of the initial skirmishes against AIDS in mid-1980s France. Michel Blanc plays Adrien, a lonely doctor whose unrequited infatuation with a young man named Manu leads indirectly to an affair between Manu and Medhi, the handsome Algerian husband of Adrien's writer friend Sarah (a decidedly unglamorous Emmanuelle Béart). Sarah's post-partum depression figures into her troubles with Medhi, but their open marriage will likely become a thing of the past now that this deadly disease has ravaged her husband's lover and endangered their own lives. The dynamics of this tragic love rectangle are of course absorbing, but Adrien's grass-roots efforts to get his medical colleagues to confront the strange illness attacking his personal community is not something often portrayed in foreign films.

"Kate Clinton: 25th Anniversary Tour"

Thursday, October 11, Little Theatre, 5:30 p.m.

Director Andrea Meyerson, who seems to have cornered the market on features about LBGT comedians with her popular "Laughing Matters" series, narrows her spotlight here to groundbreaking comedian Kate Clinton, a former English teacher from Syracuse who helped pave the way for both women and lesbians in the traditionally straight-male field of standup comedy. The newly platinum Clinton isn't above a blonde joke ("I don't understand half my show!"), but her comic timing is honed to razor precision as she holds hilarious court on standard comedy topics like healthcare, politics, technology, terrorism, Katrina, aging, plus "some old menstrual standards." Meyerson documents Clinton both on and off stage, snagging rare on-camera interplay between Clinton and her partner of 18 years, a woman named Urvashi Vaid who's quite witty in her own right.

"Out at the Wedding"

Friday, October 12, Cinema Theater, 7:45 p.m.

An extremely enjoyable comedy of Goldbergian intricacy, "Out at the Wedding" would have been about 15 minutes long had one of the ethically challenged characters actually made the decision to - gasp! - come clean about something. Anything. Instead, we are treated to the story of Alex, a Southern-born woman who tells her black Jewish boyfriend that her family is dead because she's certain they won't accept him. Helping Alex spin her web of lies are best friend Jonathan (Charlie Schlatter in perhaps the comedic performance of ImageOut 2007) as well as new best friend Risa (angularly gorgeous Cathy DeBuono from "GirlPlay"), who pretends to be Alex's lover because Alex's family now thinks she's a lesbian. OK; so if you've ever seen a movie before, then you know how it will unravel, but everyone in front of the camera is so likeable and well-meaning that it's not hard to overlook decisions no sane person would make and pretend that you would do the same in the name of love, if not cinema.

"For the Bible Tells Me So"

Saturday, October 13, Cinema Theater, 4 p.m.

We immediately recognize the Gephardts, who discuss how their charming daughter's sexual orientation played a very real role in the husband's ultimate decision to run for president in 2004. The Robinsons are not as well known, though their middle-aged son was recently confirmed as the Episcopal Church's first openly gay bishop. In this knockout documentary, director Daniel Karslake visits with parents who have attempted to reconcile the teachings of the Bible with the (ideally) unconditional love they feel for their LBGT children. Most affecting is the story of Mary Lou Wallner, whose religion-informed refusal to accept her daughter has led to a life of fiery advocacy for parents and kids in the same position. Karslake also hears from religious scholars who put the Bible into social and historical context while illustrating how tempting it is to cherry-pick from the Good Book, supposedly in the name of He who dictated it.

ImageOut 2007 Schedule

All films are at the Little Theatre (240 East Avenue) unless noted otherwise. Other venues include the Dryden Theatre at the George Eastman House (900 East Avenue) and the Cinema Theater (957 South Clinton Avenue). For more information visit imageout.org.

Friday, October 5

"Itty Bitty Titty Committee" 7 p.m., $12-$15 (ticket includes admission to Opening Night Party at Nasty D's, 140 Alexander Street)

"Naked Boys Singing!" 9:30 p.m., $12-$15 (ticket includes admission to Opening Night Party) SOLD OUT

Saturday, October 6

"Bears" noon,$6-$7

"Baby Love" (Shorts Program) 2:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Black White + Gray" Dryden Theatre, 2:30p.m., $6-$7

"Oh Happy Day" 4:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Sonja" Dryden Theatre, 4:30 p.m., $6-$7

"The Bubble" 7 p.m., $10-$11

"Shelter Me" Dryden Theatre 7 p.m., $8-$9

"Nina's Heavenly Delights" Dryden Theatre 9:30 p.m., $8-$9

"A Four Letter Word" 9:30 p.m., $8-$9

Sunday, October 7

"Murderess" 11:30 a.m., $6-$7

"Ugly Ducklings" 2:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Another Woman" Dryden Theatre, 2:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Finn's Girl" 5 p.m., $6-$7

"Mala Noche" (Retro Feature) Dryden Theatre, 5:00 p.m., $6-$7

"The 2 Sides of the Bed" 7 p.m., $8-$9

"The King and The Clown" Dryden Theatre, 7 p.m., $8-$9

"Family Hero" 9:30 p.m., $8-$9

Monday, October 8

"We're All Angels" 5:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Spider Lilies" 7:30 p.m., $8-$9

"The DL Chronicles" 9:30 p.m., $8-$9

Tuesday, October 9

"Gender Redesigner" 5:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Staircase" (Archive Feature) Dryden Theatre, 7:30 p.m., $8-$9

"Close Encounters" (Shorts Program) 7:30 p.m., $8-$9

"Triple X Selects... Lezsploitation" 9:30 p.m., $8-$9

Wednesday, October 10

"Red Without Blue" 5:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Love My Life" 7:30 p.m., $8-$9

"The Witnesses" 9:30 p.m., $8-$9

Thursday, October 11

"Kate Clinton" 5:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Hunting Season" (Shorts Program) 7:30 p.m., $8-$9

"Stealth" 9:30 p.m., $8-$9

Friday, October 12

"Dasepo Naughty Girls" Cinema Theater, 5:30 p.m., $6-$7

"Out at the Wedding" Cinema Theater, 7:45 p.m., $10-$11

"Shelter" Cinema Theater, 9:45 p.m., $10-$11

Saturday, October 13

"Back Soon" Cinema Theater, noon, $6-$7

"Tick Tock Lullaby" Cinema Theater, 2 p.m., $6-$7

"For the Bible Tells Me So" Cinema Theater, 4 p.m., $8-$9

"Kiss The Bride" Dryden Theatre, 8 p.m., $25-$30 (ticket includes admission to Closing Night Party 9:30 p.m. at Village Gate, 274 N. Goodman Street)

Sunday, October 14

"Butch Jamie" noon, $6-$7

"Laughing Matters...The Men" 2 p.m., $6-$7

"Rice Rhapsody" 4 p.m., $6-$7

"The Gymnast" 6:30 p.m., $8-$9

"The Curiosity of Chance" 8:45 p.m., $8-$9