Here are a few highlights from the new membership program:

New Names! We want to emphasize the "Red Carpet Experience." Now membership levels start at Film Fan and progresses all the way up to Directors Circle, like the path of someone making their name in Hollywood.

New Payment Plans! Now when you sign up for membership, you have the option of paying all at once or in monthly installments.

New Benefits! The new benefit structure is greatly simplified, making it easy to find the right level for you. Many benefits can be used for year-round programs, and there's a greater emphasis on exclusive VIP social events at higher levels.

For detailed information about the new levels and how you can become a member, click here.

Membership is vital to Three Dollar Bill Cinema's future, and makes all our programs possible. If you're not already a member, please consider joining today.

Thank you for supporting Three Dollar Bill Cinema!

Celebrate the Grand Opening of Sundance Cinemas Seattle with Three Dollar Bill Cinema! Be one of the first to see the luxurious new venue while enjoying complimentary drinks, appetizers, and a selection of sneak preview movies. You'll also support Three Dollar Bill Cinema -- 100% of ticket sales go directly to us and our upcoming programs such as Reel Queer Youth and the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival.

Click here to buy tickets!

Tuesday, July 16
Party starts at 6pm, program starts at 7pm
Sundance Cinemas Seattle (formerly Metro 10)
4500 9th Avenue, NE, Seattle, WA  98105

All guests must be 21 or older

At the Sundance Cinemas Sneak Preview Party with Three Dollar Bill Cinema, you'll be able to socialize with the LGBT filmgoing and filmmaking community and explore the newly renovated space...before the general public! Seattle will never see movies the same way again: reserved seating, big comfy seats with tablettes, brand new digital projection, a full bar serving drinks and bistro fare that guests can take to their seats, the Living Room Lounge, and simplified validated parking for only $2.00 after 5 pm. The Sundance-inspired ambiance features furniture from the Sundance Catalog and finishes using reclaimed wood from Bainbridge Island.

That beloved behemoth known as SIFF (AKA the Seattle International Film Festival) has begun its 25-day run and there are so many great films & events on this year's lineup.

A few programs that we're especially excited about:

G.B.F.

We're once again co-presenting SIFF's Gay-La Film & Event, June 5, 7:00 PM at Egyptian Theatre followed by a party at Q Capitol Hill.
"The battle between a school's popular girls takes a turn when they embark on a search to find the first openly gay student in order to stay in vogue, in this comic send-up of high school clique culture."

INTERIOR. LEATHER BAR.

We love the provocative work of Travis Matthews (you may have caught a memorable screening of his feature film I WANT YOUR LOVE at the 2012 Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival) and we're sure you'll be intrigued by his collaboration with James Franco in this documentary about the recreation of "lost scenes" from the already-controversial 1980 film CRUISING, which becomes a 'will he or won't he' dilemma for the heterosexual actor cast in the lead role.

ALICE WALKER: BEAUTY IN TRUTH

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Color Purple will be in attendance at this U.S. premiere of a fascinating documentary on her inspiring life, from acclaimed director Pratibha Parmar.

GAY BY ANY MEANS

This package of short films was programmed by our own Artistic Director Keith Bacon and includes an intriguing variety of gay characters and stories from around the world.

New Queer Cinema with B. Ruby Rich

Critic, curator, journalist,and scholar B. Ruby Rich explores the phenomenal expansion of the queer cinema movement with a panel of next generation filmmakers - 20 years after first coining the phrase New Queer Cinema in the Village Voice.

Enter discount code LGBTQ2013 for $2 off selected screenings of LGBT films @ SIFF! Use code DOCS2013 for $2 off the Alice Walker program.

Congratulations to the films recognized with Audience Awards: 

Best Narrative Feature, MELTING AWAY, directed by Doron Eran
Best Documentary Feature, TURNING, directed by Charles Atlas
Best Documentary Short Film, QUEEN OF THE DESERT, directed by Alex Kelly
Best Narrative Short Film, GENDERFREAK, directed by Rebecca Louisell

Everyone who was a part of the festival was a big winner!

Thank you all, and see you next year!

We spoke with Danielle to find out more about the film, the characters and why this film, set in the 1850 American wilderness, resonates today.

In DOS ALMAS, your protagonist assumes a male identity in order to find herself.  The film is set in 1850.  What can today’s audiences take way from the film?

Danielle Villegas: She does what it takes to survive and “pass” in the mid-nineteenth century. It was a dangerous time for a woman to be alone on the Western American wilderness. Her identity as a Mestiza (part indigenous, part Spanish), raised in a post-colonial California informs her identity.  It is only in the safety of disguise and her fortuity in meeting a two-spirit woman that she even has the opportunity to have this relationship.  Though we all know sexism and patriarchy will not disappear anytime soon, my hope is that this film encourages continued dialogue and understanding. Gender variance is as natural as the sun rising and in some places and times, it is and has been revered.

Where was the film shot and what was production like?

DV:  The film was shot in September, 2011 outside North Bend, Washington along the Snoqualamie River.  I am really proud of the “village” I assembled.  I hand selected and surrounded myself with the best people I could find, including my cinematographer Lars Larson and producers Tracy Rector (Longhouse Media) and Adam Sekuler (Northwest Film Forum).  Though the idea for the film had been swimming around in my head for 20 years, I only manifested a script just days before the shoot, and had it not been for my talented actors including Two Spirit poet and philosopher Jennifer Lisa Vest, my Grammy nominated composer Dawn Avery, veteran sound designer Jayme S. Parker and longtime collaborator Cheryl Slean -- along with many others -- this film wouldn’t be here. 

Why was making this film important to you?

DV: I fulfilled a longtime goal to begin my career as a filmmaker.  It was important to me share the Native American “Two-Spirit” concept with an audience.  On the eve of marriage equality, kids are still committing suicide, people are still being discriminated against and in some countries, killed, just for being themselves. Minds don’t change overnight.

My film is a simple story which presents a character in dire situation who meets another and shares a moment.

It is no surprise that there are always autobiographical elements in even my most wild stories.  Based on my personal experience, I created some fictional characters for DOS ALMAS, a time period and place which I know intimately and feel compelled to explore further.  Whether this manifests in a television series, feature film or simply stands as what I believe is the first onscreen depiction of a female Two-Spirit character in a historical context, I am happy to have this film out in the world and thrilled to share it with Seattle audiences.

About DOS ALMAS
In 1850, a Mestiza woman finds herself alone in the remote wilderness.  Posing as a man, she encounters a native woman who introduces her to another life.

Run time:16 minutes I USA I 2013
Directed by Danielle Villegas

The GENDER REVOLUTIONARIES shorts program screens at 4:30 p.m. today at Northwest Film Forum with Villegas in attendance as a special guest.

If you'd like to be a mentor or participant and work with Finn this summer, apply now...deadlines will be here before you know it! And you can learn all about Finn through the interview below:

How do you feel about being Reel Queer Youth Program Manager?

As a Trans* and queer media artist I am so completely thrilled to get to be part of Reel Queer Youth. I am passionate about filmmaking, queer youth and social justice so this position is such an excellent way for me to do what I care about. I basically exclaim constantly how fabulous my job is. That being said I am a queer adult, not a youth and I am bringing an attempt at sensitive consciousness to ageism in this role. I want to give what I can to support this project and I know that youth are the most wise about all aspects of what they want and need from filmmaking community.

What experience do you have that makes you a good fit for this job?

I have a background in filmmaking and teaching media to youth but what I am most excited about is bringing the sparkly and powerful things I’ve learned through my activism in Seattle. I’ve been involved in Bent, our local queer writing institute for a few years now as a student, a board member, and now as a teacher and I’m bringing that positivity with me. I am part of Reteaching Gender and Sexuality which is youth and adults developing new media and training to reframe “It Gets Better.” I’ve grown a lot in my time there and am bringing a complicated way of seeing media as a tool.

What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

I am also involved with the Gender Justice League, a Trans* and allied activist collective, and started a monthly Trans* writing group with some friends. I am part of a new enormous queer garden that’s starting up north of Renton called Fairyland Farms. I also perform poetry (not the boring kind) and am on a queer soccer team. Our team colors are hot pink and black and we lose every game but it’s very, very fun. I perform as well and have begun the adventure of slamming in poetry slams.

Why do you think the community needs a program like Reel Queer Youth?

I think the power to make your own media is really important. Reel Queer Youth allows us to create the ability for folks to mentor youth and for youth to build connections with each other. Isolation is one of the main strategies of homophobia and transphobia and simply working together is a piece of the antidote to that. I also think it’s important to recognize that youth having skills in filmmaking has the potential to change what they can access as far as employment goes as well. As a community we have complex identities and experiences- we’re the best at telling our own stories.

How can people see the films made during this program?
There are lots of ways! Each year the films premiere in the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival and we also submit them to film festivals all over. If you like our Facebook page you can stay in the loop for upcoming screenings.

You can also break out the popcorn and watch our videos online here!

Which queer folks do you admire (living or passed) or have made a positive influence on your life?

I am inspired and moved by all the queers who’ve dedicated their lives to a radical queer sense of community and justice. I am always dazzled by folks here in Seattle who are making all kinds of activism, art, and performance happen. I want to say that everything I know I’ve learned from someone else and I’m really grateful for that. So thanks to all the queers, Trans* folks, and rebels of all kinds!

Anything else?

Here are links to the organizations I’ve mentioned:
http://www.bentwriting.com/
http://www.reteachinggenderandsexuality.org/
http://www.genderjusticeleague.org/

On Saturday May 11 at 4:30pm, Gender Revolutionaries promises an intriguing mix of genderqueer stories. From re-purposed Broadway musical tunes to mobile makeovers in the Australian outback and a magical encounter in the remote wildernesss, get set for a memorable journey.

Growing Together plays Sunday May 12 at 12:30pm. It's the perfect program for friends, families, and allies wanting to see and learn more about the trans experience, including fims from Finland, United Kingdon, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

For a complete lineup of all films & programs screening May 9-12 at Translations, visit http://translations.strangertickets.com/

The 18th Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival will be held October 10-20, 2013. 

Now accepting submissions...send us your film!

Entry Deadlines
Early bird – Entry submitted by March 1, 2013 (No fee)
Regular - Entry submitted by June 14, 2013 ($10 fee)
Final – Entry submitted by June 28, 2013 ($20 fee)

SUBMIT YOUR FILM TODAY!

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Save the date for the Seattle Foundation's Give BIG on May 15, 2013. 

Supporters like you help us in so many ways:

• The Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival-- 11 days of the best LGBT features, short films, documentaries and other special screenings & events
• Three Dollar Bill Outdoor Cinema-- Free films for all at Cal Anderson Park
• Translations: The Seattle Transgender Film Festival-- One of only a handful of transgender film festivals in the world
• Reel Queer Youth-- Summer filmmaking and leadership development program for LGBTQ and allied youth ages 13-20
• Special events such as An Evening With Auntie Mame, the annual Oscars party, Cineoke, and more!

Here are some ways you can help support Three Dollar Bill Cinema present important LGBT films and cultivate the next generation of queer filmmakers:

$25--Allows two youth to experience classic LGBT film with an audience of their community.

$50--Provides five comp tickets to the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival for charitable organizations, such as Lifelong AIDS Alliance & Lambert House.

$100--An hour of equipment rental for the Three Dollar Bill Outdoor Cinema at Cal Anderson Park.

$250--Tuition scholarship for one participant in Reel Queer Youth, our summer filmmaking program for LGBTQ and allied teens.

$500--Theatre rental for one night during Translations: the Seattle Transgender Film Festival.

To make a gift, visit Three Dollar Bill Cinema's organization page at the Seattle Foundation. Only gifts made on May 15th using this portal will count towards the gift stretch.

Thanks for your support!

Most explicitly, the documentary SEXING THE TRANSMAN by porn star Buck Angel will take you into the romantic lives of a dozen FTM transmen and their partners, providing a much-needed springboard for an honest and frank dialogue. The film features scenes of very adult material, as well as interviews with Margaret Cho, Lucas Silveira, Ian Harvie, and others.

The narrative IT GETS BETTER has intertwining storylines that include transwomen navigating relationships with partners who have varying degrees of acceptance and commitment. The fact that the film is directed by Tanwarin Sukkhapisit, a rising talent in Thai cinema and transwoman, and that much of the cast is transgender, lends to it's authenticity and accuracy in portraying these relationships.

A narrative that was a hit at the Seattle Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, and now getting it's premiere at Translations, is the German film ROMEOS. Following the story of a transman and a cis-gendered gay man and the ups and downs of their relationship, the film is charming, enlightening, and quite sexy.

After you've seen one of these films, you'll be ready to discuss more about transgender sexuality and it's presence in cinema at our free program, TALKING DIRTY: Discussing Transgender Sexuality & Movies. Moderated by Translations Festival Director Sam Berliner, the program will include some relevant film clips and a fascinating discussion with: Sexologist Dr. Pepper Schwartz; trans activist and porn maker Tobi Hill-Meyer; queer, trans*, media scholar Kai Kohlsdorf; and genderqueer fat femme feminist pornographer & performer Courtney Trouble.

Come join us and let's talk about sex!