Event

LIGLFF presents Sex Positive

8:30 PM
Reception

Sponsored by The Gay and Lesbian Switchboard of Long Island.
The reception is free with a movie admission to The Wrangler or Sex Positive.

Monday, November 17 at 9:30 PM
Sex Positive (Daryl Wein, USA, 2008, 76 min)

Sex Positive explores the life of Richard Berkowitz, a revolutionary gay S&M hustler turned AIDS activist in the 1980s, whose incomparable contribution to the invention of safe sex has never been aptly credited. Berkowitz emerged from the epicenter of the epidemic demanding a solution to the problem long before those both within and outside of the gay community would take heed. However, it was not Berkowitz's voice alone that sparked contention. Dr. Joseph Sonnabend, a controversial virologist and AIDS doctor, postulated that AIDS was more complicated than just a new virus. With Sonnabend's theory in tow, Berkowitz fought, alongside beloved activist and musician Michael Callen, for safer sex practices with out giving up on sex altogether. Sex Positive explores the explicit bravery of this unrecognized triumvirate, and their dire quest to save lives in the midst of unwavering dissent. Through the eyes of Mr. Berkowitz, we are made witness to a graphic testimony of sex, death, and betrayal, placing the invention of safe sex in a fresh and compelling context. Jury Award for Best Documentary at Outfest LA Film Festival

Preceded by Portrait of a Couple (David Martin-Porras, USA, 2007, 8 min) A few days before moving to Spain, Ryan learns that he might be HIV positive. This situation will force him to deal with his boyfriend and his worse fear: loneliness.