Openly gay actor Wilson Cruz will be on
hand June 19 to inaugurate El Paso, Texas' first gay, lesbian,
bisexual and transgender film festival.
Cruz, 36, is best know for his role as
troubled gay teen Enrique “Rickie” Vasquez on ABC's critically
acclaimed drama My So-Called Life. He played HIV-positive,
over-the-top drag queen Angel in the 1997 national tour of the rock
musical Rent, which featured openly gay actor Neil Patrick
Harris in the role of filmmaker Mark Cohen.
He'll be in El Paso to help kick off
the inaugural run of the Frontera Pride Film Festival where he'll be
presented with a career achievement award.
The festival opens on June 18 with
director/writer Jaymes Thompson's The
Gay Bed & Breakfast Of Terror,
a campy horror flick starring five gay and lesbian couples with a
twisted political bent. The festival will also feature the premiere
of director Anna Valenzuela's Love, a 12 minute short created
by UTEP's Queer Student Alliance that explores the meaning behind
love.
Organizers say the festival is off to a
good start with support from the city and the University of Texas at
El Paso (UTEP), which will offer a gay and lesbian film course to
coincide with the festival.
On the Net: Frontera Pride Film Festival
is at fronterapridefilmfestival.com.
Gay Entertainment Report is a feature
of On Top Magazine and can be reached at
ontopmag@ontopmag.com.