by Gary Morris

The sheer number of queer film festivals is just one sign of how far we’ve come as a community. As windows into contemporary gay culture, they’re hard to beat. But there’s also something to be said for straight fests that include a small, select group of queer films. Such is the case with the Salem Film Festival, whose 2009 lineup showcases a trio of fine features exploring different areas of the gay experience.

Dustin Lance Black made waves with his Oscar-winning screenplay for Milk. His script for Pedro, directed by Nick Oceano, is a similar, loving biopic of a legendary gay activist. Pedro Zamora (1972-1994) became world famous as “the gay guy with AIDS” in pioneering MTV reality show The Real World.

Pedro’s story spans countries and cultures. His childhood in traditional Cuba offered scant preparation for young manhood stateside, where he navigated family homophobia and a new world fraught with possibility, and danger. Pedro’s life, as depicted here, was brief but intense—from the tragedy of being wrenched from half his family by Cuban authorities to the triumph of his AIDS activism.

Director Oceano has a sure touch with the actors. Justina Machado and Hale Appleman excel as, respectively, Pedro’s supportive sister Mily and his devoted friend Judd. But it’s Alex Loynaz who holds the drama together with his incisive performance. Loynaz is as charismatic as Pedro Zamora was and brings a gravitas to the role that keeps all eyes on him. Showtimes are 6:15 p.m. Fri., April 24 and 3 p.m. Sun., April 26. Loynaz will be in attendance.

Ready? OK! doesn’t open promisingly. A voiceover spews Hallmark clichés like bullets: “For anyone who dared to dream…” And the first glimpses of the characters—overwrought mom Andrea, her dysfunctional brother Alex, Andrea’s precocious 11-year-old son Josh—suggest another emotionally manipulative feel-good movie about a hyperactive little queen-to-be. But something happens along the way. Ready? OK!’s predictability vanishes, and characters who seemed more written than real emerge as likeable and ultimately poignant.

Josh goes to an uptight Catholic school, where he tries valiantly to butch it up on the wrestling team. But his real passion is cheerleading, and Sister Vivian won’t hear of a boy with pom-poms. Andrea wants to be supportive but is disturbed by Josh’s fascination with French braids and dolling up as Maria von Trapp. Things come to a head when Alex steals the money Josh raised to attend cheerleading camp and Andrea reveals a homophobic streak to a sympathetic gay neighbor.

This bare-bones description doesn’t capture the movie’s surprising pleasures, which include solid performances by Carrie Preston as Andrea, her real-life husband Michael Emerson as the gay neighbor, and especially Lurie Poston, simply wonderful as Josh. The film is based on writer-director James Vasquez’s experiences as a Catholic second-grader who tried unsuccessfully to become a cheerleader, and it shows. Showtime is 12:15 p.m. Sat., April 25.

The Lost Coast is a new entry in the “mumblecore” movement – low-budget, often digital video films about the lives of bewildered twentysomethings, played by nonprofessional actors. Think Elliott Smith in cinematic form. This doesn’t sound encouraging, but The Lost Coast is a memorable entry in the genre. Written and directed by Gabriel Fleming, The Lost Coast follows a group of former high school friends as they wander through San Francisco on Halloween night, looking for Ecstasy pills but finding a lot more. Gorgeous, gay Mark had a high school affair with straight Jasper. Mark’s former girlfriend Lily and best friend Caleb complete this wayward quartet.

The drama here is understated, even muted, which gives the more emotional scenes—as when Jasper and Mark finally confront each other, or find a dead body—an unexpected power. Mood is everything in this film. While viewers expecting a driving narrative will be disappointed, those who respond to themes of loss and regret, conveyed with subtle power, will be rewarded. The Lost Coast is one of three good reasons to head to Salem this week. Showtime is 8:30 p.m. Fri., April 17.