Four must-see films at Rendezvous with Madness

Holding Hands
Tonnette Stanford and Katherine Wilkinson?s doc Holding Hands follows an Australian gay couple, Craig and Shane, after they become the victims of a vicious gaybashing in Sydney?s gay village. Over the year that follows, Craig undergoes a public outing while the couple becomes a cause célèbre among the city?s gay community. (Fri, Nov 12, 6:30pm)

The Distance Between
In Michael Fahd?s downbeat short The Distance Between, 14-year-old Raymond struggles with fantasies of a happy gay life with his surrogate big brother but ends up taking a much darker path. (Fri, Nov 12, 6:30pm)

My Suicide
David Lee-Miller?s teen drama-comedy is also, unfortunately, a timely examination of the causes of teen suicide. A 17-year-old tech geek and filmmaker announces that he plans to film his own suicide for his final media-class project, leading to interventions, imitators and even more bullies trying to push him over the edge. Ironically, My Suicide also features David Carradine in one of his last roles before his mysterious death last year. (Fri, Nov 12, 9pm)

Opening Gala: Repeaters
Carl Bessai?s Repeaters is a psychological thriller about three young addicts in rehab trapped in a Groundhog Day-like loop. The slick trailer looks exciting and has generated some good buzz. (Fri, Nov 5, 6:45pm and Sat, Nov 13, 2:30pm)

Rob Salerno is a playwright and journalist whose writing has appeared in such publications as Vice, Advocate, NOW and OutTraveler.

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