Out There :: Garden of Transgender Delights

The 13th San Francisco Transgender Film Festival, North America's first and the world's longest-running transgender film fest, is coming up Nov. 7-9 at the Roxie Theater. This year's edition offers features and shorts from Nepal, Australia, England, Canada, Northern Ireland, and of course, the U.S. Artistic Director Shawna Virago shared some of the deets.

The SFTFF will present "Black Is Blue" by acclaimed director Cheryl Dunye on Fri., Nov. 7, at 8 p.m. In it, according to the program blurb, a "stealth trans man security guard" is forced to resolve some unanticipated inner conflicts from the past. In "Butterfly," a transgender couple, Adrianne and Karl, are both diagnosed with Asperger syndrome. In "?Flying Solo," Robina Asti, 92, a WWII veteran and pilot, tells her story of living as a transgender woman since 1976, and of her fight to be treated like any other widow.

A grieving Chicana mother confronts an uninvited family member before her Dia de los Muertos celebration in "You're Dead to Me." "Forever's Gonna Start Tonight: The Vicki Marlane Story," directed by Michelle Lawler, chronicles the remarkable experiences of Vicki Marlane, from her roller-skating and cross-dressing youth through the adventures that led to her become SF's toast of the town in the early 1970s.

The fest also celebrates a local drag legend with "Heklina," directed by Brian Favorite. "From Heklina's early years in Iceland to his emergence as a premiere performer in the drag scene in San Francisco and beyond, this film asks: What motivates Heklina to create?" WWHD? Tickets: brownpapertickets.com. Info: sftff.org.

Food & Wine

Life may not be a bowl of cherries, but for Out There, it is a good bottle of red and a media luncheon. Follow along as we slurp and gobble.

Last month the specialty Italian food purveyor A.G. Ferrari invited us to a preview lunch at their updated SoMa store, in advance of its grand re-opening. Under three generations of family ownership, A.G. Ferrari has delivered a contemporary interpretation of a traditional Italian alimentari, with artisanal and imported products, prepared foods, boutique wine selections, and seasonal goods in its six Bay Area locations, including one in the Castro. OT got a taste of new menu offerings from in-house chef Ira Myer, expertly paired with unique Italian wine varietals by sommelier Tim Baumann.

Here was the bill of fare: Jerusalem artichoke gratin; fennel, orange & hazelnut salad; roasted eggplant caponata; cannellini beans with roasted tomatoes; and grilled vegetable medley; paired with La Farra, a Prosecco di Valdobbiadene Superiore. Then, ricotta & beef polpette, paired with De Conciliis, "Donna Luna" Paestum, Cilento Aglianico; roasted broccolini; and chicken Milanese, paired with Palazzone, Terre Vineate, Orvieto Classico Superiore.

Sandwiches were up next: tre (roast pork), paired with Giuseppe Gabbas, "LilLove," Cannonau di Sardinia; sette (proscuitto & burrata) and quinoa salad with grilled squash, paired with Cantina Andriano, Lagrein Rose; sedici (asparagus), with Cantina del Tabruno, Falanghina; quattordici (turkey & fig) and roasted cauliflower, paired with Venturini, Valpolicella Classico. Our expert tasting panel would return to Ferrari for any of the above. We found Myer's creations delicious, and Baumann's pairings inspired. The asparagus sandwich alone would have driven most sommeliers into crazy despair, but he came up with the Falanghina, an ancient varietal that he said could "stand up to anything."

Ferrari sent us home with its own brand of cavaturi and salsa all'arrabbiata, along with Tartuflanghe sale con tartufo blanco, Le Tamerici gelatina di prosecco, and Baratti & Milano cioccolato extra fondente. We cooked the pasta, which plumped up alarmingly, and served it with the spicy salsa, sprinkled with just a bit of the salt with white truffle. What a feast.

Then we attended an unusual wine-tasting/jazz concert event at SFJazz Center, in which Luminary winemakers offered their 2012 debut release while a jazz combo led by inspired vocalist Pamela Rose made music. This proved to be a combination of pleasures that could serve as a template for all future concerts. The Luminary red blend combines wine from estate vineyards in five different locales. It's composed of 55% cabernet sauvignon from Pine Ridge Vineyards in Napa, CA; 19% syrah from Double Canyon in Horse Heaven Hills, WA; 8% syrah from Chamisal Vineyards in Edna Valley, CA; 16% zinfandel from Seghesio Family Vineyards in Alexander Valley, CA; and 2% merlot from Pine Ridge Vineyards in Napa. The result is a bright, structured wine with layers of fruit, smoke and spice, eminently drinkable. Cheers from OT.