The Cherry Grove Archives Collection grabbed the community’s attention with a Film Festival, held at the Community House, during the middle weekend of July.
A pre-opening party celebrated the festival at the home of Peggy Samson on July 14. Films shown on July 15 were “Roseland,” starring Rose Levine; “Lipstick of the Brave;” “The Album;” “Becoming Chavela,” made by Joyce Callo and starring Stephanie Trudeau as the queer singer Chavela Vargas from Costa Rica, who made her name in Mexico, singing ranchera music, traditionally sung by men; and “Gay History Tour.
On July 16, filmmakers and the films’ stars took to the red carpet to be photographed. And films shown were “Our Dunes;” “Presenting Sal Piro,” along with a screening of “Who Killed Rose Levine?”, one of Sal’s shows for the Arts Project of Cherry Grove; Parker Sargent’s “Haven,” starring Ellen Bryant and Amanda Nicholas, subtitled “Gay Life in 1950s Cherry Grove;” “Dans La Nature;” “I Feel a Song Coming On;” “Ride that Ass;” “Blood Sisters;” “Making Legends;” Parker and Koitz’s “In the Meatrack;” “FORT;” and “Pat Rocco Dared.”
On July 17, cultural anthropologist Esther Newton (“Mother Camp,” “Cherry Grove, Fire Island”) and her wife Holly Hughes were present for the screening of director Jean Carlomusto and producers Carlomusto and Shanti Avergan’s documentary “Esther Newton Made Me Gay.” A closing party and encore screenings of some of the films closed the festival later that day.

Photo credits & captions:
All photos by Lee Sharmat, except where otherwise noted:

1.Archivists – photo by Susan Kravitz
2-21.pre-opening party

On the red carpet:
22.Parker Sargent (center) with Ellen Bryant & Amanda Nicholas – photo by Brian Clark
23.Doreen & Bobbie
24.Stephanie Trudeau & Joyce Callo
25.Rose Levine & Michael Fitzgerald
26.Mike & Fidel
27.Gary & Michael
28.Ellen Bryant & Amanda Nicholas
29.Lorraine, Edrie & Joan
30.Clara & friend
31.on the red carpet
32.RuthFreedner & Sal Piro
33.Matt Baney & Chris Caswell
34.Sharon & Anita
35.Homecoming Queen JizzaBella with Parker Sargent

Closing day:
36.Esther Newton, Amber Hollibaugh & Holly Hughes
37, 39, 40. Closing day
38.Esther Newton & Parker Sargent