Category: Events

World premiere of Yes, We’re Open this Sunday

A fictional film about non-monogamy will be making its debut this Sunday at the 30th San Francisco International Asian American Film Festival -- and as the Centerpiece Presentation, no less! The feature film, Yes, We're Open, was written by H.P. Mendoza and directed by Richard Wong. It was filmed in just 16 days in the San Francisco Bay Area, and acquired post-production funding with the help of a successful Kickstarter campaign.

The synopsis:

LUKE and SYLVIA think of themselves as a modern couple -- always in the know and open to new experiences. Enter ELENA and RONALD -- a provocative polyamorous couple that challenge Luke and Sylvia's status in their circle of friends and with each other. With temptation around the corner, Luke and Sylvia must figure out where they really stand on love, sex, and honesty.

The premiere will take place at the historic Castro Theatre this Sunday, March 11th. Tickets can be purchased online here, where you can also read a more detailed synopsis.

Be sure to follow the film on Facebook and Twitter for info on future screenings.

Poly Living 2012 approaching

The 7th annual Poly Living Conference in Philadelphia is about a month away! It's happening February 10th through 12th at the Embassy Suites Philadelphia Airport Hotel. Poly Living has reserved a block of rooms at the hotel, and there are only a few days left to take advantage of a special, discounted room rate. Book a reservation online before Tuesday, January 10th to receive the reduced rate.

Here's a description of the Poly Living Conference:

Since 2005 when George Marvil hosted the first Poly Living Conference in Philadelphia, it has been the best place to warm up your winter with fun, learning and polyamory community. Whether you are new to polyamory and wanting to find out more, a professional interested in helping clients or an experienced poly person looking to have fun with old friends, Poly Living is a great place to learn, explore and connect with real people.

This year's keynote speaker is Alan M. of the blog Poly in the Media. His talk is called "Busting Loose: Polyamory in the Next Five Years." There will also be a Friday night social and a variety of workshops from esteemed presenters. Attendees will be able to learn:

  • New models beyond marriage and monogamy
  • Communication skills
  • Being real and honest about what you want
  • Making agreements that work for you
  • Polyamory 101
  • Managing emotions and jealousy
  • Enjoying pleasure and letting go of shame
  • Poly living styles -- knowing what you want

Registration for the conference is $125 and you can register online.

NYC Poly Pride Weekend approaching

From Friday, October 7th through Sunday, October 9th, Polyamorous NYC is hosting the eleventh annual Poly Pride Weekend. So far, the list of festivities includes a rally in Central Park, a Super Massive Cuddle Party, and an Infinity Party.

In an email blast sent out a few days ago, Justen M. Bennett-Maccubbin wrote about the first ever Poly Pride rally, held on September 15th, 2001.

The city was in chaos. The entire country came to a halt. What purpose did an event about self-respect in a sexual identity with flamboyant drag queens and various forms of light-hearted entertainment have in a city just days after almost 3,000 of its citizens were killed?

. . . The original purpose of the event for that year shifted completely from one of cheerful celebration to somber communion. Vince, one of the planners brought little American flags to put in the ground around the stage, and many of the acts changed their tone.

. . . In times of great sorrow association can be a powerful defense against pain. At that moment we needed to be surrounded by friends, families and lovers. The turn out of the event demonstrated that Polyamory is about alot more than simply the freedom to have multiple partners. It's about compassion and companionship. Empathy and understanding. Courage to live differently and strength to live honestly.

. . . Today we look back and realize if this event survived through 9/11 and is still around 10 years later, then there is probably not much that we can't get through.

Polyamorous NYC is still on the look-out for volunteers, speakers, and entertainers for this year's Poly Pride Weekend. They can also be followed on Twitter.

Alan launches listing of polyamory events

Alan, the writer behind the awesome blog Polyamory in the News, has launched a new website which rounds up poly events. The site, Alan's List of Polyamory Events, lists all major poly events (gatherings, festivals, cons, and more) coming up within the next 12 months. The site will be continually updated.

Additionally, at the bottom of the page, one can find resource lists for finding local poly groups and get-togethers.

If you have an event (of wide geographic interest only) you'd like Alan to add to the listing, post about it in the comments section of the site, or email it to alan7388 [at] gmail [dot] com.