- Paul Festa
Paul Festa [http://www.paulfesta.com] is a San Francisco-based writer, filmmaker and violinist.
Writing
Festa's essays have appeared in
Nerve (website) ,Salon.com , and three editions of theCleis Press 's annual "Best Sex Writing" anthology (2008 [http://www.amazon.com/Best-Sex-Writing-2008/dp/1573443026] , 2006 [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1573442372/] and 2005 [http://www.amazon.com/dp/1573442178/] ). His essays, fiction and journalism have won numerous awards [http://paulfesta.com/writing/CV.htm] .Film
His film "Apparition of the Eternal Church" [http://www.apparitionfilm.com] is about the response of 31 artists and writers, including literary critic
Harold Bloom , filmmakerJohn Cameron Mitchell ,Scissor Sisters singerAna Matronic , novelistDaniel Handler (a.k.a.Lemony Snicket ), and drag performersJustin Bond (Kiki & Herb ) andJackie Beat [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810758/fullcredits#cast] , to the music ofOlivier Messiaen . It won awards at several film festivals. [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0810758/awards]Music
As a violinist, Festa won the
San Francisco Symphony Young Musicians Award, toured Scandinavia as soloist with the California Youth Symphony, studied violin at theJuilliard School from 1990 to 1993, and performed in New York withAlbert Fuller 's [http://albertfuller.blogspot.com] Helicon Ensemble [http://www.paulfesta.com/music/musicCV.htm] . Fourteen years after a repetitive strain injury curtailed his musical career, Festa resumed public performances in 2007 as both violinist and actor with the Stephen Pelton Dance Theater [http://www.stephenpeltondance.org/] in San Francisco, and the North Bay Shakespeare Company [http://www.nbshakes.org/] in Novato, California [http://www.pacificsun.com/morguepdf/2007/2007_09_07.pac.section2.pdf] . At the Boston University Messiaen Project [http://oliviermessiaen.net/] conference "Messiaen the Theologian," in October 2007, Festa and pianist Luke Berryman gave the U.S. premiere [http://www.bu.edu/cfa/music/resources/CalendarMakerBU2007-08.htm] of Messiaen's recently discovered 1933 "Fantaisie" for violin and piano (List of compositions by Olivier Messiaen ). He gave the New York premiere, with pianist Melvin Chen [http://www.melvinchen.com] in February 2008. In April 2008, with pianist Steven Vanhauwaert [http://www.stevenpiano.com] , he gave the West Coast premiere in San Francisco, and the Los Angeles premiere. [http://www.paulfesta.com/Grace.htm]Film appearances
Festa appears briefly in the films "Act of Violence" (1979) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0078731/] , "Filthy Gorgeous: The Trannyshack Story" (2005) [http://imdb.com/title/tt0468563/] and "
Shortbus " (2006) [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0367027/fullcredits#cast] .
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