TWIS Asks: Wade Gasque, director of 'Tiger Orange'

As part of the annual Harvey Milk Festival, which kicks off tomorrow, festival organizers pick a spotlight film that represents the organization's mission to support diversity and promote equality through art. 

This year's film, which plays tomorrow night at 9:30 p.m. at Burns Court Cinema, is "Tiger Orange." The movie tells the story of two gay brothers who grew up in a small town in central California and are reunited by their father's death. After years apart, the reunion sparks an exploration of their different life experiences.

Starring Mark Strano and former adult star Frankie Valenti in his first traditional role, the film explores the universal themes of family, love and loss.

We checked in with Wade Gasque, the film's director and cowriter, to talk about the changing LGBT narrative, finding love and what it's like to direct a former porn star.

This is your directorial debut. Why was the story important for you to tell?

This is my first feature as a director. I cowrote it with my partner, Mark, who plays the lead, Chet. He came up with the idea for the screenplay, and we wanted to find someone to play the other lead.

The story follows two gay brothers who grew up in a small town in central California. The older brother, Chet, stayed in his hometown, and the younger brother, Todd, left at 18 and never looked back. The movie starts when their dad dies, and Todd shows up on Chet's doorstep and they hash out all this old stuff.

What about the story intrigued you?

We wanted to explore the idea of family, and specifically two brothers who are both gay but had very different life experiences. The narrative of one brother being gay and one brother being straight is something you see a lot more often, but this is a different dynamic.

It's not all too common, but it certainly exists. What would it be like for them? Would it be easier? Harder? Would they even talk about it? It just didn't feel like a lot of other "gay" features I've seen.

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Why did you choose that setting, specifically?

The location was really important. It's not so far out in the middle of nowhere that it's oppressive and scary. There are big cities nearby, but it's still a really small town with those types of small-town morals. I think it's really representative of where America is right now in terms of gay rights.

What was it like to work with Frankie Valenti (formerly Johnny Hazard) in his first traditional role?

He was very big in adult films, and that helped to have his name attached to the movie, but it was also a big risk for me. This is a simple story about two brothers, and if it didn't feel real, it wasn't going to work. But when I met with Frankie, I knew right away it would work and that he would really shine.

How did you approach your directing to get the best performance out of him?

In the adult industry, it's all about creating a fantasy, but this is real. There's no slick persona to hide behind. But he was completely on board with everything. I've acted too, so I love working with actors. There was one scene in the film, though, where I said, "Alright, you get to be Johnny Hazard now." And he adopted it immediately. This specific type of acting is new to him, but he's a pro.

Why would you recommend people go see the movie?

It's a story about two people trying to find love, but they don't know how to love or be loved. It's kind of a universal thing, and it certainly exists in the LGBT community.

I think this is a movie that people who live in smaller cities can really relate to. This is a new time in the LGBT community. For so long, the story was that gay people fled to the big city to be themselves, but I think that's changing. People are staying and putting down roots all over America. I lived that, but it's not our story so much anymore, and I think that's exciting.

IF YOU GO:

+ Tiger Orange — takes place at 9:30 p.m. at Burns Court Cinema, 506 Burns Court. $10.