ImageOut: The Rochester Lesbian & Gay Film & Video Festival celebrates its 16th year this time around. And after a decade and a half of consistently bringing local audiences the planet's best films about the lesbian-bisexual-gay-transgender experience, she's earned a little freedom - like most socially responsible 16-year-olds - to unfurl her rebellious wings. The 2008 chapter, running October 10-19, offers up the inaugural ImageOut There! Series, which consists of four films that festival programmers found especially challenging, polarizing, graphic, even scandalous. You've been warned... or perhaps intrigued?

Of course, ImageOut is more massive than ever, featuring 48 programs of features, shorts, and documentaries, as well as the Youth Project Film Series, a selection of films free to those under 21, and the subsidized ImageOutreach initiative, striving to make the festival accessible to everyone. Oh, you know all this stuff by now; just visit imageout.org if you want to learn more, and read on for a quick peek at 16 films in honor of ImageOut's sweetest birthday yet.

If the eyes truly are the windows to the soul, then the defiantly unguarded orbs of Sheetal Sheth are made of a thin glass that barely conceals her animus. Sheth stars in "The World Unseen" as Amina, a free-thinking café owner in the racial hotbed that is 1952 Cape Town who falls for Miriam (the luscious Lisa Ray, "Water"), a dutiful Indian wife drawn to Amina's independence. Shamim Sarif based her award-winning first novel on the compelling experiences of her grandmother, then adapted it for her directing debut. Though a more experienced filmmaker would have backed off on the foreshadowing and directed the actors more effectively, the film is across-the-board gorgeous, from the vintage dresses to the cinematography to the cast, especially the two ravishing leads. (Fri, Oct 10, 7 p.m., Little Theatre)

If you happened to catch it as part of this year's Rochester Jewish Film Festival, then you already know that "The Secrets" is a well-crafted drama about Naomi (Ania Bokstein), an Orthodox young woman whose pre-wedding time at seminary brings her closer to both G-d and Michelle (Michal Shtamler), her fellow student/polar opposite. And you know what they say about opposites. Gallic goddess Fanny Ardant appears in a melodramatic subplot as Anouk, the catalyst that forces the devout Naomi and initially bitchy Michelle together, seemingly to bring food to the sickly older woman until it becomes clear that Anouk is craving spiritual sustenance as well. "The Secrets" takes a little while to fever up, then the romantic delirium tightens its grip. (Sat, Oct 11, 7 p.m., Little Theatre)

There's a scene early on that will smack you across the face and force you to view this stubborn-educator/difficult-student drama as much more than a timeworn cinematic cliché. Set in a German prison, "Four Minutes" watches the volatile alchemy that occurs when an elderly piano teacher (the restrained Monica Bleibtreu) crosses paths with a firecracker of a prodigy (the laid-bare Hannah Herzsprung) doing time for murder. Yeah, you know exactly where it's going, yet the finely balanced performances and the stirring score make the journey to the inevitable albeit astonishing finale worthy of your time. Truthfully, the lesbian angle seems belabored and unnecessary, but if that's what allows Rochester to finally see "Four Minutes," then whatever. It's one of the best films you'll be treated to all year. (Sat, Oct 11, 9:30 p.m., Little Theatre)

Essentially a meditative two-person interlude following the death of their mutual friend, "Ciao" is one of those rare festival selections with neither agenda nor lesson, merely truth. The grieving Jeff (Adam Neal Smith) is tying up his late best friend's loose ends when he learns that Mark had a virtual relationship with an Italian man who was finally planning to visit. In walks the smoldering Andrea (Alessandro Calza, who co-wrote the subtle script), and what could easily have manifested as a run-of-the-mill romantic comedy instead becomes a quietly honest series of exchanges as the two men learn about each other, as well as some surprising facts about the man who brought them together. "Ciao" might actually make a lovely stage play, if anyone's so inspired... (Sun, Oct 12, 11:45 a.m., Dryden Theatre)

I can't be the only one who misses British actor Rupert Graves. Though he showed up in 2007's "Death at a Funeral," for a time it seemed as though the gifted Graves was in every other UK movie (i.e., ‘92's "Damage," ‘94's "Madness of King George," ‘97's "Bent"). Graves plays a small but pivotal role in the ImageOut There! selection "Clapham Junction," an Altman-esque ensemble drama about intolerance and violence in a London neighborhood. The intertwining subplots involve a recently married gay couple, a closeted husband, and a sociopathic grandma's boy, as well as a sexual predator and the teenaged neighbor hell-bent on tempting him. There are myriad ways that "Clapham Junction" could go the bully-pulpit route, but the subject matter is too tragic and brutal to even need any preaching. (Sun, Oct 12, 2 p.m., Dryden Theatre)

Argentine filmmaker Lucia Penzo's powerful debut "XXY" tells the story of Alex, a coltish 15-year-old who we slowly learn was born with both male and female parts. And though she's lived as a girl up until now, Alex has recently begun to forego the hormones that have prevented her from masculinizing. Alex's parents have grown understandably worried, and our perspective as outsiders is embodied by the surgeon and his family that Alex's mother has invited to their remote Uruguayan beach house. His cobalt eyes always startling against those inky tresses, Ricardo Darin (so good in "The Aura") plays Alex's father, increasingly panicked that he can't protect his child, but 22-year-old Inés Efron steals the show with her gutsy performance as Alex, now at an age where this monumental decision is solely down to her. (Sun, Oct 12, 4:30 p.m., Dryden Theatre)

A sugar-sweet comedy as effortlessly infectious as its undaunted hero, "Ready? OK!" follows young Josh (the buoyant Lurie Poston) as he tries to understand exactly why he can't ditch wrestling for the cheerleading squad. And also, when instructed to dress up as your favorite music person, what's wrong with Maria von Trapp? Josh's frazzled single mom (Carrie Preston, charmingly sympathetic) is under pressure from Josh's school to make her son more young-manly, and she's got a little extra on her plate now that her screwup brother (played by Preston's brother John) has returned to the nest. "Ready? OK!" is essentially one of those fun, simple message movies where everyone learns something, except Josh, who really didn't see a problem in the first place. (Sun, Oct 12, 6:45 p.m., Dryden Theatre)

Another of the ImageOut There! offerings, "Antonio's Secret" seems to be that 15-year-old Antonio (the pensive Kenjie Garcia) likes both boys and girls. Set in Manila, this occasionally funny, sometimes touching, and ultimately vicious film observes as Antonio, a/k/a Tong, tries to comprehend his sexuality as well as how it might impact his entrenched friendships. Tong's father is in Dubai, leaving him to be raised by his strong mother, but it's the introduction of his rapacious uncle Jonbert that will throw Tong's world into life-altering turmoil. Though not entirely without reward, "Antonio's Secret" is a tough watch. (Mon, Oct 13, 9:45 p.m., Little Theatre)

In Iran sex changes are allowed for diagnosed transsexuals, and since homosexuality is punishable by death, drastic surgery is often the only way to love who you want to love. "Be Like Others" is a poignant, fascinating documentary that chronicles the journeys of a few men as they prepare to switch genders. The mother hen to many of the aspiring medical candidates is Vida, who seems to have successfully weathered the mental and physical trauma of her surgery and now works as a no-nonsense advocate for those following in her footsteps. One can't shake the feeling, however, that the sex-change law is a shortsighted and barbaric policy, especially after witnessing the willful pre-op Anoosh and her fidgety boyfriend, clearly worried about how he's supposed to be attracted to a woman, especially one who's gone to irreversible lengths to become one. (Tue, Oct 14, 5:30 p.m., Little Theatre)

The distinctive Noo Yawk rumble of Harvey Fierstein narrates "The Times of Harvey Milk," the 1985 Oscar winner for Best Documentary. It's an affectionate collection of those closest to the first openly gay man to hold public office in the United States, all of whom discuss his selfless life and enduring legacy following his murder at the disgruntled hands of Dan White, Milk's colleague on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. Maybe you've seen it before - the film's breathtaking footage of Milk's vast candelight vigil will moisten even the driest eye - but it's a helpful primer in advance of Gus Van Sant's imminent "Milk," which features the impeccable casting of Sean Penn as the Mayor of Castro Street and Josh Brolin as the all-American assassin. (Tue, Oct 14, 7:30 p.m., Dryden Theatre)

"You look delicious. I want you to be in me." This would sound romantic if a special someone were trying to seduce you, but is it any less romantic if that someone were preparing to dine on 51 pounds of your willing flesh? "Grimm Love" dares you to give a little more thought to your answer. Based on a true German instance of cannibalism, "Grimm Love" stars Keri Russell as a criminal psych student whose obsession with the lurid details of the case causes her to wonder about the nature of love and what it truly means to give of oneself. Shot in murky, shadowy grays that portend a gruesome, agonizing denouement that is still somehow as shocking as it is anticipated, "Grimm Love" is unquestionably the ImageOut There!-iest of them all. (Tue, Oct 14, 9:45 p.m., Little Theatre)

Canadian cult filmmaker Bruce La Bruce is perfect for the ImageOut There! series and follows up 2004's "Raspberry Reich" with "Otto; or, Up With Dead People," a gay-zombie porn comedy that - I know, I know, not another one. But "Otto" is suitably eye-popping, with shifting colors, saturated emulsions, animation, some icky Cronenberg-ish penetration, and a silent-film homage in service to the tale of a forlorn young zombie named Otto who keeps flashing back to snippets of his former life. He's also now part of the movie within a movie "Up With Dead People," after answering a flyer posted by a pretentious director who really appreciates his commitment to the role. As Otto, the wistfully hoodied Jey Crisfar puts the "dead" in "deadpan" as he lurches through the streets of Berlin, and while there might be some sort of capitalist symbolism and/or AIDS metaphor going on here, often zombies are just zombies. (Wed, Oct 15, 10 p.m., Little Theatre)

Tom Kalin, who made his directing debut with 1992's award-winning "Swoon," tackles more homicidal sensationalism in "Savage Grace," which stylishly dramatizes the decades leading up to the 1972 murder of Barbara Baekeland at the hands of her son, a confused young man whose mother attempted to, um, cure him of his preference for men. The perpetually fearless Julianne Moore amps up the camp to play Barbara, occasionally delving into the exaggerated histrionics that only a bored, delusional (and smartly dressed!) socialite would attempt. This film's money shot, as it were, is a jaw-dropper and serves to punctuate the tragedy of all those lives railroaded into a direction completely opposite the way they ought to be going. (Thu, Oct 16, 9:45 p.m., Little Theatre)

Falling into a frustratingly blurry area between documentary fact and narrative fiction, "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela" is a quasi-"Pretty Woman" fable about a Filipina ladyboy who really wants a handsome, wealthy gentleman to whisk her to Paris so she can leave her tranny-hooker life in Cebu City behind. Speaking in the cadence and timbre of a girly Yoda, pretty chick-with-dick Raquela Rios portrays herself, hanging out with her similarly navel-gazing friends, contending with opportunistic dirtbags, and, oddly, going to work at a Reykjavik fish factory for a couple of months. We want to root for this naïve, starry-eyed sweetheart, but it's up to us to puzzle out what's true and what's staged, which makes real involvement hard. (Fri, Oct 17, 5:30 p.m., Cinema Theatre)

There's an unwritten law of gay cinema that mandates at least one festival film feature the trinity of Alec Mapa, Jane Lynch, and Bruce Vilanch, and the high-school romantic comedy "Tru Loved" is it. Tru (the delightful Najarra Townsend) is new to her school, and when cutie-pie quarterback Lodell (Matthew Thompson) sees in her a kindred spirit, they become close... though not as close as Lodell works overtime to make everyone believe. With lesbian moms, gay dads, a closeted athlete, interracial romance, hate crime, and the formation of the school's gay-straight alliance, "Tru Loved" is as heavy-handed and routine as any after-school special, but damned if that generous, all-things-to-all-people approach doesn't also make it kind of irresistible. Plus, Lieutenant Uhura plays the grandmother! (Fri, Oct 17, 7:30 p.m., Cinema Theatre)

Former hockey goon Eric McNally (Tom Cavanaugh from TV's "Ed") is now a sportscaster, though he leaves his personal life, including longtime partner Sam (Ben Shenkman, "Then She Found Me") at home. But in one of those only-in-the-movies contrivances, "Breakfast With Scot" begins unfolding when the orphaned Scot, an 11-year-old tornado of feather boas and charm bracelets who squeals over the flawless hang of a coat, gets dropped in their lives. As played without reserve by the saucy Noah Bennett, Scot isn't even always that likable, but the mission here for Eric is accept Scot, accept yourself. No, this syrupy comedy could never be called groundbreaking, and it's not even that remarkable, but its heart is huge. (Sat, Oct 18, 7:30 p.m., Dryden Theatre)

ImageOut 2008 Schedule

All screenings at Little Theatre, 240 East Ave, unless otherwise noted.

Friday, October 10

7 p.m.: "The World Unseen," $15

9 p.m.-2 a.m.: Opening Night Party, Eros Restaurant, free w/ticket stub

9:30 p.m.: "Were the World Mine," $15

Saturday, October 11

11:45 a.m.: "Equality U," $7

11:45 a.m.: "Out Late," Dryden, $7

2 p.m.: "Sugar Rush," $7

2 p.m.: "The Universe of Keith Haring," Dryden, $7

4:15 p.m. "Arts & Crafts" (Short Program), $7

4:15 p.m.: "Eleven Minutes," Dryden, $7

7 p.m.: "The Secrets," $9

7 p.m.: "Save Me," Dryden, $9

9:30 p.m.: "Four Minutes," $9

9:30 p.m.: "Another Gay Sequel: Gays Gone Wild," Dryden, $9

Sunday, October 12

11:30 a.m.: "Flower City Flicks" (Shorts Program), $7

11:45 a.m.: "Ciao," Dryden, $7

2 p.m.: "It's Still Elementary," $7

2 p.m.: "Clapham Junction," Dryden, $7

4:30 p.m.: "Womyn Power is Everywhere," $7

4:30 p.m.: "XXY," Dryden, $9

6:45 p.m.: "Ready? OK!" Dryden, $9

7:15 p.m.: "The New World," $9

9:30 p.m.: "To Each Her Own," $9

9:30 p.m.: "Mulligans," Dryden, $9

Monday, October 13

5:30 p.m.: "Ask Not," $7

7:30 p.m.: "Pageant," $9

9:45 p.m.: "Antonio's Secret," $9

Tuesday, October 14

5:30 p.m.: "Be Like Others," $7

7:30 p.m.: "Drifting Flowers," $9

7:30 p.m.: "The Times of Harvey Milk," Dryden, $9

9:45 p.m.: "Grimm Love," $9

Wednesday, October 15

5:30 p.m.: "Sex Positive," $7

7:30 p.m.: "The Sensei," $11

10 p.m.: "Otto; Or, Up With Dead People," $9

Thursday, October 16

5:30 p.m.: "Ebony Chunky Love," $7

7:30 p.m.: "His Dark Secret" (Shorts Program), $9

9:45 p.m.: "Savage Grace," $9

Friday, October 17

5:30 p.m.: "The Amazing Truth About Queen Raquela," Cinema, $7

7:30 p.m.: "Tru Loved," Cinema, $11

9:45 p.m.: "Boystown," Cinema, $9

Saturday, October 18

11:45 a.m.: "Bi the Way," Cinema, $7

Noon: "What Love Means," Dryden, $9

2 p.m.: "In Sickness and in Health," Cinema, $7

4:15 p.m.: "Searching for Sandeep," Cinema, $7

4:15 p.m.: "Fashion Victims," Dryden, $7

7:30 p.m.: "Breakfast with Scot," Dryden, $15

9:30 p.m.: Closing Night Party, Village Gate Square, $20

Sunday, October 19

1 p.m.: "Growing Pains" (Shorts Program), $7

3:15 p.m.: "Steam," $7

6:30 p.m.: "Laughing Matters...Next Gen," $9

8:45 p.m. "Newcastle," $9

Cinema Theater, 957 S Clinton Ave | Dryden Theatre, George Eastman House, 900 East Ave | Eros Restaurant & Bar, 37 Charlotte St | Village Gate Square, 274 N Goodman St.| For more information visit imageout.org.