I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole

"I Always Said Yes: The Many Lives of Wakefield Poole" tells the story of a sometimes overlooked gay and independent film making pioneer. In late 1971, Wakefield Poole, a respected Broadway dancer and choreographer, had the audacity to put his real name above the title of his first film, a low-budget, hardcore gay erotic feature called "Boys in the Sand." And to make sure everyone knew about it, Poole advertised the film in the New York Times, creating a sensation. In an era when anyone making, promoting, or appearing in what the US government considered "pornography" could be liable for prosecution and jail time, Poole was a remarkably open and honest gay film maker. He became internationally famous and his movies screened for years as examples that films could be artistic as well as sexually explicit. Poole led an amazing life before and after his worldwide fame, and the documentary covers his years as a dancer, director/choreographer, filmmaker, art collector, gallery owner, pornographer, and chef. Filled with gorgeous archival footage, excerpts from Poole's lushly photographed films, and entertaining and illuminating interviews with Poole's contemporaries and colleagues, "I Always Said Yes" is a story of artistic integrity and disappointment, self-destruction, reinvention, love, sex, fortitude, and a little musical comedy. This is the 2016 Director's Cut, which expands the festival cut, including a new section detailing a controversial 2010 screening of Boys in the Sand on Fire Island, new archival footage and restored clips from Poole's films.