7th Queer Lion Lineup and Winner

A few minutes ago the winner was announced and to my surprise this year Queer Lion winner is a film that I'm really looking forward to watch, which is highly unusual!

... and the winner is:

Philomena, Stephen Frears, UK, USA and France (G)

The jury, headed by Angelo Acerbi and composed by Queer Lion founder Daniel N. Casagrande and Marco Busato, general delegate of cultural association CinemArte, unanimously awarded the prize "For the ability of giving proper relevance to issues such as homosexuality, AIDS and homophobia in a movie focused on the painful topic of a 50 years long search for a son, and for emphasizing, with the light touch of a comedy, how an humble woman with a deep Catholic faith can show outright and loving acceptance for the essential, important aspects of the sexual identity and same-sex family of a 'just re-discovered' son."

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8/21
Today finally was published the list of the nine (9) films that will compete for the 2013 Queer Lion and here they are with a small summary for each film.

Venezia 70 (Main Competition)
Philomena, Stephen Frears, UK, USA and France (G)
Falling pregnant as a teenager in Ireland in 1952, Philomena was sent to the convent of Roscrea to be looked after as a “fallen woman.” When her baby was only a toddler, he was taken away by the nuns for adoption in America. Philomena spent the next fifty years searching for him but with no success. Then she met Martin Sixsmith, a world-weary political journalist who happened to be intrigued by her story. Together they set off to America on a journey that would not only reveal the extraordinary story of Philomena’s son (who had become a great lawyer, front-man for the Republican Party under Reagan’s and Bush Sr.’s administrations; but who was also gay, forced by his party’s homophobic views to lead a double life, until his tragic departure, at 43, due to AIDS), but also create an unexpectedly close bond between Philomena and Martin. The film is a compelling narrative of human love and loss that ultimately celebrates life.

Tom à la ferme (Tom at the Farm), Xavier Dolan, Canada and France (G)
Tom, a young advertising copywriter, travels to the country for a funeral. There, he’s shocked to find out no one knows who he is, nor who he was to the deceased, whose brother soon sets the rules of a twisted game. In order to protect the family’s name and grieving mother, Tom now has to play the peacekeeper in a household whose obscure past bodes even greater darkness for his “trip” to the farm. Stockholm syndrome, deception, grief and secretive savageries pervade this brief and brutal pilgrimage through the warped and ugly truth.

Via Castellana Bandiera (A Street in Palermo),Emma Dante, Italy, Switzerland and France (L)
It’s a Sunday afternoon. The sirocco is blowing pitilessly in Palermo when Rosa and Clara, a lesbian couple, lose their way in the streets of the city and end up in a sort of alley: Via Castellana Bandiera. At the same moment, another car driven by Samira, crammed with members of the Calafiore family, arrives from the opposite direction and enters the same street. Neither Rosa at the wheel of her Multipla, nor Samira, the old and stubborn woman driving a Punto, is willing to give way to the other. A wholly female duel punctuated by the refusal to drink, eat and sleep; more obstinate than the sun of Palermo and more stubborn than the ferocity of the men who surround them. For, as in every duel, it is a question of life or death.

Orizzonti
Eastern Boys, Robin Campillo, France (G)
They come from all over Eastern Europe: Russia, Ukraine, Moldova... The oldest ones appear no more than 25; as for the youngest, there is no way of telling their age. They spend all their time hanging around the Gare du Nord train station in Paris. They might be male prostitutes. Daniel, a discreet man in his early fifties, has his eye on one of them, Marek. Gathering his courage, he speaks to him. The young man agrees to come and visit Daniel the following day at his place, with wholly unpredictable consequences. Daniel will have to learn to fight to defend himself and the youth from the violent reaction of the group, led by a brutal man who is determined not to loosen his grip.

Piccola Patria, Alessandro Rossetto, Italy (L)
Two young women, a hot and stifling summer, the desire to get away from a small provincial town. Luisa is full of life, uninhibited, unconventional; Renata is dark, angry, in need of love. The lives of the two women tell a story of blackmail, of betrayed love, of violence: Luisa uses Bilal, her Albanian boyfriend, Renata uses Luisa’s body to pull the strings of her vendetta. Both want to leave the small community that raised them, among local festivals and nationalist rallies, exhausted families and new generations of migrants targeted by those still feeling threatened. Luisa, Renata and Bilal will run the risk of losing themselves, of losing a precious part of themselves, of losing the people they love, of losing their life.

Giornate degli Autori
3 Bodas de Más (Three Many Weddings), Javier Ruiz Caldera, Spain (G)
Is there anything worse than being invited to your ex-boyfriend´s wedding? Sure! When it happens three times in one month, when you don´t know how to say no, when you are an awkward 30-something who loses it after a couple drinks, when the only person you can convince to be your date is the new intern, and when at one of the weddings you are up for a huge surprise, when it comes to the sentence “you may now kiss the bride”.

Gerontophilia, Bruce LaBruce, Canada (G)
18-year-old Lake has a sweet activist girlfriend, but one day discovers he has an unusual attraction for the elderly. Fate conspires to land him a summer job at a nursing home where he develops a tender relationship with Mr. Peabody. Discovering that the patients are being over-medicated to make them easier to manage, Lake decides to wean him off his medication and help him escape, resulting in a humorous and heartfelt road trip that strengthens their bond.

Julia, J. Jackie Baier, Germany and Lithuania (documentary) (T)
A story of faith and disbelief. Of uprootedness and affiliation. What makes a boy from art school decide to leave home and live as a girl on the streets of Berlin selling her body for money? For more than ten years, photographer and filmmaker J. Jackie Baier followed transsexual Julia K. from her birthplace, Klaipeda in Lithuania, to her tough life on the streets as a hooker, outlaw and nonconformist who never signed any social contract.

Kill Your Darlings, John Krokidas, USA (G)
Kerouac. Burroughs. Ginsberg. Who were they, though, before they became virtual icons of the counterculture movement? In 1944, Jack Kerouac was a washed-up college running back who had lasted all of eight days in the U.S. Navy. William S. Burroughs was a medical school dropout, former door-to-door insect exterminator and budding drug addict, hanging on the fringes of the New York bohemian scene after following a pair of friends from his native St. Louis, Lucien Carr and David Kammerer, to Manhattan. Allen Ginsberg was a nervous, straitlaced freshman at Columbia University, easy prey of Carr’s seduction games and his obsession with the charismatic Kammerer. This is the story of three future beats who fell in with each other, and a brutal murder that capped off their youthful partnership.

Settimana della Critica
L’Armée du salut (Salvation Army), Abdellah Taïa, France (G)
In Casablanca, the young Abdellah spends his days at home, living a relationship of conflicts and complicity with his father. In the city streets, he has occasional sexual intercourses with men. During a holiday, his older and venerated brother Slimane abandons him. Ten years later. Abdellah lives with his Swiss lover, Jean. He leaves Morocco and goes to Geneva, where he decides to break up and to start a new life alone. He takes shelter in a house of the Salvation Army, where a Moroccan man sings a song of his idol Abdel Halim Hafez for him.

Furthermore, NOT competing, but worthy of being mentioned for their secondary LGBT contents, are Stephen Frears’s Philomena (Venezia 70), Paul Schrader’s The Canyons (Out of Competition), Cherien Dabis’s May in the Summer (Venice Days), Moisés Sepúlveda’s Las Analfabetas (International Critics’ Week). And we cannot  forget mentioning the restored version of Nagisa Ôshima’s masterpiece Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence.

As usual, during the Festival the jury might decide to include in the competition movies not mentioned in this list.

On Saturday, September 7th, at Cinema Astra in Lido, Special Event with the screening of Il rosa nudo by Giovanni Coda, the Queer Lion 2013 award ceremony, and the debate Lotta all’omofobia: quali strumenti? (Fighting Homophobia: How?) at the presence of Sen. Josefa Idem, M.P. Alessandro Zan, and president of Gaynet Franco Grillini.

Up to this moment the jury has three members Angelo Acerbi (president), Daniel N. Casagrande and Marco Busato.

Here is a recently published document that has a bit of the award history plus several award winners in past editions. Available only in Italian.

27th Teddy Award Winners

A gay interest movie is the top Teddy winner, In the Name of, but this time I am really interested in watching film because of the director, Małgośka Szumowska, and her previous film, Elles.

But definitively the film to watch as Must Be Seen is the Jury Award winner, Concussion by Stacie Passon a film that is starting to look very promising not only for today's honor but because seems will become one of the very few lesbian interest films that crossover to mainstream cinema. Film already has a US distributor and is none other than Radius-TWC (yes, is another Weinstein company) plus Paradigm Films. Very good news.

Most remarkable, top feature films Teddy winners are by women directors'. Excellent!

Winners are in *BLUE.

1/30/13
As stated at Berlinale official site, the Teddy Award is the most outstanding queer film prize in the world with a clear vision that shows prize is socially engaged, political honor presented to films and people who communicate queer themes on a broad social platform, thereby contributing to tolerance, acceptance, solidarity and equality in society.

The theme of this year’s Teddy Award is ‘Queer icons: Let’s open up our queer family album’. This is a celebration of gay men, lesbians, bisexual men and women, transgender, closet queens and raging queers, from Valeska Gert to Divine, from Tom of Finland to James Baldwin and from Mishima to Mapplethorpe. The 27th Teddy Award will feature an homage to Jean Marais, commemorating the 100th anniversary of his birth. The theme is underlined in the series of works Golden Queers by the painter Rinaldo Hopf which will be on display from 1 to 28 February. His artwork – the Teddy design for 2013 – makes reference to the anniversary of Marais’ birth.

The Teddy award is a non-profit event and is financed exclusively through the contributions and donations of the sponsors and benefactors of the Teddy foundation, the hard work of its many volunteers and through sponsorship and ticket sales for the event itself.

Every year films from all sections of the Berlinale compete for the Teddy Awards. Award ceremony will be on February 15.

Did a spontaneous classification for each movie, but be aware that some films blur the LGBT interest to go more mainstream, meaning: films could appeal more to general audiences than to genre audiences, those films are left without a classification.

The Films

Feature Films

Competition
La Religieuse (The Nun), Guillaume Nicloux, France, Germany and Belgium (L)
Vic+Flo on vu un ours (Vic+Flo Saw a Bear), Denis Côté, Canada (L)
*W imię… (In the Name of), Małgośka Szumowska, Poland (G) BEST FEATURE FILM

Panorama
백야 Baek Ya (White Night), LeeSong Hee-il, South Korea (G)
Chemi sabnis naketsi (A Fold in My Blanket), Zaza Rusadze, Georgia (G)
*Concussion, Stacie Passon, USA (L) SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Deshora (Belated), Barbara Salasola-Day, Argentina, Colombia and Norway (G)
Interior. Leather Bar., Travis Mathews and James Franco, USA (G)
Lose Your Head, Stefan Westerwelle and Patrick Schuckmann, Germany (G)

Panorama Special
Boven is het stil (It's All so Quiet), Nanouk Leopold, Netherlands and Germany (G)
Maladies, Carter, USA
Flores Raras (Reaching for the Moon), Bruno Barreto, Brazil (L) (photo)
明天記得愛上我 Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?, Arvin Chen, Taiwan (G)

Forum
Echolot, Athanasios Karanikolas, Germany
くじらのまち Kujira no machi (The Town of Whales), Keiko Tsuruoka, Japan (L)

Perspektive Deutsches Kino
Freier Fall (Free Fall), Stephan Lacant, Germany (G)
Zwei Mütter (Two Mothers), Anne Zohra Berrached, Germany (L)

Documentary Films

Berlinale Special
Tribute to Rosa von Praunheim
Rosakinder (Pink Children), Julia von Heinz, Chris Kraus, Axel Ranisch, Robert Thalheim, Tom Tykwer, Germany

Panorama
*Bambi, Sébastien Lifshitz, France (T)  BEST DOCUMENTARY
Born This Way, Sahun Kadlec and Deb Tullmann, USA (LG)
Exposed, Beth B, USA (GT)
Fifi az khoshhali zooze mikeshad (Fifi Howls from Happiness), Mitra Farahani, USA
Gut Renovation, Su Friedrich, USA
Naked Opera, Angela Christlieb, Luxembourg and Germany (G)
Out in Ost-Berlin - Lesben und Schwule in der DDR (Out in East Berlin - Lesbians and Gays in the GRD), Jochen Hick, Germany (LGBT)
Paul Bowles: The Cage Door is Always Open, Daniel Young, Switzerland (LG)
Sing Me the Songs that Say I Love You - A Concert for Kate McGarrigle, Lian Lunson, USA

Forum
Die 727 Tage ohne Karamo (The 727 Days Without Karamo), Anja Salomoniwitz, Austria
Portrait of Jason, Shirley Clark, USA (G)

Forum Expanded
Helio Oiticica and Neville D'Almeida's Block-Experiments in Cosmococa - program in progress: CC6 Coke Head's Soup, Hélio Oiticica, Neville D'Almeida and Thomas Valentin, Brazil and USA, 1973 (Avant Garde cinema)

Short Film

Berlinale Shorts
Beshivhey Hayom (In Praise of the Day), Oren Adaf, Israel, 20' (G)
Ja kada sam bila klinac, bila sam klinka (When I was a Boy, I was a Girl), Ivana todorovic, Serbia, 30' (T)
*Ta av mig (Undress Me), Victor Lindgren, Sweden, 15' (T) BEST SHORT FILM

Panorama
Two Girls Against the Rain, Sao Sopheak, Cambodia, 11' (L)

Forum Expanded
Not Blacking Out, Just Turning The Lights Off, James Richards, UK, 17'
The Runaway Troupe of the Cartesian Theatre, Lior Shamriz, Germany and China, 18'

Generation
Dina and Noel, Sivan Levy and Natalie Melamed, Israel, 10'
Första gången (The First Time), Anders Hazelius, Sweden, 9'
O Pacote (The Package), Rafael Aidar, 18' (G)

Not sure if they will be in competition, somehow will be highly unfair as the following are excellent movies -some really cinema classics- so will list them apart assuming that they are part of the program and not in the competition.

Retrospective
A Midsummer Night's Dream, Max Reinhardt and William Dieterle, USA, 1935
First a Girl, Victor Saville, UK, 1935
Gado Bravo, António Lopes Ribeiro and Max Nosseck, Portugal, 1934
Peter, Hermann Kostelitz, Hungary and Austria, 1934
Some Like It Hot, Billy Wilder, USA, 1959
Viktor und Viktoria, Reinhold Schünzel, Germany, 1933

Berlinale Classics
Cabaret, Bob Fosse, USA, 1972

The Jury
Sophie Shu-Yi Lin, China
Pavel Cortes, Mexico
Martha Arredondo, Dominican Republic
Benoît Arnulf, France
Dilcia Barrera, USA
Gerjo Pérez Meliá, Spain
Ljosha Chaschyn, Ukraine
Johana Hakanen, Finland
Katja Briesemeister, Germany

As every year there are more Gay than Lesbian interest movies, but have to admit that the full lesbian interest films are great, especially the one from Brazil Flores Raras -with an excellent cast- but also Stacie Passon's Concussion. To learn more about this award go to the official site.

Check some trailers plus summary/images @MOC

Award Ceremony (artetv)

On The Road

Was reading my Cannes preview for this film and to my surprise found that I was expecting something very specific, take a look:

Great visuals ... a non-traditional narrative style (done in the editing room), hopefully interesting enough to find some similarities to the written style of the book -but I know this will be hard, still will be a great surprise. Last, good performances by actors that I know can do great character interpretations.

The most interesting thing is that I found in this movie exactly what I was expecting, which of course I absolutely forgot until I read the preview today.

First let me give a brief background. I am very familiar with Jack Kerouac, have read the On The Road novel a long time ago, know quite a lot about the Beat Generation, both as a literary movement as well as a cultural expression. The very first cultural expression that influenced and marked me was this one and I was extremely young, a kid. With all this in mind I have to admit that I highly enjoyed this Walter Salles film as yes, has great visuals, editing is just FANTASTIC, and performances are quite good with very special mention to Garret Hedlund that absolutely steals the movie.

But think I figured out why this movie has so many non-positive reviews from professionals as well as from many viewers. Seems that those that have seen movie and are familiar with Kerouac, as an era icon and/or the author of the novel, did not like the movie because the book has something the movie doesn't have: very rich language. I agree with them. Then those that are NOT familiar with Kerouac and/or the novel, find film without a narrative, fragmented, episodic, and boring. I understand them.

So, why did I liked this movie so much? In my opinion screenwriter José Rivera did an outstanding work with very difficult material, but Walter Salles was able to do with the script something that I find even more extraordinary. Salles was able to capture and show the "spirit" of the Beat Generation as a cultural expression. That's exactly what hit me hard while watching this film; maybe not from the beginning as yes, I started watching with a very analytical and skeptic eye. Honestly I was expecting NOT to like film. But there was a moment when I stopped seeing the great visuals and following the short sketches or fragments -if you wish- as I was completely lost, immersed into the "spirit" of what I was seeing. To me, this is shockingly surprising and truly amazing, as never imagined that Salles could be able to understand and so effectively transmit/show a primordially American culture expression.

Won't get into explaining how the Beat Generation manifested as a cultural expression but will share that what you literally see in movie has some "modifications" done probably to please this century audiences. I'm talking about the female characters that are too strong while in those years, in the Beat Generation literature, in the novel and in reality, were not as then cultural expressions were very male chauvinist oriented. The major consequence is that we see Dean Moriarty as a far less attractive figure than he is when seen exclusively from Kerouac's point of view. Besides this issue, I find that what literally was shown is a good interpretation of the Beat Generation "spirit".

More than the story of Sal Paradise (character channeling Jack Kerouac) to me this film tells the story of Dean Moriarty (character channeling Neal Cassady) so we are literally exposed to manifestations of sexual freedom -including homosexuality-, drugs consumption, jazz as body expression, rules/laws disdain, despise economic materialism, vigorously express a desire to live the moment as intensely as possible and more. To me those (and more) are elements that compose the "spirit" of the Beat Generation.

I know this film is NOT for general audiences, not even for those that enjoy non-mainstream, art films; tend to believe that this film has what I think is a very small niche target group as surely nowadays the Beat Generation is forgotten, left to history annals, gone into oblivion. Yes, I believe film could only move those that still recall the Beat Generation "spirit". Then surely will displease Kerouac fans, the novel fans, and everybody else, especially those that see movie looking forward to watch all the sex scenes, including the gay interest ones, as I think all sex scenes are truly not pleasant to watch.

I saw the shorter version which I highly regret as definitively I could have watched more fragments which were shown in the original version at 2012 Cannes. Tend to believe, according to the map in the preview, that the shorter version cut the trip to Canada and maybe more. Really hope that in the future we are able to watch the full version, the original version as shown in Cannes. Sigh.

Once I got into the film "spirit" I was absolutely mesmerized, doubt that many of you will have my experience that after the end left my head spinning for a long while; still, IF you dare to see film, I hope you will be able to enjoy this outstanding film.

Enjoy!!!

Watch trailer @MOC

6th Queer Lion Award Winner

Today the award winner was announced by organizers.

무게 Mooge (The Weight), Jeon Kyu-hwan, South Korea (G, T)

The strong drama "The Weight" presented in the Venice Days sidebar of the 69. Venice International Film Festival, won the Queer Lion Award 2012.
The jury, headed by directors Daniele Coluccini & Matteo Botrugno and composed by Queer Lion founder Daniel N. Casagrande and Marco Busato, general delegate of cultural association CinemArte, unanimously awarded the prize "for dealing in a poetic and convincing way with an extreme language covering topics as diverse as they often are taboos, and for depicting, in a way as straightforward as it is devoid of morbidity, a gallery of borderline characters looking for their own corner of the world where living without being judged for their differences."

Film seems interesting beyond the genre and probably will watch as soon as possible. To read the official announcement go here.

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8/21 - Lineup
The preliminary list of films that will be competing for this year Biennale collateral award has been released and includes seven films with LGTB interest. Before listing the films and considering what is being commented in the 2012 Queer Palm post, will share how this award has been improving their organization as well as obtained the support of four entities that improves their recognition as an award. Consider that the award is still "young" (especially compared to the Teddy) plus happens in a country that hosts the Head of the Catholic Church and perhaps you will better realize their task as an organization.

Queer Lion, the collateral award of the 69th Venice International Film Festival dedicated to movies "with homosexual themes or queer interest" is now in its sixth year, yet again under the prestigious patronage of the Ministry of Cultural Heritage and Activities, Veneto Region, Province of Venice, Venice Municipality and the National Union of Italian Film Critics.

The preliminary list contains some films that I consider "very good films" that obviously are not only must be seen for me but if they have what organizers call "steamy lesbian sex scenes" then definitively is a plus to stimulate more my interest.

The Films

Official Selection - In Competition
Passion, Brian de Palma, France and Germany (L)

Official Selection - Out of Competition
Cherchez Hortense, Pascal Bonitzer, France (G)
Den skaldede frisør (Love is All You Need), Susanne Bier, Denmark and Sweden

Venice Days
Acciaio (Steel), Stefano Mordini, Italy (L)
무게 Mooge (The Weight), Jeon Kyu-hwan, South Korea (G, T)
6 Sull'Autobus, Simone Dante Antonelli, Giacomo Bisordi, Rita de Donato, Irene di Lelio, Antonio Ligas, Emiliano Russo, Italy (Short Collection) - Short film: Unghie (Nails) by Emiliano Russo (T)

Venice International Film Critics Week
Kiss Of The Dammed, Xan Cassavetes, USA (L)

The Jury
Presidents: Matto Brotugno, director and Daniele Coluccini, director
Daniel N. Casagrande, creator of "Queer Lion Club"
Marco Busato, General Delegate of cultural association CinemArte

As mentioned this is a preliminary list that will be updated as soon as more information becomes available; updates will be announced at the award site and will update this post accordingly. One film that seems will be also included is Spring Breakers by Harmony Korine but we will have to wait until is confirmed.

Yes, Brian de Palma's Passion is one of the two films with "steamy lesbian sex scenes" and my imagination went "wild" with the idea of Noomi Rapace involved in some of those scenes; definitively will have to control my expectations as above all, this is a Brian de Palma's film and that's the main reason why is must be seen for me.

The following is the catalog published by organizers with films info available in Italian and English.

Open publication

The Long Hot Summer Movie Bits

My summer was hot, too hot. I'm talking about the weather as many movies I saw were not hot at all. I'm glad this season is about to be over so my favorite season of the year will come next. I'm an Autumn person, because the weather as well as for the movies and all the cinema industry events.

Bonsai by Cristián Jiménez, Chile, Argentina, Portugal and France
Wanted to like movie at least as much as Ilusiones Opticas but I did not. At first couldn't figure out why but believe was because the narrative as movie as a movie is not that bad. Imagine many could like it but not me. Sigh.

Dark Shadows by Tim Burton, USA
While watching wondered if Burton saw what he did, I don't think so. One of the worst movies I have ever seen and the story idea was good, but the end result was awful. Sorry to see Johnny Depp involved with such a bad movie. Sigh.

Chelovek s kino-apparatom (Man With A Movie Camera) by Dziga Vertov, USSR, 1929
Wanted to love this silent film as many have enjoyed the ahead of its time documentary. Started watching in awe but too soon it became the same, something different was being shown but it was the same. Still agree that its ahead of its time, but after a while was too much to endure. Maybe it was the music of the version I saw (there are several music versions) so I muted sound but the visuals did not improved. Saw it complete but watching was hard until the end even when is just 8 minutes more than an hour. But is a classic and one film that everyone should see, maybe you will enjoy it more than I did. Enjoy.

Skoonheid (Beauty) by Oliver Hermanus, South Africa, Germany and France
Came with great credentials but I was not prepared to see a film that look and felt old, very old. I do admit that what happens here still exists today all over the world and never ends well for anyone. There are many homophobic married men that are homosexuals and this is just one story. Never before have seen man-to-man rape, was very unpleasant to watch as much as it is with any kind of rape. I did not enjoyed this film. Sigh.

Fjellet (The Mountain) by Ole Giæver, Norway
The location was absolutely stunning and film had great visuals but fast, very fast I stopped enjoying the sights as this grieving story became truly annoying. Film tells about a couple of women, lesbians, trying to save their relationship while one of them (the biological mother) can't overcome the death of their child. Everything in this film is underestimated and maybe in the hands of a female director film could have been better, at least to help bring more credibility to these two women drama. Film is quite short, 13 minutes more than one hour, but felt like it was three or more hours Sigh.

The Dark Knight Rises by Christopher Nolan, USA
Not impressed at all. Batman has so little time in the screen that doesn't seem like a Batman movie which is similar to the Dark Knight; but unfortunately is NOT the Dark Knight as no one can do what Heath Ledger did in that movie. Marion Cotillard is here and I hardly notice her. Wanted my money back. Sigh.

I had not much luck with those movies but my luck was better with several documentaries.

First Love by Claire Gorman, Australia and USA
A true surprise very enjoyable to watch with a great story about three teenage girls that are in love, not with boys but with surfing. Narrative is so well constructed that makes documentary look and feel more like a movie, a very entertaining movie. Highly recommend watching film and definitively is must be seen for women that enjoy surfing. Enjoy!!!

Senna by Asif Kapadia, UK
Another surprise as yes I know who Ayrton Senna is, no I'm no motor-racing fan (even do once, only once I drove a Formula One) and no, knew nothing about Senna's life. A very emotional roller-coaster tale that shows us a very interesting human being. Very hard to believe that a car-racing driver story could be that much entertaining and so highly emotional but documentary has excellent tech specs and a most impressive storyteller and filmmaker. Bravo. Must be seen. Enjoy!!!

Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present by Matthew Akers and Jeff Dupre, USA
Very interesting documentary mainly because the story it tells. Documents the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work (we see old footage of some of her work) at The Museum of Modern Art in New York City, but also takes us into the most amazing, compelling performance she does for 3 months every day. I love Art as much as I love movies, but not much a fan of performance art; still this amazing artist has changed my mind, I fell in love with performing art. Bravo. I strongly suggest you experience this film. Big Enjoy!!!

The Tsunami and the Cherry Blossom by Lucy Walker, UK
Lucy Walker makes impressive documentaries but this short documentary is more than impressive as is really beautiful to watch but at the same time awfully hard to watch and you can't help but shred tears while and after watching. For me was a very emotional experience. Tells a story about survivors in the areas hardest hit by Japan's recent tsunami and how they find the courage to revive and rebuild as cherry blossom season begins. Suggest you watch it, but maybe you have to be prepared for a strong emotional ride. Enjoy!!!

Vito by Jeffrey Schwarz, USA
Another surprise as documentary is very well constructed while the story is compelling. Tells the story of Vito Russo, founding father of USA gay liberation movement, vociferous AIDS activist in the 1980s and none the less, the author of the quite famous and the most iconic guide to gay and lesbian cinema history, The Celluloid Closet. I knew him for his work but his life story is very compelling and touching thanks to the great storyteller and filmmaker. I believe that even if you're not interested in the genre films, the story in this documentary could interest you as after all is part of the history of the United States of America, and in a way, that's exactly how I believe is portrayed in the documentary. Find this documentary many times more interesting than The Times of Harvey Milk documentary and yes, also than the film, Milk. Enjoy!!!

Surely I'm forgetting some movies but as you can suspect, where not interesting enough for me to like or dislike them.

Magnifica Presenza

I have been enjoying Ferzan Ozpetek movies since I discovered great Saturno Contro (Saturn in Opposition) and decided that I have to see everything done by him. But seems that now I have to be more careful as I can do a very brief review about his latest film: I did not like it at all and not even Elio Germano saves it. In this movie he really changed his style favoring something more commercial, mainstream which I do not enjoy.

Film tells about Pietro, a gay man, coming to Rome to pursue an acting career after his father death. In Rome rents an apartment in an old house and works as a croissant baker at night. He's a lonely guy that is obsessed with a guy he met just once three years ago (when he sees him, scene is quite good) but the twist in this movie is that he has to share the apartment with some ghosts that are a theatre company from the 1940's that still don't realize they're dead. So what started as a good plot up to the moment he meets the guy he's obsessed with turns into a silly, mainstream bittersweet dramedy similar to many really cheesy films that populate Italian cinema.

As film became quite a box office success in Italy we have to imagine that Ozpetek will be prone to do more movies like this one, which is truly regrettable as he used to do extraordinary movies that explored human relationships in his very particular and outstanding way.

Can't recommend this movie and if you enjoyed Ozpetek movies in the past I suggest in the future to learn about movie before watching, which I highly dislike but will have to do if wish to continue watching his films.

Sigh.

Watch trailer @MOC

Hua wei mei (Bad Romance)

Film starts so promising that can't deny I thought I was watching a French film but after a few minutes style becomes repetitive and annoying, so much that definitively becomes pretentious, too arty and pretentious. Then editing is atrocious.

Film tells three stories, but you can tell that director real interest is the gay interest story as is about the only one that is more developed, but don't expect much development as director decided that only his images will tell the story, so dialogue is down to minimum, with silences that in this movie are absolutely unnecessary as you would have preferred to see "something" happening more coherently. Maybe if he had told one story first, then the next and last, the last one film would have made more sense; but in the end I think that director should have concentrated only in the gay story and film perhaps would have been more entertaining at least to those that like the genre.

Other stories deal with a young mother that meets a young man and last -really shorter- has been promoted as a trio, but actually is about a girl that likes another girl and a man that comes between them. But as movie name tells all stories end bad and unfortunately film is quite bad from any point of view you want to comment it.

François Chang's movie shows a director that wants to fusion French and Chinese cinema, as there are some references to French movies and style also recalls some Chinese movies, but in the end he is not successful in what could been a very interesting fusion. To get an idea of how good this movie could have been just check the trailer, but don't forget that what trailer promises is not delivered by movie.

Can't recommend film but I know that some of my loyal readers enjoy gay interest movies and this film surely will please them as sex scene -when finally comes- is long and hot.

Enjoy.

Watch trailer @MOC

3rd Cannes Queer Palm Award Winners

It is impressive the lack of media coverage that this award received this year, even when Jury president is well-known. Not even the LGTB sites talked about award, but they talked about other movies in the fest. I believe that if organizers don't change their "game plan" the award will simply fade away due to lack of interest.

I know is not easy and that best reference, Berlinale Teddy Award, did not have an easy start, but they made it and now Teddy is a prestigious award recognized by the LGTB community and beyond. But now with all this tech that surrounds us, the Queer Palm should reach faster a credibility plateau; still, after three years of so-so promotion seems that the curve is going down, not up. Also the few comments suggested no interest in the award as "sure" winner was Lawrence Anyways... so on top, the award became predictable as no surprises yes Lawrence Anyways won the award. I love Xavier Dolan's movies but honestly I was hoping that Hors les murs (Beyond the Walls)by David Lambert could win this year. Thus those that shared their predictions surely know more than me how the award works. Sigh.

Anyway, winners are in *BLUE.  Read news here, available only in French.

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5/19
Is not until today that have a moment to check what's happening with this award and to my surprise I found a new film competing and is none other than Cristian Mungiu's Beyond the Hills that's in the main Competition. To read info at official site about this and the other films go here, available only in French.
---End of Update---

5/8
Organizers finally published the Cannes Queer Palm selection for 2012 there are a few feature-length films that could make the competition interesting, but there are not many shorts competing for the first time award. I'm including the info published along with the film announcement but unfortunately there is no info about the specific LGTB interest that each film has, so will try to figure it out and when possible will add it.

Feature Films

Competition
Holy Motors, Leos Carax, France
Léos Carax, director of the cult movie The Lovers on a Bridge has never been a filmmaker like the others. One can therefore expect anything from this film, in which stars the gay icon Kylie Minogue, and which could surprise us in many ways with a central character that has multiple identities, sometimes a man and sometimes a woman…

Un Certain Regard
*Laurence Anyways, Xavier Dolan, Canada and France (T)  Queer Palm winner feature film.
The young prodigy of Canadian cinema returns at Un Certain Regard two years after the success of Heartbeats. This time he tells the story of a man, Laurence (Melvis Poupaud) who decides to become a woman and will be helped in the process by his female partner. This two-and-a-half hour film is expected to be released in France on the 18th of July.

Mystery, Lou Ye, China (G)
Marriage and adultery, double life, murder, accident… A great mystery lies on the new film from the director of Spring Fever. But reliable sources indicate that this is a thriller which offers a great deal of secrets and ambiguity! To be followed, then…

Midnight Screenings
愛と誠 Ai To Makoto (The Legend of Love & Sincerity), Takashi Miike, Japan
The Japanese director takes on a genre that is rarely represented at Cannes: musical. The first images of the film let us hope for a joyful and offbeat treatment of the codes of the genre. Wait and see…

Special Screenings
Les Invisibles, Sébastien Lifshitz, France
Sébastien Lifshitz, director of Going south, Open Bodies and Come Undone returns to documentary. He tackles in this film the subject of homosexuality and the old age, focusing on a quartet of witnesses that were born between the two world wars.

Quinzaine des Réalisateurs
Rengaine (Hold Back), Rachid Djaidani, France
In the Paris of today, Dorcy, a young black Christian wants to marry Sabrina, a young girl from Northern Africa. It would be so much easier if Sabrina didn’t have forty brothers and that their marriage did not represent a taboo that is very rooted in their two communities : no marriage between blacks and Arabs. Slimane, the big brother which stands as the guardian of traditions, is going to do whatever he can to oppose this union.

The WE and the I, Michel Gondry, US and UK (G)
In the end of the school year, the students of a high school from the Bronx get on the same bus for a last ride before Summer. The group of noisy and exuberant teenagers with its bullies, victims and lovers, evolves and transforms as the bus gets empty. Relationships then become more and more intimate and disclose the hidden sides of their personalities.

Semaine de la Critique
Augustine, Alice Winocour, France
Paris, winter 1885. At the Pitié -Salpêtriere Hospital, Professor Charcot is studying a mysterious illness : hysteria. Augustine, 19 years old, becomes his favorite guinea pig, the star of his demonstrations of hypnosis. The object of his studies will soon become the object of his desire...

Hors les murs (Beyond the Walls), David Lambert, Belgium, Canada and France (G)
Paulo, a young pianist living an ambivalent life with Anka, meets Ilir, a loner bass player. It’s love at first sight and they start living on love alone. The day Paulo promises to love him for life, Ilir leaves town for a concert, and never comes back…

Peddlers, Vasan Bala, India
A ghost town, Mumbai, inhabited by millions. A lady on a mission, a man living a lie, an aimless drifter. They collide. Some collisions are of consequence, some not, either ways the city moves on.

L'ACID
Noor, Çagla Zencirci and Guillaume Giovanetti, France (T)
Noor wants to be a man and turn the page on his love story. He works in a truck decoration center and knows what he wants : find a woman who accepts him the way he is. Known for his short films between fiction and documentary (Ata, Six, …), the French-Turkish duo presents their first feature film, which focuses on a character coming from the Pakistanis transgender community: the Khursas.

Short Films

Competition
Gasp, Eicke Bettinga, Germany (G)

Semaine de la Critique
*Ce n’est pas un film de cow-boys (It’s not a Cowboys Movie), Benjamin Parent, France  Queer Palm winner short film.
O Duplo (Doppelgänger), Juliana Rojas, Brazil
Yeguas y Cotorras (Mares and Parakeets) , Natalia Garagiola, Argentina (L)

To read the 2012 Queer Palm's guide, that includes the selection, go here to download the pdf file. File is in French and English.

I just came from discovering that 7 Dias en la Habana (7 Days in Havana) has a segment, Ritual by Gaspard Noé, that is full Lesbian Interest so it is surprising that film is not included in this selection. Not only is SO hard to have Lesbian Interest films in Cannes but when there is one is skipped from the selection. Hope they fix their list to include this film.

3rd Cannes Queer Palm News

Organizers announced the Jury for the award that every year becomes more established with this year not only giving the Palm to a feature film but also to a short film, so now we will have two palms that will be announced at the awards ceremony on May 26. I have already identify a couple of gay interest feature films, let's hope that some lesbian interest will appear too beyond the short films category, sigh.

These are the jurors.

President: Julie Gayet, actress and producer, France
Sam Ashby, Little Joe founder and designer, UK
Jim Dobson, publicist, USA
Sarah Neal, Head of Programming at Brisbane Queer Film Festival, Australia
Frederic Niolle, assistand director and film journalist, France
Moira Sullivan, film critic, promoter and experimental filmmaker, USA and Sweden

To read more about each juror go here.

An interview with Julie Gayet and Franck Finance-Madureira, the award founder; available only in French.

Gay Movies Bits

Weekend. What a wonderful movie, one that I truly wish a storyteller could write and a filmmaker could film but for two women (lol! – that’s how good the story is) but I know will be very different as yes we women do not necessarily behave like here, even when men in this story are very sensitive –and realistic-. Film has been the object of many accolades in LGBT festivals but also in non-LGBT prestigious fests –like for example winning MovieZone Award at Rotterdam fest, the director Andrew Haigh winning the Breakthrough British Filmmaker award at the London Critics Circle Film Awards or Tom Cullen winning Most Promising Newcomer at BIFA- and yes I was very curious about this movie.

Well, movie is absolutely must be seen even when you do not particularly like gay interest movies as not only has very good tech specs, great performances, good directing but also story is very-well developed and one story that is not often told. Be aware that movie starts like if will be like many stories about a one night stand, but if you keep on watching eventually you will start to see that story turns into something more interesting, deeper and compelling, so I suggest being patient.

This is a very lovely movie that I find absolutely different to those that populate the gay or lesbian interest genres, maybe a little bit similar to those films that cast very well-known actors to ease the impact of a gay/lesbian story. But Haigh’s film has not-known actors so film is a lot more realistic, which will hit deeper viewers. Yes, it’s a good movie that I suggest you do not skip even if you don’t particularly like the genre. Enjoy!!! UK.

Watch trailer @MOC

The Big Gay Musical. This is a campy movie that fools around being a musical about how God created Adam and Steve, while the main actors try to find love or long-lasting relationships. The best way to describe this movie is that is the absolute opposite of the previous movie I review and one you can watch only if you feel like seeing something silly but entertaining. Should be honest and tell you that I found movie while changing TV channels and that’s why I saw it. Enjoy. USA

26th Teddy Award Winners

Award winners were just announced at the official site here. Winners are in *BLUE.

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2/1/2011

As organizers say in their press release “The world’s most prestigious queer film prize the TEDDY AWARD will be presented during the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival on 17 February 2012 for the 26th time. TEDDY AWARD prizes will be presented in the categories: best feature film, best documentary / film essay and best short film.” The following are the films being considered for the awards.

Competition
Les adieux à la Reine (Farewell My Queen) by Benoït Jacquot, France and Spain (L)

Panorama
7 Deadly Kisses (7 Deadly Kisses) by Sammaria Simanjuntak, Indonesia
A Lazy Summer Afternoon with Mario Montez by John Heys, Germany
Anak-Anak Srikandi (Children of Srikandi) by Children of Srikandi Collective, Indonesia (L/Q)
Audre Lorde – The Berlin Years 1984 to 1092 by Dagmar Schultz, Germany (L)
Bugis Street Redux by Yonfan, Hong Kong and China
*Call Me Kuchu by Malika Zouhali-Worral and Katherine Fairfax Wright, USA BEST DOCUMENTARY
Cherry by Stephen Elliot, USA (L?)
Dtlef by Stefan Westerwelle, Germany
Glaube, Liebe, Tod (Belief, Love, Death) by Peter Kern, Austria
Green Laser by John Greyson, Canada
Hot Boy Nổi Loạn và Câu Chuyện về Thằng Cười, Cô Gái Điếm và Con Vịt (Lost In Paradise) by Vu Ngoc Dang, Vietnam (G)
*Keep The Lights On by Ira Sachs, USA (G)  BEST FEATURE FILM
König des Comics (King Of Comics) by Rosa von Praunheim, Germany (G)
Kuma by Umut Dag, Austria (interesting)
L'âge atomique (Atomic Age) by Héléna Klotz, France (G)
Leave It On The Floor by Sheldon Larry, Canada and USA (G)
Mommy is Coming by Cheryl Dunye, Germany (L)
My Brother The Devil by Sally El Hosaini, UK
Olhe pra mim de novo (Look at me Again) by Kiko Goifman and Claudia Priscilla, Brazil
Parada (The Parade) by Srđjan Dragojevic, Serbia, Croatia, Macedonia and Slovenia
Ulrike Ottinger – die Nomadin vom See (Ulrike Ottinger – Nomad from the Lake) by Brigitte Kramer, Germany
Unter Männern – Schwul in der DDR (Among Men – Gay in East Germany) by Markus Stein, Ringo Rösener, Germany (G)
Vito by Jeffrey Schwarz, USA (G)
Wo men de gu shi (Our Sotry – 10 year “guerrilla warfare” of Beijing Queer Film Festival) by Yang Yang, China
Zucht und Ordnung (Law and Order) by Jan Soldat, Germany (G)

Forum
Francine by Brian M. Cassidy and Melanie Shatzky, USA and Canada
*Jaurès by Vincent Dieutre, France  SPECIAL JURY AWARD
Koi ni itaru yamai (The End of Puberty) by Kimura Shoko, Japan (L –wow! Must be seen for me)
Sekret (Secret) by Przemyslaw Wojcieszek, Poland
Sleeples Knights by Stefan Butzmühlen, Cristina Diz, Germany (G)
Swoon by Tom Kalin, USA (G)

Forum Expanded
A World of our own by Eline McGeorge, Norway and UK
As they say by Hicham Ayouch, Morocco and UAE
Road Movie by Elle Flanders and Tamira Sawatzky, Canada
The Tiny Ventriloquist by Steve Reinke, Canada

Generation
Joven & Alocada (Young & Wild) by Marialy Rivas, Chile (L – just won screenplay award at Sundance)
Kronjuvelerna (The Crown Jewels) by Ella Lemhagen, Sweden (L)
Magi I Luften (Love is in the Air) by Simon Staho, Denmark and Sweden
Nono by Rommel Toletino, Philippines
Una Noche by Lucy Mulloy, USA, Cuba and UK
The Wilding by Grant Scicluna, Australia

Perspektive Deutsches Kino
Man for a Day by Katarina Peters, Germany, UK and Finland
Westerland by Tim Staffel, Germany (G)

Shorts
Erotic Fragments No. 1, 2, 3 by Anucha Boonyawatana, Thailand
La Santa (The Blessed) by Mauricio López Fernández, Chile
*Loxoro by Claudia Llosa, Spain, Peru, Argentina and USA  BEST SHORT FILM
The Man That Got Away by Trevor Anderson, Canada

To check the official press release go to pages 10 up to 13 here.

The Jury
Alessandro Rais, film historian and film critic, Italy
Bilge Taş, co-founder Pink Life QueerFest in Ankara, Turkey
Joako Ezpeleta, organizer of FIRE!! International LGBT Film Mostra of Barcelona, Spain
João Federici, producer of Mix Brasil Film Festival of Sexual Diversity, Brazil
Magali Simard, film programmer at Toronto International Film Festival, Canada
Monika Visniarova, programmer for Filmovy Festival inakosti / Slovak Queer Film Festival, Slovakia
Mhlanhla Ndaba, production manager for the Out in Africa Film Festival, South Africa
Shannon Kelley, Head of Public Programs for the UCLA Film & Television Archive, USA
Yang Yang, co-founder and executive-chairwoman of the Beijing Queer Film Festival, China

To read info about each juror go here.

Last year organizers were so kind as to classify films but this year they haven’t done it yet, so I hope that when they list the films at their official site –info came from press release- they’ll be so kind as to tell us to which letter from LGTB+ each film belongs. Still from what I read about each film most seem to be with gay interest, a few with T interest and very little to L interest, sigh.

I was already following Marialy Rivas Young & Wild, but Kimura Shoko’s film is a great find that I hope to see soon. Cheryl Dunye is no stranger to Berlinale as in 1996 won the Teddy for her film Watermelon Woman and her latest film, Mommy is Coming, not only is a full German production but story could will be interesting. Wasn’t able to tell from synopsis if there are other lesbian interest movies, but no matter what interest has Kuma by Umut Dag seems very interesting.

Award ceremony will be on February 17 and as in previous years Arte TV will broadcast ceremony plus video will be uploaded to official site.

2011 Cannes Queer Palm Award Winner

So perhaps my gaydar is not rusty (or should I say my movie gaydar?) as the ONLY movie that I discover as really having LGBT interest is the winner of the 2011 Queer Palm. Hmm, still have to watch films that were considered but from what I leaned from each film LGBT interest is marginal to story and/or is related to secondary characters.

There are two exceptions, one is the film that there was no available info or meaningful trailer, Michael, and it wasn't after was screened that we learned what was all about. Similar situation happened for the second, Snowtown. As we know now both films are not what we can call a positive representation of LGBT relations/lifestyle that awards similar to this one honor. Still, if now I think about the film that was honored last year, Kaboom -which I already saw- wasn't also a positive portrait ... so, don't really know what organizers honor with this award.

Nevertheless, this year the Queer Palm goes to a clearly gay interest film.

Skoonheid (Beauty), Olivier Hermanus, South Africa, France and Germany

Film was part of Cannes Official Selection and was screened in the Un Certain Regard section; I hope film is as interesting as what I learned promises because I'll watch film.


This year the Queer Palm site was sort of abandoned and better coverage came from French LGBT sites, I hope that this improves next year as I really want this award to consolidate as a desired award that filmmakers are interested in winning, just like happens with the Teddy. Last, today we know the winner but still have no clear idea about which films were considered for the award.

If you wish to read the news at a French site please go here.

Found the reason why movie was chosen:

“We have been deeply impressed by a movie which comes from a country of the “Cine-World” as [French, daily newspaper] Libération would say, a country which remains to be explored: South Africa. The movie takes place in a background which is the white, straight, religious middle class, that is the ruling class of the country. This is a portrayal of a man, a family man, being confronted to his profound desire and being unable to accept it. It’s a film about self-hatred and a film about homophobia, as well as a film dealing with racism, in a very subtle way. It is a true cinema film, a quite unpleasant one at first sight, and very disturbing, hard-hitting, radical. We are honored and delighted to award the 2011 Queer Palm to “Skoonheid” (Beauty) by Oliver Hermanus.”

To read at official site go here.

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2011 Cannes Queer Palm Lineup

4/22/11

Perhaps my gaydar is rusty but I found one gay interest film in all the selections and was hoping that one film was lesbian interest but according to Queer Palm organizers there are ten films that can be considered for this award and unfortunately the one I was hoping in the lesbian interest is not there.

These are the films to be considered for the award during the second edition of the Queer Palm.

Busong (Palawan Fate), Auraeus Solito, Philippines
Chatrak (Mushrooms), Vimukthi Jayasundara, India and France
Des Jeunes Gens Mödernes, Jérôme de Missolz, France and Belgium
La Guerre est déclarée, Valérie Donzelli, France (maybe with lesbian interest??!! Yes in secondary characters)
La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In), Pedro Almodóvar, Spain
My Little Princess, Eva Ionesco, France
Skoonheid, Olivier Hermanus, South Africa, France and Germany (gay interest)
Snowtown, Justin Kurzel, Australia
Walk away Renée, Jonathan Caouette, USA, France and Belgium (gay interest)

Also considering O Abismo Pratedo by Karim Aïnouz, Brazil but I imagine that only after watching film will confirm if is eligible or not. Also in the selection a film from the independent cinema selection (L’Acid): Gatos Viejos (Old Cats), Sebastian Silva and Pedro Peirano, Chile which is with lesbian interest!!!

To read about each movie you have to open the complete guide and browse it; guide is here available in French and English, but be careful as the English version has several mistakes.

Jury
President: Elisabeth Quin, Journalist/writer, France
Marie Comant, Journalist, France
Gerard Lefort, Film critic, France
Thomas Abeltshauser, Journalist/film critic, Germany
Fred Arends, Pink Screens Film Festival programmer/journalist/film critic, Belgium
Esther Cuénot, Co founder of Quinzaine de cinema LGBT or Cinemarges Festival, France
Roberto Schinardi, Journalist/film critic, Italy

To learn more about each of the juror go here.

With a few exceptions, the movie descriptions included in the guide are as ambiguous as the ones I have read, so the only way we could be sure is after someone has seen the films. Almodovar has been so mysterious about this movie that no one is really sure if movie will have some LGBT interest and just because is Almodovar I don’t want to assume that film will be eligible, but he’s one of my favorite directors so all his films are must be seen for me no matter the story. The same applies to Isabelle Huppert movies, so if My Little Princess has some LGBT interest will be a tiny plus but I’ll watch movie for her performance and the puzzling story.

Most interesting is that organizers are planning to have Le Marché Queer Palm to promote LGBT filmmakers and films. The market will not be open this year but already started planning for the 2012 edition, so if my filmmakers friends are interested go here to find the formats to be used to register feature films, short films, screenplays and/or synopsis (depending of the stage of your project).

Also on May 17 the film Illegal Love by Julie Gali will be screened to celebrate the International Day Against Homophobia. Closing ceremony will be on May 21st. Still pending the short films that are eligible and they have announced one juror for the short film competition: Joao Pedro Rodrigues; as soon as there more info available will modify post.

Honestly I’m still not sure how many films will be eligible for this year award but I hope that the Queer Palm second edition will be successful and most important, sets strong basis for improvement in future editions so eventually will become a respected and desired award, just like the Belinale’s Teddy Award.

Read synopsis, watch photos and some trailers @MOC