Starring Levan Gelbakhiani (“And Then We Danced”) and Karidja Touré (“Girlhood”), “Don’t Let the Sun (Catch You Crying),” the fiction feature debut of multi-prized Swiss documentarian Jacqueline Zünd has won the Marché du Film’s first Goes to Cannes Award.
The prize, a €10,000 minimum guarantee for international sales, is sponsored by Sideral, a Spain-based studio dedicated to production, distribution and international sales launched by Elamedia at Berlin last year.
After three introspective doc features, portraying the unspoken thoughts of insomniacs, ageing men and children after their parents’ separation, in “Don’t Let the Sun (Catch You Crying),” Zünd creates an alternative universe where Jonah is employed by an agency that offers human relationships. When he’s hired to work as Nika’s father, he begins to lose control of his tightly disciplined life.
“The film portrays a world that is only a small step away from our reality, not...
The prize, a €10,000 minimum guarantee for international sales, is sponsored by Sideral, a Spain-based studio dedicated to production, distribution and international sales launched by Elamedia at Berlin last year.
After three introspective doc features, portraying the unspoken thoughts of insomniacs, ageing men and children after their parents’ separation, in “Don’t Let the Sun (Catch You Crying),” Zünd creates an alternative universe where Jonah is employed by an agency that offers human relationships. When he’s hired to work as Nika’s father, he begins to lose control of his tightly disciplined life.
“The film portrays a world that is only a small step away from our reality, not...
- 5/22/2024
- by John Hopewell
- Variety Film + TV
Unspooling May 18 as part of an overall Swiss Focus at the Marché du Film, Solothurn Film Festival Goes to Cannes marks the first collaboration between the long-standing Swiss festival and the Cannes market, but also a first for many of the talents and producers carefully picked for the event.
Two of Switzerland’s top documentary filmmakers Jacqueline Zünd, winner of a 2019 Crystal Bear nominated for “Where We Belong,” and Nicholas Steiner, director of “Above & Below”, ranked among Variety reviewer Peter Debruge’s Top 10 films of 2015, are set to attract buyers, sales agents and programmers’ attention with their star-stubbed fiction debuts.
In “Do You Believe in Angels, Mr Drowak,” Steiner has hired Karl Markovics, star of the 2008 Oscar winner “The Counterfeiters”, rising acting talent Lune Wedler, Lars Eidinger and Dominique Pinon.
“After two cinematic documentaries that ran worldwide and an original Netflix series [“Dig Deeper-The Disappearance of Birgit Meier”], I was excited to create this technically demanding,...
Two of Switzerland’s top documentary filmmakers Jacqueline Zünd, winner of a 2019 Crystal Bear nominated for “Where We Belong,” and Nicholas Steiner, director of “Above & Below”, ranked among Variety reviewer Peter Debruge’s Top 10 films of 2015, are set to attract buyers, sales agents and programmers’ attention with their star-stubbed fiction debuts.
In “Do You Believe in Angels, Mr Drowak,” Steiner has hired Karl Markovics, star of the 2008 Oscar winner “The Counterfeiters”, rising acting talent Lune Wedler, Lars Eidinger and Dominique Pinon.
“After two cinematic documentaries that ran worldwide and an original Netflix series [“Dig Deeper-The Disappearance of Birgit Meier”], I was excited to create this technically demanding,...
- 5/18/2024
- by Annika Pham
- Variety Film + TV
And Then We Danced Photo: Courtesy of La Quinzaine Welcome to this week's Stay-At-Home Seven, if you're looking for more streaming inspiration, check out our latest Streaming Spotlight, which goes away with the faeries.
And Then We Danced, 1am, Film4, Tuesday June 29
Strong energy, both on and off the dancefloor, drives Levan Akin's tale of love against a backdrop of repression in Georgia. Levan Gelbakhiani, who plays Merab, is a dancer by trade and his footwork skills are matched by a nuanced acting performance as Merab finds himself experiencing a fierce attraction to dancefloor rival Irakli (Bachi Valishvili). Akin has an eye for the intensity of emotion experienced in the first flush of love and the way that the merest glance or touch can hold a wealth of unleashed passion - and he makes a point of contrasting the burgeoning feelings Levan has for Irakli with the former's chaste...
And Then We Danced, 1am, Film4, Tuesday June 29
Strong energy, both on and off the dancefloor, drives Levan Akin's tale of love against a backdrop of repression in Georgia. Levan Gelbakhiani, who plays Merab, is a dancer by trade and his footwork skills are matched by a nuanced acting performance as Merab finds himself experiencing a fierce attraction to dancefloor rival Irakli (Bachi Valishvili). Akin has an eye for the intensity of emotion experienced in the first flush of love and the way that the merest glance or touch can hold a wealth of unleashed passion - and he makes a point of contrasting the burgeoning feelings Levan has for Irakli with the former's chaste...
- 6/28/2021
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
As the anxiety-ridden year of 2020 winds down, much will be said about how the pandemic has forever changed the film industry: crippling the arena of theatrical exhibition, yet also making films available for a wider-than-ever audience. Like most cinephiles, we’re looking to get our hands on the titles that may have slipped under the radar or simply gone unseen, so—as we do each year—we’re sharing a rundown of the best titles available to watch at home.
Curated from the Best Films of 2020 So Far list we published for the first half of the year, it also includes films we’ve enjoyed the past few months and some we’ve recently caught up with. This is far from a be-all, end-all year-end feature (that will come in December), but rather something that’s hopefully a helpful tool for readers to have a chance to seek out notable,...
Curated from the Best Films of 2020 So Far list we published for the first half of the year, it also includes films we’ve enjoyed the past few months and some we’ve recently caught up with. This is far from a be-all, end-all year-end feature (that will come in December), but rather something that’s hopefully a helpful tool for readers to have a chance to seek out notable,...
- 11/18/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
As a die-hard genre film fan who is also an unabashed couch potato, I am incredibly uninformed about the art of dance. Still, Levan Akin's drama And Then We Danced strikes a match in the kindling of my imagination. First, the setting. The film unfolds in modern-day Tbilisi, Georgia, where "Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), a devoted dancer who has been training for years with his partner Mary (Ana Javakishvili) for a spot in the National Georgian Ensemble. The arrival of another male dancer, Irakli (Bachi Valishivili) -- gifted with perfect form and equipped with a rebellious streak -- throws Merab off balance, sparking both an intense rivalry and romantic desire that may cause him to risk his future in dance as well...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
[Read the whole post on screenanarchy.com...]...
- 4/30/2020
- Screen Anarchy
With a seemingly endless amount of streaming options—not only the titles at our disposal, but services themselves–each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit platforms. Check out this week’s selections below and an archive of past round-ups here.
And Then We Danced (Levan Akin)
To be a Georgian male is to be masculine—especially in dance. Merab’s (Levan Gelbakhiani) teacher Aleko (Kakha Gogidze) demands that he stand straighter and stronger, a monument that can withstand any blow. While his country’s aesthetic had allowed for a softer tone, conservative tradition prevailed a half century ago to move things back to the rigid separation of gendered movement and the complete erasure of sexuality. How Aleko’s dancers perform becomes a visual metaphor for their nation. It will not be defeated. It will not show weakness. And anyone who dares to refuse giving one hundred...
And Then We Danced (Levan Akin)
To be a Georgian male is to be masculine—especially in dance. Merab’s (Levan Gelbakhiani) teacher Aleko (Kakha Gogidze) demands that he stand straighter and stronger, a monument that can withstand any blow. While his country’s aesthetic had allowed for a softer tone, conservative tradition prevailed a half century ago to move things back to the rigid separation of gendered movement and the complete erasure of sexuality. How Aleko’s dancers perform becomes a visual metaphor for their nation. It will not be defeated. It will not show weakness. And anyone who dares to refuse giving one hundred...
- 3/27/2020
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Levan Akin’s terrific romance about two male dancers in Tbilisi is electrifying in its physicality and fervent in its storytelling
To be young and in love – these are the impossibly painful conditions driving a terrific feature by the Georgian-Swedish film-maker Levan Akin that was a hit at last year’s Cannes. The film, which has the freewheeling fluency and fervency I associate with the French New Wave, is the story of two male dancers in Tbilisi’s National Georgian Ensemble whose relationship must remain a secret due to the macho conservatism of the Georgian dance world. Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) is a brilliant young performer whose playful, sensual improvisatory touches are frowned on by the troupe’s director who considers them appropriate for traditional national dance. Mortifyingly, Merab is removed from a particular routine in favour of newcomer Irakli (Bachi Valishvili), who appears to have a more acceptable masculine rigidity.
To be young and in love – these are the impossibly painful conditions driving a terrific feature by the Georgian-Swedish film-maker Levan Akin that was a hit at last year’s Cannes. The film, which has the freewheeling fluency and fervency I associate with the French New Wave, is the story of two male dancers in Tbilisi’s National Georgian Ensemble whose relationship must remain a secret due to the macho conservatism of the Georgian dance world. Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) is a brilliant young performer whose playful, sensual improvisatory touches are frowned on by the troupe’s director who considers them appropriate for traditional national dance. Mortifyingly, Merab is removed from a particular routine in favour of newcomer Irakli (Bachi Valishvili), who appears to have a more acceptable masculine rigidity.
- 3/12/2020
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
For the past few years we’ve had the privilege of partnering with the European Film Promotion’s sterling initiative, the Shooting Stars. This week we sat down with the latest cohort to find out more about these stars of the future.
These interviews were conducted at the Berlin Film Festival, and the ten winners were selected by a jury of industry experts from 28 nominations, most of the talent are already award-winning in their home countries.
The winners are Martina Apostolova (Bulgaria), Pääru Oja (Estonia), Victoria Carmen Sonne (Denmark), Zita Hanrot (France), Levan Gelbakhiani (Georgia), Jonas Dassler (Germany), Bilal Wahib (The Netherlands), Bartosz Bielenia (Poland), Joana Ribeiro (Portugal), Ella Rumpf (Switzerland).
Stefan Pape spoke to the chosen ten to ask them what the programme means to them, how their early successes have informed their career so far, and what they were doing when they heard that they had been selected.
These interviews were conducted at the Berlin Film Festival, and the ten winners were selected by a jury of industry experts from 28 nominations, most of the talent are already award-winning in their home countries.
The winners are Martina Apostolova (Bulgaria), Pääru Oja (Estonia), Victoria Carmen Sonne (Denmark), Zita Hanrot (France), Levan Gelbakhiani (Georgia), Jonas Dassler (Germany), Bilal Wahib (The Netherlands), Bartosz Bielenia (Poland), Joana Ribeiro (Portugal), Ella Rumpf (Switzerland).
Stefan Pape spoke to the chosen ten to ask them what the programme means to them, how their early successes have informed their career so far, and what they were doing when they heard that they had been selected.
- 2/26/2020
- by Jon Lyus
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Exclusive: Writer-director Levan Akin, whose most recent film And Then We Danced was Sweden’s submission into this year’s International Feature Oscar race, has jointly signed with UTA and London-based Casarotto Ramsay & Associates. The agencies will rep the filmmaker in the U.S. and UK, respectively, as part of the deal.
And Then We Danced is the third feature from the Sweden-born filmmaker of Georgian descent. The Georgian-language film was the first Lgbtq+ movie set in the country — it ran into protests in its debut there after its premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival. It just screened in the Spotlight section last month at Sundance.
Set in the world of ancient Georgian dance, the film follows an obsessive young dancer Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), who has been training at the National Georgian Ensemble with his partner, Mary (Ana Javakishvili), since he was a child.
And Then We Danced is the third feature from the Sweden-born filmmaker of Georgian descent. The Georgian-language film was the first Lgbtq+ movie set in the country — it ran into protests in its debut there after its premiere in the Directors’ Fortnight section at the Cannes Film Festival. It just screened in the Spotlight section last month at Sundance.
Set in the world of ancient Georgian dance, the film follows an obsessive young dancer Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), who has been training at the National Georgian Ensemble with his partner, Mary (Ana Javakishvili), since he was a child.
- 2/20/2020
- by Patrick Hipes
- Deadline Film + TV
As Neon rides the awards-season wave with Bong Joon Ho’s cinematic masterpiece Parasite, it isn’t stopping with delivering genre titles that speak to the brand. This weekend, its will debut its chilling thriller The Lodge directed by Severin Fiala and Veronika Franz.
Written by Fiala, Franz and Sergio Casci, The Lodge follows a family that decides to spend the holidays in a snowy remote cabin. Already, this doesn’t sound like a good idea. The father (Richard Armitage) is forced to leave the family vaycay for work and his new girlfriend Grace (Riley Keough) stays behind to take care of his kids, Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh). When a blizzard hits, they become trapped and, well, Grace’s dark past begins to terrify all of them.
The Lodge debuted last year at Sundance before going through the festival circuit and then making its premiere in Italy in January.
Written by Fiala, Franz and Sergio Casci, The Lodge follows a family that decides to spend the holidays in a snowy remote cabin. Already, this doesn’t sound like a good idea. The father (Richard Armitage) is forced to leave the family vaycay for work and his new girlfriend Grace (Riley Keough) stays behind to take care of his kids, Aidan (Jaeden Martell) and Mia (Lia McHugh). When a blizzard hits, they become trapped and, well, Grace’s dark past begins to terrify all of them.
The Lodge debuted last year at Sundance before going through the festival circuit and then making its premiere in Italy in January.
- 2/7/2020
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
To be a Georgian male is to be masculine—especially in dance. Merab’s (Levan Gelbakhiani) teacher Aleko (Kakha Gogidze) demands that he stand straighter and stronger, a monument that can withstand any blow. While his country’s aesthetic had allowed for a softer tone, conservative tradition prevailed a half century ago to move things back to the rigid separation of gendered movement and the complete erasure of sexuality. How Aleko’s dancers perform becomes a visual metaphor for their nation. It will not be defeated. It will not show weakness. And anyone who dares to refuse giving one hundred percent to that goal can leave. It doesn’t matter how much passion Merab possesses or how many hours he practices. In their eyes he isn’t Georgian. He isn’t even a man.
It’s no wonder that writer/director Levan Akin’s film And Then We Danced was met by protests in Georgia.
It’s no wonder that writer/director Levan Akin’s film And Then We Danced was met by protests in Georgia.
- 1/29/2020
- by Jared Mobarak
- The Film Stage
And Then We Danced, Levan Akin’s Georgian-language drama that premiered in Cannes’ Director’s Fortnight program last year, scooped the best film prize at last night’s Guldbagge Awards, Sweden’s primary awards ceremony.
At a ceremony in Stockholm, Akin’s movie also picked up best male lead for Levan Gelbakhiani, best script for Akin, and cinematography for Lisabi Fridell. The film is a coming-of-age tale set amidst the conservative confines of modern Tbilisi, following a competitive dancer who is thrown off balance by the arrival of a fellow male dancer with a rebellious streak.
Pella Kagerman and Hugo Lilja’s sci-fi Aniara also had a good night, taking best director, best female lead for Emelie Garbers, female supporting role for Bianca Cruzeiro and best visual effects. The pic premiered at Toronto in 2018.
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite scooped best foreign film as the movie continues its prolific global awards run.
At a ceremony in Stockholm, Akin’s movie also picked up best male lead for Levan Gelbakhiani, best script for Akin, and cinematography for Lisabi Fridell. The film is a coming-of-age tale set amidst the conservative confines of modern Tbilisi, following a competitive dancer who is thrown off balance by the arrival of a fellow male dancer with a rebellious streak.
Pella Kagerman and Hugo Lilja’s sci-fi Aniara also had a good night, taking best director, best female lead for Emelie Garbers, female supporting role for Bianca Cruzeiro and best visual effects. The pic premiered at Toronto in 2018.
Bong Joon-ho’s Parasite scooped best foreign film as the movie continues its prolific global awards run.
- 1/21/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
The former took best film with the latter winning best director.
Levan Akin’s Cannes 2019 title And Then We Danced and Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja’s Toronto 2018 film Aniara led the winners at the 2020 Guldbagge Awards, held on January 20 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Both films picked up four awards each. And Then We Danced took best film, best actor for Levan Gelbakhiani, best screenplay for Akin, and best cinematography for Lisabi Fridell; while Aniara received best director, best actress for Emelie Garbers, best supporting actress for Bianca Cruzeiro, and best visual effects for Arild Andersson, Per Jonsson and Andreas Wicklund.
Levan Akin’s Cannes 2019 title And Then We Danced and Pella Kågerman and Hugo Lilja’s Toronto 2018 film Aniara led the winners at the 2020 Guldbagge Awards, held on January 20 in Stockholm, Sweden.
Both films picked up four awards each. And Then We Danced took best film, best actor for Levan Gelbakhiani, best screenplay for Akin, and best cinematography for Lisabi Fridell; while Aniara received best director, best actress for Emelie Garbers, best supporting actress for Bianca Cruzeiro, and best visual effects for Arild Andersson, Per Jonsson and Andreas Wicklund.
- 1/21/2020
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
The sci-fi epic Aniara has scooped four gongs, with a low yield for main contenders Roy Andersson and Mikael Håfström. In what has been called a lacklustre Swedish film year, the clearest beacon of light in 2019 was surely provided by Levan Akin in his heartfelt tale of a forbidden romance between two male dancers in the conservative Georgian dance community, And Then We Danced. It opened in the Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, became Sweden’s submission for the 92nd Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film and has now been sold to nearly 40 territories. The co-production between Sweden’s Mathilde Dedye and Georgia’s Ketie Danelia, with additional co-production by Julien Féret, picked up the Guldbagge Awards for Best Film, Best Lead Actor (for Levan Gelbakhiani), Best Script (Akin) and Best Cinematography (Lisabi Fridell). Last week, it was awarded the Greta, the annual award handed out by the...
Levan Akin's And Then We Danced, a gay coming-of-age tale set in the ballet scene in the staunchly conservative and still very homophobic country of Georgia in Eastern Europe, has won best film at the Guldbagge Awards, Sweden's top film honor.
Levan Gelbakhiani took best actor for his debut role as a performer in the National Georgian Ballet who is thrown off balance by his growing attraction to a fellow male dancer. Akin also picked up a Guldbagge for best screenplay, and the film won best cinematography for Lisabi Fridell.
Best directing honors, however, went to Pella Kagerman and ...
Levan Gelbakhiani took best actor for his debut role as a performer in the National Georgian Ballet who is thrown off balance by his growing attraction to a fellow male dancer. Akin also picked up a Guldbagge for best screenplay, and the film won best cinematography for Lisabi Fridell.
Best directing honors, however, went to Pella Kagerman and ...
- 1/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Levan Akin's And Then We Danced, a gay coming-of-age tale set in the ballet scene in the staunchly conservative, and still very homophobic, country of Georgia in Eastern Europe, has won best film at the Guldbagge Awards, Sweden's top film honor.
Levan Gelbakhiani took best actor for his debut role as a performer in the National Georgian Ballet who is thrown off balance by his growing attraction to a fellow male dancer. Akin also picked up a Guldbagge for best screenplay and the film won best cinematography for Lisabi Fridell.
Best directing honors, however, went to Pella Kagerman and ...
Levan Gelbakhiani took best actor for his debut role as a performer in the National Georgian Ballet who is thrown off balance by his growing attraction to a fellow male dancer. Akin also picked up a Guldbagge for best screenplay and the film won best cinematography for Lisabi Fridell.
Best directing honors, however, went to Pella Kagerman and ...
- 1/21/2020
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Upcoming talent to be showcased at the Berlin Film Festival.
The 10 young actors selected for this year’s European Shooting Stars has been unveiled.
European Film Promotion (Efp) has revealed the selection of upcoming talent, which will be introduced to international casting directors, producers and filmmakers at the Berlin Film Festival next month.
They include Germany’s Jonas Dassler, who starred as serial killer Fritz Honka in Faith Akin’s The Golden Glove, a biography of German serial killer Fritz Honka, which played in competition at last year’s Berlinale.
The selection also features Poland’s Bartosz Bielenia from Poland,...
The 10 young actors selected for this year’s European Shooting Stars has been unveiled.
European Film Promotion (Efp) has revealed the selection of upcoming talent, which will be introduced to international casting directors, producers and filmmakers at the Berlin Film Festival next month.
They include Germany’s Jonas Dassler, who starred as serial killer Fritz Honka in Faith Akin’s The Golden Glove, a biography of German serial killer Fritz Honka, which played in competition at last year’s Berlinale.
The selection also features Poland’s Bartosz Bielenia from Poland,...
- 1/9/2020
- by ¬0¦Thomas Messner¦0¦
- ScreenDaily
European Film Promotion has unveiled the 10 Shooting Stars, up-and-coming acting talents set to break out internationally, who will be honored at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival.
The selection comprises Bartosz Bielenia from Poland, star of Jan Komasa’s “Corpus Christi,” among films shortlisted for this year’s best international feature film Oscar; France’s Zita Hanrot, the voice talent of Zunaira in animated Oscar contender “The Swallows of Kabul” who broke out locally with Philippe Faucon’s “Fatima”; and Portugal’s Joana Ribeiro who is currently shooting Antoine Fuqua’s action thriller “Infinite” for Paramount alongside Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Previous Shooting Stars include Alicia Vikander, Alba Rohrwacher, Matthias Schoenaerts, Pilou Asbæk and Baltasar Kormákur.
The Shooting Stars initiative is also honoring German actor Jonas Dassler, who made a splash at Berlin last year with his performance as a serial killer in Fatih Akin’s “The Golden Glove”; Dutch actor Bilal Wahib,...
The selection comprises Bartosz Bielenia from Poland, star of Jan Komasa’s “Corpus Christi,” among films shortlisted for this year’s best international feature film Oscar; France’s Zita Hanrot, the voice talent of Zunaira in animated Oscar contender “The Swallows of Kabul” who broke out locally with Philippe Faucon’s “Fatima”; and Portugal’s Joana Ribeiro who is currently shooting Antoine Fuqua’s action thriller “Infinite” for Paramount alongside Mark Wahlberg and Chiwetel Ejiofor.
Previous Shooting Stars include Alicia Vikander, Alba Rohrwacher, Matthias Schoenaerts, Pilou Asbæk and Baltasar Kormákur.
The Shooting Stars initiative is also honoring German actor Jonas Dassler, who made a splash at Berlin last year with his performance as a serial killer in Fatih Akin’s “The Golden Glove”; Dutch actor Bilal Wahib,...
- 1/9/2020
- by Nick Vivarelli
- Variety Film + TV
The 2020 edition of European Shooting Stars has unveiled the 10 young acting talents it will spotlight, with participants arriving with credits including Polish Oscar shortlisted feature Corpus Christi.
On the list is Polish actor Bartosz Bielenia, whose turn as an amateur priest in Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi has already earned him acting awards at the Stockholm, Chicago and El Gouna film festivals.
He is selected alongside Danish actress Victoria Carmen Sonne, who has appeared in Hlynur Palmason’s Winters Brothers and Isabella Eklöf’s 2018 Sundance pic Holiday; she has won two Danish Academy awards (Bodils).
Also named is Swiss actress Ella Rumpf, who lead the cast of Julia Ducournau’s 2016 Cannes selection Raw, which won her the Révelation prize at the 2018 César Awards, and Jakob Lass’s 2017 Berlin title Tiger Girl. Rumpf will also appear this year in upcoming German Netflix series Freud.
Portuguese talent Joana Ribeiro makes the 2020 cut...
On the list is Polish actor Bartosz Bielenia, whose turn as an amateur priest in Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi has already earned him acting awards at the Stockholm, Chicago and El Gouna film festivals.
He is selected alongside Danish actress Victoria Carmen Sonne, who has appeared in Hlynur Palmason’s Winters Brothers and Isabella Eklöf’s 2018 Sundance pic Holiday; she has won two Danish Academy awards (Bodils).
Also named is Swiss actress Ella Rumpf, who lead the cast of Julia Ducournau’s 2016 Cannes selection Raw, which won her the Révelation prize at the 2018 César Awards, and Jakob Lass’s 2017 Berlin title Tiger Girl. Rumpf will also appear this year in upcoming German Netflix series Freud.
Portuguese talent Joana Ribeiro makes the 2020 cut...
- 1/9/2020
- by Tom Grater
- Deadline Film + TV
An official selection at Cannes Directors’ Fortnight and Sweden’s entry for Best International Film at the 92nd Academy Awards, And Then We Danced has earned much acclaim during its festival run along with some controversy in its filming locale of Georgia, where it prompted protests due to its gay themes. Music Box Films has now unveiled the first U.S. trailer for Levan Akin’s film ahead of a stop at Sundance an February 7, 2020 release; just in time for Valentine’s Day.
Described as an electrifying and spellbinding tour-de-force, the story conveys the trials that consume young Georgian dancer Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) and his homosexual identity places him at odds with his conservative Georgian background and the hyper-masculine tenants that pervade traditional Georgian dance. He’s been training for many years to become a professional with his female dance partner Mary (Ana Javakishvili), but the arrival of a new...
Described as an electrifying and spellbinding tour-de-force, the story conveys the trials that consume young Georgian dancer Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani) and his homosexual identity places him at odds with his conservative Georgian background and the hyper-masculine tenants that pervade traditional Georgian dance. He’s been training for many years to become a professional with his female dance partner Mary (Ana Javakishvili), but the arrival of a new...
- 12/22/2019
- by Margaret Rasberry
- The Film Stage
"Dancing isn't for you, don't you get it?" Music Box Films has released an official Us trailer for the indie Georgian dance film And Then We Danced, which was Sweden's official film submission to the Academy Awards this year (sadly it did not make the shortlist). The story is about a carefree dancer named Irakli who arrives at the National Georgian Ensemble, causing fellow dancer Merab to push himself more all the while he falls hard for him. The film is an "interesting look into a part of the world not so many people are familiar with but also a heartfelt movie about the importance of being free." This stars Ana Javakhishvili, Anano Makharadze, Bachi Valishvili, Giorgi Tsereteli, Levan Gelbakhiani, Ninutsa Gabisonia. Don't miss this! The film was one of the most beloved discoveries at Cannes this year, and I can also attest that it's a wonderful, empowering, and exuberant film.
- 12/20/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
Over the course of the last four years, there has been at least one queer film in the Oscar race each year. “Carol” in 2016, “Moonlight” in 2017, “Call Me by Your Name” and “A Fantastic Woman” in 2018, “The Favourite” and “Bohemian Rhapsody” in 2019. Alas, barring any big surprises, the streak may be broken at next year’s ceremony. That’s not a reflection of the many excellent Lgbtq films released this year, of which there are a variety. Celine Sciamma’s stunning masterpiece “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” was passed over as France’s Oscar submission in favor of Ladj Ly’s “Les Miserables,” and Levan Akin’s powerful coming-of-age story “And Then We Danced” was recently left off the short list for Best International Feature.
Oscars or not, there is still so much to celebrate in queer cinema. More and more filmmakers are not only embracing queer characters and storylines,...
Oscars or not, there is still so much to celebrate in queer cinema. More and more filmmakers are not only embracing queer characters and storylines,...
- 12/20/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The International Feature Film Oscar shortlist is due out on Monday, with an expanded 10 titles up from the traditional nine. Preliminary voting closed in the category on Wednesday with the first seven films determined (although still held under wraps) and the Executive Committee will meet Monday morning to decide on the three so-called “saves.” As ever, this is a year with a rich crop of films from talent outside the United States. In total, there are 91 movies vying for a mention.
Filmmakers have trotted the globe to festivals and Q&a screenings while presumed favorite Bong Joon-Ho even made a recent stop on The Tonight Show. Along with the Korean director’s Parasite, there are a host of other possibilities for the shortlist, and below we take a look at a cross-section of titles that could turn up on the roster on Monday.
Here’s our shot at the major...
Filmmakers have trotted the globe to festivals and Q&a screenings while presumed favorite Bong Joon-Ho even made a recent stop on The Tonight Show. Along with the Korean director’s Parasite, there are a host of other possibilities for the shortlist, and below we take a look at a cross-section of titles that could turn up on the roster on Monday.
Here’s our shot at the major...
- 12/13/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Now in their 32nd year, the European Film Awards unfold Saturday in Berlin, and here’s where you can live-stream the ceremony. With some titles controversial (Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy”) and others at least a year old for those of us stateside (“The Favourite”), this year’s ceremony is sure to be a fun romp.
Leading the pack is director “An Officer and a Spy,” the Dreyfus affair drama that picked up a top prize at Venice back in September, tied for four nominations alongside Pedro Almodóvar’s self-reflective “Pain and Glory,” Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor,” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Favourite.” While released in the fall of 2018 in the United States, the latter film’s international release window made it eligible for the European Film Awards this year. “The Favourite” won star Olivia Colman, who plays a gout-stricken Queen Anne, a Best Actress Academy Award earlier...
Leading the pack is director “An Officer and a Spy,” the Dreyfus affair drama that picked up a top prize at Venice back in September, tied for four nominations alongside Pedro Almodóvar’s self-reflective “Pain and Glory,” Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor,” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “Favourite.” While released in the fall of 2018 in the United States, the latter film’s international release window made it eligible for the European Film Awards this year. “The Favourite” won star Olivia Colman, who plays a gout-stricken Queen Anne, a Best Actress Academy Award earlier...
- 12/7/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Just days before the Georgian premiere of Swedish filmmaker Levan Akin’s new love story between two young dancers, copies of the film were leaked on Russian websites.
It was “exactly timed to ruin our screenings in Georgia,” Akin told TheWrap.
The Georgian premiere of “And Then We Danced” was met with violent protestors who Akin said were funded by Russia despite claiming to be patriots of Georgia. Several hundred descended on the event throwing rocks and firecrackers at filmgoers and police. They were heard chanting “Long live Georgia!” and “Shame!” The event was shut down and multiple people were injured.
Despite the threats of violence before the premiere, Akin refused to cancel the screenings.
Also Read: Why the Algerian Government Doesn't Want You to See the Country's Oscar Entry 'Papicha'
“Fortunately all the audience members who wanted to see the film got to see the film, but I mean...
It was “exactly timed to ruin our screenings in Georgia,” Akin told TheWrap.
The Georgian premiere of “And Then We Danced” was met with violent protestors who Akin said were funded by Russia despite claiming to be patriots of Georgia. Several hundred descended on the event throwing rocks and firecrackers at filmgoers and police. They were heard chanting “Long live Georgia!” and “Shame!” The event was shut down and multiple people were injured.
Despite the threats of violence before the premiere, Akin refused to cancel the screenings.
Also Read: Why the Algerian Government Doesn't Want You to See the Country's Oscar Entry 'Papicha'
“Fortunately all the audience members who wanted to see the film got to see the film, but I mean...
- 11/21/2019
- by Trey Williams
- The Wrap
The film has confirmed itself as the top Lgbtiq+ title of the year, as proven by its triple win at the Madrilenian festival, snagging the Audience Award, the Jury Prize for Best Film, and Best Actor. And Then We Danced is a production between Sweden, France and Georgia that Spanish audiences were able to get to know thanks to its participation in the Valladolid and Seville Film Festivals, although it was in fact world-premiered in the Directors’ Fortnight during the most recent Cannes Film Festival. Last Sunday, during the closing ceremony of the 24th edition of the LesGaiCineMad Festival, which unspooled between 30 October and 17 November, it emerged as the clear victor, as it scooped three major accolades: the Jury Prize for Best Film at the gathering, the Audience Award for Best Film, and the Best Actor Award for its lead, Levan Gelbakhiani. With these new trophies under its...
- 11/20/2019
- Cineuropa - The Best of European Cinema
Levan Akin is a Swedish-born filmmaker of Georgian descent whose third film, And Then We Danced, is Sweden’s Oscar submission for the International Feature race. The Georgian-language film is the first Lgbtq+ movie set in the country and debuted in the Directors’ Fortnight section of Cannes earlier this year. When Akin came to Deadline’s Cannes Studio at the time, he told me the subject matter required the team to be scrappy while shooting in Tbilisi. But he wasn’t really prepared for what would follow.
“It’s been a turbulent week,” he understated to me recently. This was following the November 8 premiere in the Georgian capital which was stormed by several hundred protesters who chanted “Long live Georgia!” and “Shame!” before burning a rainbow flag. The demonstrators created a “corridor of shame” leading to cinemas showing the movie, but the screenings were able to carry on. Riot police were on hand,...
“It’s been a turbulent week,” he understated to me recently. This was following the November 8 premiere in the Georgian capital which was stormed by several hundred protesters who chanted “Long live Georgia!” and “Shame!” before burning a rainbow flag. The demonstrators created a “corridor of shame” leading to cinemas showing the movie, but the screenings were able to carry on. Riot police were on hand,...
- 11/15/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
In mid-2013, violent anti-lgbt demonstrations erupted in Georgia, the fledgling democracy in the South Caucasus which only five years prior had successfully recovered from an aggressive Russian invasion. Roughly 20,000 counter protestors had gathered in the capital of Tblisi to target some 50 Lgbt activists marching for gay rights. Watching the violence unfold from his home in Sweden, gay filmmaker Levan Akin felt ashamed that his country of origin, where he spent summers in his youth, would display its homophobia so violently.
The revelation inspired him to set his third feature film in Tblisi, and envision it as a tour-de-force coming-of-age drama about a traditional Georgian dancer coming to terms with his sexuality. Six years later, “And Then We Danced,” which is Sweden’s official submission for Best International Feature, is reigniting anti-gay sentiment in Georgia.
Queer films have enjoyed significant mainstream success and critical acclaim in Hollywood in recent years, with the consecutive trifecta of “Carol,...
The revelation inspired him to set his third feature film in Tblisi, and envision it as a tour-de-force coming-of-age drama about a traditional Georgian dancer coming to terms with his sexuality. Six years later, “And Then We Danced,” which is Sweden’s official submission for Best International Feature, is reigniting anti-gay sentiment in Georgia.
Queer films have enjoyed significant mainstream success and critical acclaim in Hollywood in recent years, with the consecutive trifecta of “Carol,...
- 11/15/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor,” Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy” and Pedro Almodóvar’s “Pain and Glory” lead the race for the 32nd European Film Awards with four nominations apiece in the major categories. The awards, voted on by more than 3,600 members of the European Film Academy, will be presented at the awards ceremony on Dec. 7 in Berlin.
Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” followed with three nominations in the top categories each, while Ladj Ly’s “Les Misérables” and Nora Fingscheidt’s “System Crasher” were both short-listed in two major categories.
“The Favourite” picked up an additional nomination in the comedy category, while “Les Misérables” received a further nomination in the Discovery section for newcomers.
A single nomination each went to “A White, White Day,” “And Then We Danced,” “Beanpole,” “Gundermann” and “Queen of Hearts.”
Competing for best documentary are “For Sama,...
Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite” followed with three nominations in the top categories each, while Ladj Ly’s “Les Misérables” and Nora Fingscheidt’s “System Crasher” were both short-listed in two major categories.
“The Favourite” picked up an additional nomination in the comedy category, while “Les Misérables” received a further nomination in the Discovery section for newcomers.
A single nomination each went to “A White, White Day,” “And Then We Danced,” “Beanpole,” “Gundermann” and “Queen of Hearts.”
Competing for best documentary are “For Sama,...
- 11/9/2019
- by Leo Barraclough and Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
The movie awards season is full speed ahead, and today, the European Film Awards unveiled their nominations for the best films of 2019. Leading the pack is director Roman Polanski’s “An Officer and a Spy,” the Dreyfus affair drama that picked up a top prize at Venice back in September, tied for four nominations alongside Pedro Almodóvar’s self-reflective “Pain and Glory,” Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor,” and Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite.” While released in the fall of 2018 in the United States, the latter film’s international release window made it eligible for the European Film Awards this year. “The Favourite” won star Olivia Colman, who plays a gout-stricken Queen Anne, a Best Actress Academy Award earlier this year — the movie’s only win from 10 nominations.
Also picking up heat among the nominees is Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which Neon opens stateside in December. Sciamma...
Also picking up heat among the nominees is Céline Sciamma’s “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” which Neon opens stateside in December. Sciamma...
- 11/9/2019
- by Ryan Lattanzio
- Indiewire
Only a few days after Roman Polanski was accused of a 1975 rape by a French actress, the director has become one of the leading nominees for the 2019 European Film Awards for his film “An Officer and a Spy.”
The drama about the Dreyfus affair in 19th century France landed four nominations, tying it with Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite,” Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain and Glory,” and Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor” for the most Efa nominations.
Those four films were all nominated in the European Film category, along with “Les Miserables” and “System Crasher.” Polanski was also nominated for European director, along with Almodovar, Bellocchio, Lanthimos and Celine Sciamma for “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”
“An Officer and a Spy” also received nominations for lead actor Jean Dujardin and for its screenplay by Polanski and Robert Harris.
Also Read: 'An Officer and a Spy' Review: Roman Polanski Is No Emile...
The drama about the Dreyfus affair in 19th century France landed four nominations, tying it with Yorgos Lanthimos’ “The Favourite,” Pedro Almodovar’s “Pain and Glory,” and Marco Bellocchio’s “The Traitor” for the most Efa nominations.
Those four films were all nominated in the European Film category, along with “Les Miserables” and “System Crasher.” Polanski was also nominated for European director, along with Almodovar, Bellocchio, Lanthimos and Celine Sciamma for “Portrait of a Lady on Fire.”
“An Officer and a Spy” also received nominations for lead actor Jean Dujardin and for its screenplay by Polanski and Robert Harris.
Also Read: 'An Officer and a Spy' Review: Roman Polanski Is No Emile...
- 11/9/2019
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite and Céline Sciamma’s Portrait Of A Lady On Fire are just behind with three nominations.
The Nominations for the 2019 European Film Academy Awards were revealed this afternoon at the Seville European Film Festival, with Pedro Almodovar’s Pain And Glory, Roman Polanski’s An Officer And A Spy and Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor leading the way with four nominations each.
The trio are all up for best European film alongside Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, just behind with three nominations including best actress for Olivia Colman, and Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables, with two nominations.
The Nominations for the 2019 European Film Academy Awards were revealed this afternoon at the Seville European Film Festival, with Pedro Almodovar’s Pain And Glory, Roman Polanski’s An Officer And A Spy and Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor leading the way with four nominations each.
The trio are all up for best European film alongside Yorgos Lanthimos’ The Favourite, just behind with three nominations including best actress for Olivia Colman, and Ladj Ly’s Les Misérables, with two nominations.
- 11/9/2019
- by 1101184¦Orlando Parfitt¦38¦
- ScreenDaily
The European Film Academy has unveiled its nominations for the 32nd European Film Awards with the ceremony to be held December 7 in Berlin. Among the titles to figure in the races, three are tied with four mentions each including Roman Polanski’s An Officer And A Spy, Pedro Almodovar’s Pain And Glory and Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor. The latter two are also the Oscar representatives from their respective Spain and Italy and give Sony Pictures Classics a combined eight nods at the EFAs.
While Polanski remains a controversial figure, there has been a divide between U.S. and Euro perspectives in the #MeToo era. His Dreyfus Affair drama, An Officer And A Spy, which also has Efa nominations for Director, Actor and Screenwriter, was one of the most contested titles at the Venice Film Festival where it debuted earlier this year. It went on to win the Grand Jury Prize there.
While Polanski remains a controversial figure, there has been a divide between U.S. and Euro perspectives in the #MeToo era. His Dreyfus Affair drama, An Officer And A Spy, which also has Efa nominations for Director, Actor and Screenwriter, was one of the most contested titles at the Venice Film Festival where it debuted earlier this year. It went on to win the Grand Jury Prize there.
- 11/9/2019
- by Nancy Tartaglione
- Deadline Film + TV
Right-wing groups and the Georgian Church have condemned the film.
Swedish director Levan Akin has responded to threats of protest by right-wing groups at the Georgian premiere of his film And Then We Danced on Friday, November 8.
And Then We Danced is the story of a young man in the National Georgian Ensemble who is attracted to a rival male dancer. It has drawn condemnation from conservative groups in Georgia due to its depiction of homosexuality.
Set in Georgia, it is Sweden’s entry to the best international feature Oscar in 2020.
Akin posted about the threats on his personal Facebook on Thursday,...
Swedish director Levan Akin has responded to threats of protest by right-wing groups at the Georgian premiere of his film And Then We Danced on Friday, November 8.
And Then We Danced is the story of a young man in the National Georgian Ensemble who is attracted to a rival male dancer. It has drawn condemnation from conservative groups in Georgia due to its depiction of homosexuality.
Set in Georgia, it is Sweden’s entry to the best international feature Oscar in 2020.
Akin posted about the threats on his personal Facebook on Thursday,...
- 11/8/2019
- by 1101321¦Ben Dalton¦26¦
- ScreenDaily
Valladolid, Spain – The Valladolid Intl. Film Festival (Seminci), the truest event dedicated to international arthouse cinema on Spain’s festival calendar, capped off eight days of screenings, press conferences and roundtables by handing out awards on Saturday evening at the Spanish city’s historic Calderon Theater. The evening’s big winners: Wang Quan’an’s “Öndög” and Karim Aïnouz’s “The Invisible Life.”
After premiering in competition at February’s Berlinale, Quan’an’s Mongolian dramedy “Öndög” has hit its stride eight months later scoring a best film award at last week’s Ghent Intl. Film Festival before repeating the feat at last night’s closing gala along with a best cinematography award for its Beijing-based French cinematographer Aymerick Pilarski.
Set on the seemingly endless planes of Mongolia, the film follows a rookie officer and a veteran shepard tasked with protecting a crime scene from harsh elements and harsher wolves.
After premiering in competition at February’s Berlinale, Quan’an’s Mongolian dramedy “Öndög” has hit its stride eight months later scoring a best film award at last week’s Ghent Intl. Film Festival before repeating the feat at last night’s closing gala along with a best cinematography award for its Beijing-based French cinematographer Aymerick Pilarski.
Set on the seemingly endless planes of Mongolia, the film follows a rookie officer and a veteran shepard tasked with protecting a crime scene from harsh elements and harsher wolves.
- 10/27/2019
- by Jamie Lang
- Variety Film + TV
Merab is a dancer. Like his mother and father before him, he has trained in the art of traditional Georgian dance since he first began walking. Lean and sinewy, he delicately balances stiffness and flow with each precise move, his eyes alight with the pure joy of creative expression. He’s the paragon of Georgian health, a perfect marriage of the fledgling democracy’s bright future and its proud past. If only his demanding dance coach, who barks that he is “too soft,” could see it that way. If only there were room in Georgian dance — in Georgia itself — for a little softness, maybe the country wouldn’t be losing so many of its artists, scholars, and innovators to more progressive climes.
“And Then We Danced,” Swedish filmmaker Levan Akin’s luminous tour de force (and his native country’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film) adorns itself with...
“And Then We Danced,” Swedish filmmaker Levan Akin’s luminous tour de force (and his native country’s Oscar submission for Best International Feature Film) adorns itself with...
- 10/25/2019
- by Jude Dry
- Indiewire
The American Film Institute unveiled their lineup for AFI Fest’s World Cinema and the inaugural Documentary section. The fest will take place November 14-21 in Los Angeles.
The world cinema section will include five international feature film Oscar submissions and 16 titles from 19 countries. This includes the Los Angeles premiere of Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life as well as Levan Akin’s And We Danced from Sweden, Sophie Deraspe’s Antigone from Canada, Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi from Poland, Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor from Italy and Cornlieu’s The Whistlers from Romania.
On the documentary side, the fest will include Alex Gibney’s Citizen K as well as Desert One from two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple. Other films in the doc lineup include Bikram: Yoga, Guru, Predator from Eva Orner, Jolie Coiffure from Rosine Mbakam and The Human Factor from Dror Moreh.
Read AFI Fest’s...
The world cinema section will include five international feature film Oscar submissions and 16 titles from 19 countries. This includes the Los Angeles premiere of Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life as well as Levan Akin’s And We Danced from Sweden, Sophie Deraspe’s Antigone from Canada, Jan Komasa’s Corpus Christi from Poland, Marco Bellocchio’s The Traitor from Italy and Cornlieu’s The Whistlers from Romania.
On the documentary side, the fest will include Alex Gibney’s Citizen K as well as Desert One from two-time Academy Award winner Barbara Kopple. Other films in the doc lineup include Bikram: Yoga, Guru, Predator from Eva Orner, Jolie Coiffure from Rosine Mbakam and The Human Factor from Dror Moreh.
Read AFI Fest’s...
- 10/15/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
"There is no room for weakness in Georgian dance." Peccadillo Pictures in the UK has debuted an official UK trailer for the acclaimed Georgian indie drama And Then We Danced, which premiered at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this summer. It's also playing at the London & Chicago Film Festivals this fall. The story is about a carefree dancer named Irakli who arrives at the National Georgian Ensemble, causing fellow dancer Merab to push himself more all the while he falls hard for him. The film is an "interesting look into a part of the world not so many people are familiar with but also a heartfelt movie about the importance of being free." This stars Ana Javakhishvili, Anano Makharadze, Bachi Valishvili, Giorgi Tsereteli, Levan Gelbakhiani, Ninutsa Gabisonia. This film was one of the most beloved discoveries at Cannes this year, and is playing to rave reviews at other festivals recently,...
- 10/9/2019
- by Alex Billington
- firstshowing.net
NewFest has released its full lineup for their 31st annual fest that features the year’s best Lgbtq films from around the world. The fest runs October 23-29 at the Sva Theatre, Cinépolis Chelsea, as well as The Lgbt Community Center in New York City.
As Deadline revealed exclusively last week, the festival will feature Mike Doyle’s Manhattan-set ensemble rom-com Sell By as their opening night film. The film stars Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Buteau (Tales of the City) and Augustus Prew (High-Rise). The fest will feature Martha Stephen’s To The Stars as the U.S. Centerpiece Gala and close with Rodrigo Bellott’s award-winning Tu Me Manques.
NewFest will also feature the world premiere of Alexis Clements’ documentary All We’ve Got which looks into what it takes in America for queer, spaces for women to survive and why/how they are disappearing. In addition, Megan Wennberg’s Drag Kids, which follows the lives of four young drag performers from around North America, will make its U.S. premiere and the fest will have a spotlight screening of Martin Krejcí’sThe True Adventures of Wolfboy, a modern-day fairytale starring Jaeden Martell, John Turturro. and Chloë Sevigny.
NewFest will also serve up some scares with thier queer-centric “HalloKween” program with the transgender vampire film Bit with Nicole Maines, the documentary Scream Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street about the controversial sequel of the Wes Craven classic that ended Mark Patton’s acting career, and the Spanish alien rescue mission film Brief Story From the Green Planet which won the coveted Teddy Award at this year’s Berlinale Film Festival.
The full program of 27 narrative features, 14 documentary features, 15 episodic series, 8 centerpiece and spotlight screenings, and 100 shorts from all over the world. 71% of content is by and about underrepresented voices.
The complete lineup of full-length features can be read below. Read the lineup of shorts here.
Opening Night Gala
Sell By
New York Premiere
Dir. Mike Doyle, USA, 2019, 94 mins
Cast: Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, Michelle Buteau, Zoe Chao, Patricia Clarkson, Christopher Gray, Colin Donnell, John Doman
Having been together for five years, Adam and rising social media celeb Marklin are faced with confronting their commitment to each other, while both Cammy and Haley (Zoe Chao) face their own challenges with companionship. Rounding out the lively and talented cast under Doyle’s assured direction is Kate Walsh (Grey’S Anatomy) and Academy Award-nominee Patricia Clarkson (High Art). Imbued with a can-do charm so becoming of our great metropolis, Sell By captures both how we let ourselves go, as well as how we grow closer to those we love.
Closing Night Gala
Tu Me Manques
New York Premiere
Dir. Rodrigo Bellott, USA/Bolivia, 2019, 110 mins
Cast: Oscar Martinez, Rossy de Palma, Fernando Barbosa
After his son Gabriel passes away, conservative Bolivian patriarch Jorge (Oscar Martínez) accidentally Skypes Gabriel’s ex-boyfriend Sebastian (Fernando Barbosa), leading him on a journey from Bolivia to New York City in search for the truth about his child. Based on writer/director Rodrigo Bellott’s own electrifying and influential play, Tu Me Manques is an inspiring story that celebrates community, love, and storytelling, and excavates both familial and international homophobia with tremendous tact and care.
International Centerpiece
And Then We Danced
New York Premiere
Dir. Levan Akin, Sweden/France, 2019, 113 mins
Cast: Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili, Ana Javakishvili
Sweden’s official selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards, And Then We Danced offers a riveting and visceral lead performance from newcomer Gelbakhiani, while featuring dynamic cinematography and a cathartic dance sequence that will leave you breathless.
U.S. Centerpiece
To The Stars
New York Premiere
Dir. Martha Stephens, USA, 2019, 111 mins
Cast: Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Jordana Spiro, Malin Akerman, Shea Whigham, Tony Hale, Lucas Zumann, Adelaide Clemens
Set in the conservative, bobby-socked setting of a 1960s Oklahoma high school, mysterious cosmopolitan new girl Maggie (Liana Liberato)—a coveted recruit among the popular girls—takes an unexpected shining to Iris, a withdrawn pariah. As the two teens grow closer, we learn the curious circumstances behind Maggie’s sudden arrival in the small Dust Bowl town.
New York Centerpiece
Cubby
New York Premiere
Dir. Mark Blane, USA, 2019, 83 mins
Cast: Mark Blane, Joseph Seuffert, Patricia Richardson, Zachary Booth, Christian Patrick
Written and co-directed by breakout star Mark Blane and shot in crisp 16mm, this quirky dark comedy tells the semi-autobiographical story of an anxious midwestern twenty-something who moves to New York City in hopes of becoming an artist. We follow Mark as he navigates his new life in this overwhelming city and chemically imbalanced flights of fancy, all while fostering a friendship with Milo, a precocious 6-year-old he begins to babysit in brownstone-filled Brooklyn.
Documentary Centerpiece
Drag Kids
Us Premiere
Dir. Megan Wennberg, Canada, 2019, 78 mins
This documentary follows the four young stars as they prepare for the biggest performance of their lives at Montreal Pride, demonstrating the importance of artistic expression, community-building, and non-judgmental support for people of all ages. A surprisingly moving film about gender, art, and affirming parenting, Drag Kids will have you cheering through tears by its end. This oft misunderstood segment of the drag community deserves more accurate representation in media, and Megan Wennberg’s film is only the beginning.
Narrative Features
15 Years
New York Premiere
Dir. Yuval Hadadi, Israel, 2019, 89 mins Cast: Oded Leopold, Udi Persi, Ruth Asarsai
When his best friend becomes pregnant and his longtime boyfriend starts talking about adopting, the often-unfazed Yoav begins to unravel. Small arguments fester to extreme degrees in Yuval Hadadi’s stunning portrait of a relationship in crisis. Shot against the backdrop of contemporary Tel Aviv, Hadadi explores ingrained pressures on the Israeli Lgbt community in his confident feature directorial debut.
A Dog Barking At The Moon
New York Premiere
Dir. Lisa Zi Xiang, China/Spain, 2019, 107 mins
Cast: Naren Hua, Nan Ji, Wu Reyuan, Thomas Fiquet
While visiting her broken family with her American husband, pregnant writer Huang Xiaoyu finds herself trapped between her cult-brainwashed mother and her secretly homosexual father. An epic Chinese family saga that unfolds over–and weaves together–multiple periods of time, Lisa Zi Xiang’s directorial debut is a masterful tale of secrets, infidelity, and the enormous weight of societal norms.
Benjamin
New York Premiere
Dir. Simon Amstell, UK, 2019, 85 mins
Cast: Gabe Gilmour, Jack Rowan, Colin Morgan, Anna Chancellor, Robin Peters, Arnab Chanda, Jessica Raine, James Bloor, Joel Fry, PhéniYES Brossard, Jessie Cave
Benjamin is an anxious, awkward filmmaker who feels stuck ahead of the premiere of his second feature. His lack of confidence in the film is eating him away, and, though love fuels his writing material, he’s overwhelmed by his self-proclaimed inability to love. When a beautiful young French musician named Noah comes into Benjamin’s life, he begins to let go of his past love traumas and see the light. It’s not long, however, before Benjamin’s insecurities come knocking and threaten to throw his life and relationship into disarray.
Billie & Emma
New York Premiere
Dir. Samantha Lee, Philippines, 2019,107 mins
Cast: Gabby Padilla, Zar Donato, Beauty Gonzales, Chelo Aquino
In the Philippines during the 1990s, out teenager and rock music-lover Billie is sent from Manilla to live with her aunt in a rural village. Sticking out like a sore thumb in her strict Catholic high school, Billie develops an intimate bond with Emma, an ambitious classmate who is hiding the fact that she’s pregnant from their peers. Together, Billie and Emma stand up against oppressive school officials and gossipy classmates, and discover there is so much more to live for aside from religious doctrine.
Holy Trinity
New York Premiere
Dir. Molly Hewitt, USA, 2019, 97 mins
Cast: Molly Hewitt, Theo Germain, Heather Lynn, Imp Queen
Holy Trinity is an absolute acid trip of kinky, drug-induced, gender-fluid adventures through an alternative universe’s Chicago. We follow Trinity, a queer dominatrix, who, after huffing a new brand of magic aerosol, can see dead people.
Last Ferry
New York Premiere
Dir. Jaki Bradley, USA, 2019, 86 mins
Cast: Ramon O. Torres, Myles Clohessy, Sheldon Best
When lonely lawyer Joseph ventures out to The Pines for the first time, he is drugged and mugged, and witnesses a murder on the beach. After he is found and taken in by a group of friends he quickly acclimates, but then begins to wonder, who can he trust? This taut thriller offers a delightfully gay spin on the classic thriller formula and features excellent cinematography from Alexa Wolf, who manages to capture the beauty and brightness of beaches and mimosa-drenched brunches, as well as the darkness that always seems to be lurking underneath this story’s surface.
Monsters
East Coast Premiere
Dir. Marius Olteanu, Romania, 2019, 116 mins Cast: Judith State, Cristian Popa
Presenting a clear snapshot of a contemporary Romanian couple through three distinct chapters, Marius Olteanu’s formal portrait of a marriage in quiet disarray is immersive in its naturalism and sneaky in its sense of humor. Subtly exploring the varied routes through which humans seek connection, whether through an extended all-night conversation with a cab driver or a secretive Grindr hookup, Monsters. is an observational film that refuses to judge its characters no matter how desperate they appear to be at times.
Music For Bleeding Hearts
World Premiere
Dir. Rafael Gomes, Brazil, 2019, 102 mins
Cast: Victor Mendes, Mayara Constantino, Caio Horowicz, Icaro Silva, Denise Fraga
In present day São Paulo, a trio of young hearts are about to break. Ricardo has both a steady boyfriend and a wandering eye for a new coworker. Isabella is taking a break from both her boyfriend and best friend Ricardo. And hopeless romantic Felipe has suddenly found himself caught between the two of them. These three have big dreams, yearning passion, and opinionated acquaintances, but they’re all unprepared for what’s to come from Cupid’s arrows.
Nevrland
New York Premiere
Dir. Gregor Schmidinger, Austria, 2019, Tbc mins Cast: Simon Frühwirth, Paul Forman, Josef Hader
Seeking escape from his drab life at home and at work in a slaughterhouse, Jakob retreats into online worlds in search of excitement. After making a connection with tight-torsoed Kristjan in a cam chatroom, Jakob ventures out to meet up in person, leading to a mind-bending journey to the center of the self that will irreparably alter both of their lives.
Second Star On The Right
New York Premiere
Dir. Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Silvia Varón, Ximena Rodríguez, Alejandra Lara, Tatiana Rentería, Diana Wiswell, Andrés Jiménez, Lorena Castellanos, Justin Vahala, Gina Medina
In the blink of an eye, gregarious bisexual Emilia (Silvia Varón) has gone from being a core member of a tight-knit group of women to its biggest burden. As her thirties close in on her, Emilia flits from day job to passion project to romantic interest without wholly committing to any. As the group’s focus shifts from friendship to careers, partners, and kids, Emilia becomes yet another load its members must shoulder.
Seventeen
New York Premiere
Dir. Monja Art, Austria, 2019, 104 mins
Cast: Elisabeth Wabitsch, Magdalena Wabitsch
As summer looms in bucolic Austria, seventeen year-old Paula studies and silently pines for her boarding school classmate and close friend, Charlotte, who is biding time with an unremarkable boyfriend and exercising restraint in her shared feelings for Paula. Rather than dwelling, Paula attempts to date Tim, an eccentric but earnest classmate, in turn striking an imperfect balance between erotic connection and attraction that ultimately proves satisfying.
Siberia & Him
World Premiere
Dir. Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy, USA/Russia, 2019, 72 mins
Cast: Ilya Shubochkin, Anastasiya Voskresenskaya, Irina Novokreshennyh, Aleksandr Savin, Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy
Meek farmhand Sasha and policeman Dima have a fraught relationship. They’re brothers-in-law, travel companions, and—secretly—lovers. Over the course of their journey to visit Sasha’s grandmother, unspoken truths are uttered, intimacy is built, and authenticity is challenged. Although they may be far from the peering eyes of their oppressive society, their relationship teeters on a dangerous precipice.
Straight Up
New York Premiere
Dir. James Sweeney, USA, 2019, 95 mins
Cast: Katie Findlay, James Sweeney, Randall Park
Writer/director/producer James Sweeney stars in this witty comedy as Todd, an obsessive-compulsive and Gilmore Girls-loving twentysomething plagued by intense anxieties. Todd has never been comfortable with his queerness, or with most aspects of his life, and consistently struggles with insecurity. That is until he thinks he’s met his soulmate. The only problem? She’s a woman.
Tremblores (Tremors)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala/France/Luxembourg, 2019, 107 mins Cast: Juan Pablo Olyslager, Mauricio Armas, Diane Bathen
In Guatemala, earthquakes (or tremors) can be a very common occurrence. Temblores explores what happens to an affluent religious family as a rumbling rift symbolically tears them apart after patriarch Pablo (a revelatory Juan Pablo Olyslager) reveals that he’s been sustaining a loving relationship with another man. What follows is a tale of passionate romance, immense inner conflict and devastating tragedy. Separated from his wife, his children and his life of Evangelical tradition, Pablo initially finds a sense of freedom. But how long can he sustain this new and exciting life when he’s fired from his job and his religious creed begins to take over again?
The Shiny Shrimps
New York Premiere
Dir. MaYESime Govare and Cédric Le Gallo, France, 2019, 103 mins Cast: Nicolas Gob, Alban Lenoir, Michaël Abiteboul, Geoffrey Couët
After an Olympic swimmer near the end of his career makes a homophobic comment on TV, he’s barred from any further events unless he agrees to coach the Shiny Shrimps, a flambouyant gay water-polo team. They might have the worst record in the amateur league, but they’re dead-set on qualifying for the most prestigious and challenging Lgbtq sporting event in Europe, the Gay Games.
Top 3 (And Other Animated Tales)
New York Premiere
Dir. Sofie Edvardsson, Sweden, 2019, 44 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
In this inventive and bittersweet animated rom-com, perpetual list-maker Anton falls in love with David and the two share a globetrotting young romance. But things start to go awry when Anton realizes that his dreams could be in direct opposition to his crush’s. Sofie Edvardsson’s charming and moving tale of miscommunication, idealization, and star-crossed love premiered at Frameline and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at Outfest.
Zen In The Ice Rift
New York Premiere
Dir. Margherita Ferri, Italy, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
Maia “Zen” Zenassi is a quick-tempered, nonconforming sixteen year-old living in a provincial Italian mountain village. A standout on the local boys hockey team, Zen uses the sport as a vital outlet for rage, an escape from emotional vulnerability, and a stage for gender performance. While being scouted for the national women’s team, Zen develops an improbable friendship with a male teammate’s reluctant girlfriend, causing an icy demeanor to melt away as Zen finally shares a closely-guarded desire to be a boy. Here, an open heart comes with mixed results.
Documentary Features
A Night At Switch ‘N’ Play
New York Premiere
Dir. Cody Stickels, USA, 2019, 72 mins
You are cordially invited to a night at Switch n’ Play! Meet the daring and dazzling Queer artists behind one of Brooklyn’s most popular and groundbreaking performance groups. Come along for the ride as they display their own unique blend Burlesque and drag, and navigate how gender identity, body image, and familial issues affect their performance personas and personal lives.
All We’Ve Got
World Premiere
Dir. Alexis Clements, USA, 2019, 67 mins
Since 2010, over 100 queer women’s spaces—from dive bars to bookstores and dance halls to health centers—have shuttered across the United States. As concern grows over this death and dearth of these essential social hubs, this documentary takes inventory of those that continue to thrive across the country, inciting a powerful conversation about the importance of community. Whether at Alibi’s Club in Oklahoma City or Wow Café Theatre in our own New York City, queer women are tirelessly making room for one another on barstools, stages, and activism’s front lines.
Burn Down The House (Screening with Fabulous)
Dir. Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah, France, 2019, 44 mins
Giselle Bailey & Nneka Onuorah’s immersive documentary follows Kiddy Smile and several Parisian dancers as they prepare to perform in his next concert (and also features Fabulous’ Lasseindra Ninja). After DJing for Emmanuel Macron in a T-shirt that read “Fils d’immigrés, noir et pédé”, Smile was the subject of extraordinary praise and backlash. But he and his friends won’t let that faze them. As they discuss contemporary racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and the art that binds them, these rising stars make it clear that they won’t stop until everyone knows Paris is still burning.
Fabulous (Screening with Burn Down The House)
Dir. Audrey Jean-Baptiste, France, 2019, 46 mins
Audrey Jean-Baptiste’s triumphant Fabulous follows Lasseindra Ninja, a notable fixture of the ballroom scene in Paris, who travels from France to French Guiana in order to teach the art of voguing to Lgbtq young adults in her home country. A powerful and personal look at one woman’s return home, Fabulous gives the gift of empowerment and community to the next generation of queer dancers.
Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life
Dir. Tomer Heymann, Israel/Germany, 2019, 106 mins
Jonathan Agassi, one of the world’s most successful gay porn stars, splits his time between Israel, where both his parents live, and Berlin. The recipient of multiple international porn awards, Agassi built his fame on something considered taboo but enjoyed by millions worldwide. But as Agassi’s success starts to wane, he responds in increasingly self-destructive ways.
Leonard Soloway’S Broadway
New York Premiere
Dir. Jeff Wolk, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Leonard Soloway is a Broadway legend, and he’s got the Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and unforgettable stories to prove it. Narrated by Campbell Scott, this documentary follows the octogenarian producer as he works tirelessly to bring Maurice Hines’ musical memoir Tappin Thru Life to New York City. Interwoven with footage from Soloway’s more than 70 years in show business, the film features hilarious anecdotes about Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, and Elaine Stritch, alongside candid interviews with friends and colleagues including John Slattery, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Ashley, and Tovah Feldshuh. Leonard Soloway’S Broadway vividly paints the portrait of a great man of the theater, and pulls back the curtain on what it takes to get a show to the Great White Way.
Markie In Milwaukee
New York Premiere
Dir. Matt Kliegman, USA, 2019, 88 mins
Markie Wenzel, a transgender Tsa agent and former minister, struggles with being ostracized within her conservative community as she debates whether to de-transition. On the eve of her confirmation surgery, Markie professes that she heard the voice of God who convinced her not to go forward with it. In the aftermath of this decision, Markie reintegrates into her family and fundamentalist church, while reconciling the mutability of gender and the explicit and implicit transphobia of those she loves. Shot over ten years, director Matt Kliegman provides space for Markie to tell her own story while beautifully stitching together an endearing and often challenging portrait of gender fluidity, transphobia, and self-acceptance in the American Midwest.
Mr. Leather
New York Premiere
Dir. Daniel Nolasco, USA, 2019, 85 mins
Brazil’s leather community gets up close and personal in Daniel Nolasco’s playful documentary about the titular competition. Nolasco follows judges, past winners, and current contenders for the title of Mr. Leather Brazil, as they prepare for the annual contest, where one participant will win the honor of representing their country at Chicago’s annual International Mr. Leather contest. Combining vérité footage with stylized sequences, Mr. Leather keeps its audience on their toes through its illuminating, playful, and uncompromising depiction of this kinky subculture. Sex, activism, and community-building collide to make Mr. Leather a one-of-a-kind glimpse into São Paulo’s fetish scene.
One Taxi Ride
New York Premiere
Dir. Mak Ck, Mexico/Sinagpore, 2019, 84 mins
When Erick was seventeen-years-old, his life changed forever. Ten years after a traumatic taxi ride, he’s ready to reclaim his future and set out on a journey that will not only shift his path, but that of those closest to him. One Taxi Ride is a thoughtful and delicate look at how sexual violence impacts survivors, their relationships, and their futures. C.K. Mak’s documentary doesn’t turn Erick’s trauma into a source of spectacle, but, rather, a means of healing and honest introspection.
Our Dance Of Revolution
New York Premiere
Dir. Phillip Pike, Canada, 2019, 102 mins
Our Dance Of Revolution is an enriching documentary that celebrates the unsung heroes of Toronto’s black Lgbtq community. Tracing four decades of necessary rebellion while highlighting the crucial role of black women and black queer spaces, director Phillip Pike gives voice to the trailblazers who fought on the frontlines against violence and police brutality via fascinating archival footage and first person interviews.
Queen Of Lapa
New York Premiere
Dir. Theodore Collatos and Carolina Monnerat, Brazil, 2019, 73 mins
Against the backdrop of political corruption and flagrant transphobia in Brazil, the late, great Luana Muniz—cabaret performer, activist, and sex worker since age eleven—minced no words about the challenges in calling Lapa, Rio de Janeiro home. In her hostel, she provided a rare safe haven and a heavy dose of tough love for the next generation of trans sex workers.
Queer Japan
New York Premiere
Dir. Graham Kolbeins, USA/Japan, 2019, 100 mins
While queer and trans subject-matter remains somewhat taboo in parts of Japan, Graham Kolbeins assembled an extraordinary group of artists, activists, and community-leaders who are fighting to shift societal and political perspectives on the Lgbtq+ community. Featuring the country’s first transgender elected-official Aya Kamikawa, erotic manga illustrator Gengoroh Tagame, lesbian bar-owner Chiga Ogawa, and many more, Kolbeins’ film demonstrates the wide range of experiences, identities, and obstacles among Japan’s queer and trans pioneers.
The Archivettes
New York Premiere
Dir. Megan Rossman, USA/Australia, 2019, 61 mins
Led by local heroes Deb Edel and Joan Nestle in the 1970s, a group of young lesbians frustrated by misogyny and homophobia within academia huddled together and built an accessible archive of lesbian documents and artifacts for those conducting research, both professional and personal. The location: a bedroom in a modest apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Unsettled: Seeking Refuge In America
New York Premiere
Dir. Tom Shepard, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Tom Shepard’s new documentary follows four asylum-seekers from Syria, Angola, and The Democratic Republic of Congo as they try to start fresh in the United States. Subhi, Junior, Mari, and Cheynne have come a long way from home, but their journies are just beginning. Even before Donald Trump’s election, the asylum process has been notoriously labyrinthine for many refugees. Nonetheless, these four extraordinary individuals have persisted tenaciously.
Your Turn
New York Premiere
Dir. Eliza Capai, Brazil, 2019, 93 mins
Lucas “Koka” Penteado, Marcela Jesus, and Nayara Souza were three ordinary high school students whose lives suddenly changed when the state of São Paulo announced plans to close ninety-four public schools. In response to corruption and inefficiency in their government, these teens started to organize. Beginning with protests in which local students occupied their schools for weeks on end, the student labor movement reached extraordinary heights in 2015 and 2016, bringing awareness to numerous injustices in Brazil and remedying widespread problems for the country’s poorest residents. That was until 2018, when Jair Bolsonaro was elected with 55% of the popular vote. As the tides shift against activists and social justice movements, Koka, Marcela, and Nayara are faced with a jarring reality.
Episodic
A Luv Tale: The Series
New York Premiere
Dir. Kay Oyegun, USA, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Vanessa Williams, Leon, Rotim, Sheria Irving, Amber Whittington
Based on the 1999 award-winning film, writer and creator Sidra Smith brings us back to Harlem: a section of New York City vibrant with brilliant, Black artists in A Luv Tale: The Series. When we meet Taylor, she has a magical one stand with an older woman named Candice. The next night at Taylor’s gallery opening, she meets Candice again. Only this time, Candice is with her husband. (This is when things start to really get crazy.) Taylor then discovers that Candice is not only married to a man, but that she’s also Taylor’s best friend Jake’s Mother. At the same time, Taylor’s roommate Akila navigates her own love life, and her work as a musician, all while still having to defend herself and her sexuality against her Mother who is a famous singer.
These Thems: Season 1 (Episodes 1-7)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jett Garrison, USA, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Gretchen Wylder, Victoria Ortiz, Shaan Dasani, Nick Park
After realizing she may be a lesbian, Gretchen (Gretchen Wylder) befriends non-binary dog-walker Vero (Victoria Ortiz), who decides to stop training dogs and start training cishets. Vero takes Gretchen under their wing and introduces her to the queer world of New York City as she navigates what it’s like to be newly out at the age of 30.
Work In Progress: Episode 101 & Season Sneak Preview
Dir. Tim Mason, USA, 2019
Cast: Abby McEnany, Karin Anglin, Celeste Pechous, Julia Sweeney
Work In Progress, a new half-hour comedy series created by Chicago improv mainstays Abby McEnany and Tim Mason, and co-written by Lilly Wachowski is a funny and uniquely human comedy, Work In Progress features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performer Karin Anglin co-stars alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live) appearing in a crucial role as herself and serving as executive producer. Theo Germaine (The Politician) will also appear as a guest star.
Hallokween
HalloKween Centerpiece
Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street
New York Premiere
Dir. Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen, USA, 2019, 100 mins Cast: Mark Patton, Robert Englund, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler
Following a successful stint on Broadway alongside stars such as Cher, Karen Black, and Sandy Dennis, closeted actor Mark Patton launched his film career with a prominent role in A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’S Revenge in 1985. What initially seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime soon became a horror story worthy of its own midnight movie. Appreciated fondly by razor-gloved connoisseurs the world over, Freddy’S Revenge’s intricately crafted gay subtext decimated its lead’s job prospects in a single swipe. In Scream Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street, Patton finally strikes back.
Bit
New York Premiere
Dir. Brad Michael Elmore, USA, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Diana Hopper, Nicole Maines, James Paxton, Jimmy Jagger, Julia Voth, Mc Gainey
Think Los Angeles is soulless? Try surviving the city’s underground feminist vampire scene. In this comedic-horror flick with a flair for the postmodern, Laurel (Supergirl’s Nicole Maines) leaves the suburbs hoping to catch a breather and a couple of good rock shows while crashing with her with her brother Mark (James Paxton) in the City of Angels. Instead, she quickly finds herself swept up in a faction of vampires with hazy motives. Led by a centuries-old, discerning sanguine by the name of Duke (Diana Hopper), entry into this clique might be more than Laurel bargained for. As the age-old queer girl adage goes, she must find out whether they want to befriend her, date her, or turn her—before it’s too late.
Brief Story From The Green Planet
New York Premiere
Dir. SantIago Loza, Argentina/Germany/Brazil/Spain, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Romina Escobar, Paula Grinszpan, Luis Soda, Elvira Onetto, Pablo Cura, Anabella Bacigalupo, Leo Kildare Louback
In the eerie early moments of this mesmerizing Teddy Award winner, Tania–a transgender club performer–finds out that her grandmother has died. When she brings her two friends (the depressed Daniela and the dancey Pedro) to visit her late relative’s home, they discover that Tania’s grandmother spent her last years with a very special pal of her own: a small blue alien. Now Tania, Daniela, and Pedro must journey through rural Argentina to bring the alien back home before time runs out for the creature.
Special Events
Crystal City
New York Premiere
Dir. Terrence Crawford, USA, 2019, 89 mins Cast: David Fawcett, PhD
Filmmaker Terrence Crawford delivers a respectful and intimate look into the lives of gay men dealing with the re-emerging crisis of crystal meth addiction in New York City. Crawford expertly traces the history of the drug while making connections to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and mental health in the Lgbtq community. Through first hand experiences we learn about how these men became addicts and about their road to recovery via essential and life changing queer support groups. Simultaneously revealing, compassionate, and deeply informative, this essential documentary humanizes a stigmatized subject matter, ensuring awareness across our community rather than shame and isolation.
Queer Genius
New York Premiere
Dir. Chet Catherine Pancake, USA, 2019, 114 mins
Cast: Barbara Hammer, Eileen Myles, Black Quantum Futurism, Moor Mother, Jibz Cameron Aka Dynasty Handbag
Effortlessly multigenerational, interdisciplinary, and diverse in scope, Queer Genius peers into the lives of five virtuosos who have challenged artistic formalism, gender roles, and heterosexism without apology in both their private lives and creative practices. Composed of rare and in-depth portraits of late experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, the art collective Black Quantum Futurism, East Village poet Eileen Myles, and performance artist Jibz Cameron, this documentary charts the robust family tree of the lesbian and queer avant-garde across six decades. It’s a lineage that shows no sign of growing dormant.
Queering The Script
New York Premiere
Dir. Gabrielle Zilkha, USA/Canada, 2019, 93 mins
Cast: Angelica Ross, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Gloria Calderon Kellett & Mike Royce, Ilene Chaiken, Lucy Lawless, Tanya Saracho
Fangirls have long been overlooked and disregarded, but Gabrielle Zilkha’s documentary beautifully honors the queer women who have consistently supported some of television’s most popularly coded shows, such as Xena: The Warrior Princess and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Queering The Script looks at queer representation over past decades—charting its course from mild subtext to fully realized queer characters—and its impact on the women who were watching.
Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies
New York Premiere
Dir. Vishnu Dass, USA, 2019, 81 mins
Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston narrates this exploration of the spectacularly dreamlike world of Salvador Dalí protégé Steven Arnold and his strikingly creative body of work. Arnold’s photography, filmography, paintings, and illustrations are filled with occult rituals, Hollywood camp, and surrealist whimsy. Taken from more than 70 hours of original and archival footage,
director Vishnu Dass digs deeply into the inspiring life of this unheralded multimedia artist and countercultural icon.
As Deadline revealed exclusively last week, the festival will feature Mike Doyle’s Manhattan-set ensemble rom-com Sell By as their opening night film. The film stars Scott Evans (Grace and Frankie), Kate Walsh (Grey’s Anatomy), Academy Award-nominee and Emmy Award-winner Patricia Clarkson, Michelle Buteau (Tales of the City) and Augustus Prew (High-Rise). The fest will feature Martha Stephen’s To The Stars as the U.S. Centerpiece Gala and close with Rodrigo Bellott’s award-winning Tu Me Manques.
NewFest will also feature the world premiere of Alexis Clements’ documentary All We’ve Got which looks into what it takes in America for queer, spaces for women to survive and why/how they are disappearing. In addition, Megan Wennberg’s Drag Kids, which follows the lives of four young drag performers from around North America, will make its U.S. premiere and the fest will have a spotlight screening of Martin Krejcí’sThe True Adventures of Wolfboy, a modern-day fairytale starring Jaeden Martell, John Turturro. and Chloë Sevigny.
NewFest will also serve up some scares with thier queer-centric “HalloKween” program with the transgender vampire film Bit with Nicole Maines, the documentary Scream Queen: My Nightmare on Elm Street about the controversial sequel of the Wes Craven classic that ended Mark Patton’s acting career, and the Spanish alien rescue mission film Brief Story From the Green Planet which won the coveted Teddy Award at this year’s Berlinale Film Festival.
The full program of 27 narrative features, 14 documentary features, 15 episodic series, 8 centerpiece and spotlight screenings, and 100 shorts from all over the world. 71% of content is by and about underrepresented voices.
The complete lineup of full-length features can be read below. Read the lineup of shorts here.
Opening Night Gala
Sell By
New York Premiere
Dir. Mike Doyle, USA, 2019, 94 mins
Cast: Scott Evans, Augustus Prew, Kate Walsh, Michelle Buteau, Zoe Chao, Patricia Clarkson, Christopher Gray, Colin Donnell, John Doman
Having been together for five years, Adam and rising social media celeb Marklin are faced with confronting their commitment to each other, while both Cammy and Haley (Zoe Chao) face their own challenges with companionship. Rounding out the lively and talented cast under Doyle’s assured direction is Kate Walsh (Grey’S Anatomy) and Academy Award-nominee Patricia Clarkson (High Art). Imbued with a can-do charm so becoming of our great metropolis, Sell By captures both how we let ourselves go, as well as how we grow closer to those we love.
Closing Night Gala
Tu Me Manques
New York Premiere
Dir. Rodrigo Bellott, USA/Bolivia, 2019, 110 mins
Cast: Oscar Martinez, Rossy de Palma, Fernando Barbosa
After his son Gabriel passes away, conservative Bolivian patriarch Jorge (Oscar Martínez) accidentally Skypes Gabriel’s ex-boyfriend Sebastian (Fernando Barbosa), leading him on a journey from Bolivia to New York City in search for the truth about his child. Based on writer/director Rodrigo Bellott’s own electrifying and influential play, Tu Me Manques is an inspiring story that celebrates community, love, and storytelling, and excavates both familial and international homophobia with tremendous tact and care.
International Centerpiece
And Then We Danced
New York Premiere
Dir. Levan Akin, Sweden/France, 2019, 113 mins
Cast: Levan Gelbakhiani, Bachi Valishvili, Ana Javakishvili
Sweden’s official selection for Best International Feature Film at the 2019 Academy Awards, And Then We Danced offers a riveting and visceral lead performance from newcomer Gelbakhiani, while featuring dynamic cinematography and a cathartic dance sequence that will leave you breathless.
U.S. Centerpiece
To The Stars
New York Premiere
Dir. Martha Stephens, USA, 2019, 111 mins
Cast: Kara Hayward, Liana Liberato, Jordana Spiro, Malin Akerman, Shea Whigham, Tony Hale, Lucas Zumann, Adelaide Clemens
Set in the conservative, bobby-socked setting of a 1960s Oklahoma high school, mysterious cosmopolitan new girl Maggie (Liana Liberato)—a coveted recruit among the popular girls—takes an unexpected shining to Iris, a withdrawn pariah. As the two teens grow closer, we learn the curious circumstances behind Maggie’s sudden arrival in the small Dust Bowl town.
New York Centerpiece
Cubby
New York Premiere
Dir. Mark Blane, USA, 2019, 83 mins
Cast: Mark Blane, Joseph Seuffert, Patricia Richardson, Zachary Booth, Christian Patrick
Written and co-directed by breakout star Mark Blane and shot in crisp 16mm, this quirky dark comedy tells the semi-autobiographical story of an anxious midwestern twenty-something who moves to New York City in hopes of becoming an artist. We follow Mark as he navigates his new life in this overwhelming city and chemically imbalanced flights of fancy, all while fostering a friendship with Milo, a precocious 6-year-old he begins to babysit in brownstone-filled Brooklyn.
Documentary Centerpiece
Drag Kids
Us Premiere
Dir. Megan Wennberg, Canada, 2019, 78 mins
This documentary follows the four young stars as they prepare for the biggest performance of their lives at Montreal Pride, demonstrating the importance of artistic expression, community-building, and non-judgmental support for people of all ages. A surprisingly moving film about gender, art, and affirming parenting, Drag Kids will have you cheering through tears by its end. This oft misunderstood segment of the drag community deserves more accurate representation in media, and Megan Wennberg’s film is only the beginning.
Narrative Features
15 Years
New York Premiere
Dir. Yuval Hadadi, Israel, 2019, 89 mins Cast: Oded Leopold, Udi Persi, Ruth Asarsai
When his best friend becomes pregnant and his longtime boyfriend starts talking about adopting, the often-unfazed Yoav begins to unravel. Small arguments fester to extreme degrees in Yuval Hadadi’s stunning portrait of a relationship in crisis. Shot against the backdrop of contemporary Tel Aviv, Hadadi explores ingrained pressures on the Israeli Lgbt community in his confident feature directorial debut.
A Dog Barking At The Moon
New York Premiere
Dir. Lisa Zi Xiang, China/Spain, 2019, 107 mins
Cast: Naren Hua, Nan Ji, Wu Reyuan, Thomas Fiquet
While visiting her broken family with her American husband, pregnant writer Huang Xiaoyu finds herself trapped between her cult-brainwashed mother and her secretly homosexual father. An epic Chinese family saga that unfolds over–and weaves together–multiple periods of time, Lisa Zi Xiang’s directorial debut is a masterful tale of secrets, infidelity, and the enormous weight of societal norms.
Benjamin
New York Premiere
Dir. Simon Amstell, UK, 2019, 85 mins
Cast: Gabe Gilmour, Jack Rowan, Colin Morgan, Anna Chancellor, Robin Peters, Arnab Chanda, Jessica Raine, James Bloor, Joel Fry, PhéniYES Brossard, Jessie Cave
Benjamin is an anxious, awkward filmmaker who feels stuck ahead of the premiere of his second feature. His lack of confidence in the film is eating him away, and, though love fuels his writing material, he’s overwhelmed by his self-proclaimed inability to love. When a beautiful young French musician named Noah comes into Benjamin’s life, he begins to let go of his past love traumas and see the light. It’s not long, however, before Benjamin’s insecurities come knocking and threaten to throw his life and relationship into disarray.
Billie & Emma
New York Premiere
Dir. Samantha Lee, Philippines, 2019,107 mins
Cast: Gabby Padilla, Zar Donato, Beauty Gonzales, Chelo Aquino
In the Philippines during the 1990s, out teenager and rock music-lover Billie is sent from Manilla to live with her aunt in a rural village. Sticking out like a sore thumb in her strict Catholic high school, Billie develops an intimate bond with Emma, an ambitious classmate who is hiding the fact that she’s pregnant from their peers. Together, Billie and Emma stand up against oppressive school officials and gossipy classmates, and discover there is so much more to live for aside from religious doctrine.
Holy Trinity
New York Premiere
Dir. Molly Hewitt, USA, 2019, 97 mins
Cast: Molly Hewitt, Theo Germain, Heather Lynn, Imp Queen
Holy Trinity is an absolute acid trip of kinky, drug-induced, gender-fluid adventures through an alternative universe’s Chicago. We follow Trinity, a queer dominatrix, who, after huffing a new brand of magic aerosol, can see dead people.
Last Ferry
New York Premiere
Dir. Jaki Bradley, USA, 2019, 86 mins
Cast: Ramon O. Torres, Myles Clohessy, Sheldon Best
When lonely lawyer Joseph ventures out to The Pines for the first time, he is drugged and mugged, and witnesses a murder on the beach. After he is found and taken in by a group of friends he quickly acclimates, but then begins to wonder, who can he trust? This taut thriller offers a delightfully gay spin on the classic thriller formula and features excellent cinematography from Alexa Wolf, who manages to capture the beauty and brightness of beaches and mimosa-drenched brunches, as well as the darkness that always seems to be lurking underneath this story’s surface.
Monsters
East Coast Premiere
Dir. Marius Olteanu, Romania, 2019, 116 mins Cast: Judith State, Cristian Popa
Presenting a clear snapshot of a contemporary Romanian couple through three distinct chapters, Marius Olteanu’s formal portrait of a marriage in quiet disarray is immersive in its naturalism and sneaky in its sense of humor. Subtly exploring the varied routes through which humans seek connection, whether through an extended all-night conversation with a cab driver or a secretive Grindr hookup, Monsters. is an observational film that refuses to judge its characters no matter how desperate they appear to be at times.
Music For Bleeding Hearts
World Premiere
Dir. Rafael Gomes, Brazil, 2019, 102 mins
Cast: Victor Mendes, Mayara Constantino, Caio Horowicz, Icaro Silva, Denise Fraga
In present day São Paulo, a trio of young hearts are about to break. Ricardo has both a steady boyfriend and a wandering eye for a new coworker. Isabella is taking a break from both her boyfriend and best friend Ricardo. And hopeless romantic Felipe has suddenly found himself caught between the two of them. These three have big dreams, yearning passion, and opinionated acquaintances, but they’re all unprepared for what’s to come from Cupid’s arrows.
Nevrland
New York Premiere
Dir. Gregor Schmidinger, Austria, 2019, Tbc mins Cast: Simon Frühwirth, Paul Forman, Josef Hader
Seeking escape from his drab life at home and at work in a slaughterhouse, Jakob retreats into online worlds in search of excitement. After making a connection with tight-torsoed Kristjan in a cam chatroom, Jakob ventures out to meet up in person, leading to a mind-bending journey to the center of the self that will irreparably alter both of their lives.
Second Star On The Right
New York Premiere
Dir. Ruth Caudeli, Colombia, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Silvia Varón, Ximena Rodríguez, Alejandra Lara, Tatiana Rentería, Diana Wiswell, Andrés Jiménez, Lorena Castellanos, Justin Vahala, Gina Medina
In the blink of an eye, gregarious bisexual Emilia (Silvia Varón) has gone from being a core member of a tight-knit group of women to its biggest burden. As her thirties close in on her, Emilia flits from day job to passion project to romantic interest without wholly committing to any. As the group’s focus shifts from friendship to careers, partners, and kids, Emilia becomes yet another load its members must shoulder.
Seventeen
New York Premiere
Dir. Monja Art, Austria, 2019, 104 mins
Cast: Elisabeth Wabitsch, Magdalena Wabitsch
As summer looms in bucolic Austria, seventeen year-old Paula studies and silently pines for her boarding school classmate and close friend, Charlotte, who is biding time with an unremarkable boyfriend and exercising restraint in her shared feelings for Paula. Rather than dwelling, Paula attempts to date Tim, an eccentric but earnest classmate, in turn striking an imperfect balance between erotic connection and attraction that ultimately proves satisfying.
Siberia & Him
World Premiere
Dir. Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy, USA/Russia, 2019, 72 mins
Cast: Ilya Shubochkin, Anastasiya Voskresenskaya, Irina Novokreshennyh, Aleksandr Savin, Viatcheslav Kopturevskiy
Meek farmhand Sasha and policeman Dima have a fraught relationship. They’re brothers-in-law, travel companions, and—secretly—lovers. Over the course of their journey to visit Sasha’s grandmother, unspoken truths are uttered, intimacy is built, and authenticity is challenged. Although they may be far from the peering eyes of their oppressive society, their relationship teeters on a dangerous precipice.
Straight Up
New York Premiere
Dir. James Sweeney, USA, 2019, 95 mins
Cast: Katie Findlay, James Sweeney, Randall Park
Writer/director/producer James Sweeney stars in this witty comedy as Todd, an obsessive-compulsive and Gilmore Girls-loving twentysomething plagued by intense anxieties. Todd has never been comfortable with his queerness, or with most aspects of his life, and consistently struggles with insecurity. That is until he thinks he’s met his soulmate. The only problem? She’s a woman.
Tremblores (Tremors)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jayro Bustamante, Guatemala/France/Luxembourg, 2019, 107 mins Cast: Juan Pablo Olyslager, Mauricio Armas, Diane Bathen
In Guatemala, earthquakes (or tremors) can be a very common occurrence. Temblores explores what happens to an affluent religious family as a rumbling rift symbolically tears them apart after patriarch Pablo (a revelatory Juan Pablo Olyslager) reveals that he’s been sustaining a loving relationship with another man. What follows is a tale of passionate romance, immense inner conflict and devastating tragedy. Separated from his wife, his children and his life of Evangelical tradition, Pablo initially finds a sense of freedom. But how long can he sustain this new and exciting life when he’s fired from his job and his religious creed begins to take over again?
The Shiny Shrimps
New York Premiere
Dir. MaYESime Govare and Cédric Le Gallo, France, 2019, 103 mins Cast: Nicolas Gob, Alban Lenoir, Michaël Abiteboul, Geoffrey Couët
After an Olympic swimmer near the end of his career makes a homophobic comment on TV, he’s barred from any further events unless he agrees to coach the Shiny Shrimps, a flambouyant gay water-polo team. They might have the worst record in the amateur league, but they’re dead-set on qualifying for the most prestigious and challenging Lgbtq sporting event in Europe, the Gay Games.
Top 3 (And Other Animated Tales)
New York Premiere
Dir. Sofie Edvardsson, Sweden, 2019, 44 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
In this inventive and bittersweet animated rom-com, perpetual list-maker Anton falls in love with David and the two share a globetrotting young romance. But things start to go awry when Anton realizes that his dreams could be in direct opposition to his crush’s. Sofie Edvardsson’s charming and moving tale of miscommunication, idealization, and star-crossed love premiered at Frameline and won the Audience Award for Best Narrative Feature at Outfest.
Zen In The Ice Rift
New York Premiere
Dir. Margherita Ferri, Italy, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Eric Ernerstedt, Jonas Jonsson, Caroline Johansson Kuhmunen
Maia “Zen” Zenassi is a quick-tempered, nonconforming sixteen year-old living in a provincial Italian mountain village. A standout on the local boys hockey team, Zen uses the sport as a vital outlet for rage, an escape from emotional vulnerability, and a stage for gender performance. While being scouted for the national women’s team, Zen develops an improbable friendship with a male teammate’s reluctant girlfriend, causing an icy demeanor to melt away as Zen finally shares a closely-guarded desire to be a boy. Here, an open heart comes with mixed results.
Documentary Features
A Night At Switch ‘N’ Play
New York Premiere
Dir. Cody Stickels, USA, 2019, 72 mins
You are cordially invited to a night at Switch n’ Play! Meet the daring and dazzling Queer artists behind one of Brooklyn’s most popular and groundbreaking performance groups. Come along for the ride as they display their own unique blend Burlesque and drag, and navigate how gender identity, body image, and familial issues affect their performance personas and personal lives.
All We’Ve Got
World Premiere
Dir. Alexis Clements, USA, 2019, 67 mins
Since 2010, over 100 queer women’s spaces—from dive bars to bookstores and dance halls to health centers—have shuttered across the United States. As concern grows over this death and dearth of these essential social hubs, this documentary takes inventory of those that continue to thrive across the country, inciting a powerful conversation about the importance of community. Whether at Alibi’s Club in Oklahoma City or Wow Café Theatre in our own New York City, queer women are tirelessly making room for one another on barstools, stages, and activism’s front lines.
Burn Down The House (Screening with Fabulous)
Dir. Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah, France, 2019, 44 mins
Giselle Bailey & Nneka Onuorah’s immersive documentary follows Kiddy Smile and several Parisian dancers as they prepare to perform in his next concert (and also features Fabulous’ Lasseindra Ninja). After DJing for Emmanuel Macron in a T-shirt that read “Fils d’immigrés, noir et pédé”, Smile was the subject of extraordinary praise and backlash. But he and his friends won’t let that faze them. As they discuss contemporary racism, xenophobia, homophobia, transphobia, and the art that binds them, these rising stars make it clear that they won’t stop until everyone knows Paris is still burning.
Fabulous (Screening with Burn Down The House)
Dir. Audrey Jean-Baptiste, France, 2019, 46 mins
Audrey Jean-Baptiste’s triumphant Fabulous follows Lasseindra Ninja, a notable fixture of the ballroom scene in Paris, who travels from France to French Guiana in order to teach the art of voguing to Lgbtq young adults in her home country. A powerful and personal look at one woman’s return home, Fabulous gives the gift of empowerment and community to the next generation of queer dancers.
Jonathan Agassi Saved My Life
Dir. Tomer Heymann, Israel/Germany, 2019, 106 mins
Jonathan Agassi, one of the world’s most successful gay porn stars, splits his time between Israel, where both his parents live, and Berlin. The recipient of multiple international porn awards, Agassi built his fame on something considered taboo but enjoyed by millions worldwide. But as Agassi’s success starts to wane, he responds in increasingly self-destructive ways.
Leonard Soloway’S Broadway
New York Premiere
Dir. Jeff Wolk, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Leonard Soloway is a Broadway legend, and he’s got the Tony Awards, Pulitzer Prizes, and unforgettable stories to prove it. Narrated by Campbell Scott, this documentary follows the octogenarian producer as he works tirelessly to bring Maurice Hines’ musical memoir Tappin Thru Life to New York City. Interwoven with footage from Soloway’s more than 70 years in show business, the film features hilarious anecdotes about Lauren Bacall, Marlene Dietrich, and Elaine Stritch, alongside candid interviews with friends and colleagues including John Slattery, Olympia Dukakis, Elizabeth Ashley, and Tovah Feldshuh. Leonard Soloway’S Broadway vividly paints the portrait of a great man of the theater, and pulls back the curtain on what it takes to get a show to the Great White Way.
Markie In Milwaukee
New York Premiere
Dir. Matt Kliegman, USA, 2019, 88 mins
Markie Wenzel, a transgender Tsa agent and former minister, struggles with being ostracized within her conservative community as she debates whether to de-transition. On the eve of her confirmation surgery, Markie professes that she heard the voice of God who convinced her not to go forward with it. In the aftermath of this decision, Markie reintegrates into her family and fundamentalist church, while reconciling the mutability of gender and the explicit and implicit transphobia of those she loves. Shot over ten years, director Matt Kliegman provides space for Markie to tell her own story while beautifully stitching together an endearing and often challenging portrait of gender fluidity, transphobia, and self-acceptance in the American Midwest.
Mr. Leather
New York Premiere
Dir. Daniel Nolasco, USA, 2019, 85 mins
Brazil’s leather community gets up close and personal in Daniel Nolasco’s playful documentary about the titular competition. Nolasco follows judges, past winners, and current contenders for the title of Mr. Leather Brazil, as they prepare for the annual contest, where one participant will win the honor of representing their country at Chicago’s annual International Mr. Leather contest. Combining vérité footage with stylized sequences, Mr. Leather keeps its audience on their toes through its illuminating, playful, and uncompromising depiction of this kinky subculture. Sex, activism, and community-building collide to make Mr. Leather a one-of-a-kind glimpse into São Paulo’s fetish scene.
One Taxi Ride
New York Premiere
Dir. Mak Ck, Mexico/Sinagpore, 2019, 84 mins
When Erick was seventeen-years-old, his life changed forever. Ten years after a traumatic taxi ride, he’s ready to reclaim his future and set out on a journey that will not only shift his path, but that of those closest to him. One Taxi Ride is a thoughtful and delicate look at how sexual violence impacts survivors, their relationships, and their futures. C.K. Mak’s documentary doesn’t turn Erick’s trauma into a source of spectacle, but, rather, a means of healing and honest introspection.
Our Dance Of Revolution
New York Premiere
Dir. Phillip Pike, Canada, 2019, 102 mins
Our Dance Of Revolution is an enriching documentary that celebrates the unsung heroes of Toronto’s black Lgbtq community. Tracing four decades of necessary rebellion while highlighting the crucial role of black women and black queer spaces, director Phillip Pike gives voice to the trailblazers who fought on the frontlines against violence and police brutality via fascinating archival footage and first person interviews.
Queen Of Lapa
New York Premiere
Dir. Theodore Collatos and Carolina Monnerat, Brazil, 2019, 73 mins
Against the backdrop of political corruption and flagrant transphobia in Brazil, the late, great Luana Muniz—cabaret performer, activist, and sex worker since age eleven—minced no words about the challenges in calling Lapa, Rio de Janeiro home. In her hostel, she provided a rare safe haven and a heavy dose of tough love for the next generation of trans sex workers.
Queer Japan
New York Premiere
Dir. Graham Kolbeins, USA/Japan, 2019, 100 mins
While queer and trans subject-matter remains somewhat taboo in parts of Japan, Graham Kolbeins assembled an extraordinary group of artists, activists, and community-leaders who are fighting to shift societal and political perspectives on the Lgbtq+ community. Featuring the country’s first transgender elected-official Aya Kamikawa, erotic manga illustrator Gengoroh Tagame, lesbian bar-owner Chiga Ogawa, and many more, Kolbeins’ film demonstrates the wide range of experiences, identities, and obstacles among Japan’s queer and trans pioneers.
The Archivettes
New York Premiere
Dir. Megan Rossman, USA/Australia, 2019, 61 mins
Led by local heroes Deb Edel and Joan Nestle in the 1970s, a group of young lesbians frustrated by misogyny and homophobia within academia huddled together and built an accessible archive of lesbian documents and artifacts for those conducting research, both professional and personal. The location: a bedroom in a modest apartment on Manhattan’s Upper West Side.
Unsettled: Seeking Refuge In America
New York Premiere
Dir. Tom Shepard, USA, 2019, 84 mins
Tom Shepard’s new documentary follows four asylum-seekers from Syria, Angola, and The Democratic Republic of Congo as they try to start fresh in the United States. Subhi, Junior, Mari, and Cheynne have come a long way from home, but their journies are just beginning. Even before Donald Trump’s election, the asylum process has been notoriously labyrinthine for many refugees. Nonetheless, these four extraordinary individuals have persisted tenaciously.
Your Turn
New York Premiere
Dir. Eliza Capai, Brazil, 2019, 93 mins
Lucas “Koka” Penteado, Marcela Jesus, and Nayara Souza were three ordinary high school students whose lives suddenly changed when the state of São Paulo announced plans to close ninety-four public schools. In response to corruption and inefficiency in their government, these teens started to organize. Beginning with protests in which local students occupied their schools for weeks on end, the student labor movement reached extraordinary heights in 2015 and 2016, bringing awareness to numerous injustices in Brazil and remedying widespread problems for the country’s poorest residents. That was until 2018, when Jair Bolsonaro was elected with 55% of the popular vote. As the tides shift against activists and social justice movements, Koka, Marcela, and Nayara are faced with a jarring reality.
Episodic
A Luv Tale: The Series
New York Premiere
Dir. Kay Oyegun, USA, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Vanessa Williams, Leon, Rotim, Sheria Irving, Amber Whittington
Based on the 1999 award-winning film, writer and creator Sidra Smith brings us back to Harlem: a section of New York City vibrant with brilliant, Black artists in A Luv Tale: The Series. When we meet Taylor, she has a magical one stand with an older woman named Candice. The next night at Taylor’s gallery opening, she meets Candice again. Only this time, Candice is with her husband. (This is when things start to really get crazy.) Taylor then discovers that Candice is not only married to a man, but that she’s also Taylor’s best friend Jake’s Mother. At the same time, Taylor’s roommate Akila navigates her own love life, and her work as a musician, all while still having to defend herself and her sexuality against her Mother who is a famous singer.
These Thems: Season 1 (Episodes 1-7)
New York Premiere
Dir. Jett Garrison, USA, 2019, 82 mins
Cast: Gretchen Wylder, Victoria Ortiz, Shaan Dasani, Nick Park
After realizing she may be a lesbian, Gretchen (Gretchen Wylder) befriends non-binary dog-walker Vero (Victoria Ortiz), who decides to stop training dogs and start training cishets. Vero takes Gretchen under their wing and introduces her to the queer world of New York City as she navigates what it’s like to be newly out at the age of 30.
Work In Progress: Episode 101 & Season Sneak Preview
Dir. Tim Mason, USA, 2019
Cast: Abby McEnany, Karin Anglin, Celeste Pechous, Julia Sweeney
Work In Progress, a new half-hour comedy series created by Chicago improv mainstays Abby McEnany and Tim Mason, and co-written by Lilly Wachowski is a funny and uniquely human comedy, Work In Progress features McEnany as a 45-year-old self-identified fat, queer dyke from Chicago whose misfortune and despair unexpectedly lead her to a vibrantly transformative relationship. Chicago-based performer Karin Anglin co-stars alongside Celeste Pechous, with Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live) appearing in a crucial role as herself and serving as executive producer. Theo Germaine (The Politician) will also appear as a guest star.
Hallokween
HalloKween Centerpiece
Scream Queen: My Nightmare On Elm Street
New York Premiere
Dir. Roman Chimienti and Tyler Jensen, USA, 2019, 100 mins Cast: Mark Patton, Robert Englund, Kim Myers, Robert Rusler
Following a successful stint on Broadway alongside stars such as Cher, Karen Black, and Sandy Dennis, closeted actor Mark Patton launched his film career with a prominent role in A Nightmare On Elm Street 2: Freddy’S Revenge in 1985. What initially seemed like the opportunity of a lifetime soon became a horror story worthy of its own midnight movie. Appreciated fondly by razor-gloved connoisseurs the world over, Freddy’S Revenge’s intricately crafted gay subtext decimated its lead’s job prospects in a single swipe. In Scream Queen! My Nightmare On Elm Street, Patton finally strikes back.
Bit
New York Premiere
Dir. Brad Michael Elmore, USA, 2019, 90 mins
Cast: Diana Hopper, Nicole Maines, James Paxton, Jimmy Jagger, Julia Voth, Mc Gainey
Think Los Angeles is soulless? Try surviving the city’s underground feminist vampire scene. In this comedic-horror flick with a flair for the postmodern, Laurel (Supergirl’s Nicole Maines) leaves the suburbs hoping to catch a breather and a couple of good rock shows while crashing with her with her brother Mark (James Paxton) in the City of Angels. Instead, she quickly finds herself swept up in a faction of vampires with hazy motives. Led by a centuries-old, discerning sanguine by the name of Duke (Diana Hopper), entry into this clique might be more than Laurel bargained for. As the age-old queer girl adage goes, she must find out whether they want to befriend her, date her, or turn her—before it’s too late.
Brief Story From The Green Planet
New York Premiere
Dir. SantIago Loza, Argentina/Germany/Brazil/Spain, 2019, 75 mins
Cast: Romina Escobar, Paula Grinszpan, Luis Soda, Elvira Onetto, Pablo Cura, Anabella Bacigalupo, Leo Kildare Louback
In the eerie early moments of this mesmerizing Teddy Award winner, Tania–a transgender club performer–finds out that her grandmother has died. When she brings her two friends (the depressed Daniela and the dancey Pedro) to visit her late relative’s home, they discover that Tania’s grandmother spent her last years with a very special pal of her own: a small blue alien. Now Tania, Daniela, and Pedro must journey through rural Argentina to bring the alien back home before time runs out for the creature.
Special Events
Crystal City
New York Premiere
Dir. Terrence Crawford, USA, 2019, 89 mins Cast: David Fawcett, PhD
Filmmaker Terrence Crawford delivers a respectful and intimate look into the lives of gay men dealing with the re-emerging crisis of crystal meth addiction in New York City. Crawford expertly traces the history of the drug while making connections to the HIV/AIDS epidemic and mental health in the Lgbtq community. Through first hand experiences we learn about how these men became addicts and about their road to recovery via essential and life changing queer support groups. Simultaneously revealing, compassionate, and deeply informative, this essential documentary humanizes a stigmatized subject matter, ensuring awareness across our community rather than shame and isolation.
Queer Genius
New York Premiere
Dir. Chet Catherine Pancake, USA, 2019, 114 mins
Cast: Barbara Hammer, Eileen Myles, Black Quantum Futurism, Moor Mother, Jibz Cameron Aka Dynasty Handbag
Effortlessly multigenerational, interdisciplinary, and diverse in scope, Queer Genius peers into the lives of five virtuosos who have challenged artistic formalism, gender roles, and heterosexism without apology in both their private lives and creative practices. Composed of rare and in-depth portraits of late experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer, the art collective Black Quantum Futurism, East Village poet Eileen Myles, and performance artist Jibz Cameron, this documentary charts the robust family tree of the lesbian and queer avant-garde across six decades. It’s a lineage that shows no sign of growing dormant.
Queering The Script
New York Premiere
Dir. Gabrielle Zilkha, USA/Canada, 2019, 93 mins
Cast: Angelica Ross, Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Gloria Calderon Kellett & Mike Royce, Ilene Chaiken, Lucy Lawless, Tanya Saracho
Fangirls have long been overlooked and disregarded, but Gabrielle Zilkha’s documentary beautifully honors the queer women who have consistently supported some of television’s most popularly coded shows, such as Xena: The Warrior Princess and Buffy The Vampire Slayer. Queering The Script looks at queer representation over past decades—charting its course from mild subtext to fully realized queer characters—and its impact on the women who were watching.
Steven Arnold: Heavenly Bodies
New York Premiere
Dir. Vishnu Dass, USA, 2019, 81 mins
Academy Award-winner Anjelica Huston narrates this exploration of the spectacularly dreamlike world of Salvador Dalí protégé Steven Arnold and his strikingly creative body of work. Arnold’s photography, filmography, paintings, and illustrations are filled with occult rituals, Hollywood camp, and surrealist whimsy. Taken from more than 70 hours of original and archival footage,
director Vishnu Dass digs deeply into the inspiring life of this unheralded multimedia artist and countercultural icon.
- 9/19/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
Which film will follow on from ‘Roma’ in winning the prize?
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track and can include animated and documentary features.
- 8/29/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Which film will follow on from ‘Roma’ in winning the prize?
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track, and can include animated and documentary features.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track, and can include animated and documentary features.
- 8/29/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Which film will follow on from ‘Roma’ in winning the prize?
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track, and can include animated and documentary features.
Submissions for the best international feature film award at the 2020 Academy Awards have started to come in, and Screen is keeping a running list of each film below.
This is the first year the award will be given under the new name of ‘best international feature film’, after a change in April from ‘foreign-language film’.
The eligibility rules remain the same: an international feature film is defined as a feature-length motion picture produced outside the Us with a predominantly non-English dialogue track, and can include animated and documentary features.
- 8/29/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Sweden has submitted Levan Akin's gay ballet drama And Then We Danced for best international feature category in the 92nd Academy Awards.
The film, which premiered in May during Directors' Fortnight in Cannes, is set in the homophobic world of Georgian ballet dancing, where a dancer falls in love with his key rival in the dance company.
Levan Gelbakhiani most recently took home best actor honors at the Sarajevo Film Festival for his lead role, and the film — a Sweden/France/Georgia co-production — also shared Odessa Iff's grand prix (with Ukraine's Oscar submission Homeward) last month.
And Then ...
The film, which premiered in May during Directors' Fortnight in Cannes, is set in the homophobic world of Georgian ballet dancing, where a dancer falls in love with his key rival in the dance company.
Levan Gelbakhiani most recently took home best actor honors at the Sarajevo Film Festival for his lead role, and the film — a Sweden/France/Georgia co-production — also shared Odessa Iff's grand prix (with Ukraine's Oscar submission Homeward) last month.
And Then ...
- 8/28/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
Sweden has submitted Levan Akin's gay ballet drama And Then We Danced for best international feature category in the 92nd Academy Awards.
The film, which premiered in May during Directors' Fortnight in Cannes, is set in the homophobic world of Georgian ballet dancing, where a dancer falls in love with his key rival in the dance company.
Levan Gelbakhiani most recently took home best actor honors at the Sarajevo Film Festival for his lead role, and the film — a Sweden/France/Georgia co-production — also shared Odessa Iff's grand prix (with Ukraine's Oscar submission Homeward) last month.
And Then ...
The film, which premiered in May during Directors' Fortnight in Cannes, is set in the homophobic world of Georgian ballet dancing, where a dancer falls in love with his key rival in the dance company.
Levan Gelbakhiani most recently took home best actor honors at the Sarajevo Film Festival for his lead role, and the film — a Sweden/France/Georgia co-production — also shared Odessa Iff's grand prix (with Ukraine's Oscar submission Homeward) last month.
And Then ...
- 8/28/2019
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The film premiered in Directors’ Fortnight in May.
Sweden has selected Levan Akin’s dance drama And Then We Danced as its entry for the best international feature film award for the Oscars.
The film premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in May this year.
Set in the homophobic, gender-conservative dance world in Georgia, it stars Levan Gelbakhiani as Merab, a dancer who falls for his biggest rival in the dance company, charismatic newcomer Irakli, played by Bachi Valishvili.
The film played in competition at the Sarajevo Film Festival last week, with Gelbakhiani winning the event’s best actor prize.
Sweden has selected Levan Akin’s dance drama And Then We Danced as its entry for the best international feature film award for the Oscars.
The film premiered in Directors’ Fortnight at Cannes in May this year.
Set in the homophobic, gender-conservative dance world in Georgia, it stars Levan Gelbakhiani as Merab, a dancer who falls for his biggest rival in the dance company, charismatic newcomer Irakli, played by Bachi Valishvili.
The film played in competition at the Sarajevo Film Festival last week, with Gelbakhiani winning the event’s best actor prize.
- 8/28/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Ena Sendijarević’s Bosnian-Dutch drama took best film.
Ena Sendijarević’s Bosnian-Dutch drama Take Me Somewhere Nice won the Sarajevo Film Festival’s top honour, the Heart of Sarajevo prize for best feature film.
The 2019 winners were announced at the closing and awards ceremony last night (August 22). The film – the director’s feature debut - launched in Rotterdam in January, where it received a special mention for the Tiger award.
See below for the full list of winners
It follows a Dutch girl of Bosnian descent who travels to Bosnia to meet her sick father for the first time.
The award comes with a €16,000 prize,...
Ena Sendijarević’s Bosnian-Dutch drama Take Me Somewhere Nice won the Sarajevo Film Festival’s top honour, the Heart of Sarajevo prize for best feature film.
The 2019 winners were announced at the closing and awards ceremony last night (August 22). The film – the director’s feature debut - launched in Rotterdam in January, where it received a special mention for the Tiger award.
See below for the full list of winners
It follows a Dutch girl of Bosnian descent who travels to Bosnia to meet her sick father for the first time.
The award comes with a €16,000 prize,...
- 8/23/2019
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Other winners include A Tale of Three Sisters, And Then We Danced and When the Persimmons Grew; the Cineuropa Prize went to Rounds. The 25th Sarajevo Film Festival announced its awards last night at a ceremony held in the National Theatre. Ena Sendarijević's Take Me Somewhere Nice triumphed in the Feature Competition, winning the Heart of Sarajevo for Best Film. The Dutch-Bosnian co-production world-premiered in the Tiger Competition at Rotterdam, where it snagged a Special Mention. The Heart of Sarajevo for Best Director went to Turkey's Emin Alper for the Berlinale competition title A Tale of Three Sisters. The film also won the Cicae Award. Bulgaria's Irini Jambonas, from Stephan Komandarev's Rounds, which world-premiered at Sarajevo, received the Best Actress Award, and in addition, the film picked up the Cineuropa Prize. Levan Gelbakhiani, the star of Levan Akin's Cannes Directors' Fortnight entry And Then We Danced, was crowned Best Actor.
“Take Me Somewhere Nice,” Bosnian director Ena Sendijarević’s coming-of-age story about a teen raised in the Netherlands who returns to Bosnia to visit her ailing father, won the top prize at the Sarajevo Film Festival Thursday night, earning the Amsterdam-based helmer the coveted Heart of Sarajevo Award.
The jury heralded the “beautifully photographed, acted, scripted and directed movie,” praising its ability to capture the spirit of modern youth while feeling “timeless.” The Bosnian-born Sendijarević was visibly overwhelmed receiving the award in front of her home audience, dedicating it to a festival that celebrated its 25th edition this year.
In announcing the award winners, jury member and Rotterdam festival director Bero Beyer praised filmmakers that “reached out to our hearts as they were exploring modernity versus tradition, rootedness in history against individuality, and who with their films celebrated not so much the brotherhood of men, but rather the sisterhood of human beings.
The jury heralded the “beautifully photographed, acted, scripted and directed movie,” praising its ability to capture the spirit of modern youth while feeling “timeless.” The Bosnian-born Sendijarević was visibly overwhelmed receiving the award in front of her home audience, dedicating it to a festival that celebrated its 25th edition this year.
In announcing the award winners, jury member and Rotterdam festival director Bero Beyer praised filmmakers that “reached out to our hearts as they were exploring modernity versus tradition, rootedness in history against individuality, and who with their films celebrated not so much the brotherhood of men, but rather the sisterhood of human beings.
- 8/23/2019
- by Christopher Vourlias
- Variety Film + TV
The Lgbt+ drama is shortlisted to become Sweden’s international film Oscar submission.
Music Box Films has acquired the Us and Canadian rights to And Then We Danced, a Cannes Directors Fortnight entry and contender to become Sweden’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar.
Music Box, which previously handled Us distribution on Swedish Oscar nominee A Man Called Ove, plans a 2020 theatrical roll out for And Then We Danced followed by release on home entertainment platforms.
The feature, acquired from Paris-based sales agent Totem Films, is directed by Levan Akin and stars Levan Gelbakhiani in a story about...
Music Box Films has acquired the Us and Canadian rights to And Then We Danced, a Cannes Directors Fortnight entry and contender to become Sweden’s submission for the Best International Film Oscar.
Music Box, which previously handled Us distribution on Swedish Oscar nominee A Man Called Ove, plans a 2020 theatrical roll out for And Then We Danced followed by release on home entertainment platforms.
The feature, acquired from Paris-based sales agent Totem Films, is directed by Levan Akin and stars Levan Gelbakhiani in a story about...
- 8/20/2019
- by John Hazelton
- ScreenDaily
Exclusive: Music Box Films has acquired the U.S. and Canadian rights to Levan Akin’s And Then We Danced, which made its world premiere as a Directors’ Fortnight title at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year. Music Box is planning a theatrical rollout in 2020 followed by a release on home entertainment platforms.
Set in the strict and gender conservative scene of ancient Georgian dance, And Then We Dance follows an obsessive young dancer Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), who has been training at the National Georgian Ensemble with his partner, Mary (Ana Javakishvili), since he was a child. However, when new dancer Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) arrives what begins as a rivalry soon turns to longing as the two draw closer together.
Written and directed by Akin, the film also won the Grand Prix, Best Film, and Best Actor awards at the 2019 Odesa International Film Festival and was placed on the...
Set in the strict and gender conservative scene of ancient Georgian dance, And Then We Dance follows an obsessive young dancer Merab (Levan Gelbakhiani), who has been training at the National Georgian Ensemble with his partner, Mary (Ana Javakishvili), since he was a child. However, when new dancer Irakli (Bachi Valishvili) arrives what begins as a rivalry soon turns to longing as the two draw closer together.
Written and directed by Akin, the film also won the Grand Prix, Best Film, and Best Actor awards at the 2019 Odesa International Film Festival and was placed on the...
- 8/20/2019
- by Dino-Ray Ramos
- Deadline Film + TV
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