Gala Archives - TLVFest

Sing Sing

A year ago the American actor Colman Domingo became the 2nd out LGBTQ actor to be nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards for his portrayal of a gay man in the film “Rustin”, where he played the gay civil rights activist Bayard Rustin. This year he comes back with a new film “Sing Sing” and his chances for a second nomination look very good.
This film is also based on true events. Director Greg Kwedar’ film follows a theater rehabilitation program for prisoners in the infamous Sing Sing jail.
Every six months a group of inmates gets together to decide on the play they will perform next. The undisputed leader of the group is an educated man with a passion for literature named Divine G (Colman Domingo). Divine G’s leadership wavers when he recruits a new and outspoken member, Divine Eye (Clarence Maclin as himself), and the whole group dynamic changes.
“Sing Sing” is a powerful cinematic piece that brings us the magic of backstage theater behind bars. It is a film about pain, joy and escapism that theater brings to the group. Almost all the actors in the film are real former convicts who participated in the theatre rehabilitation program and the characters in the film are based on their experiences.

This film has rare and powerful sensitivity and a once in a lifetime performance by one of the most impressive actors of our time, Colman Domingo.

Young Hearts

In the middle of the school year, 13 year old Elias meets his new neighbor, 14 year old Alexander, a confident boy from Brussels. The two boys enjoy their time together, and as their relationship deepens – Elias develops new feelings. He realizes he is falling in love for the first time. The fear of how his family and the people around him will react makes him keep his feelings to himself and he sinks deeper and deeper into a web of lies that threatens to destroy the beautiful connection between him and his new friend.
Anthony Schatteman’s debut film was one of more pleasant surprises at the latest Berlinale. The Belgian director won praises for his sensitive and intelligent film and is marked as one of the promising voices in contemporary European cinema.

All Shall Be Well

Angie and Pat have been together for over four decades, but after Pat’s unexpected death, Angie finds herself at the mercy of Pat’s family as she struggles to retain her dignity and the home that both had shared, due to the unfairness of the Hong Kong laws that discriminate against the LGBTQ community.

“All Shall be Well” is the 4th film by queer director Ray Yeung, who previously won a commendation here at the 2020 TLVFest for his amazing film “Suk Suk”. Now he returns with a delicate and moving drama that has already won the Teddy Award at 2024 Berlinale and is being screened at film festivals all over the world.

The Eyes of Tammy Faye

For the first time on the big screen in Israel, “The Eyes of Tammy Faye”, the film that earned Jessica Chastain the Oscar for Best Leading Female.
The film is based on a documentary by the same name from the creators behind “RuPaul’s Drag Race”.

In a heartwarming performance, Jessica Chastain undergoes a full transformation and becomes Tammy Faye Bakker, an evangelist TV host that led for years an extravagant missionary talk show. A woman who built, alongside her husband Jim Bakker (Andrew Garfield) an empire that is worth millions of dollars. Tammy Faye was popular with her choices of colorful outfits and extreme make-up. While she soared in the Christians circles she became a laughing stock of late night talk shows and skits such as SNL, which turned her into a popular culture icon even for those who never saw her actual show.

Director Michael Showalter (“The Big Sick”) brings to the big screen an honest and merciful portrait of a woman, far from the caricature Tammy Faye had become. From her humble start as child, through the wedding her parents didn’t approve of, to the huge success and Jim’s conviction of fraud. Even though Tammy Faye was an evangelist Christian, she supported the LGBTQ community and was one of the first conservative Republicans to interview with compassion an AIDS patient during the height of the pandemic, a move that enraged a lot of her supporters as well as the evangelists leader, rev. Jerry Falwell.

Chastain is nothing short of amazing, stepping into Tammy Faye’s shoes. She manages to create a humane and colorful personality who always shows up in full make-up- ready to give a performance of a lifetime, even if the camera isn’t rolling.

The movie is also available on Disney Plus

Three Kilometres to the End of the World

17 years old Adi, who is in love with a male student from Bucharest, comes to spend the summer in his small and traditional home village on the bank of the Danube river. After a violent attack one night, Adi’s world is turned upside down, when his parents seem to prefer their religion and monetary interests over him, and the villagers and the authorities justify his attackers.

“Three Kilometres to the End of the World” is directed by Emanuel Parvu, who is part of Romania’s New Wave, that is characterized by realistic, fascinating and well acted cinema. The film, which won the Queer Palm Award at Cannes, is a sharp and intelligent drama about family, corruption, courage and identity.
This is Romania’s nominee for the 2025 Academy Awards.

Please note: the film contains violence and depiction of non-consensual conversion therapy.

In association with the Embassy of Romania

To Live, to Die, to Live Again

Renowned French director Gaël Morel’s new beautiful and moving film had its World Premiere at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival.
Victor Belmondo (“Lie with Me”) and Théo Christine (“My Best Part”) star in a moving and surprising drama that brings a complicated love triangle to the big screen.
Emma loves Sammy, who also loves Cyril, who loves him back. What starts as a non-conventional threesome in the early 90’s, takes a turn with the rise of the AIDS pandemic and with it an unexpected twist that will change the lives of all three, and will lead them to face a new world full of challenges and fears.
The film also features gay icon Amanda Lear.

Gaël Morel was TLVFest’s guest in 2012 with his film “Our Paradise”.

In association with the Embassy of France

Block Pass

A breathtaking drama that was shown during the Critics Week at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the Queer Palm award.
Director Antoine Chevrollier’s first full length feature explores masculinity and sexuality in rural France, and particularly in Longué-Jumelles, the director’s home town, where the film was shot.
Willy and Jojo are best friends, sharing a joint passion for motorcycles. Jojo is a motorcycle racing driver on the way to become famous in the scene and Willy is there to help him live his dream.
When a secret from Jojo’s past is revealed, his fast track to fame crumbles. The two friends embark on a self discovery journey neither of them wanted.
Young stars of the film, Amaury Foucher and Sayyid El Alami, present impressive, authentic and brave performances.

In association with the Embassy of France

The Substance

“Have you ever dreamt of a better version of you? You, only better in every way possible. Seriously, you have to try this product. It’s called ‘The Substance’. It changed my life! It creates a different “you”, newer, younger, prettier, more perfect. There’s only one rule – you share time. One week for you, one week for her. Perfect balance, easy, right? If you respect the balance, what could possibly go wrong?”

“The Substance” which had taken this year’s Cannes Film Festival by storm and got 11 minutes of standing ovations, gives one of Hollywood’s beloved veterans Demi Moore (“Indecent Proposal”, “Ghost”, “A Few Good Men”) one of her best roles, with high chances of getting an Oscar nomination. The film won its director Coralie Fargeat the script award at the Cannes Film Festival and helped cement her status as a groundbreaking filmmaker. Get ready for an unbelievable, wild and funny film you will not stop talking about.

In association with the Embassy of France

Emilia Pérez

The new and much talked about musical crime drama by director Jacques Audiard (“Rust and Bone”, “A Prophet” “The Beat That My Heart Skipped”) which premiered at the last Cannes Film Festival to standing ovations. This film earned its amazing cast a joint award and the Judges Choice main award. This is the film that introduced to the world one of the best cinematic newcomers of recent years – transgender actress Karla Sofía Gascón, who takes over the screen and the viewers hearts with an unforgettable performance.

Zoe Saldaña (“Avatar”, “Guardians of the Galaxy”) is Rita, a frustrated lawyer who works for a big and corrupt company. One day she gets a chance to change her life – a one-on-one meeting with the head of one of the cruelest cartels in Mexico. To her immense surprise the man asks her to help him realize his dream – to undergo a gender affirming procedure and start a new life as a woman under the name of Emilia Pérez.
Other cast members include one of todays’ biggest stars as the cartel head’s wife, Selena Gomez (“Only Murders in the Building”) and the Israeli actor Mark Ivanir.
This is a film that you will not forget.

In association with the Embassy of France

!Love & Revolution

The year is 1977 and Miguel is going to be the first one in his family to go to university. But Miguel has different dreams: to become a singer and take part in a popular TV competition. He’s exposed to social activists, finds himself doing drag in underground clubs and becomes an activist himself, all this in secret and against the will of his mother Reme, a 50 year-old woman, who works as a seamstress in a luxury suits shop.
In the 70’s homosexuality was still taboo in Spain, the police regularly used violence against the LGBTQ community and being associated with the gay community was an offence that could get you in jail. When Miguel is caught in drag by the police, his conservative mother decides to step up and join Miguel’s friends – other activists from the gay community, to fight the police, the court and the government in order to make Spain a better place.
In his debut film, director Alejandro Marín manages to get into the hearts of his audience with a thrilling and sweeping dramedy on the right to love. A film that is a salute to all those who fought and are still fighting to live in a liberal country with equal rights and no fear.
The film’s original name, “Te estoy amando locamente” (“I love you madly”), refers to the power of mother’s love to her son, and therefore it is also a film that honors all the mothers that support their LGBTQ children, and even if sometimes it’s hard for them, they would fight for their sons and daughters till the end.
The film is based on real events.

In association with the Embassy of Spain & PrideTV