Narrative Competition 2024 Archives

National Anthem

21yo Dylan is a day laborer and a farm hand who works hard to support his family and be a father figure to his younger brother. Dylan is trying to keep on an appearance of stability but there’s something missing in his life. When he gets a temporary job on a communal queer ranch he feels that for the first time he belongs. He finds friends and falls in love. Sky (trans actress Eve Lindley) is a rodeo performer and the partner of the macho ranch owner Pepe. The two are happy to share their bodies with Dylan, but maybe it won’t be enough.
Charlie Plummer shines as the lead with a very natural, quiet and confident performance. Cinematographer Katelin Arizmendi re-imagines the coming-of-age movie against the stunning backdrop of New Mexico. Director Luke Gilford’s debut film is a hallelujah song to the ultimate queer American dream showcasing the real-life International Gay Rodeo Association.

Gondola

In the mountains of west Georgia, a rural community relies on a pair of cable cars that connect two sides of a steep valley. Iva returns to her home village following the death of a relative and takes up a job operating one of the cable car gondolas. She forms a long distance friendship with Nina, the operator of the other gondola. In time, those aerial meetings turn to naughty flirting between the two young women and then deepen into love.
This strange romance is wordless, but has a very unique and original cinematic vision from writer/director Veit Helmer. It is a delightful piece, very visually pleasing, full of fun and charming cinematic ideas. 82 minutes with no dialogue but with a lot of love for the art of cinema as well as its two wonderful heroines. In “Gondola” love truly floats between heaven and earth, and it is simply a film of pure fun.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 8.11, 18:00

In association with the Embassy of Germany

High Tide

Brazilian tourist Lourenço is left behind when his American boyfriend deserts him in Provincetown at the end of the summer season. Lourenço passes the time with random hookups, talking to the locals who hire him to do maintenance and flirting with a hot tourist named Maurice (James Bland). Lourenço has to decide how to deal with shadows of his past that won’t let go and the harsh reality of being an undocumented immigrant in the USA.
In his debut film, director Marco Calvani puts Brazilian actor Marco Pigossi (“Gen V”, “Invisible City”) at the heart of a sexy and melancholic story about an immigrant after an unexpected breakup. Alongside Pigossi you’ll find Academy Award winner Marisa Tomei, Bill Irwin (“Rustin”) and Mya Taylor (“Tangerine”).
Marco Calvani created a thoughtful and daring film that raises questions on queer life in the modern world.

Sultana’s Dream

Ines is an artiste who travels to India and finds a novel by Begum Rokeya Hossain in a book shop. Begum Rokeya was a Bengali feminist philosopher and writer. Her sci-fi novella “Sultana’s Dream” was published in 1905, and tells of a feminist utopia Ladyland, where women have all the power while men take care of the household. Ines, inspired by the novel, searches for a place where women can live peacefully, away from the world of men.

Short film director Isabel Herguera in her first feature film, with three distinctive animation styles: Begum Rokeya story is told through shadow animation, Ines’ journey is depicted with water colors and Ladyland is designed using traditional Mehndi prints.
The result, interlaced with traditional Indian music, is breathtaking and inspiring.

Courtesy of The Hive Distribution

Sad Jokes

Like in his debut film “Bones and Names”, director Fabian Stumm manages in his new film to delicately and with very intelligent humor describe modern family structures and all the absurd complexities that life can provide.
Joseph and Sonya share a lifelong friendship and raise a child together. While Joseph, a film director, is busy with his next cinematic project, Sonya suffers from mental illness and struggles with hospitalization. Joseph must juggle between his everyday chores, his artistic aspirations and trying to hook up with a nude model.
Fabian Stumm wrote a wonderful and contemporary script about the turbulence of life and unexpected challenges that might grind you down. “Sad Jokes” is a quietly comic film that manages to touch on complex issues and do that in a smart and entertaining manner.
The film includes guest stars Knut Berger (“Walk on Water”) as the nude model and esteemed German actor/director Sebastian Schipper as himself.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 3.11, 20:15

In association with the Embassy of Germany

The Astronaut Lovers

A romantic comedy that takes place during the summer holidays on the Argentinian beach. Pedro and Maxie, two childhood friends, meet as adults after years of not keeping in touch. Pedro is out and proud and is very much amused by Maxie’s curiosity and his joking flirting. A sudden twist in the plot comes when Maxie tries to make his ex-girlfriend jealous by telling her he and Pedro are a couple. Now, the two must fake a loving relationship in front of their friends during a joint summer holiday. Their little role play suddenly takes on a whole new meaning.
Marco Berger is one of the best and most interesting LGBTQ directors working today. In his films he explores contemporary masculinity, sexuality and sexual curiosity. The result is extraordinary in its quality and brings us a fresh cinematic take on an old trope.

OUT

Tom and Ajani have been a couple since they were in high school. They yearn for a life outside their small rural community in the Netherlands and the solution is Amsterdam, where the queer scene is lively and they can both live their dreams. Tom is planning to study films and become a director and Ajani discovers the nightlife, makes new friends and maybe finds a new identity. Both are destined to ask themselves for the first time who they really are and how they fit in the world, or even with one another.
In his debut film, director Dennis Alink gives us a thrilling glimpse into the world of young queer folk today who are on a journey of self discovery that is unapologetic, full of life and heartbreaking all at the same time. The film is shot in a stylish black-and-white cinematography that brings to mind classic films about coming-of-age, such as Peter Bogdanovich’ “The Last Picture Show” and Gus Van Sant’s “Mala Noche”.

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content and drug use.

Courtesy of PrideTV

Born for You

A film adaptation of a book by the same name, based on a true story.
We invite you to this moving new Italian film that is also very relevant to the current Israeli reality.

Luca Trapanese is a single Catholic gay man, who in 2017 wants to adopt Alba, a baby with Down Syndrome, who was abandoned at the hospital at birth. In the past, the Italian authorities have denied Luca’ requests to adopt a child or a baby. Alba was left at the hospital while 30 heterosexual families had rejected her. A meeting with a human rights lawyer encourages Luca to appeal to the court in hope they will agree to let him adopt Alba.
Today, thanks to the precedent set by Luca and Alba’s case, Italy allows single men to become foster families. Luca was the first single gay man in Italian history that managed to adopt a child. He didn’t do that to be a groundbreaker or to fight the authorities, he just wanted a family.

In 2017 TLVFest had screened an earlier film by director Fabio Mollo – “Il padre d’Italia”

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 9.11, 18:00

In association with the Embassy of Italy & PrideTV

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Narrative Competition 2024

National Anthem

Gondola

High Tide

Sultana’s Dream

Sad Jokes

The Astronaut Lovers

OUT

Born for You

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