North America 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.

Haze

New film by the director Matthew Fifer. Like in his debut “Cicada”, Fifer gives us a complex, dark and sexy profile of a man in search for answers to his troubled past.
This time round Fifer doesn’t act, but leaves the stage to Cole Doman (“Mutt”) who plays Joe, an investigating journalist, who returns to his hometown after rehab.
Joe is struggling to find a steady job, and focuses on the big story that will put his career back on track: The mysterious death of eight gay men in the psychiatric hospital that now stands abandoned in his hometown.
At the same time Joe begins a new and thrilling affair with Luke (Brian J Smith, “Sense8”). But who is the new stranger that arrived in town at the same time as Joe? Does the death of Joe’s sister when they were kids have anything to do with the deaths of the men in the psychiatric hospital?

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content and violence.

Trick

Celebrating the 25th anniversary of the film “Trick” with a 35mm screening!

Miss New York in the ‘90? Enjoy rom-coms about a slick flirt who meets an innocent guy? Then “Trick”, one of the oldest commercial gay rom-coms ever, is just for you.
Gabriel works in an office by day but dreams of being a Broadway composer by night. A chance meeting with Mark, a go-go dancer in a gay bar, will change the night’s plans for them both. As they head back to Gabriel’s place to hook-up, Katherine, Gabriel’s roommate and an aspiring actress, foils their plans. The couple embarks on a nightly odyssey to find a place to be alone and along the way meet plenty of colorful New York characters and learn a thing or two about themselves.
The role of Katherine is played by Tori Spelling, then at the height of her success. Another unforgettable performance is by legendary New York drag queen Miss Coco Peru.

Go Fish” & introduction by Shir Reuven”

Celebrating 30 years anniversary of the sapphic cult film with a short lecture by Shir Reuven.
~30 minutes long opening before the screening.

A romantic comedy set in Chicago that shakes all the conventions of that period about the way lesbians and bisexual women were shown on screen.
Five friends in their early 30’s are living and loving in Chicago. Max is looking for a meaningful relationship. Kia is in love with Evy, who lives with her mother and tries to get rid of her ex-husband. Ely is ready for an adventure that might come her way and shares an apartment with Daria – “The” Lesbian of Chicago, who had every girl in Chicago pass through her bed.
Rose Troche’s debut film is a witty and fast-paced comedy about women who are very comfortable with their sexual identity and who are trying to fulfill themselves emotionally as well.

F.L.Y

Although it feels like a decade ago, it’s only been four years since we were all in COVID lockdown.
The comedy “F.L.Y” takes us back to that time with a lot of humour and music. Rafael had just moved to LA with big dreams of being the next big drag queen star, and finds himself stuck in lockdown with his ex Max, who’s now seeing someone new. The two must navigate between unresolved feelings, past traumas and a new and complicated reality. Even though there’s a pandemic going on this is still a comedy about two men who used to date, but in order to move on they must find a way to leave behind the vortex of jealousy, loaded family relations and their dealings with sexual and gender identity.
Trent Kendrick and Rafael Albarrán who wrote, directed and star in the leading roles, give the viewers an amused and sexy look on love, relationships and what it means to be a gay man in this current decade.

Unspoken

Jeremy Borison’s moving debut film provides a glimpse into the world of Noam, a religious high school student who comes from a very traditional Jewish-American family. Noam finds a love letter addressed to his grandfather by another man, written before the holocaust, and decides to look for the mystery man who wrote the letter and learn more about his grandfather as well as himself.
Charlie Korman is doing a wonderful job in the lead role. His best friend and love interest who helps him dig into his family secrets (that everyone seems adamant to hide) is played by Israeli actor Michael Zapesotsky (best known for his roles in TV series “Yellow Peppers” and “The Commander”).
“Unspoken” is a moving teen film that encompasses the past, present and the complex experience of being a religious teen in a conservative Jewish environment.

Additional screening: Haifa Cinematheque, 2.11, 17:00

Riley

Dakota Riley is a beloved football star of his local high school. His dominant father and teammates have a clear plan for him, but Riley, who wants to be loved by everyone, is having a hard time loving himself. He does anonymous hook-ups, suffers from anxiety and lives in constant fear of being outed in a conservative town and a football team that is all toxic masculinity.
“Riley” is a fascinating film of the journey of a young man trying to figure out who he is, what he wants from himself and what is the life path he should be taking. The story focuses on his conflicted emotions and denied desires, all the while navigating adolescence.
“Riley” was written and directed by Benjamin Howard, and it is the director’s first full length feature, after he’s made several award winning short films. Howard is definitely a refreshing discovery and will surely find his place in Hollywood in the next few years. Jake Holley gives a powerful and complex performance as Riley.

The Writer

American-Lithuanian Kostas and Russian-Lithuanian Dima meet anew in New York, decades after they served together in the Soviet army. They fell in love in the 80’s and Dima joined Kostas and moved to Lithuania. When Lithuania restored its independence, Kostas left to study in New York and left Dima behind. Kostas gained fame, when a book he wrote, based on their love story, became a bestseller and turned him into a sought after writer and lecturer. When they meet again, Dima, who in the meantime married and divorced a woman, wishes to exorcise their demons and rectify the story that is told in the book.
Through examining the art of conversation, director Romas Zabarauskas explores how history and geopolitical changes affect people’s private lives, such as relationships, friendships and love.

Romas Zabarauskas has been a TLVfest’s guest back in 2021, and this is his 5th film.

Mysterious Skin

20th anniversary of the film “Mysterious Skin”

Opening movie of the 1st ever TLVFest, way back in 2006.
“Mysterious Skin” is a heart breaking cinematic art creation directed by Gregg Araki (“Totally F***ed Up”), and is celebrating 20 years to its debut screening at the Venice Film Festival.

“Mysterious Skin” is based on Scott Heim’s book and describes the meeting of two young men in a small town in Kansas. Neil is a hustler and Brian is obsessed with alien abductions. As the paths of the two collide and a shared truth from their past will resurface.
This is a stunning cinematic piece that through its colourful pop beauty describes a horrible and painful reality. This is one of Joseph Gordon-Levitt’s best performances.

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.

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North America 2024

National Anthem

Haze

Trick

Go Fish” & introduction by Shir Reuven”

F.L.Y

Unspoken

Riley

The Writer

Mysterious Skin

Sing Sing

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