A set of unique and colorful short films celebrating the art of drag and the artists behind the make-up.
This mix contains films from Argentina, USA, Taiwan, Germany, Netherlands and Belgium.
Duration: 80 minutes
International Drag Shorts
TLVFest Honorary Award to Gila Almagor & “Tied Hands”
The film tells the story of a sensitive and complex relationship between a mother and her ailing son. Like in Hans Christian Anderson’s fairy tale “The Loveliest Rose in the World” where a prince must search for a rose to save his mother, who is dying in bed, “Tied Hands” sees a reversal of roles as a desperate mother goes out to find marijuana, to ease her son’s pain. In her turbulent journey in the streets of Tel-Aviv, old truths from her past come back to life and threaten to break down a wall of denials behind which she’s been hiding all her life.
Chasing Amy
Following Sav Rodgers’ wonderful documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy”, we had to screen Kevin Smith’s classic from 1997 (even though it didn’t age that well).
Is this film a lesbian fantasy of a straight man, or does it actually capture the nuances of a pansexual/bisexual identity better than many other films made even today?
A once in a lifetime performance by Joey Lauren Adams as the lesbian comic artist Ben Affleck’s character falls in love with (and she falls in love back). The film brings up questions about female sexuality and fluidity of sexual orientation that were ahead of their time back then and are still relevant today.
We highly recommend watching Sav Rodgers’ “Chasing Chasing Amy” which gives Smith’s classic film added layers and context.
Reaching for the Moon
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Free entry with Cinematheque membership
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A screening for the film’s 10th anniversary
The year is 1951 and the poet Elisabeth Bishop is looking for inspiration. She leaves her New York home and travels to sunny Rio de Janeiro to visit her old school friend Mary Morse. Elisabeth, with her closed off personality and conservative upbringing, is finding it hard to get used to the Brazilian sensuality, and especially to Marys’ partner – architect Lota de Macedo Soares (who will later design the famous Flamingo Park in Rio). Lota’s cold welcome to Elisabeth soon melts and she tries to convince Elisabeth to move in with her and Mary to their large mansion. Mary is reluctant but Lota wants both women to herself.
Elisabeth Bishop’s emotional poems are the heart of the film that follows an important chapter in the life of Pulitzer award winner. The film showcases wonderful performances by the Australian actress Miranda Otto as Elisabeth and Brazilian telenovelas star Gloria Pires as Lota. Special mention goes to the elegant and on point periodic reconstruction.
The film is based on a book by Carmen L. Oliveira.
In association with the Embassy of Brazil
The Wedding Banquet
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Free entry with Cinematheque membership
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A screening for the film’s 30’s anniversary
Wai-Tung, a 30’s something Chinese immigrant from Taiwan had achieved the American dream – he has a Green Card, his real estate business is flourishing, his bank account is full, and most importantly, his love life is blooming. The problem is that his parents want grandchildren and are pushing for him to get married, while Wei-Tung lives with the love of his life – Simon, a charming young New Yorker who already mastered the secrets of Chinese cooking. Simon has a solution – in one of the apartments Wei-Tung is renting lives Wei-Wei, a poor artist with no Green Card, so a fictional marriage could solve both their problems. In theory it’s a foolproof plan, until Wei-Tung’s parents arrive from Taiwan in order to throw their son a huge wedding banquet.
“The Wedding Banquet”, Ang Lee’s second film, won the Golden Bear award at the Berlinale of 1993.
35mm screening.
An Afternoon with Patrick Sarfati
“An Afternoon with Patrick Sarfati” is exactly what it sounds like.
After a year of meetings and bonding, filmmaker Anthony Hickling and photographer Patrick Sarfati make the move. The moment of truth has arrived, getting a camera into the living room of the legendary stills photographer that began to document the LGBTQ community back in 1979 and focused mainly on LGBTQ artists and cultural icons. Sarfati’s living room is a stunning archive of photos from many decades, portraits of celebrities that hide fascinating stories and amusing anecdotes that he shares with glee. With some of his subject Patrick had a friendly relationships and sometimes even beyond – Keith Haring, Jeanne Moreau, Coccinelle, Bette Davis, Grace Jones, Jean-Paul Gaultier, Roland Barthes, James Baldwin, Tom of Finland, Jean-Claude Van Damme and many more.
This is an intimate meeting with a very colorful and fascinating character that you’d love to spend an afternoon with.
On the Go
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The screening will be preceded by the short movie “In My Own Image”.
Imagine “Easy Rider” meets early Greg Araki films such as “Totally F***ed Up” and “The Living End” and pour over some hot and sassy Spanish passion and you’ll end up with the anarchistic creation by directors/screenwriters María Gisèle Royo and Julia de Castro, starring Omar Ayuso (“Elite”) in a very daring role.
37-year-old Milagros is a young carefree woman in her last years of fertility, while 24-year-old Jonathan, her best friend, is obsessively looking for comfort on Grindr in order to overcome his separation anxiety. Milagros is looking for sperm, Jonathan just wants to run away after burning down a club. The two embark on a roadtrip where they will meet a mermaid, one night stands and criminals, all while listening to great music.
This is a film about contemporary young men and women who think they live in the age of free choice with unlimited options, but the truth is – the beginning of the 21 century freedom is nothing but an illusion.
The film was shot entirely on a 16mm camera.
Viewing is 18+ due to nudity and explicit sexual content.
In association with the Embassy of Spain
In My Own Image
Director, Script & Producer: Giuseppe Bucci
With: Mariano Gallo, Eva Grimaldi, Salvatore Langella
Italy, 2023, 12 min, Italian with English subtitles
Francesco fails to feel sorry for the death of his father, a homophobic and bigoted man mainly due to his religious upbringing. The son has never confessed his homosexuality to his father and, desperate, he makes a very strong gesture to shout his homosexuality to God, the Vatican and his father.
Narrow Path to Happiness
Gergo and Lénárd are a young gay couple with a big dream – to write, direct and star in a musical film based on their lives. But dreams and reality don’t go together. They live in a remote Roma community in the poorest region of Hungary, in a very religious environment where being gay is considered a mortal sin. The two decide to move to Budapest in order to realize their cinematic dream.
The couple soon discovers that life in the big city isn’t easy either – they have to work backbreaking jobs while dealing with the rise of LGBTQphobia in Hungary. For the first time in their lives they visit a Pride Parade and demonstrations. While Gergo attempts to start a singing career, the two give an interview to the local press and become local celebrities. But only meetings with a screenwriting student give them hope for the future. Following the sudden death of Gergo’s mother they will have to go back to the community they’ve left behind and to the family who turned their backs on them for one final closure.
Director Kata Oláh created an intimate documentary about a hopeful couple with big dreams in a very difficult country.
All the Fires
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With discount code TLVFEST ticket’s price is 30NIS instead of 48NIS.
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“Fire will attract more attention than any other cry for help.” Jean-Michel Basquiat
Bruno is on a collision course with his greatest passion – fire. He’s a high school student that likes to upload videos of burning things onto social media. He is aided by his best friend Ian in order to document his petty arson acts that become more and more dangerous. Bruno is not happy with his mother’s new relationship, he also cannot deal with his growing attraction to his male best friend who is also interested in him. He spontaneously decides to run away to a small town where a girl he’s been messaging with on Instagram lives, only she has her own secrets. Reality will force him to confront his father’s death and the doubts he has about his sexuality, but not before leaving a trail of chaos behind him.
“All the Fires” has mysterious overtones, it’s full of deep passion that is threatening to erupt and consume everything around it. Young and different Mexican cinematic piece on exploration of sexuality, sexual diversity and self acceptance.
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This movie is eligible for a special “Monthly TLVfest” price:
4 Tickets – special price 160 NIS (40 NIS per ticket) – purchase here **
6 Tickets – special price 225 NIS (37.5 NIS per ticket) – purchase here **
12 Tickets – special price 360 NIS (30 NIS per ticket) – purchase here **
**NOT VALID for the TLVfest FESTIVAL screenings. Valid only for the Monthly TLVfest screenings.
The Persian Version
Screening on the 28.12 will include an Awards Ceremony for winners of TLVfest 2023 competitions
Leila is a young New Yorker. She’s a lesbian and an Iranian-American and contains within herself the cultures of two warring countries. She tries to find balance and embrace what’s different and contradicting in her identity and combine it all together. Leila’s dealing with her conservative parents who are still clinging to their homeland traditions, while trying to celebrate her identity and the freedom New York offers. She loves to challenge the labels society is fast to pin on her. While her family reunites in New York for her father’s heart transplant, Leila is trying to separate her family life and personal life. She tries to keep as much distance as possible from her judgmental mother Shireen, but when the secrets start to unravel, the similarities between Leila’s life and her mothers’ become apparent.
“The Persian Version” is colorful cinema that combines New York and Persian-Iranian humor, lively dances and a complex and chilling cross-generational story of women who decide to stay loyal to themselves and go against the traditions of their families and the society they grew up in. “The Persian Version” celebrates their stories and does that in an intelligent, fascinating and unapologetic way.
