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All Films and Events 2024

Blue Lights

In the grand tradition of “Perfect Strangers”, the dramedy “Blue Lights” takes place almost entirely during a dinner party with friends.
During a birthday celebration with seven close friends and family, secrets are exposed, emotions and conflicts awake after many years. This is a heartwarming comedic drama with a wonderful Argentinian cast that manages to shed light on the complexities and layers of being LGBTQ in a wide range of ages.
“Blue Lights” deals with subjects that are universal: love, loss, partnership, friendship and also the ability to forgive. This is a dramedy that is set to touch the viewers’ hearts, make them laugh and feel, and the film certainly delivers.

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.

“Chuck Chuck Baby” & Stand-up by Talya Bartfeld

Before the screening: short Stand-up show by Talya Bartfeld

Northern Wales, a chicken packing factory, in the background are the inspiring tunes of Neil Diamond, Janis Ian, Minnie Riperton and others. Helen is in her late 30’s and spends most of her time either at the factory or taking care of her ex’s dying mother.
A surprising twist comes in the shape of Joan, her former neighbor who returns to the godforsaken town. The two women renew their friendship, Helen regains her joie-de-vivre as well as some hidden desires. The two begin a playful courtship – but will they have the courage to let go of the painful past and let their love win?
Oh, and did we mention that the whole thing is an uplifting, full of life, lesbian kind-of musical?

Please note: part of the movie takes place in a meatpacking factory. No animals were hurt during the filming.

Additional screening: 8.11, 20:00, without a show.

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Aum Penjor

For the first time ever – an LGBTQ film from Bhutan!
A moving film of identity, parenthood and chosen family.

Aum Penjor is a transgender singer in a queer club, and a sort of local celebrity. One rainy night, while another one-night-stand is slipping away, she hears crying and finds an abandoned baby amongst the cartons. When she takes the baby home, she begins to develop feelings she never imagined having. Aum Penjor suddenly discovers she has maternal instincts that lead her to a whole new type of journey.

This is a film about a determined woman who embraces her true self bravely in the face of social prejudice. The film follows the complexity of struggles and personal triumphs in a community entrenched in traditional values. This is a thrilling drama with exquisite landscapes, adorned with some wonderful musical moments, and it’s not afraid to make you shed a tear or two.

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.

The Life and Death of a Porno Gang

Winner of the Best Film award at the 2010 TLVFest, this is one of the most powerful films you’ll see this year.
Director Mladen Djordjevic created a biting commentary on post Milosevic Serbia. This film brings together horror, social and political satire, dark humour and lots of sex and violence.

Local criminals hire Marko, a young, artistic and ambitious filmmaker, to make for them porno films. They don’t really appreciate his artistic approach, and after a violent attack, Marko decides to go underground and travel with a troupe of outcasts who participate in a live pornographic theatre production that travels through conservative Serbian villages.
Warning! Not suitable for the faint of heart!

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

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Two more Serbian LGBT movies are screened at the festival.

Marble Ass

The groundbreaking creation of director Želimir Žilnik will celebrate its 30th anniversary this coming February and this is a rare opportunity to discover it.

With the war in Bosnia and political upheavals in the background, Merlin and Sanela, two trans friends and sex workers, share a house in the suburbs of Belgrad. Johnny returns from the war with PTSD, questionable friends & a tendency for petty crime. Will those three manage to establish a stable household?

Unusual by its humanistic approach to queer characters, an achievement that wasn’t repeated in the Eastern-European cinema for many years to come, this movie was at first conceived as a documentary. In the main role of Merlin, loosely based on her own life, shines Merlinka (Vjeran) Miladinović. After her tragic death in 2003, Serbian LGBT Film Festival was named in her honour – Merlinka.

Viewing is 18+ due to sexual content and violence.

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Two more Serbian LGBT movies are screened at the festival.

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.

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