Tag: film

HIGHLIGHTS: November 2024 LA LGBTQ+ Festival

Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award:
Best Short Film: GOD’S DAUGHTER DANCES
Best Drama Film: NOTWITHSTANDING
Best Documentary: THE BOY WHO PLAYED WITH DOLLS
Best Experimental: PUT ON THE COSTUME
Best Micro-Short: BODIES
Best Direction: GOOD BEHAVIOR
Best Story: LOVE FROM THE SHADOW
Best Performances: CHEMSEX

See info for each film:

BODIES, 3min., USA
Directed by Maria Maya
After enduring a brutal homophobic attack, drag artist Pietra Parker embarks on a deeply personal journey of healing backstage, where she transforms her trauma into a stunning performance that not only reclaims her identity but also ignites a powerful message of resilience and empowerment for the LGBTQ community.

https://www.instagram.com/maria_maya

NOTWITHSTANDING, 9min., USA
Directed by Cris Castro
A death in the family ignites old memories for Adrian, overwhelming him with guilt. He falls back into old habits as he attempts to let go of the past and accept the man he has become.

https://www.facebook.com/A-Pesar-De-Que-310048572497208/

GOOD BEHAVIOR, 19min,. Brazil
Directed by Mathews Silva
Ana, a woman whose life was marked by the tragedy of losing her sister to an unknown killer, decides to introduce her girlfriend, Julia, to her family during a dinner. As the night progresses, dark secrets about her sister’s murder come to light. Confronted with the shocking truth, Ana and Julia must find strength in each other to face the past.

THE BOY WHO PLAYED WITH DOLLS, 10min., USA
Directed by Dale Guy Madison
A gay man tells the childhood memory of losing his “action figure” and how it sparked a desire to collect dolls. He eventually creates and design dolls as a business, a passion, and a form of identity expression

GOD’S DAUGHTER DANCES, 25min., South Korea
Directed by Sungbin Byun
A transgender female dancer, Shin-mi, gets a call from the Military Manpower Administration, to attend for the Military Service Examination. Shin-mi, with everything in readiness, takes her steps to the Military Manpower Administration.

LOVE FROM THE SHADOW, 20min., Chile
Directed by Ale Gálvez
Marta works as a telephone fraudster in her improvised office under a bridge, where she lives all alone. On Mother’s Day, Marta contacts her daughter Laura, but she doesn’t want to have any contact with her, so she lies to her about an illness, and they agree to meet. Marta waits until nightfall, her daughter does not arrive. Finally, she takes out her cell phone and continues to scam.

CHEMSEX, 7min., Brazil
Directed by Daniel Porto
A group of unknown gay men connect via a dating app for casual encounters. The starting point is a chemsex party, where drug use intensifies sexual experiences, but also reveals the depths of human emotions. The film explores both the fascination and liberating energy of these encounters and the emptiness and loneliness that can haunt a gay man’s life.

https://www.instagram.com/nielporto

PUT ON THE COSTUME, 3min., UK
Directed by Ian Floodgate
The transformation of a Drag Queen.

HIGHLIGHTS: May 2024 LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award Winners:
Best Short Film: EFFY’S BIG GAY BRUNCH

Best Micro-Short: FIRST YOU, THEN I
Best Direction: KORDOVERO 22
Best Performances: SHATTERED
Best Story: LIKE WATER
Best Student Film: WHERE TO PISS

See info for each film:

WHERE TO PISS, 8min,. UK
Directed by Karter Masuhara
A trans man wants to use the men’s bathroom for the first time, however, he’s hindered by his own fears and insecurities. He shares these fears to his friend shown through imaginary scenarios.

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

SHATTERED, 22min., USA
Directed by Kory Getman
In this suspense-filled drama dissecting the complexities of abuse through the lens of an LGBT relationship, “SHATTERED” exposes the chilling psychology behind love’s darker shades.

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28546517/

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

FIRST YOU, THEN I, 3min., USA
Directed by Ashleigh Coffelt
A woman finds herself caught in a toxic relationship, struggling between fighting for herself or disconnecting from the one she loves.

http://www.missashproductions.com/https://instagram.com/missashproductions

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

DESTROY IMAGINATION, 12min., USA
Directed by Chris Adam Abercrombie
Ivan is a male student that has just been raped in his dorm room. This devastating incident has Ivan hanging on by a thread, and he fears that people will not believe he has been raped. All hope is shattered when monotone Detective Amy Beck has a cold, uncaring demeanor while interviewing him about the details of the rape. The brutality of the rape, and the complete lack of support, has Ivan feeling alone without hope as he makes his final decision to kill himself.

http://abercrombiestudios.com/

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

LIKE WATER, 5min,. USA
Directed by Christopher Lopez
In the San Francisco Bay Area, “Like Water” follows André, a 19-year-old photographer, as he navigates modern life. Immersed in his passion for photography, André captures the city’s essence while also exploring dating apps. When André is ghosted, he confronts his insecurities, pushing away friends and grappling with societal expectations. A spiritual experience at the beach helps him realize that self-acceptance comes from within. Learning to let go, André discovers his power to embrace his authentic self.

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

KORDOVERO 22, 18min., Israel
Directed by Gal Primack Najari
Two men meet through a screen and struggle to get closer in an impossible pre-written reality

http://www.primacknajari.com/welcome
https://www.facebook.com/galprimacknajari
https://www.instagram.com/kordovero22

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

EFFY’S BIG GAY BRUNCH, 6min,. USA
Directed by Valentina Matosian
In a glorious, bloody display, LGBTQIA+ professional wrestlers showcase the artistry of their craft and celebrate the strength in community.

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

HIGHLIGHTS: April 2024 LA LGBT Festival

Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award Winners:
Best Short Film: THE TWO SPINSTERS
Best Direction: IN WAVES
Best Story: THE CAPTIVE
Best Documentary: MY FIRST TIME – COMING OUT
Best Performances: LAST DANCE

See info for each film:

MY FIRST TIME – COMING OUT, 20min., Australia
Directed by Carolyn Cage
Made for queer people and their allies, ‘My First Time’ takes an unfiltered and heartfelt look at unforgettable first universal queer experiences from members from Australia’s LGBTQ+ community.

https://www.youtube.com/@WeArePride
https://www.facebook.com/WeArePrideNetwork/
https://www.instagram.com/we.arepride/

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

LAST DANCE, 12min., Mexico
Directed by Fernando Garzafox
Dance like everyone is watching, Love like nobody is.
When Diego meets Raúl, he finds love within.

https://www.instagram.com/fergarzafox

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

IN WAVES, 5min., UK
Directed by Shaohan Song
Ke the cinephile begins writing her first script in front of the computer, projecting her complex emotions towards her ex-girlfriend Blue onto the characters she is creating. The surrounding space starts to transform in tandem with her imagination…

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

THE TWO SPINSTERS, 9min., Italy
Directed by Ugo Lanzotti, Roberta Pia De Angelis
Two ladies have been living together for many years. One of them, Maria, has to face an old family hostility for having chosen to live love…

https://www.instagram.com/roberta_de_angelis

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

THE CAPTIVE, 15min., Australia
Directed by Alexander Ku
Two men Simon and Dennis meet online for a real time hook-up. What happens blurs the lines between desire and manipulation, as events fold into a dangerous baiting struggle.

Watch NOW – the audience feedback video.

HIGHLIGHTS: February 2024 LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award Winners:

Best Feature Film: TO DIE ALONE
Best Short Film: IN MY OWN IMAGE
Best Direction: THE NIGHT I LEARNED HOW TO DANCE
Best Story: A DIFFERENTLY – CURATED WORLD
Best Student Film: INVISIBLE WALL

TO DIE ALONE, 88min., USA
Directed by Austin Smagalski
After suffering a terrible injury while hiking the Pacific Crest Trail, Irving must find a way to escape the woods alive and confront her inner demons with the help of a stranger.

https://www.todiealonefilm.com/
https://www.facebook.com/todiealonefilm
https://www.instagram.com/todiealonefilm/

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!

THE NIGHT I LEARNED HOW TO DANCE, 6min,. USA
Directed by William Degardin
In order to fit in his own community, a young gay man attempts the nightclub experience only to be sexually assaulted.

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!

A DIFFERENTLY – CURATED WORLD, 2min., USA
Directed by Kiersten White
In this age of Black nostalgia, as we see the remake of classic Black sitcoms and the reimagining of Black excellence using the tools, fashion, entertainment, and mediums of yesteryear– we find that one particular community of Blacks is missing from the mainstream conversation, the LGBTQ+ community. Reimagine, with us, a Black and Queer utopia– through the eyes of Black America’s most famous coming-of-age sitcom.

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!

INVISIBLE WALL, 6min., Japan
Directed by Aoi Matsumoto
Some people can easily pass through the door while others cannot pass through it. And someone wait for the door to open or force it open.

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!

IN MY OWN IMAGE, 12min,. Italy
Directed by Giuseppe Bucci
A son 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. But resentment is not the solution. The solution is for the church to welcome homosexuals as people equal to all, and not sinners.

https://www.facebook.com/giuseppe.bucci.7
https://www.instagram.com/GiuseppeBucci5

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!

HIGHLIGHTS: January 2024 LA LGBTQ+ Film Festival

Showcase of the best FILMS in the world today.

Audience Award Winners:

Best Short Film: THE BREAK UP
Best Performances: THEA & LUCIA
Best Story: THE TIN WOODS

THEA & LUCIA, 10min., Australia
Directed by Alyssa Scott
When two young women face demons from the past, they must rely on their unbreakable bond in order to survive the consequences of their actions.

http://fitzcarraldopictures.com/https://instagram.com/fitzcarraldopictures

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!

THE TIN WOODS, 10min., USA
Directed by Nick Boxwell
While exploring an abandoned cabin, the Tin Woodman finds…his original head? Based on the original Oz books by L. Frank Baum, this short stop-motion film explores the origins of the Tin Woodman and how he came to be made of tin.

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!

THE BREAK UP, 9min. USA
Directed by Savonne Alexis Pearson
When Savonne gets dumped abruptly, she is forced to confront the truth about what really conspired during her breakup.

WATCH HERE – The audience feedback video of the film!