International Queer Film Festival “Merlinka" 2014 - Belgrade
The Festival aims at presenting films dealing with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transsexual, intersexual and queer issues. The official program will showcase short, documentary and feature films from all over the world. This year jury will present the best short film with Dorothy’s shoe award.
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- DirectorMichael LucasScott SternStarsMichael LucasAs most of the world moves forward toward gay equality, Russia is seemingly heading backward. Antigay sentiment and legislation are spreading rapidly throughout the country. In 2013, the Russian parliament passed a ban on so-called 'gay propaganda' that effectively makes nearly any public discussion of gay equality a crime. It is my hope that this documentary will educate viewers to their reality.
- DirectorXavier DolanStarsAnne DorvalXavier DolanFrançois ArnaudA semi-autobiographical story about Hubert as a young homosexual at odds with his mother.
- DirectorXavier DolanStarsMelvil PoupaudEmmanuel SchwartzSuzanne ClémentA drama that charts ten years in a transgender woman's relationship with her lover.
- DirectorXavier DolanStarsXavier DolanMonia ChokriNiels SchneiderThe story of three close friends who are involved in a love-triangle.
- DirectorMarta Díaz de Lope DíazStarsCristina RodríguezJoaquín ClimentLaia CostaIt is the birthday of Grandma, and Rosa, the hostess, believes to have it all under control, but will she be able to deal with her sisters, with the absurd obsession of her husband by the traditional spanish music, and at the end to herself facing the surprises that holds his own family?
- DirectorMads ErichsenStarsJulie ChristiansenSusanna HorneijAnabel invites her ex girlfriend, Hanna, to come see her new apartment with the hope of getting her back. The day arrives and Hanna rings the doorbell. It takes the unorganized Anabel by surprise and she runs around trying to organize her stuff. She lets Hanna in for breakfast served in the middle of the mess. During breakfast Anabel gives Hanna a present, which she refuses to accept. The mood changes in the apartment and Hanna tries one last time to confront Anabel about the rumors of her infidelity, which caused their break-up. Hanna wants the truth and Anabel just wants her. Are they going to get back together or will they go their separate ways?
- DirectorFábio FreitasStarsNuno PardalPedro Sousa LoureiroSara Barros LeitãoGenesis 2:8. "And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east, and there he put the man whom he had formed." In this story, João and Pedro live in this garden. One of them is about to leave because someone ate the forbidden fruit.
- DirectorMarkus Wende
- DirectorQuentin PerezStarsPablo PaulyThrough the maze of a nightmare, a young man faces his father. His trauma springs from the darkness and he gradually exorcises his bitterness.
- DirectorJuancho BañuelosEstefanía CortesStarsInma CuestaAna GraciaHugo ArbuesEach house locked away the secret of a family. For one hour a day Sergio, helped by his grandmother, carry out his desires in a home dominated by his grandfather. A twist will force Elena, his mother, to make a decision that will change their lives.
- DirectorRob EpsteinJeffrey FriedmanStarsRichard BerkowitzTimothy Ray BrownMichael CallenWhen AIDS struck in the early 1980s, a scientist and a movie star did not have to respond - but they did. Dr. Mathilde Krim and Elizabeth Taylor joined forces to create amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research. The fight against HIV has never been the same. The Perfect Host reveals how two powerful and very different women came together, and what their combined efforts achieved. With passion and wit, Taylor wielded celebrity as a weapon against government indifference while Krim's commitment to science ensured support for the most promising research areas. Today, the only man cured of AIDS can thank research championed by Mathilde Krim. Visually dazzling and emotionally compelling, this story offers a surprising perspective on the still ongoing fight against AIDS.
- DirectorBruce La BruceStarsPier-Gabriel LajoieWalter BordenKatie BolandA young man begins exploring his attraction to much much older men while working in a nursing home.
- DirectorTor IbenStarsAnnette FrierKlaus J. BehrendtHarry BaerThe phallometric tests were used in the Czech Republic until recently in order to verify the homosexuality of asylum seekers, who reported homosexuality-based persecution in their home country as grounds for asylum. This short tells the story of a young guy whose sexuality will be tested through this method in a satirically way.
- DirectorLorelei PepiStarsLeah CallahanBrian CarpenterBrian King"Happy and Gay" is a revisionist history document reflecting the classic 1930's-styled cartoon musical misadventure. It's responding to this early animation era's acts of censorship, prejudice and stereotype through the placement of a simply positive representation of gay and lesbian characters into the narrative. Stereotypes are embedded as historical markers, contextualizing the conversion. This resulting representation means that this is document that could not have existed at the time it references.
- DirectorTawana BriggsStarsLee DoudAnne HarveyClaude KnowltonAfter Keith, a well-meaning dad, discovers a condom inside his gay teenage son's room, the dreaded sex talk seems imminent.
- DirectorHeather GwaltneyStarsHeather GwaltneyEach day women receive messages from the media that they are not young enough, sexy enough or good enough. In the documentary Ageless, hear from women of all ages about the affects of these daily messages. Is our country telling us that it's not okay to age--something that starts the moment we're born? And why is it that women start feeling invisible in their 40's? See revealing personal and expert interviews integrated with thought-provoking images, and inspiring commentary and music. Pictures of anti-aging advertisements and women in the media will be shown to humorously yet accurately depict the country's absurd obsession with youth. Gain greater insight into these issues through the mosaic of stories, and a growing movement to support aging women.
- DirectorNick CorporonStarsTrent CarltonLauren Dobbins WebbWilliam KiddBobby is a bright, imaginative seven-year-old who plays with dolls. One day his father tells him that dolls are for girls, sending Bobby on a personal mission to find what he should be playing with. He must choose accept his love for dolls or conform.
- DirectorZachary OschinStarsKeith CarrSarah Violet EvansSatori Folkes-StoneA high school girl has one day to ask her dream date to go to prom. Can she work up the courage to do it?
- DirectorJett GarrisonStarsWaide Aaron RiddlePut on your dancing boots and celebrate the world of competitive country-and-western dance for the gay community. Check out the fancy footwork, and experience stories of joy and freedom found on the dance floor.
- DirectorLeandro TadashiStarsDaniel RashidZachary RoozenKatie BakerNew Year's Eve 1999 finds college-bound Clark and Trevor concerned about the future of their friendship, and a request for Clark to be Trevor's wingman ensures things will never be the same again.
- DirectorGsus LopezStarsJeff KristianOliver YellopSophia Satchell BaezaOUT is a dramatic and sometimes comic story about a mother's reactions to her son coming out as gay in a small town.
- DirectorMischa KampStarsGijs BlomKo ZandvlietJonas SmuldersA sexually awakening gay teen athlete finds himself in a budding relationship with his mutually attracted relay race teammate.
- DirectorJalil LespertStarsPierre NineyGuillaume GallienneCharlotte Le BonA look at the life of French designer Yves Saint-Laurent from the beginning of his career in 1958 when he met his lover and business partner, Pierre Bergé.
- DirectorLeandro WenceslauStarsThiago AguiarEuro CabralGabriel CastroLucas and Caio are studying in the last year of high school and they are two inseparable friends.
- DirectorMarco van BergenStarsTobias KerslootBarbara LabrieSerge MensinkJames leads a lonely life in a luxurious castle. He never goes out with friends. One day he finds himself interested in an injured, handsome Swedish soccer player.
- DirectorFábio GuerreiroRicardo Braga SilvaStarsJoaquim NicolauTomás MagalhãesIgor SampaioWhen the fate of small Julinho crosses with Chantel, a transvestite who prostitutes herself, begins a tour on the history of a prince who was a queen in part-time. But to what extent can the fantasy prevail when confronted with reality?
- DirectorAnne Zohra BerrachedStarsKarina PlachetkaSabine WolfFlorian WeberKatja and Isabella are happily married and feel the time is right to have a child. As the weeks and months pass by, it becomes clear that the process will be far more fraught than either were prepared for.
- DirectorSophie HydeStarsTilda Cobham-HerveySam AlthuizenImogen Archer16-year-old Billie's reluctant path to independence is accelerated when her mother reveals plans to gender transition and their time together becomes limited to Tuesday afternoons.
- DirectorAndrew DavidJackie NunnsAngie WestHow hard can it be to make a short film? This light-hearted documentary follows Angie and Jackie, a lesbian couple in their 50s who try their hand at making a film for the first time. Features the 3 minute short Childs Play, the product of the process captured by this documentary.
- DirectorKris BoustedtLindy BoustedtStarsAngela DiMarcoCarollani SandbergA film about marriage equality, everlasting love, creating the perfect moment and finding the grandiose in the everyday.
- DirectorLaura ScrivanoStarsKim Ho"The aim was to pick up chicks by sounding like a Frenchman. Hasn't really worked out yet." Charlie's a mess. His best friend's not talking to him, he can't concentrate on his work...and now the clock's ticking on his french exam. But the courage to speak can come from the most unlikely places.
- DirectorCari GreenStarsTirra DentAliyah O'BrienAlison WandzuraCanadian Forces Base, 1987 Private Jane Cross is quickly noticed during her training by Master Corporal Maryann Kirk, and for more than her skills on the battlefield. Meanwhile the military police wage a secret war on homosexuals, spying on soldiers suspected of engaging in 'immoral conduct.' If Jane and Maryann are careful, will anyone discover them? Based on true accounts.
- DirectorJackie NunnsAngie WestOn a lazy Sunday afternoon, she remembers being drawn to another woman's scent. Erotic lesbian transitioning/coming out, a true story by Sarah Reilly, poet and artist.
- DirectorRickey BryantStarsJames FanizzaAndy McQueenFarah MeraniAlex has just met the love of his life who is leaving to go back home to Argentina forever. Rationally, Alex knows that a relationship is impossible, but in his last ten minutes with Sebastian, will he let him go or take a chance on love?
- DirectorPiper KesslerStarsTracey CoppedgeLisa GagnonEdith SnowPolitics can put people at opposite ends of the spectrum but love can make them move to the middle.
- DirectorHieu TranStarsYamil JaimanEthan Le PhongKevin TanA one night stand gets competitive when two guys find out they are both tops.
- DirectorNancy D. KatesStarsNoël BurchLucinda ChildsPatricia ClarksonREGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is an intimate and nuanced investigation into the life of one of the most influential and provocative thinkers of the 20th century. Passionate and gracefully outspoken throughout her career, Susan Sontag became one of the most important literary, political and feminist icons of her generation. The documentary explores Sontag's life through archival materials, accounts from friends, family, colleagues, and lovers, as well as her own words, as read by Patricia Clarkson. From her early infatuation with books to her first experience in a gay bar; from her early marriage to her last lover, REGARDING SUSAN SONTAG is a fascinating look at a towering cultural critic and writer whose works on photography, war, illness, and terrorism still resonate today.
- DirectorStefan HauptStarsMatthias HungerbühlerPeter JecklinMarie LeuenbergerA young teacher in Zurich in the 1950s falls in love with a transvestite star but is torn between his bourgeois existence and his commitment to homosexuality.
- DirectorVicente BonetStarsCarme JuanSergio CaballeroAntonio ValeroMrs Asuncion is 67, a widow and has two children, Juan and Belen. The day of her death, Belen disappointingly discovers that her mum had a secret lover.
- DirectorFilippo DemarchiStarsFabio FoiadaKevin MartinettiLaura MinazziMatteo is a 17-year-old boy who comes to the realization that he is in love with Don Massimo, a young priest of the village that leads the marching band in which Matteo plays the drum. He sees in Massimo a person willing to listen to his fears and desires. For the first time in his life, Matteo feels ready to open up to someone...
- DirectorLinus HartinSofia PriftisThe Noble Stud is a stop motion animated story about a maids transformation from victim to culprit. It is a modern tale that deals with complicated issues while maintaining a humorous approach. Our goal is to provoke laughter, reflections and perhaps even action. 'Naughty and clever reflection on class, power and gender.' - Alexandra Lind, Gothenburg International Film Festival 2013
- DirectorDarya PerelayStarsFrau HannaNatalie IvanchukThis movie is about two girls who both feel lonely living in the big city. One of them is a street musician who comes to play every day in the same place. And there, on the street, among the thousands of passer-bays, a girl comes to her attention whom she soon falls in love with. Under the influence of her strong feelings for this girl she is writing a new song which she devotes to the charming stranger. However, she doesn't have enough courage to come out and confess her feelings openly. But in life everything always happens in the right way! It is fate which makes them come together. As a big surprise it turns out that the unknown girl is deaf-mute. However, this does not prevent the two girls from finding a common language! The deaf-mute girl decides to lend her support to her musician friend by standing next to her while she is performing, holding up a sign in her hand on which it says 'I love her.' All this is happening in Ukraine, a country where the government is going to pass a law prohibiting promotion of homosexuality which means that such a coming out of two girls on the street would be considered a criminal offense, and for the making of such a film one could be sentenced to go to prison for up to 5 years.
- DirectorDylan TonkLazlo TonkStarsJoël MellenbergJosha StradowskiYldau de BoerHow would you react if you discovered your best friend is gay?
- DirectorBretten HannamStarsBailey MaughanGharrett Patrick PaonDenis TheriaultWhen Dane's older brother comes out of the closet, he must chose between siding with his homophobic peers or supporting his brother and becoming a social outcast.
- DirectorCyrus TraffordStarsChristian OkoliThey say the 'Truth Hurts,' and this couldn't be epitomized anymore by this piece. A brutally truthful and honest performance from Christian Okoli makes this an incredibly powerful piece.
- DirectorBen CotnerRyan WhiteStarsTed OlsonChristopher D. DusseaultJeffrey J. ZarrilloA behind-the-scenes look inside the case to overturn California's ban on same-sex marriage. Shot over five years, the film follows the unlikely team that took the first federal marriage equality lawsuit to the U.S. Supreme Court.
- DirectorIra SachsStarsJohn LithgowAlfred MolinaMarisa TomeiAfter Ben and George get married, George is fired from his teaching post, forcing them to stay with friends separately while they sell their place and look for cheaper housing -- a situation that weighs heavily on all involved.
- DirectorDagmar SchultzStarsAudre LordeAudre Lorde, the highly influential, award-winning African-American lesbian poet came to live in West-Berlin in the 80s and early '90s. She was the mentor and catalyst who helped ignite the Afro-German movement while she challenged white women to acknowledge and constructively use their privileges. With her active support a whole generation of writers and poets for the first time gave voice to their unique experience as people of color in Germany. This documentary contains previously unreleased audiovisual material from director Dagmar Schultz's archives including stunning images of Audre Lorde off stage. With testimony from Lorde's colleagues and friends the film documents Lorde's lasting legacy in Germany and the impact of her work and personality.
- DirectorXavier DolanStarsAnne DorvalAntoine Olivier PilonSuzanne ClémentA widowed single mother, raising her violent son alone, finds new hope when a mysterious neighbor inserts herself into their household.
- DirectorTrine NadiaStarsÖzlem SaglanmakGry Guldager JensenHadi Ka-KoushRania is living a double life. Torn between family and love the young muslim woman tries to be the daughter her father wants her to be in order not to dishonor him. Eventually she has to choose.
- StarsEddie OutlawJustin OutlawA Mississippi Love Story introduces the viewer to Eddie and Justin, together living what might otherwise be considered an ordinary life during an extraordinary time in history. It provides a glimpse into the relationships the two have with one another, and with family, friends and their Deep South hometown. Against the backdrop of legal battles about same-sex marriage, Eddie and Justin share their personal take on what love really means.
- DirectorCatarina LeaEva MatarranzAnna SavchenkoEye-shadow's palette in rainbow colors. A blond woman starts speaking about her childhood in Yugoslavia, as she was still, to everyone's eyes, a little boy. Psychiatrics' threats, military service, school, mother or religion didn't bridle Salome's conviction to be born in the wrong body.
- DirectorLuigi StortoNaleena is an Indian transgender and according the culture of his country she belongs to the so-called "third sex," neither man nor woman. As an offering to the Goddess Kali, the Indian transgenders, called Hijras, undergo the ritual emasculation, carried out in secret and without anesthesia by the Thaaiamma, a kind of sacred midwife. Traditionally considered sacred beings because daughters and priestesses of Kali, nowadays the Hijras live like outcasts, even at a lower level than the caste of Pariah, and to survive the majority of them is forced to beg and prostitution
- DirectorElsy HajjarStarsSandy AndraosMyriam GeageaAn encounter... a phone call... rain and lightning. A love lost in the darkness of a city, Beirut.
- DirectorBreech Asher HaraniStarsPrecious Mika ElnaTroy GeligBreech Asher HaraniTwo Filipino Kids are having fun in front of the mirror. The mirror is the only medium where they can express themselves, feel their freedom and most of all, present who they really are. But their freedom is no less than a temporary reality as time could tell that their freedom will never last long.
- DirectorNeelu BhumanStarsRia OberoiShyam BenegalChitra PalekarBasic dignity of queer people in India is under attack. An adorable Indian mother & her queer daughter spring into action by the Indian Supreme Court's latest decision on anti-gay law, Section 377.
- DirectorAna KalaStarsAna KalaAmanda MercedesThis is a short lesbian art erotic film about a chance encounter between two women, complete strangers to each other, in the city of Belgrade. Impulsive attraction between them is driven by a strong sensual connection and the story build up quickly in just one afternoon that leads into enchanted night. With a dialogue-free element and complimentary music, this short film can represent one's fantasy or a dream.
- DirectorLap Tak YeungStarsWai-Kuen AuLau Tsz KiuLi Chi KwanWe are born naked the rest is drag: five people explore their identities and define themselves through clothes and makeup. They perform in the urban context because that is the space where their sexual identities were created, then imposed.
- DirectorRita Marzio MarallaMarsalaTeresa SalaStarsTonci BatalicPaloma de LourdesAlex Michelidou"We're born naked the rest is drag": five people explore their identities and define themselves through clothes and makeup. They perform in the urban context because that's the space where their sexual identities were created, then imposed.
- DirectorDaniel KulleThe gay community in the digital age: At least in Germany, there is no way around Gayromeo, one of the oldest online dating platforms of this subculture, a gay registration office, as it is called fondly by its members. But what happens with a community when it mainly takes form in the internet? How do we interact with each other, if we only meet in the real world to have sex and any communication has shifted to the internet?
- DirectorJoel RahkonenSonia SteniusStarsLaura AuvinenElmer GullichsenSimon HägerJohannes is about to move to London with his girlfriend. At the last moment he realizes he can't leave. There is someone else he loves.
- DirectorSimon SavoryStarsTomisin AdepejuMatilda McNairRonxA family dispute gradually reveals the source of a male dominated family's anxieties - a daughter who chooses to dress, and express, as a boy. Going out into the night, she sets off on a journey to find love, and eventually herself, in the colorful underground nightspots of East London.
- DirectorLinus HartinSofia PriftisSara wakes up in Julia L9;s flat after an one night stand. She is flattered and feels chosen by the charming and confident Julia. They enter into a game that push their boundaries explores and defines their relation to each other. What is required for a sincere meeting? Are they ready to sacrifice what it takes? Sunday is an intimite love story that ends before it has had the chance to begin. A class journey a chamber play a struggle to keep the self in a meeting with the other.