If you missed out on Frameline 44’s Pride Showcase back in July this year, fear not as today they kick off a brand new VIRTUAL EVENT. This 11 day Online Fest which lasts until 27th September will stream some 77 films including 10 World Premieres and featuring the very best of new queer films.
This is San Francisco based Frameline’s 44th year of promoting queer cinema and it is now recognised as as leader in the field. In this tough year having a second hit of great movies is a welcome plus point, and although you won’t have to travel to SF do any of the screenings, you ido have to reside somewhere in California to access the program.
| As usual QUEERGURU was given access to the whole schedule and we have come out with our TOP TEN MOVIES. They may not contain all the ‘best’ films BUT each one of these that made our list are totally UNMISSABLE |
AHEAD OF THE CURVE : This is the story of a very determined 23 year old gambler who always won. First on the horses which filled her pockets with money, and then on the magazine she started with the proceeds. This was the birth of Deneuve which later morphed into Curve became the biggest selling lesbian magazine in the world, and the very first one to put the word ‘lesbian’ on the front. Now 30 years later this fascinating documentary on the powerhouse queer activist and the magazine’s founder Frances ‘Franco’ Stevens comes to the screen as a compelling part of LGBTQ history to date.
MATT FIFER wrote, co-directed and starred in his debut feature film CICADA which has such a solid ring of authenticity that it must be based on his life story. He plays twenty-something- year-old Ben who needs to find himself. It is an very enjoyable impressive first film and not just because he seems to have more sex in the first eight minutes of this film, then some people have in a whole lifetime! BTW the soundtrack is totally fab too.
DRY WIND: Sandro is an ordinary middle aged bear with extra pounds on his belly and extra hairs on his back. Pretty average for a bear who knows the summer heat of youth is gone and winter is coming. Though engaged in a passionate affair with co-worker Ricardo, he has an obsessive unfulfilled fantasy for Maicon Unable to commit, Sandro fatefully drives Ricardo into the arms of Maicon in this brand new drama from Brazilian filmmaker DANIEL NOLASCO who previously directed Mr Leather
FORGOTTEN ROADS is an extremely impressive debut from Chilean filmmaker NICOL RUIZ BENAVIDES starring a totally unknown 65 year sold actress. When Claudiana is widowed she feels relieved to be freed from her marriage, but the path that she now takes surprises her and us in this delightful story
KILLING PATIENT ZERO: As a a gay men of a certain age who personally survived the brunt of the AIDS pandemic but lost a husband and far too many friends, Canadian filmmaker LAURIE LYND’S excellent new documentary is way overdue. Like most people we had bought the story that the whole epidemic was started by a promiscuous gay Air Canada flight attendant who had a man at literally every layover. Demonised as a villain by both the tabloid press and the gay community, Lynd now tells the true story of how in fact GAETAN DUGAS was a hero who helped the medical community establishing that the virus was passed by sexual intercourse which would help them save lives of gay men not infected yet.
MINYAN is a gentle coming-out film about a 17 year struggling with both his sexuality and his Jewish faith. It has a great deal of charm., andwe loved both the subtlety and the slow pace. It’s a wonderfully wee tale ….…and should we mention how very hot and authentic the scenes of intimacy are too?
MONSOON:: Queer Cambodian/Chinese filmmaker HONG KHAOU’S sophomore movie that draws heavily from his own past unfolds at the slowest of paces The story is about a gay British/Vietnamese man going back to his birthplace for the first time since he was 6 years old when his family escaped to London to avoid the war. The timing of the release of the movie couldn’t be more perfect as the whole subject of forced immigration and resettlement is such a hot potato topic in these unstable political times. Except that we know now that many of LGBTQ community who are having to flee their homelands for their very own safety, will never be allowed Kit’s luxury of ever going back for even a visit.
No Hard Feelings : a queer story of race, belonging and love. This first film from young Iranian/German filmmaker FARAZ SHARIATis a semi-autobiographical tale about how tough life is when you are a queer refugee. It won him two prestigious Teddy Awards at the Berlinale earlier this year.
RIALTO: This gritty sophomore feature film from Scottish filmmaker PHILIP MACKIE BURNS was written by queer Irish playwright MARK O’HALLORAN who adapted from his own award-winning stage play ‘TRADE’.It’s a story about two very different men struggling to come to terms with their masculinity.
Two of Us: A love for all ages. Nina (BARBARA SUKOWA) and Mado (MARINE CHEVALLIER) live opposite each other. They have been conducting a secret affair for decades. After the death of Mado’s husband they are on the verge of leaving behind their clandestine life in France and enjoying each other, and Rome, for what is left of their lives. But life it seems has different plans for them. Exquisitely beautiful but you’ll need a kleenex for this one
FRAMELINE44
SAN FRANCISCO INTERNATIONAL LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL
VIRTUAL EVENT
SEPT 17-27, 2020
https://www.frameline.org/festival