- Mezipatra Queer Film Festival will introduce six documentaries corresponding with the topic of Be Your Own Champion.
- The program will also include the competition of 41 short films in seven thematically diverse blocks.
- The highlights include American documentary Stumped as well as the intimate and autobiographic Abu.
Praha, October 24, 2017 – Mezipatra Queer Film Festival will introduce five novelty documentaries; the viewers will also be able to see last year’s Audience Award winner, the film portrait The Queen of Ireland. More than 40 short films from the Czech Republic as well as other parts of the world will be screened as a part of the International Short Film Competition and the special non-competition section Queer as FAMU II. Tickets for any screening can be purchased in the presale on the cinema websites and the box offices.
Intimate film portraits and last year’s audience favorite
„This year, I'd like to recommend Abu, about the relationships in a family of a Pakistani origin, and Stumped. Both successfully connect a personal story with a social or ethical question. Queer issues are not the only source of a conflict in the film's story, but, in case of Stumped, it is the background for questions about ethics, and one of many issues that the main protagonist of Abu must face,” ponders Lumír Košař, a documentarist and a member of the programming team.
Abu contemplates the complicated relationship between a son and a father who emigrated from Pakistan to Canada. Director Arshad Khan, who will be one of the festival's guests, comes to terms with his sexuality and the relationship towards his father in this autobiographic film.
The program features also The Death and Life of Marsha P. Johnson, which investigates the unsolved murder of the trans activist and face of Stonewall Riots. The thrilling search for the truth about the 25-year-old tragedy premiered at this year's Sundance.
A different approach to trans issues is offered by Canadian Coby, which follows a young man during his transition. Christian Sonderegger's film intimately captures not only his whole journey, but also the transformation of family relationships.
A difficult topic treated with humour is brought by the aforementioned US documentary Stumped. Althought Will, a university professor, lost all his limbs as a result of an infection, he does not give up. Also thanks to his partner's support, he tries to manage everything with humour, and he even performs as a stand-up comedian. And his hope is an experimental treatment where he will be the first one to be implanted hands of a human donor.
The program also features the Mexican No Dress Code Required about a gay couple fighting against the authorities to have their marriage legally confirmed. Cristina Herrera Borquez's documentary shows that human determination knows no bounds. The protagonists' bravery encourages all those who fight for marriage equalization and equality in general.
Queen of Ireland is a documentary which won the Audience Award at last year's Mezipatra. It follows the life of a charismatic celebrity, drag queen Panti Bliss, who was also strongly involved in the struggle for marriage equalization in Ireland.
Short film competition and queer films from FAMU
Just like last year, visitors can look forward to an abundance of short films from Europe, Canada, Asia and Latin America. The 41 films are divided into seven thematically diversed blocks
„Each of them refers to the festival motto of Be Your Own Champion in their own way,” disclosed programmer Pepa Lubojacki. „The program sees the return of short Czech films by the Film Academy students after eight years, and they will reveal how young people approach queer issues in the Czech cinema of today.”
Fulfilling the spirit of this year's motto, the protagonists of the More than a Secret block will prove that inner strength will enable us to deal with even the highest obstacle. The struggle for acceptance of one's identity is discussed in two more blocks – Worlds Collide and In the Name of Ideals. These prove that activism is still highly relevant in the queer community. On the other hand, the block of In the Eyes of Others reflects the diversity of gay identity and its perception.
Three blocks deal with intimate relationships: The Art of Dialogue, which observes male dating from various angles, Moments with You about the relationships of girls and women, and, last but not least, Let's Keep it Between Us about the importance of a family and its forms.
2017 Mezipatra QFF
Prague: November 2-9
Brno: November 10-17
echoes in regions
www.mezipatra.cz/en
Mezipatra 2017 visual photographed by Michaela Karásek Čejková, designed by Marius Corradini / Side 2
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