On Wednesday, November 8, the festive closing of the 24th Mezipatra queer film festival took place, featuring a total of 69 films. Awards for the best films were presented during the ceremony at Lucerna cinema.
The main jury prize for the best feature film was awarded to the film Peafowl (Gong-jak-sae) directed by Sung-bin Byun:
"The film beautifully disrupts often overly simplified binary systems, such as the dichotomy of rejection and acceptance, city and countryside, modern and traditional, shame and pride. It connects traditional rituals with modern queer culture (dance, makeup, fashion) and reflects on universal experiences of grief and forgiveness."
Dancer Myung only needs one more operation to complete her transition. The cost could be covered by winning a dance competition. However, that doesn't happen. What now? Without time to come up with a new plan, another problem arises: her father has passed away. For Myung, this means returning to her conservative hometown, which she once fled and never wants to go back to. Sung-bin Byun's feature debut shows that a return to roots can also be an opulent and wild performance. The film won the Watcha Award at the Busan International Film Festival, and the lead actress, Hae-jun, was honored by the L.A. Outfest jury for the best acting performance.
A special mention from the main jury went to the film Rule 34 (Regla 34) directed by Julie Murat. The jury not only praised remarkable performances but also stated:
"It explores the boundaries of consensual violence, control, and the abuse of power, contrasting them with abuse and non-consensual domestic violence. Along with beautiful portrayals of bisexual characters, it inspires reflection on today's world."
The student jury was charmed by two short films:
The award for the best short film went to Blond Night (Nuit Blonde), which explores the desires of people living with autism spectrum disorder. Realistically and sensitively, it portrays the meeting of two different worlds. A special jury mention went to the film Neo Nahda, exploring that the idea of feminism did not only originate in the minds of white European women.
The awards for the ceremony were prepared by the design studio DECHEM.
However, Mezipatra does not end here. The festival's festive opening will take place in Brno on Friday and will run until November 17.
