As usual, the Mezipatra Queer Film Festival will host film personalities from around the world, whom the Prague audience can meet in discussions after film screenings and as part of the industry program. Nearly twenty guests will attend the 25th edition of Mezipatra, presenting their feature-length, documentary, or short films. Czech filmmakers will also be among the interesting creators attending.
International Feature Film Competition
The film Baby, which will compete for the favor of the main jury this year, will be presented in Prague by Brazilian director and screenwriter Marcelo Caetano. In his films, he enjoys exploring the complex relationship between queer characters and their surroundings. His latest film, Baby, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival in the Semaine de la critique section for new talents, where it won the Louis Roederer Foundation Award for rising stars. It also won the award for Best Latin American Film at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Argentine director Marco Berger is known for delving into Latin American macho culture, infusing his films with homoerotic tension, and exploring different forms of male relationships and suppressed desires. His second feature Absent (2011), which won the Teddy Award at Berlinale, is a suspenseful thriller that reverses power dynamics between a teacher and a student. Taekwondo (2016), winner of the Sunny Bunny Award, examines friendships and psychology during seemingly carefree summer days. Berger’s latest film, The Astronaut Lovers (2024), focuses on the romantic relationship of childhood friends. Berger will personally present all three films in Prague, followed by discussions. Additionally, attendees can join a masterclass he will lead during Saturday’s industry program at Café Anežka.
Documentary Section
Tzeli Hadjidimitriou, born and raised on the Greek island of Lesbos, will present her feature-length documentary debut Lesvia. Inspired by a series of Michelangelo Antonioni’s seminars, she studied film in Rome and has worked in photography, film, and creative writing. Her photography has been exhibited globally, and she serves as a consultant on programs about Sappho and Lesbos.
Hungarian director and producer Kata Oláh will present Narrow Path to Happiness, a documentary about a young Roma couple determined to break through with a musical about their love. Her work has earned accolades worldwide, including a FIPRESCI Prize and the Septimius Award. A discussion will follow the screening, featuring co-writer and cinematographer Sándor Csukás, who is also her life partner. Oláh will participate in the Women on Queer Filmmaking panel.
The film Code of Fear will be presented by its director, Appolain Siewe. This truly Renaissance creator was born in Cameroon and moved to Berlin in 1997 to study screenwriting. Since then, he has worked at the Deutsches Theater, as a journalist, editorial assistant, and assistant director in film and television. In 2010, he founded the production company Einheit-Filmproduktion. In the investigative documentary Code of Fear, Siewe returns to his native Cameroon to explore a wave of homophobia that is not inherent to local traditions, as well as the background of brutal murders within the queer community.
International Short Film Competition
Emerging directorial talents will also be arriving in Prague to present their short films:
- Julian Dieterich – Wet Hair
- Jan-Peter Horstmann – A Bed for Three
- Piotr Jasiński – Bunk, starring Josef Trojan in the lead role
- Alejandro Mathé – The Martyr
- Laura McGrady – Wolf
- Dominique Preusse – Coffee Grapefruit Cacao
- Julieta Tetelbaum – Joy
- Jose Luis Zorrero – ¡Beso de lengua! (French Kiss)
- Hao Zhou – Wouldn’t Make It Any Other Way
Ukraine Is Queer vol. 3
The third edition of the non-competitive block of Ukrainian short films will include a discussion with program curator Bohdan Zhuk and filmmaker Kateryna Khramtsova, director of the short film Crimea, which follows the story of Antonina Romanova, a director, performer, and actress who joined the Ukrainian armed forces with her partner.
Notable Czech Guests
Director Klára Tasovská and legendary photographer Libuše Jarcovjáková will present Not Yet Who I Want to Be, a documentary praised at Karlovy Vary and Berlinale. A discussion and book launch for T-Club will follow the screening.
Chi Chi Tornado, a Czech drag legend, along with drag performer Miss Petty, will introduce Chi Chi on the Couch, a new talk show by Czech Television, sharing behind-the-scenes stories and inviting the audience to influence future episodes.
Festival Juries
The main jury awarding the Best Feature Film includes Ukrainian actress Oksana Cherkashyna, film scholar Nicole Kandioler-Biet, and director Julius Ševčík. The student jury for Best Short Film comprises Petr Doubravský (Masaryk University), Tobiáš Frýdl (FAMU), and Veronika Svozílková (AVU).
