• The Queer Film Festival Mezipatra has officially unveiled the program for its 25th edition, which will take place from November 7 to 14 in
• Prague and from November 15 to 22 in Brno.
• The festival’s new intro was introduced by its director, Lenka Karaka, on October 17 at Kino Petrohradská.
• This year's theme, Queer Liberates, features a variety of people who break the boxes and stereotypes of a binary worldview.
• The program includes 73 films, with 10 feature films competing for the main jury prize.
• Discounted festival passes are on sale until October 31.

 The program, theme, and intro for the 25th edition of the Queer Film Festival Mezipatra were presented on October 17 at Kino Petrohradská. The festival will be held from November 7 to 14 in Prague and from November 15 to 22 in Brno. It will showcase a total of 25 feature films and 48 short films. Ten feature films will compete for the main jury prize, and 41 short films will vie for the student jury award. The festival’s grand opening will take place on November 7 at 7 p.m. at Prague’s Lucerna Cinema, followed by a screening of the documentary La Belle de Gaza.

A Rainbow-Colored Intro and the Theme of Liberation

This year’s intro embraces the motif of the seven rainbow colors, a symbol of the queer community. "Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet. While indigo is usually omitted and merged with blue in simplified versions, I chose to include it. Each color in the intro represents one image, and the sequence, editing, and inner dynamics have a conceptual significance. The primary inspiration came from Andran Abramjan’s student film Swifts, where layers were used to depict the birds' flight trajectory,” explains director Lenka Karaka.

This year’s Mezipatra is held under the banner of Queer Liberates – themes of liberation from the status quo and breaking stereotypical boxes and binary divisions are characteristic of the queer community but can also inspire broader society. The films in this year's program reflect the theme of queer liberation by highlighting and advancing the fluidity of gender and sexuality. “The films have captured the diversity of the queer world and its people's stories,” says Mezipatra's program director Kristýna Genttnerová. “As the festival grows, so does the number of queer films. This year, from a record number of nearly 900 submissions, we selected 90 gems that shone at world festivals like Sundance, Berlinale, Cannes, and Venice. One standout is I Saw the TV Glow by Jane Schoenbrun, an ode to the 1990s television era when openly queer main characters first began to appear. Half horror, half fantasy, and entirely queer, it's a film that will haunt audiences for a long time."

What to Expect from Mezipatra’s Main Competition?

“The goal of Mezipatra is to present the lives of queer people in the most current and broad context each year. This year’s competition does exactly that. You’ll experience an emotional and genre-packed ride, and the characters will get under your skin,” says festival director Pavel Bicek. “I’m thrilled that six out of the ten feature films in the main competition were directed by women, a rare achievement for any festival.”

Other highly anticipated films include the previously mentioned documentary La Belle de Gaza, which explores the mysterious woman who allegedly walked from Gaza to the Tel Aviv trans community. French documentarian Yolande Zauberman discovers more about the enigmatic beauty from Gaza through authentic interviews with five women from different backgrounds.

Uncovering the truth is also at the heart of Pooja, Sir a Nepali detective film based on true events. Detective Pooja, who lives with her girlfriend and elderly father, assists the local police in investigating the kidnapping of two boys in a town near the Indian border. The backdrop of the film includes violent protests by the Madhesi ethnic minority, and Pooja faces discrimination, misogyny, and the privileges of the powerful. The film touches on gender and sexuality through its well-rounded characters.

The Filipino-Thai animated sci-fi film The Missing, acclaimed for its adult-oriented themes, follows Eric, who must confront his past traumas after discovering his uncle dead in an abandoned house. As Eric starts a promising new romance, his life is disrupted by the return of an alien who threatens to take everything he holds dear.

On the other side of the world, 18-year-old Wellington is trying to survive in São Paulo, Brazil, after being released from a juvenile detention center. His life changes when he meets Ronald, an older sex worker, at a porn cinema. Baby explores the complexity of human relationships and the challenges faced by socioeconomically disadvantaged queer individuals. The film won the Best Latin American Film award at the San Sebastián International Film Festival.

The Argentine musical fantasy Reas also boasts awards from San Sebastián, Thessaloniki, and its world premiere at Berlinale. Its protagonist Yoseli, along with Nacho, who, despite his gender identity, forms a rock band in a women’s prison. After their release, they perform real-life stories from their past, singing and dancing freely in the ruins of a former Buenos Aires prison.

Additional Program Sections and Discounted Festival Passes

The program also includes a retrospective of Argentine director Marco Berger, a short film competition, Queer Kino distribution films, special screenings, and a rich accompanying program. Alongside popular parties, the Queering the Industry section will provide insights into the workings of the audiovisual industry for both film professionals and enthusiasts.

Discounted festival passes are on sale until October 31 at Světozor, Lucerna, Kino 35, and Edison Filmhub cinemas, or online, for 790 CZK, allowing entry to seven screenings for the price of five.

International Feature Film Competition:

Baby
Marcelo Caetano • Brazil, France, Netherlands • 2024

Pooja, Sir
Deepak Rauniyar • Nepal, USA, Norway • 2024

La Belle de Gaza
Yolande Zauberman • France • 2023/2024

Chuck Chuck Baby
Janis Pugh • UK • 2023

I Saw the TV Glow
Jane Schoenbrun • USA • 2024

Reas
Lola Arias • Argentina, Germany, Switzerland • 2024

Solo
Sophie Dupuis • Canada • 2023

Vera and the Pleasure of Others
Romina Tamburello, Federico Actis • Argentina • 2023

All Shall Be Well 
Ray Yeung • Hong Kong, China • 2024

The Missing 
Carl Joseph Papa • Philippines • 2023

For the full program and information on discounted festival passes, visit the festival website. Journalists can apply for accreditation via the link provided.