Guests 2008

Wieland Speck
The year 1987 was a revolutionary year for international queer cinema. Manfred Salzgeber, manager of the prestigious Panorama circle at the Berlin International Film Festival and his assistant Wieland Speck decided to assemle an international jury to award films that deal with the LGBT community. The award was named Teddy, and the first film to win the award was Pedro Almodovar’s La Ley del Deseo, starring Antonio Banderas. Wieland Speck has been the manager of the Panorama circle since 1992, and he is this year’s festival’s special guest. Speck, born in 1951, a man of literature and cinema, is a regular lecturer in prestigious institutions such as dffb (The German Film and TV Academy), Freie Universität Berlin, institut für Theaterwissnschaft and HFF Babelsberg. He has published numerous articles, composed screenplays and created documentary, fiction and experimental cinema. Among his films you can find Escape to Life – the Erika and Klaus Mann Story (2000), Among Men (1994), Room 303 (1991), Safer Sex Promotion (1988/9) and his international award winning film Westler: East Of The Wall (1985) that will be screened in the festival.

Cheryl Dunye
Cheryl Dunye, a native of Liberia, holds an MFA from Rutgers University. Her third feature film, Miramax’s MY BABY’S DADDY, was a box office success. Her second feature, HBO Films STRANGER INSIDE , garnered her an Independent Spirit award nomination for best director. Dunye’s debut film, THE WATERMELON WOMAN , was awarded the Teddy Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Her other works have premiered at film festivals and museums worldwide. Dunye served on the boards of Outfest, the DGA, and the IFP. She has been honored with a Community Vision Award from National Center for Lesbian Rights, a Creative Excellence Award from Women in Film and Television, and a Fusion Award from Outfest and was selected as one of the 2008 PowerUp Top Ten Women In Showbiz.

Todd Verow
Controversial – that is probably the most suitable word to describe Todd Verow’s work. Born on November 11, 1966 in Bangor, Maine and studied at the American Film Institute, Rhode Island School of Design and Brown University. After directing several highly acclaimed short films he turned to making his first feature, Frisk , based on the scandalous book by Dennis Cooper. The film caused tremendous stir in 1996, and it was screened at the Sundance, Berlin and Toronto festivals and many other LGBT film festivals. It aroused two major reactions: admiration and detestation. In any event, one thing was clear: a new and extremely non-flattering voice was born in independent queer cinema, a voice that simply cannot be ignored. During the last 12 years Verow has directed dozens of films: short, long, feature and documentary. All of them are uncompromising works dealing with identity, politics, sex and relationships. They are not lightheaded comedies on good looking guys with pecs: these are kicking, bold, with an inner sense of humor. More films of Todd Verow that will be screened in TLVFest: Anonymous, Between Something & Nothing and XX. Click here for additional information on Todd Verow.

Wayne Yung
Wayne Yung was born in Canada in 1971 to a Chinese immigrant family. He has lived in Vancouver, Hong Kong, Berlin, and Hamburg, and is currently based in Cologne. As a writer, performer and video artist, he has explored issues of race and identity from a queer Chinese-Canadian perspective. TLVFest will screen a collection of the best of his work.

Charles Lum
During the years 2003-2006, director Charles Lum created six films . documenting his life and feelings as HIV+. The films participated in dozens of film festivals around the world, but due to their proximity in time of production, they haven't been screened together. Six movies that give a brave and unusual portrait of a man dealing with fears, passions, and the desire to love.

Gustav Hofer
Born in 09.05.1976 in Sarnthein (South Tyrol, Italy). After his studies in Communication Science at the University of Vienna and Cinema at the Middlesex University in London, he moved to Rome. He works as a free-lance journalist and independent filmmaker. For the French-German television „Arte” he presents the daily culture program “Journal de la Culture – Arte Kultur” and for the same program he works as the culture correspondent from Italy. The movie Suddenly, Last Winter directed by him and his partner achieved a Special Mention at the Berlin international film festival 2008 .

Luca Ragazzi
Born in 20.02.1971 in Rome, graduated in Literature and Philosophy at the University La Sapienza of Rome. Journalist, film critic and photographer. Suddenly, Last Winter is his first Film as a Director.

Yaniv Dabach
Yaniv Dabach was born in Tel Aviv, Israel and raised in Ramat-Hasharon. Following his military service in the Israeli Navy, he moved to New York City to pursue his passion for film. Enrolling in the prestigious School of Visual Arts, he quickly became proficient in all aspects of filmmaking--shooting, directing, and editing. His first feature-length project, "WithYou!" is an award-winning documentary, and has been featured in film festivals both in the US and abroad. Dabach is currently working on a project about Muslim and Christian missionaries in Africa.

Jürgen Brüning
This the third visit of a friend of TLVFest – Mr. Jürgen Brüning. Jurgen Bruning had a frivolous upbringing at a river called Rhine in the neighbourhood of Cologne. His collaboration with Bruce LaBruce started in 1990 and has flourished into the conception of six masterpieces. Nan Goldin went on a trip with him in 1992 to do stills for his documentation ”Maybe I Can Give You Sex?“. HIROYUKI Oki, a young Japanese director, worked with him on a film portraying young adult men in Kochi, Japan. Explicit imagery is consistent in Br?ning’s work. Lately he has produced a new film with Bruce LaBruce called „Otto, or, up with Dead People“ and finished his own feature „Saudade“, entirely shot in Brazil. Since 2006 he organises the Berlin Pornfilmfestival which will be held again October 22nd to 26th, 2008. His company Wurstfilm is currently co producing a gay porn film with the Tel Aviv company PAG productions.

Claus Matthes
Producer of "Otto; or Up with Dead People".

Kristian Petersen
Kristian Petersen received his Diploma and Master of fine arts at HBK Braunschweig, Germany (Prof. Birgit Hein, Film and Prof. Marina Abramovic, Performance). He is the Founder and director of the short and experimental cinema "Quino im Querhaus", Berlin, since 1992 soundrecordist in different TV and Filmproductions, since 1995 d.o.p in different TV, Film and music video productions, since 2002 teaching Visual Anthropology at the Freie Universität Berlin and Documentary Film at the “Berliner Filmschule”. He is the producer of "Fucking Different" project. This is his second visit to TLVFest.

Patrick Maurin
Patrick Maurin wears many hats: director, producer, editor, but above all he is moved by his singular passion: cinema. A decade ago he founded ANTIPROD , an events company that organizes soir?es LA NUIT 100% PUB in Canada and in Portugal, as well as producing the one-man shows of d'Arthuro Bracchetti, de Franck Dubosc and Charles Trenet's last performance. He has produced over 20 shorts that garnered critical acclaim from both general audiences as well as industry professionals. ILLUSTRE INCONNUE by Marc Fitoussi received the CNC Award among others and UN BEAU, UN COIFFEUR… by Gilles Bindi was programmed in over 40 festivals and won numeorus audience awards. Patrick also realised a comedy with Luc Baraton POV FILLE staring Axelle Laffont and Sebastien Charles that won the audience award at the Vue d'En Face Festival in Grenoble.
Director of "King Size".

Ocean
Born and raised in France. Lived in London and studied Economics in Paris, Oxford, and Berlin. Founded a management consultancy for the creative industries. First contact with the arts was with Music (Award- winner of the Madeleine de Valmalete Piano Competition), then Dance (Tanzfabrik Berlin), and underground Theater (Theater Westostlicher Divan, Berliner Ground Theater). Stage debut as a drag performer at the Go Drag! Festival with Diane Torr and Bridge Markland. Ocean acted in a few short films, including a role as "Corky" in "Cherchez la Butch"/Lost in Generation (gmfilms, 2006), most recently as one of the leading roles in Désarmé by November Wanderin, a short film in the Fucking Different Tel-Aviv anthology. Currently on the road Ocean is accompanying the international festival tour of the documentary film "Risk, Stretch or Die" (Saskia Heyden, 2007, 60mn) about his transgender life.

Rodney Sewell
Director of "41 Seconds ".

David Assmann
A student of Film Studies at Mainz University who have worked on several film, theater, radio, and exhibition projects.
Football Under Cover is his first film.

Niclas Reed Middleton
Cinematographer of Football Under Cover.

Marlene Assmann
Writer, producer and takes part in of Football Under Cover.