North America 2023 Archives

Birder

Despite its name that suggests a relaxed and quaint piece, “Birder” is the perfect late night erotic thriller.
Kristian Brooks invades a queer nudist camp on the shores of a remote New Hampshire lake. While not wearing much, he makes friends with the locals, and his flirting disturbs the commune’s dynamics. When he seduces the naked men around him, they’re about to experience a lot more than they imagined.
“Birder” explores the behavior of a serial killer and takes his audience on an unexpected journey. Director Nate Dushku provides a queer piece that celebrates diversity of nudity and tests the limits.
Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content, nudity and violence.

After the screening, Q&A with the director Nate Dushku and the screenwriter Amnon Lourie.

Theater Camp

A particularly rowdy comedy produced by Will Farrell.

Summer starts and the best young talents from all over the USA gather for a summer camp in upstate New York, a camp that is entirely dedicated to theater. The kids that have their soul deeply embedded in musicals and dream of a career in the limelight aren’t aware that the camp is bankrupt. Camp’s legendary founder (Amy Sedaris) is in a coma in hospital and the running of the camp falls to her irresponsible son. Together with the children come the regular eccentric guides – a bunch of not very successful actors who are supposed to train kids that are much more talented than they are. The goal, as every year, is to create an original musical for the end of camp.
This is the first full length feature for actress Molly Gordon (“Shiva Baby”) and Nick Lieberman, and it celebrates the world of theater in a very authentic way. The kids and guides are in love with the magic of theater but need to find their own confidence from time to time.
A winning comedic ensemble, limitless creativity, crazy characters and plenty of wild and absurd situations will leave the audience crying with laughter – this is one summer camp you do not want to miss!

Fancy Dance

Following the disappearance of her sister, Jax – a woman with Native-American roots, kidnaps her niece from her white grandfather’s house, and together they embark on a journey to reach a traditional Native American dance ceremony where Jax’s missing sister used to dance.

The leading role is portrayed by Lily Goldstone, who is starring with Leonardo DiCaprio in Martin Scorsese’s new film “Killers of the Flower Moon”. In “Fancy Dance” she plays a queer woman investigating the disappearance of her older sister while trying to convince the authorities to let her raise her niece according to their Native American culture rather than hand over the child to her estranged white father.

Erica Tremblay’s moving film incorporates several complex issues and manages to bring them to the silver screen in a very respectful and inspiring manner. She weaves into the family drama topics like queer identity, ethnic identity, women’s friendship and the fight for Native Americans rights in the U.S.A. This film also raises awareness of a very disturbing phenomenon – the disappearance of Native American women in the reservations.

Chasing Amy

Following Sav Rodgers’ wonderful documentary “Chasing Chasing Amy”, we had to screen Kevin Smith’s classic from 1997 (even though it didn’t age that well).
Is this film a lesbian fantasy of a straight man, or does it actually capture the nuances of a pansexual/bisexual identity better than many other films made even today?
A once in a lifetime performance by Joey Lauren Adams as the lesbian comic artist Ben Affleck’s character falls in love with (and she falls in love back). The film brings up questions about female sexuality and fluidity of sexual orientation that were ahead of their time back then and are still relevant today.
We highly recommend watching Sav Rodgers’ “Chasing Chasing Amy” which gives Smith’s classic film added layers and context.

The Wedding Banquet

Free entry with Cinematheque membership

A screening for the film’s 30’s anniversary

Wai-Tung, a 30’s something Chinese immigrant from Taiwan had achieved the American dream – he has a Green Card, his real estate business is flourishing, his bank account is full, and most importantly, his love life is blooming. The problem is that his parents want grandchildren and are pushing for him to get married, while Wei-Tung lives with the love of his life – Simon, a charming young New Yorker who already mastered the secrets of Chinese cooking. Simon has a solution – in one of the apartments Wei-Tung is renting lives Wei-Wei, a poor artist with no Green Card, so a fictional marriage could solve both their problems. In theory it’s a foolproof plan, until Wei-Tung’s parents arrive from Taiwan in order to throw their son a huge wedding banquet.
“The Wedding Banquet”, Ang Lee’s second film, won the Golden Bear award at the Berlinale of 1993.
35mm screening.

The Persian Version

Screening on the 28.12 will include an Awards Ceremony for winners of TLVfest 2023 competitions

Leila is a young New Yorker. She’s a lesbian and an Iranian-American and contains within herself the cultures of two warring countries. She tries to find balance and embrace what’s different and contradicting in her identity and combine it all together. Leila’s dealing with her conservative parents who are still clinging to their homeland traditions, while trying to celebrate her identity and the freedom New York offers. She loves to challenge the labels society is fast to pin on her. While her family reunites in New York for her father’s heart transplant, Leila is trying to separate her family life and personal life. She tries to keep as much distance as possible from her judgmental mother Shireen, but when the secrets start to unravel, the similarities between Leila’s life and her mothers’ become apparent.
“The Persian Version” is colorful cinema that combines New York and Persian-Iranian humor, lively dances and a complex and chilling cross-generational story of women who decide to stay loyal to themselves and go against the traditions of their families and the society they grew up in. “The Persian Version” celebrates their stories and does that in an intelligent, fascinating and unapologetic way.

Commitment to Life

A fascinating and moving documentary that dives deeply into the real and complicated story of the Los Angeles fight against HIV/AIDS. This film was created by the legendary documentary director Jeffrey Schwarz, who had many of his films showcased at the TLVfest in the past, such as “I Am Divine”, “Boulevard! A Hollywood Story” and “Vito”. This film presents a thorough research of individuals and organizations that dedicated themselves to finding a cure for AIDS and dealing with the disease in the early 80’s, when the deadly virus began to spread. Doctors, activists and media personalities made major efforts to work in a society that wasn’t ready to accept the reality of this mysterious disease.

This documentary is full of heartbreaking moments, in-depth interviews and personal stories of celebrities such as Rock Hudson, Elisabeth Taylor and David Geffen. The film provides an intensive and extensive view of the influence of a world health crisis on everyone – from the most marginalized communities in Downtown LA to the rich and famous. “Commitment to Life” gives us an eye opening reminder that the fight with HIV/AIDS isn’t over, but at the same time offers a hopeful view of how people can make a profound change when they work together.

Chasing Chasing Amy

12 years old Sav Rodgers used to watch “Chasing Amy” repeatedly, and the film had changed his life forever. He developed an identification, maybe even an obsession, with the 1997’s hit which formed his queer identity. When Sav grows older he decides to produce and direct a movie that explores the role of “Chasing Amy” in the queer culture. He even manages to get the cooperation and support of Kevin Smith, the director of “Chasing Amy” and one of the most influential independent filmmakers of the 90’s. But as the production continues, Rodgers begins to realise the legacy of the original film is different than what he imagined and he discovers new things about himself, his relationship with his girlfriend and his gender identity.
“Chasing Chasing Amy” is a cinematic celebration of queer culture and identity. A fresh new look on a complex bi classic, how the idea to make “Chasing Amy” formed, what went on backstage, what happened to the actors of the film after the major success and how all of that affected filmmaker Sav Rodgers.
Kevin Smith, the director and writer of the original film, gives Rodgers a free hand and talks openly even on the less glamorous moments of the process. Other notable appearances in the film include Joey Lauren Adams who played Amy, screenwriter and actress Guinevere Turner (well known from the classic lesbian film “Go Fish”) who was personally involved in the film and director Andrew Ahn (“Fire Island”)

“Glitter & Doom” – Closing Film

Need a shot of shiny, romantic, musical glitter? Here’s the new film from the creators of the classic hit “Were the World Mine” (2008) and “Hello Again” (TLVfest 2017), this time with hits by the Grammy winners, queer lesbian icons, “The Indigo Girls”.
Doom (Alan Cammish) is a young ambitious musician. Glitter (Alex Diaz) is an acrobat and a clown who’s dream is to study in Paris. The two fall in love during the summer, with late night talks and plenty of songs and dances. Their relationship is put to the test when their domineering mothers (the wonderful Ming-Na Wen and Missy Pyle) try to influence their plans to achieve their dreams.

The film was shot in Mexico City and uses the city’s architecture and wonderful views to create a fantastic visual to go along with the kitschy, head-spinning, romantic and queer music. This film is peppered with plenty of guest appearances by some of the best queer stars such as Lea DeLaria, Tig Notaro, Kate Pierson from the band The B-52s, drag queen Peppermint, Broadway star Beth Malone and of course – Amy Ray and Emily Saliers, “The Indigo Girls” themselves.

The Mattachine Family

Photographer Thomas and actor Oscar are in a loving relationship along with their foster son. The two had hoped that the child would stay with them forever, but after a few years he returns to live with his biological mother who has gone through rehab. Meanwhile Oscar gets a role in a successful TV show and Thomas finds himself in an existential crisis. Left with no son whom he misses terribly and a partner who works far away, it is a good thing he’s got his friends close to him to act as a safety net.
The wonderful cast includes Nico Tortorella (“The Walking Dead: World Beyond”) as Thomas, Emily Hampshire (“Schitt’s Creek”) as his best friend and Juan Pablo Di Pace (“Fuller House”, “Mama Mia!”) as his partner Oscar. Also appearing are Carl Clemons-Hopkins (“Hacks”), Jake Choi (“Single Parents”) and Heather Matarazzo (“The Princess Diaries”, “Welcome to the Dollhouse”).
“The Mattachine Family” is a charming film and a moving drama that is sure to move you.

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North America 2023

Birder

Theater Camp

Fancy Dance

Chasing Amy

The Wedding Banquet

The Persian Version

Commitment to Life

Chasing Chasing Amy

“Glitter & Doom” – Closing Film

The Mattachine Family

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