Before the screening – saying goodbye to Yair Hochner, Founder and Artistic Director of TLVfest.
Colin, a timid man, meets Ray, a confident biker gang leader, who initiates him into a submissive relationship, challenging Colin’s mundane existence and prompting personal growth through their unconventional dynamic.
Based on a novel by Adam Mars-Jones – “Box Hill: A Story of Low Self-Esteem”.
Viewing is 18+.
German director Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s last film from 1982 is an adaptation of the 1947 Jean Genet novel “Querelle de Brest”. When Belgian sailor George Querelle’s ship docks in Brest, he visits ‘Feria’ a bar and brothel run by Madame Lysiane, her husband Nono who had illegal businesses and her lover Robert, who happens to be George’s brother. Both brothers have a complex relationship based on love and mutual loathing, when all that Madame Lysiane and her husband care about is getting George Querelle into their bed.
‘Querelle’ is an erotic and stylish masterpiece that brings to the screen a hot dish of passions, lust, sex and a lot of killings. With spectacular sets and costumes that reminds the drawings of fetish artist Tom of Finland. The international cast is no short of perfect- bisexual American actor Brad Davis (“Midnight Express” who was also an AIDS activist, of which he died in 1991), French cinematic diva Jeanne Moreau (“Jill et Jim”) and Italian actor Franco Nero (star of spaghetti western film series “Django” who also appeared in Tarantino’s “Django Unchained”) in a gentle and unexpected role as the captain of the ship who is secretly in love with Querelle.
In Memory of James Bidgood (1933-2022)
“Pink Narcissus” is a 1971 ground breaking, queer, camp and daring American film created by artist James Bidgood, and starring unknown actors such as Don Brooks, Bobby Kendall and stage actor Charles Ludlam.
Alone in his apartment the hero of “Pink Narcissus” is having erotic fantasies about a male prostitute and surprise visits by a bodyguard. In every world he fantasizes about he is the hero, whether he is a Roman slave, a matador or a belly-dancing harem guard.
Bidgood filmed “Pink Narcissus” on a 8mm camera, during seven years (1963-1970), in his studio apartment. After a dispute with the distributors of the film he decided to remove his name from the credits and the film was released under ‘anonymous director’, which led to rumours that the one who actually filmed it was Andy Warhol. Only during the 90’s it was revealed that the actual creator was Bidgood, who was still living in the same studio apartment where he filmed “Pink Narcissus”, and he received the credit he was due. Since then the film has been shown in dozens of festivals and gained cinematic tributes all over the world.
Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content.
This kind of horror movie- you haven’t seen yet!
“Blowie” is a sexy horror film starring real porno artists. A group of sex workers hire a mansion in the middle of nowhere to film OnlyFans content. After a tragic accident on one of the sets they find themselves being chased by a killer with the face of a sex doll.
“Blowie” is just pure fun, a film that combines the two most notorious, admired and watched genres in the world- slasher film and porn. The result is, of course, limited to 18 years old and above due to plenty of ridiculously bloody scenes, graphic sex scenes and lots of nudity. It’s going to be a blast!
Sponsored by Schnitt
A successful transgender actress (Camila Sosa Villada), known for her promiscuous and wild lifestyle, which defies every expectation set for her by her friends and the conservative Argentinian society, surprises her friends when she decides to settle down and start a family with a new husband (Alfonso Herrera “Sens8”, “Ozark”), will she be able to navigate between the mis-matched worlds she lives in? Moving between the wild nightlife she blossomed in, as a successful theatre actress in a demanding cultural world and the seemingly normal family life.
Director Javier van de Couter’s film (“Mía”- 2013 TLVFest closing film starring Camila Sosa Villada as well) is a steamy adaptation to a novel by the same name written by Camila Sosa Villada. This is a brave cinematic piece that gives us a strong and complex transgender heroine that is navigating between sexual fantasies, complicated personal history, social expectations and the want to create a family unit she never had. Can she have everything or will she have to give up some things in order to have the bourgeois family dream?
This film is limited to 18 years old and above due to explicit sex scenes.
In association with the Instituto Cervantes
Saigon, the 90s. San is a sex worker at a night club trying to save enough money for gender affirming surgery in order to achieve her dream of living in a woman’s body. San’s lover, Nam, works as a wrestler in an violent and bloody underground wrestling ring, fighting caged matches to help his lover’s dream come true.
Their young and fiery romance will stand in question as dark forces penetrate their intimate world, which the two lovers will need to deal with as all chances are against them. This conflict could be both catastrophic for their relationship, and also tests the limits of their humanity. “Skin of Youth” is the first Vietnamese film starring a transgender actress in the leading role. Be noted that this film is only permitted for viewers over the age of 18 due to explicit sexual scenes.
A wild night at a party in a Brooklyn club that specializes in bigger than life drag shows and queens. The party planner is stressing out hoping that everything will go according to plan, but even she cannot imagine that her biggest problem is going to be an unexpected zombie attack!
In order to survive the night, the bigger than life drag queens, the club’s staff and a gallery of colorful partygoers must put their differences and rivalry aside.
In her directorial debut Tina Romero, daughter of horror icon George A. Romero, adds to the genre her father created plenty of glam, camp and glitter. “Queens of the Dead” honors Romero senior’s legacy but also reinvent it. The film is full of dark humor, LGBTQ pride and a powerful message on how a united community and self-empowerment can overcome pretty much everything in life.
This film has some seriously kick-ass cast led by lesbian star Katy O’Brian (“Mission: Impossible: The Final Reckoning”, “The Mandalorian”) alongside Jack Haven (“I saw the TV Glow”), Ricky Lindhome (“Knives Out”), Nina West (“RuPaul’s Drag Race”), Dominique Jackson (“Pose”, “American Gods”), Chayenne Jackson (“American Horror Story”, “Glee”) and standup comedian Margaret Cho. Also starring is horror legend Tom Savini who collaborated with George Romero on several films such as “Dawn of the Dead” and “Land of the Dead”.
A feminist rom-com which is also a type of trash horror movie and 80’s style erotic movie that includes sci-fi and grotesque aliens as well.
In a small Estonian town, three stories converge: Sirje and her friend voluntarily sign up for a scientific experiment away from earth. Jüri falls for his lascivious neighbour. Uma, a fearless bodybuilder, dreams of a world without abusive men so that she could help her partner Marillis. Along the way the characters will have to deal with aliens, a giant spider and an Austrian door to door salesman of vacuums who always wears shorts.
The clever and multi layered script written by director Moonika Siimets provocs thoughts of the reality in which we live in and at the same time provide us with a cinematic piece that is pure fun.
“Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” – Croatia’s official nomination for Best Foreign Film in the 2025 Academy Awards, is an historical epic and an ode to love, loyalty and the power of friendship and art.
The film that spans over decades, follows lovers Lovro and Nenad and their long-time friendship with Steven and Ivan, all of them were part of a gay group turned filmmakers while navigating their lives through communist, post-war Yugoslavia.
The film studio they run gains world fame, but they are forced to compromise their arts and beliefs to produce propaganda for the communist regime. The more success they gain the more the fascism of the government seeps into their studio and they suddenly find their lives in danger despite being Nazi fighting heroes.
“Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” is a luscious, intimate and politically charged cinema and the result is a heartbreaking piece on resistance. This is a film that is crying against oppression, against silencing and for the freedom to live, love and create art without fear.
Talented filmmaker and director Ivona Juka says this film was inspired by a relative of hers that was forced to hide his sexual identity for most of his adult life (homosexuality was still a crime in Croatia up until the 90’s).
Warning: This film contains explicit sex scenes and graphic violence.
In association with the European Union
Some men are just dogs! Juan happens to find one in the wild while on a nice vacation with his girlfriend and another couple of friends. He adopts him, bathes him, feeds him, plays with him and gives him plenty of love and affection, even though his girlfriend warns him not to get too attached.
Argentinian provocative director Marco Berger (“The Astronaut’s Lover”, “Los Agitadores”) who’s films we frequently screen at the TLVFest, comes back with an absurd and daring homo-erotic tale on the human need to connect to a living creature and when that connection becomes a primal basic animal instinct. The result is thought provoking about controlling relationships even in our daily lives.
