Gay 2025 Archives - Page 2 of 6

My Beautiful Laundromat

TLVFest is proud to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the British Classic, directed by Stephen Frears (“Dangerous Liaisons”, “The Queen”) and starring Daniel Day-Lewis and Gordon Warnecke. The film was written by Hanif Qureshi who later adapted it into a successful play.

Two young men from totally different backgrounds in 80’s London meet during the Thatcher administration and the economic changes she led. The plot takes place in a hard neighbourhood, in a community of Pakistani immigrants and poor white folk.

Omar is a young Pakistani whose family opens a launderette in the neighbourhood. Johnny is a young white man who starts to work there. Both men, who live in a community full of racism and prejudice find themselves not only working side by side, but fall in love with each other as well. The British Film Institute had included this film in the ‘Best 100 films of the 20th century’

Come watch the greatest actor of our generation, winner of three Academy Awards Daniel Day-Lewis (“My Left Foot”, “There Will Be Blood”, “Lincoln”) in one of his first and best roles.

Plainclothes

Lucas is a young police officer whose main job is to haunt known gay cruising sites and arrest whoever he catches red-handed.

When he comes across Andrew, an older man who falls into Lucas’ trap, an unexplained feeling is stopping him from arresting Andrew and Lucas finds himself dealing with feelings he is used to bury.

The two embark on a secret relationship, a series of intimate and emotional meetings will lead them to a boiling point.

Director Carmen Emmi’s debut film, which won the Ensemble award of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival is a thrilling, smart and moving drama starring Russell Tovey and rising star Tom Blyth in an impressive role.

Velvet Vision – The Story of James Bidgood

“Velvet Vision” is the story of director/photographer James Bidgood, whose beautiful 60’s beefcake photos were different from all the others. They depicted homo-erotic fantasy scenarios dipped in vibrant colors, and pushed the boundaries of the genre. His film “Pink Narcissus” who he had worked on for many years came out in 1971 without a credit for his maker after Bidgood quarreled with the producers. The film became a cult phenomenon when people were positive it was either Keneth Anger or Andy Warhol who were behind it. It was revealed almost twenty years later that the one behind the film was one of the most influential photographers of the time.

“Velvet Vision” follows Bidgood’s attempt to go back to photography after a forty year break, this time for fashion designer Christian Louboutin. In front of filmmaker Bart Everly, Bidgood reveals all about his past as a window dresser, a drag artist and a costume designer. This is a film about social ostracism or about a man who chose to be an outcast and be lonely even if he doesn’t really want to, it’s a film about the fine line between genius and madness, fantasy versus reality.

“Velvet Vision” is a complex piece that explores the inner and outer world of a brilliant artist whose one-of-a-kind art still influences generations of filmmakers, fashion designers and photographers.

Buddies

Arthur J. Bressan, Jr.’s low budget masterpiece from 1985 is still as effective and moving as it was 40 years ago.

David (David Schachter) is a 25 years old yuppie who volunteers to be a “Buddy” to an AIDS patient. The LGBTQ community center teams him with Robert (Geoff Edholm), a 32 years old gay gardner from California, with very sharp political views, who had been abandoned by his friends and loved ones.

This is a lyrical cinematic piece for two actors (the rest of the cast is only heard, not seen) of the relationship between a young man who’s got his whole future ahead of him and who becomes best friends with a man who is dying of a then incurable disease. Aided by an elegant and meticulous script the result is rare perfection that is immortalising in a real moment a whole period of LGBTQ history.

“Buddies” is the first feature length film about the AIDS pandemic. It made its international debut on September 12 1985 in the Castro Theatre, with director Bressan and his two actors present. Five days later on September 17 1985 the US president Reagan finally uttered the word AIDS in public for the very first time. Sadly, Brassen himself died of AIDS in 1987 as did his actor Geoff Adholm in 1989. David Schachter still lives in New-York.

The Best Friend

Closing the TLVFest with a smile!

After a crisis with his partner, Lucas (Vinícius Teixeira) goes alone to the quiet beach of Canoa Quebrada in Brazil, where he reconnects with Felipe (Gabriel Fuentes) , an old classmate who works as a tour guide. Their reunion brings to the surface feelings that were buried deep and forces Lucas to face a dilema- go back to his current relationship or surrender to an old passion?

Set against the gorgeous backdrop of the beach, and a soundtrack laced with hits of the 80’s and 90’s, this film is a celebration of love, self discovery and the beauty of the north-east coast of Brazil.

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

The plot of this film takes place five years after the first, where Freddy Krueger was supposedly defeated. A new family, the Walsh family, moves to Springwood- to 1428 Elm Street, the house where Nancy Thompson (the heroine of the first film) used to live.

17 years old Jesse Walsh moves into Nancy’s old room and as expected Freddy Krueger pops into his dreams and demands he kill for him. He takes hold of Jesse’s body in order to make enough kills for him to return to life in the real world.

The film contains a subdued gay vibe throughout. Jesse is played by Mark Patton who formerly had played a gay teen in “Come back home to the 5 & dime Jimmy Dean, Jimmy Dean”- both in the Broadway version and the big screen version and was awarded the first Scream King title.

In this film you will find a dark bar with leather wearing men and locker room scenes. When Jesse’s girlfriend tries to make out with him he runs to the room of his naked best friend. A “No girls allowed” sign on Jesse’s bedroom and plenty more camp surprises.

Screenwriter David Chaskin admitted he hid queer subtext regarding coming out and same sex desires in the script. Robert Englund (forever Freddy Krueger) says the choice to cast Mark Patton had been intentional due to his sexual orientation.

Sponsored by Schnitt

Fine Young Men

Alf, a student in a conservative Catholic school that is home to Mexico’s elite social echelon is attracted to Oliver, a new student- a talented musician who plays at church.

As their relationship deepens, Alf is pulling away from his old friends, but under the pressure of his fellow students and social expectations he betrays Oliver in a desperate attempt to prove his manhood- resulting in a catastrophic outcome that challenges his sense of self and his values.

“Fine Young Men” is a chilling thriller about homophobia, class differences and the destructive price of self-hatred.

In association with PrideTV

Jimpa

Anna (Academy Award Winner Olivia Colman) takes her non-binary teenager, Frances, to Amsterdam to visit their gay grandfather Jim- nicknamed Jimpa (Academy Award Nominee John Lithgow), an elderly decadent patriarch who’s having a hell of a time in Amsterdam. Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde) wants to stay with Jimpa for a year and experience the big queer city to the fullest. This will force Anna to reconsider her beliefs regarding parenthood and eventually face her past and her complex relationship with her own father.

In 2014 we screened Sophie Hyde’s phenomenal debut film “52 Tuesdays”, in the time that passed she directed Emma Thompson in the comedy “Good luck to you, Leo Grande” and now she returns with a personal queer film. “Jimpa” is a loving and thorough look on complex inter-generational relationships in family, friends and lovers.

Sandbag Dam

Please be aware – the screening at 29/10/2025 is NOT in Tel-Aviv Cinematheque.

Marko lives in a Croatian village with his parents and beloved little brother Fico. Despite being a gifted athlete Marko plans to follow his father’s plan and become a mechanic after he graduates high school.

Two events upset the balance of Marko’s life- his village is being threatened by floods and Selvan, his first and forbidden love, comes back home for his funeral.

The closer the floods come to the village, Marko’s emotional turmoil grows. While the villagers are working tirelessly to build walls of sandbags around their homes, Marko is building his own wall- one intended to keep his emotions at check. But just like water, emotions have a way of bursting through all obstacles.

A Wolf Among the Swans

A new film by screenwriter Guillermo Arriaga (“21 Grams”, “Babel”) and starring the wonderful Argentinian actor Dario Grandinetti (“Talk to Her”, “Wild Stories”)

The film, which was shot in Rio de Janeiro and Paris, was inspired by the story of a Rio-born dancer, Thiago Soares – portrayed by Matheus Abreu and the unique relationship he developed with his mentor – Cuban-born Dino Carerra (Grandinetti). Soares, who grew up on the outskirts of Rio, used to perform with his friends on the streets of the city during the day and at local dance competitions at night. In between he tried to pick up girls and make a living doing odd jobs.

When he’s offered a scholarship to join a professional ballet school Thiago Soares doubts he’d survive even a day there, but a meeting with Dino- a sharp and brilliant Cuban dance teacher (who also hides an illness that was not to be talked about in those years) will change the course of his student’s life and turn him into an international star and the lead dancer of the Royal Ballet in London for 14 years.

“A Wolf Among the Swans” is an inspiring film with precise cinematography, snappy editing and a wonderful soundtrack. With a well written script and superb performances from its cast the result is a thought provoking film about a firm friendship between two men from completely different worlds and the ability to change and become the best version of oneself.

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Gay 2025

My Beautiful Laundromat

Plainclothes

Velvet Vision – The Story of James Bidgood

Buddies

The Best Friend

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge

Fine Young Men

Jimpa

Sandbag Dam

A Wolf Among the Swans

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