All Films and Events 2025 Archives - Page 2 of 10

Panel + Screening of “Dick Tracy”

Celebrating 35 years since the release of the film “Dick Tracy” with a panel of experts, led by festival head Yair Hochner. The panel will try to answer the question of why Madonna is a pop culture icon, and specifically a gay icon?

Participating in the panel are:
Amir Kaminer, film critic and culture journalist who interviewed Madonna multiple times
Dana Kessler, journalist and artistic director of the Soundtrack film festival
Michal Shapira, singer and actress
Kay Long, drag artist

“Dick Tracy” might just be the most colourful and musical comic book movie of all time. Warren Beatty enlisted for his film the help of Stephen Sondheim, the composer and lyricist of many musicals, such as “Company”, “A Little Music Night”, “Sweeney Todd”, “Into the Woods”, “Sunday in the Park with George”, “Assassins” and “Follies”. His career started with writing the lyrics for the musicals “West Side Story” and “Gypsy”. “Dick Tracy” is half a musical film, which earned Sondheim an Academy Award for Best Original Song for his work on the film. The songs are performed by the icon, singer, actress, director and Kabbalah aficionado – Madonna.

The plot is very simple: “Dick Tracy” is a detective battling against “Big Boy” Caprice, the head of the mafia, portrayed by Al Pacino with heavy makeup. Madonna portrays a pleasant bar singer named Mahoney, who is romantically involved with Big Boy. Aside from them, a number of famous actors appear in this film for mere moments, with or without heavy makeup, from the likes of Dustin Hoffman, James Keane, Charles Durning, William Forsythe, Seymour Cassel, Paul Sorvino, Mandy Patinkin, Catherine O’Hara, James Keane, Kathy Bates and Dick Van Dyke. The film was shot by the artist Vittorio Storaro (“Apocalypse Now”, “Reds”, “The Last Emperor”), and has a bold visual style which attempts to be as faithful as possible to the aesthetic of the original comic strips.

“Dick Tracy” was nominated for a total of nine Academy Awards, including: Best Supporting Actor for Pacino’s performance, and won in three categories: Best Original Song, Best Makeup and Best Art Direction.

Courtesy of Disney+

Querelle

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.

Pink Narcissus

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.

Blowie

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

Psycho Beach Party

For the first time in Israel on the big screen! 25th anniversary of the cult film ‘Psycho Beach Party’, based on the Charles Bush off Broadway cult play.

‘Psycho Beach Party’ is a crazy mix of 50’s psycho thrillers, 60’s beach films and 70’s slasher films. The story follows Chicklet Forest (the wonderful Lauren Ambrose from ‘6 feet under’ and ‘Yellowjackets’), Chicklet is a 16 years old tomboy who is desperate to be part of the surfing community of Malibu.

She’s a typical all American girl- the only problem is: her personality is more split than pepperoni on pizza.

Sponsored by Schnitt

Queens of Joy

In the heart of the horrible war in Ukraine, three drag queens- Diva Monroe, Marlene and Aura refuse to abandon their homeland. Instead of running away to safety they choose to fight- for freedom, the LGBTQ community and for themselves.

From the glamour of the show to the cruelty of war, the film follows their lives- full of loss and fear but also unvanquished bravery.

Marlene is dealing with old wounds, Diva Monroe finds herself again and Aura is fighting for her place, both in the army and on stage. The charity drag show they organise for support of Ukraine becomes a symbol of unity and strength.

This film is a story of self-discovery, love, hope and the strength to find happiness in the darkest times.

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.

Touch Me

Director and screenwriter Addison Heimann’s second film is a provocative and camp horror comedy, imaginative and crazy in the best way possible. This is a love song to the weird and sexual Japanese cinema of the 60’s and 70’s- the ground on which films such as “In the Realm of the Senses” grew upon.

“Touch me” dares to touch such subjects as mental health, desire and sexual abandonment but does not lose its humor for a second. Two best friends are depending on each other and get addicted to the heroin-like touch of a narcissistic alien with a craving for human flesh who may or may not want to take over the world.

Director and screenwriter Addison Heimann, whose first film “Hypochondriac” was screened at the 2022 TLVFest, comes back with a weirder, crazier and more brilliant second film. The result is a sexy and wonderfully bloody dream.

This film is limited to ages 18 and above since it’s a sexy and bloody extravaganza that you couldn’t get enough of.

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.

Desert Hearts

Donna Deitch, an awards winning documentarist was also the first out lesbian director who paved the way for many others with her debut feature film “Desert Hearts”. The film is based on a novel by Jane Rule written in 1964.

Helen Shaver is starring as Vivian Bell, a 35 years old professor from Columbia University who’s going to Reno to get divorced. She arrives at the farm of Frances Parker (Audra Lindley) in order to stay the required 6 weeks before she can become a Nevada resident and get her divorce.

In the farm Vivian catches the attention of Frances adopted daughter Cay (Patricia Charbonneau) an out and confident lesbian. Cay works at a casino and is a decade younger than Vivian. At first Vivan is trying to stay strong against Cay’s shameless flirting but when the emotions flood over she cannot resist anymore and the two end up in each other’s arms.

Already as its debut release back in 1985 “Desert Hearts” delighted audiences in the most prestigious film festivals around the globe- Locarno, Toronto and Sundance and now you have a chance to get swept into the romance set against the desert backdrop and the country soundtrack that accompanies the film in an original and high quality 35mm version.

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All Films and Events 2025

Panel + Screening of “Dick Tracy”

Querelle

Pink Narcissus

Blowie

Psycho Beach Party

Queens of Joy

My Beautiful Laundromat

Touch Me

Plainclothes

Desert Hearts

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