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!

International Gay Shorts

A set of six short films that give different perspectives on gay life, all in different genres – realistic, sexy, horror, crime and one surprising comedy.
The films in this mix come from USA, Germany, France and a Swiss/Colombian production.
Duration: 90 minutes

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

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Free entry with Cinematheque membership


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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.

On the Go

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The screening will be preceded by the short movie “In My Own Image”.


Imagine “Easy Rider” meets early Greg Araki films such as “Totally F***ed Up” and “The Living End” and pour over some hot and sassy Spanish passion and you’ll end up with the anarchistic creation by directors/screenwriters María Gisèle Royo and Julia de Castro, starring Omar Ayuso (“Elite”) in a very daring role.
37-year-old Milagros is a young carefree woman in her last years of fertility, while 24-year-old Jonathan, her best friend, is obsessively looking for comfort on Grindr in order to overcome his separation anxiety. Milagros is looking for sperm, Jonathan just wants to run away after burning down a club. The two embark on a roadtrip where they will meet a mermaid, one night stands and criminals, all while listening to great music.
This is a film about contemporary young men and women who think they live in the age of free choice with unlimited options, but the truth is – the beginning of the 21 century freedom is nothing but an illusion.
The film was shot entirely on a 16mm camera.
Viewing is 18+ due to nudity and explicit sexual content.

In association with the Embassy of Spain


In My Own Image
Director, Script & Producer: Giuseppe Bucci
With: Mariano Gallo, Eva Grimaldi, Salvatore Langella
Italy, 2023, 12 min, Italian with English subtitles

Francesco fails to feel sorry for the death of his father, a homophobic and bigoted man mainly due to his religious upbringing. The son has never confessed his homosexuality to his father and, desperate, he makes a very strong gesture to shout his homosexuality to God, the Vatican and his father.

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.

My Sole Desire

A striptease show to a techno remix version of Tchaikovsky’s “Dance of the sugar plum fairy”, nude reading of Chekhov and a satirical striptease on the theme of yellow vests protests. All these and more are part of a show in the Parisian strip club “À Mon Seul Désir”, a place where stripers with artistic flair can take professional risks and challenge their audience.
Manon (Louise Chevillotte, “Synonymes” by Nadav Lapid) is a young aimless woman with no real purpose in life. She spontaneously decides to start working at the club and is immediately drawn to her new colleagues, especially Mia (Zita Hanrot, “Angry Annie”), an ambitious actress with a partner and a child. The relationship between the two intensifies as they spend more and more time together and Manon finds herself falling for Mia. The two begin a secret affair in a place where you must draw the line between love and work.
Director Lucie Borleteau created a film about sex workers through a female non judgmental gaze. She describes the world of the women working in the club with all its complexities. The result is a surprising and unusual cinematic journey with excellent actresses in the lead roles and quite a few surprise guest appearances, such as Melvil Poupaud (“Time to Leave”), Félix Maritaud (“120 BPM”), legendary director Frederick Weisman and actress Ariane Labed (“Lobster”).

Viewing is 18+ due to explicit sexual content.

In association with the Embassy of France

Glitter & Doom

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.

 

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This movie is eligible for a special “Monthly TLVfest” price:

4 Tickets – special price 160 NIS (40 NIS per ticket) – purchase here **
6 Tickets – special price 225 NIS (37.5 NIS per ticket) – purchase here **
12 Tickets – special price 360 NIS (30 NIS per ticket) – purchase here **

**NOT VALID for the TLVfest FESTIVAL screenings. Valid only for the Monthly TLVfest screenings.


 

Cora Bora

A surprising comedy from director Hannah Pearl Utt starring queer actress Megan Stalter (Kayla from “Hacks”).
Stalter is Cora, who arrived in Los Angeles in pursuit of her dream to become a successful musician, but for now has to settle for coffee house gigs. In a spur of the moment she decides to go back to her hometown Portland in order to get her ex-girlfriend Justine back. Not everything goes according to plan and Cora finds herself searching for a lost dog, meeting a childhood friend with a grudge and in the midst of a pansexual orgy. Cora is a little like Phoebe from “Friends” (only bisexual) who entangles herself in much more extreme, sexual and embarrassing situations.
Megan Stalter takes the screen by storm in the lead role. Next to her you can find stand up comedian Margaret Cho, veteran comedian Darrell Hammond (“SNL”), Manny Jacinto (“The Good Place”) and Heather Morris (“Glee”), who make up a part of a very colorful cast and the sassy characters in this hilarious and unexpected film.