The 17th Slovak Queer Film Festival will start on November 22nd in Bratislava and will run for 7 days, ending on November 28th. This year’s festival will feature the FFi Shorts – International Competition, which showcases 3 short films from Asia: Adorable by Chung Cheng-hu (2018, TW/UK), Mum, If I Were a Vampire by Deborah Devyn Chuang (2022, TW), and Shoot Your Shot by Mishaal Memon (2022, UK/IN). In the Contemporary Cinema section, be sure to catch the vibrant comedy from the Philippines, I Love You, Beksman by Perci Intalan (2022).

The Queer Hong Kong program will kick off with a restored version of Wong Kar-wai’s acclaimed film Happy Together (1997), which won the Best Director award at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival and features Tony Leung and Lesley Cheung, both influential figures in the Hong Kong queer community. Along with this story of two lovers searching for happiness in Argentina, the program will also showcase the lesbian classic Butterfly (2004) by director Yan Yan Mak, whose bold ideas remain relevant today. In the light-hearted comedy Love Me Not (2011), director Gilitte Leung explores the friendship between lesbian Aggie and gay Dennis. From the controversial director Scud, Thirty Years of Adonis (2017) is a provocative and sensually-charged film centered on themes of love, sex, life, and death. And in Tracey (2018), Jun Li sensitively addresses transsexuality, a topic that is often ridiculed in Hong Kong cinema.

Tracey and Butterfly will be shown in the company of producer Jacqueline Liu.

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Berlin provides financial support for the section “Queer Hong Kong,” which was curated by film programmer Kristina Aschenbrennerova.

https://ffi.cinepass.sk/en/movies/?section=f62fbad7-7ae4-4c0b-b261-f859f1c21164

Contemporary Cinema

“I have strong feelings for you, Beksman,” said Perci Intalan.

PH, 107 min., 2022

https://ffi.cinepass.sk/en/movies/d021ee67-2cc0-4b15-ad83-517306e496dc/

The FFi Shorts International Competition is a platform for filmmakers from all around the world to showcase their short films and compete for awards. It provides opportunities for emerging filmmakers to gain recognition and exposure through their work. This competition is open to all genres and themes, and aims to celebrate the diversity and creativity of short films.

The FFi Shorts International Competition welcomes submissions from filmmakers worldwide to exhibit their short films and contend for accolades. It serves as a platform for up-and-coming filmmakers to receive recognition and exposure for their pieces. All genres and themes are accepted in this contest, which aims to honor the variety and ingenuity of short films.

Adorable by Chung Cheng-hu

TW, UK, 6 min., 2018

https://ffi.cinepass.sk/en/movies/172f60dc-32ab-46c1-9274-d0e2a7ea5a76/

Mum, If I Were a Vampire by Deborah Devyn Chuang

TW, 17 min., 2022

https://ffi.cinepass.sk/en/movies/6bbd4da6-b8c0-48e4-b078-24b17395927d/

Take Your Chance by Mishaal Memon

UK, IN, 12 min., 2022

https://ffi.cinepass.sk/en/movies/ca40e37e-645b-47d7-ae1f-a93de475ae0f/

All movies are shown in their original language with subtitles in English and Slovak.

Festival web: https://www.ffi.sk/en/ffi/