Out in Africa SA Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
The Out In Africa SA Gay & Lesbian Film Festival has its 14th outing this November, screening at Nu Metro in Johannesburg and Cape Town for 11 days in each city. The Festival has something to suit all tastes and moods among the 29 titles on offer - shorts, documentaries, series and feature films from across the world including Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Italy, South Africa, Spain, UK and USA.
Highlights of the November Line-up
Holding Trevor (USA 2007 110mins Dir: Rosser Goodman)
A skilfully-directed, relentlessly self-deprecating, yet moving dark comedy that vividly captures the conundrums of 20-somethings, Holding Trevor explores the emotional footwork that Trevor must do when his boyfriend begins to demand more from him than he is able to give, especially as he cannot abandon his friends in their time of need.
Actor, Jay Brannan (who acted in Shortbus), is a guest of the Festival
Four Letter Word (USA 2007 Dir: Casper Andreas) From the maker of the popular Slutty Summer, screened at this Festival in 2005, comes this more accomplished film… a film with a "message", but dealt with in a light and funny way. Jesse Archer, as the fatuous Luke, is a treat to watch. Always thinking of his next shag, he must grow up, and it's an amusing journey.
Lead actor and co-writer Jesse Archer is a guest of the Festival
Brothers of the Head (UK 2005, Dirs: Keith Fulton & Louis Pepe) is a mock-rock-doc featuring Luke and Harry Treadway as the pretty Siamese twins who front a 70s glam band. Weird and wonderful, but not as bizarre as it sounds, and infused with a moody homoeroticism. Not to be missed!
The Witnesses (Les Temoins Dir. André Techiné France 2007) Set in France in the 80s, a time of social and sexual freedom, the bright and breezy locations and cinematography belie the underlying tension of things to come. A magnificent life-affirming film about the early days of the AIDS crisis.
Water Lilies (La Naissance des Pieuvres Dir: Céline Sciamma France 2007) Screened first in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2007 Cannes Film Festival, the "lilies" are the 15 year olds in the water ballet team, the smiles on their faces belie the churning limbs below the waters' surface – an apt metaphor of the pain and pleasure of their burgeoning sexuality. Charming and sexy.
Alexis Arquette: She's my Brother (UK 2007 Dirs: Matthew Barbato & Nikki Parrott). Arquette, our guest in 1998, outrageous, enigmatic and versatile has moved easily between mainstream and art-house cinema, performing iconic queer roles. And here she is, still funny and flamboyant, as herself, grappling with her gender identity.
Society and After Nine are two 4-part television series that have aired on SABC in recent months. The actors, writers and producers of these programmes will be at the Festival to introduce the screenings, which are marathon sit-ins…
OIA Film Productions
Out In Africa is committed to South African queer representation, particularly on screen, and since 2004 has produced 16 short films that have played at over 35 international film festivals. The Happy Snaps filmmaking workshop which took place in September / October has produced another four films. The Workshop Director is Italian filmmaker Laura Muscardin. Her film Days (Giorni) screened to full houses at this Festival in 2002. Happy Snaps is funded by the Italian Institute of Culture, the British Council, the National Lottery and OIA. The films will première at Festival.
Festival sponsors include the Atlantic Philanthropies, the NFVF, CWCI, National Lotteries Board, Gauteng Film Commission.
For more information contact:
www.oia.co.za
021 461 40 27
nfo@oia.co.za
