Now in its 10th year, the Bangalore Queer Film Festival is back this week, with an international line-up of feature films, shorts and documentaries as well as panel discussions and performances. The film screenings kick off on Thursday, August 1 and will continue till Sunday, August 4 at Alliance Française and Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan.
Before the film screenings begin, the festival’s curtain raiser is set for Wednesday, July 31 at the Bangalore International Centre, where Karnataka Rajyotsava awardee B Manjamma Jogathi and her traditional folk art troupe will perform.
This year’s event will feature of host of international screenings on deck, including A Woman is a Woman, directed by Maisy Goosy Suen in her first feature film, Si Chedeng at si Apple (Chedeng and Apple), a Filipino film from Rae Red and Fatrick Tabada, Chinese film Meili from director Zhou Zhou and award-winning Vietnamese film Song Lang from Leon Le in his debut feature. Films from Indian filmmakers include Neelu Bhuman’s Transfinite, which comprises seven short stories, and Udalaazham, a Malayalam film by Unnikrishnan Avala.
There will also be a range of documentaries from around the world, including Papua New Guinea, Colombia, India, France and Argentina.
In partnership with New Delhi-based non-profit Public Service Broadcasting Trust, a series called ‘Engaging with Sexualities’ will highlight debut and early-career filmmakers through their short documentaries, which will tackle subjects of sexuality, love, identity, desire, relationships, among others.
In one of the most anticipated events of the festival, celebrated poet Hoshang Merchant will release his latest book, The Gay Icons of India, on Sunday, August 4. The event will also include a panel discussion between Hoshang, writer and poet Vikramaditya Sahai, and writers and BQFF co-directors Namita Aavriti and Joshua Muyiwa.
The festival screenings will take place at Alliance Française on August 1 and 2 and at Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan on August 3 and 4.
For the full schedule of films, check out the schedule here.