20MALEGAYNYC
USA, 10 minutes, Directed by Blake Pruitt
20MALEGAYNYC is a short documentary that explores what it means to be 20-something, gay and living in New York in the year 2012; how we treat each other as young gay men; and how stereotypes play a role in our daily lives.
Camchat
USA, 11 minutes, directed by Blake Pruitt
An experimental look at online sexual encounters and relationships through one young man's interactions.
Damaged Goods
The Netherlands, 4 minutes, directed by Harm Weistra
Written comments, posted on YouTube and articulated by two voice actors, are the starting point of Damaged Goods. By contrasting these comments with the intimacy of two male dancers, the video invites the viewer to reflect and to take a position.
Bortom (Distances)
Sweden, 17 minutes, directed by Alexander Westergårdh
Eva and David have a complicated mother-son relationship. One problem is the language barrier, as David is deaf and Eva is not very good at sign language. After moving back to her country of birth, Eva comes to Sweden on a short visit, where she discovers what so many parents do throughout the lives of their offspring - your children never cease to surprise you.
Follow me
Holland, 14 min, directed by Anthony Schatteman
Nineteen-year-old Jasper tries to confront his first love with his feelings and has to deal with the following consequences.
The Virgins
Spain, 12 minutes, directed by Manu Roma
When the two actors starring in a short film, titled "The Virgins", leave around at the last minute, a young director will have to act alongside the only other person who knows the script by heart: the boom operator.
The Surf Report
USA, 15 Minutes, directed by Courtney Faye Powell
K, a surfer from the Rockaways, goes out to surf one day and vanishes. Freddie, his grieving lover, avoids K's memorial service and goes to a surf bar. Drawn into a session with a tarot reader, Freddie begins to question his beliefs as he searches for answers, his quest turning serious as the film glides toward a tragic reunion.
Friday, September 13, 2024, our Make It a Double series returns with “Queer Complexities,” a double feature of All of Us Strangers (2023) and Passages (2023).
Last year, the world of arthouse cinema had a sleeper hit with six BAFTA Award winner All of Us Strangers starring the brilliant Andrew Scott (from TV’s Fleabag as well as the current Netflix series Ripley) and Academy Award Nominee Paul Mescal (Aftersun). The film focuses on past family relationships and how they affect us in the present, as well as the what-could-have-beens and might-have-beens. Its’ emotional strength lies in the profound grief and the connectivity within the main queer character’s personal journey and does so in a very human way.
In the same way, but in a different situation, Passages deals with Tomas (Franz Rogowski), an upcoming filmmaker in Paris whose relationship with his English husband Martin (Ben Whishaw) is in deep turmoil after he begins to have an affair with a woman with disastrous results. Note of interest: Passages was to receive an NC-17 rating from the MPAA, but the film’s distributor, Mubi, refused to comply, and decided to release it in the U.S. without a rating. Complex queer characters do make fascinating subjects and both unique films from Andrew Haigh (Weekend, Looking: The Movie) and Ira Sachs (Love Is Strange), respectively, do not disappoint.
This double feature was programmed by Matthew Flores, a FACETS Customer Service Representative, and is co-presented with Queer Expressions, a celebration of vibrant global LGBTQ cinema.
SCHEDULE
7:00 pm
All of Us Strangers
9:00 pm
Passages
Find photos, posters and trailers for QE BEST OF FEST.
QUEER EXPRESSION FILM FEST streams QE BEST OF THE FEST online October 2 to 30.
CHICAGO, IL — QUEER EXPRESSION QE BEST OF THE FEST features ten short and two mid length films streaming in two online programs in October. QUEER EXPRESSION, a series of plays and films, is sponsored by Chicago non-profit Open Space Arts.
QE BEST OF FEST Fall Shorts streams October 2 to 15, and features a program of ten films. QE BEST OF FEST Fall Mid-Length Films stream Oct 16 to 29 and includes two films. Tickets for each are $12, the can be streamed from anywhere. Find more information on www.openspacearts.org.
The short film program includes:
...and so it ends in a Tie, 6 minutes, USA, directed by Crystal Hou
A martial artist specializing in rope has a fated encounter that forces her to challenge her rigid ways.
BOYFRIENDS, 9 minutes, USA, directed by C.J. Arellano
Billy passionately welcomes home his long-absent boyfriend Kevin, but the heat of the night soon gives way to cold hard reality.
DADDY, 18 minutes, USA, directed by Kip Knight
A man traumatized by the lack of a relationship with his father seeks comfort from a self proclaimed "Daddy"
ELL, 11 minutes, USA, directed by Ash Kolodner and T Dumas
A young non-binary person struggles to decide whether or not to go on hormones after their insecurities are highlighted during a phone call with their insurance company.
I LOVE YOU ., 6 minutes, USA, directed by Dillon Morris
After accidentally saying ‘I love you’ for the first time over text, Annabelle goes into an anxiety clean while waiting for their partner to respond.
MR NGUYEN’S PROMISE, 15 minutes, USA, directed by Matthew James Alexander
When 17-year old Robby comes out to his mother, she kicks him out. Now homeless, Robby goes to his English teacher, Mr. Nguyen For safety. When Robby blames Mr. Nguyen for advising him to come out to his mom, Mr. Nguyen promises to take care of Robby. But a teacher's promise only goes so far.
PEHLI DATE, 14 minutes, India, directed by Sulagna Chatterjee
When 45-year old Aastha Goenka finally goes on her first date with 35-year-old Priya Malhotra, she's in for a day filled with conversations about heteronormativity, vulnerability, and second chances.
THE RANCH HANDS, 15 minutes, Mexico, directed by Juan Jesus Varela
It takes place in the 60s. The explicit love story of two cowboys, but due to the conventions of the time, their relationship has ups and downs.
TOUCH, 3 minutes, USA, directed by Lauren Miller
TOUCH is a 2D animated short film following two girls and the evolution of their relationship from their first meeting as children into young adulthood and budding romance. We experience this progression through memories, snapshots of shared moments and different instances of touch as the two girls grow and come into themselves along the way.
WALTER AND WENDY, 13 minutes, USA, directed by Jenna Bolena and, Casey Hoerman
A story of first loves, friendship, and fish. When Walter—an awkward teenage boy—meets Wendy—the unattainable girl of his dreams- he seeks the help of his best friend Nick.
QE BEST OF FEST Fall Mid-Length Films stream Oct 16 to 29 and includes two films.
175, United Kingdom, 22 minutes, Directed by Kasra Karimi
Inspired by true events. Rural England, early 2013. Ruth and Juliet are waiting for the British Parliament to legalize same-sex marriage so can get married. But Juliet suffers from a terminal illness and doesn't have long to live. They are racing against time.
VELIPĀDU-THE REVELATION 25 minutes, India, directed by Jijo Jessy Kuriakose
Against the sensory landscape of Kottayam, Johnny, a soon-to-be priest, must navigate his way out of his dissonant life towards self-discovery. The film reanimates Malayali gay desire through an expressionistic use of Christian music, intimate tastes and unabashed touches, while depicting delicate specifics of same-sex fondness. Resisting the popular narratives, the film discusses plural possibilities of romantic relationships. Interspersing semi-autobiography with fiction, Velipādu: "The Revelation" is a bitter-sweet rhapsody that sings of love and faith– both lost and regained like some Miltonic Paradise.
Access to each QE BEST OF THE FEST program is $12.00 for the streamed programs. Films are not geo blocked, and can be screened from anywhere.
Tickets for the individual programs are now on sale at http://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/Search.
More information about the festival, directed by David Zak, can be found at http://www.openspacearts.org.
What is the QUEER EXPRESSION Film and Theater Festival?
OSA's QUEER EXPRESSION (QE) program celebrates both films and plays, offering a diverse array of performances, in person screenings, and streaming on-line films throughout the year
QE Theater Fest 2024-25:
Running from September 13 to June, our theater season will include four full productions of plays, from cutting edge to classic. On occasion there are readings of new works, historic gay plays. The season of plays will be announced soon.
QE Film Fest:
This hybrid festival runs throughout the year has three components for both in-person and streaming events.
*QE Best of the Fest showcases brand-new films—shorts, mid-length, and features—on a quarterly basis - in programs that can be streamed from anywhere.
**QIS programs highlight acclaimed international shorts from film festivals around the globe. These streaming programs can be viewed from anywhere.
***Additionally, live screenings of new queer features are held at FACETS in Lincoln Park on the last Wednesday of each month from January through June.
I look forward to seeing you soon!
David Zak, Director
We have a great mission and great projects, but need help building the organizational structure needed to achieve our goals!
Please send an email with a note of interest to openspacearts2022@gmail.com.
Copyright © 2024 Open Space Arts - All Rights Reserved.
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