QE FILM FEST BOTH IN PERSON AND ON LINE
SCREENING AT FACETS ON OCTOBER 27
SAUNA, "a satisfying defiant spark of hope"
IN-PERSON FILM EVENT!
Don’t miss the Chicago premiere of SAUNA, an intimate and provocative new film presented by the Queer Expression Film Fest, sponsored by Open Space Arts. Join us for this one-night-only screening at Facets on Sunday, October 27 at 7:00 PM—followed by a lively discussion and social gathering in the Facets lounge.
About the Film:
Johan is an ordinary young man who keeps all doors open when it comes to both love and sex. He works as a receptionist at Adonis, Copenhagen’s only gay sauna, where his job blurs into his social life, full of encounters with the sauna’s eclectic guests. For Johan, the city is a boundless paradise of bars, parties, and one-night stands—until he meets William, who changes everything. Their romance blossoms but is soon tested by a society bound by rigid ideas of gender and love.
SAUNA is both a raw exploration of desire and a tender story of love and identity.
Venue:
Facets, 1517 W. Fullerton (just west of DePaul)
Accessible by the Fullerton Red/Brown/Purple Line stop, or the Ashland and Fullerton buses. Street parking is usually available.
Extras:
Enjoy cocktails and classic movie snacks before the screening and during the post-film conversation.
Note:
These exclusive Queer Expression Film Fest selections are not available on streaming platforms. Past premieres—like Sebastian, Queen Tut, Horseplay, and Eismayer—only became available to stream well after their in-person debuts.
Tickets are not available through Facets. A limited number of tickets may be available at the door on the night of the screening, but advance purchase is strongly recommended.
“Sauna is a tender and melancholic queer love story, carried by Magnus Juhl Andersen’s vulnerable performance. A quiet, intimate debut that lingers with its honesty and atmosphere.”
— Dionar Hidalgo, Next Best Picture
- “Broe’s good-looking first feature conveys emotional maturity and a wrenching depth of feeling, without ever tipping into melodrama.”
— David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter
- “'Sauna' provides a rare insight into a relationship that is both beautifully complicated and profoundly significant.”
— Sara Clements, Next Best Picture
- “Sauna offers a unique yet relevant love story that treats the complexities of queer desire with nuance and compassion.”
— David Opie, IndieWire
- “The filmmaker cleverly examines sexual identity and orientation and where they converge and diverge.”
— Frank J. Avella, Edge Media Network
- “Not all audiences will appreciate this approach, but those that do will surely be enveloped by its inclusive telling of an ultimately very human, ironically universal story.”
— Peter Gray, The AU Review
- “there’s sensual fluency and delicacy here too.”
— Guy Lodge, Variety
- “Sauna tells an authentically queer love story set in Copenhagen that is both sexy & somber in its examination of dynamics between its two characters.”
— Graeme Guttmann, Screen Rant
- “Super sexy and has something to say.”
— James Kleinmann, The Queer Review
QE BEST OF THE FEST COMING SOON
