[Filmfestivalresearch] V Side by Side LGBT Film Festival Russia

[Manny de Guerre]

Russia's Homophobic and Discriminatory Laws will not Silence Saint
Petersburg's Side by Side LGBT Film Festival which Starts 25th October and
Runs through to 3 November, 2012.  

In the face of increasing discrimination and violence towards the LGBT
community in Russia organizers of the Side by Side LGBT Film Festival remain
defiant. Throughout the course of the ten festival days maximum visibility
and openness will be sort in order to bring the message of respect and human
rights of LGBT people in Russia home to the public and authorities. 

The major theme for this year is local and global processes of the LGBT
movement, exploring the discourses and practices relating to LGBT politics,
activism, sexual and gender identity rights at local and global levels. In
total 37 films will be screened and among the countries providing the focus
are Russia, Uganda, China, Cuba, Chile and South Africa, places where LGBT
movements are still in their infancy and face great opposition. 

To open the festival is the Chilean film Young & Wild directed by Marialy
Rivas. After the film screening Rivas will take part in a Q & A with the
audience. She states: "I firmly believe Side by Side stands as a necessary
voice for diversity and visibility of the LGBT community. We need to see our
stories on the screen to understand who we are and be able to deal with an
aspect as profound and delicate as our own sexuality."

A major discussion for this year is an analysis of state sponsored
homophobia drawing on the experiences of Uganda and Russia. Following the
screening of the hard hitting documentary and multi-award winner Call Me
Kuchu which documents the courageous efforts of David Kato and his team to
overcome seemingly insurmountable obstacles in the fight for LGBT rights in
Uganda, Stosh Jovan a Human rights defender and activist from Uganda, will
participate in the discussion, along with Igor Kochetkov (LGBT Network) from
Russia.  Also to join in the debate are Andrey Tolmachev a representative
from Commissioner for Human Rights in St. Petersburg and Robert Bierdron,
Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. 

A first in the history of the festival will be the presentation of a
programme of Russian films: The Beginning, compromising of new work from
directors from around the country. The discussion to follow will address the
issue of the visibility (or lack of) of LGBT in art and cinema. Director
Seva Galkin of the short film Three Times About It: He comments: "We need
calm conversation. We are, after all, the same as they are. We have the same
aspirations, by and large. We fall in love, think about our career, as well
dream of the sea. We are one of them ." And director of the documentary Not
With Us Svetlana Sigalaeva: "I learned the lesson the hard way that your
country, or your house, can be a prison, if you're a girl in love with a
girl."

Other guests include Eytan Fox (Israel), organizer of the Beijing Queer
Festival, Yang Yang (China) and Michiel van Erp (the Netherlands).

In cooperation with the Swedish documentary film festival, Tempo, Side by
Side will be screening the work of film makers Sara Broos, (For You Naked)
and Mette Aakerholm Gardell (Not a Man in Sight Not). Both directors will
take part in Q & As following the screening.

Within the framework of the festival Side by Side will be launching an
interactive campaign Stop Homophobia in Russia! Details to follow. 

Side by Side LGBT Film Festival 2012 Trailer
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBxF7ADLu08&list=UUry6KdT0qVxoh2WiVaPDGxA&in
dex=1&feature=plcp>  

Schedule and Events <http://bok-o-bok.ru/news.asp?lan=1&tid=825>  

Manny de Guerre

Side by Side LGBT International Film Festival

manny at bok-o-bok.ru 

Тel: +7.812.313.9341  

Mob+7.911.710.2702                 

www.bok-o-bok.ru <http://www.bok-o-bok.ru/>   

 <http://shop.bok-o-bok.ru/> http://shop.bok-o-bok.ru

 

 <http://vkontakte.ru/club2049553> vkontakte
<http://www.twitter.com/sidebysideff> twitter
<http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=info&ref=mf&gid=253830262456> facebook

    

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