[Filmfestivalresearch] Saint Petersburg's Side by Side LGBT Film Festival in Full Swing, Seeing Record Number of Visitors to Events

[Laurie Kirby]

We will be addressing the special challenges of LGBT festivals at the IFFS in Austin December 2-4th, 2012. www.filmfestivalsummit.com
On Oct 30, 2012, at 5:20 AM, Manny de Guerre wrote:

> 
> Saint Petersburg's Side by Side LGBT Film Festival in Full Swing, Seeing
> Record Number of Visitors to Events.  
> 
> Side by Side LGBT Film Festival opened on 25th October, 2012 with a full
> house, setting the tone of the proceeding festival days which have also seen
> heavy turnouts to all events. Opening the festival was the Chilean film
> Young and Wild and director Marialy Rivas joined the audience in a Q & A
> after the screening. Also in attendance and committing their support to Side
> by Side was the Consul General of the Netherlands in Saint Petersburg
> Mr.Jennes de Mol, the Deputy Consul General of Great Britain Mr Ben
> Greenwood and delivering a video address was Ulrike Lunacek, a member of the
> European Parliament. 
> 
> Over the course of 5 days, 11 screenings and 6 interactive discussions have
> taken place. Generating a great deal of interest was the discussion after
> the film Call Me Kuchu focusing on homophobic laws in Russia and Uganda.
> Participants included Stosh Jovan an activist from Ugandan, Robert Bierdron,
> Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, Igor
> Kochetkov, Chairmen of Russian LGBT Network and Stephanie Kulayev, a human
> rights activist from the anti-discrimination centre Memorial. The
> similarities between Uganda and Russia were striking. "When I was watching
> the film and I sometimes didn't understand in which country I am," comments
> Kochetkov, "the arguments of opponents against LGBT are so similar. I think
> this is linked to the fact of the problem of homophobia. It is clear that
> our struggle is for the right to life." 
> 
> Director Sara Broos (Sweden) presented her film For You Naked which traces
> the story of Lars, a famous Swedish artist, and Junior, a dancer from Brazil
> and the development of their relationship and the attempt to find a common
> language between each other. She states: "Usually in films about
> homosexuality there is an opinion, the point of view of the author. But in
> my film, I do not give a comment, I'm just telling a love story. It is
> unusual for such films." Generating equally lively interest was the Q & A
> with Mette Aakerholm Gardell (Sweden) director of the film Not a Man in
> Sight. "I'm glad that between me and the audience mutual understanding was
> reached, said Mette: "The last show was one of the most successful in the
> history of my movie. The opportunity to show this film was very important
> for me because of the situation in which LGBT people are now in Russia."
> 
> Within the framework of the festival a new campaign has been launched: "Stop
> Homophobia in Russia!" The first of three campaign advertisements has been
> launched and audience members are being invited to record short video
> addresses as to why they are against homophobia. These addresses will be
> uploaded and circulated through the internet. 
> 
> In the next five days there is still much more to come: a collection of
> Russian LGBT films and a discussion on the (in)visibility of LGBT in the
> arts and cinema in Russia, a debate on the pros and cons of outing closeted
> homophobic politicians and Q & As with Michiel van Erp director of the
> highly acclaimed documentary I am a Woman Now and Lucy Mulloy director of
> the awarding feature film Una Noche. 
> 
> To date the festival has attracted already over one thousand visitors. 
> 
> ____________________
> 
> Video Resources:
> 
> Video of V Side by Side Festival Opening
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkMXhTQWOFs&feature=plcp> 
> 
> Address of Ulrike Lunacek
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3aRonpZ3XA&feature=plcp> 
> 
> Discussion on Homophobic Laws in Uganda and Russia
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=la1UTdFAExw&feature=plcp> 
> 
> Stop Homophobia in Russia Now!
> <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QkwpPi9MhH4&feature=plcp>  
> 
> _____________________
> 
> 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
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Laurie Kirby, Esq., Executive Director

Laurie.kirby at filmfestivalsummit.com

Laurie.kirby at imfcon.com

(p) 626-470-6043  PST

(f) 917-398-2125 

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