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

[Manny de Guerre]

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                 

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