QUEEN’S ROAD:The seventh edition of the Bangalore Queer Film Festival (BQFF) will bring over 50 films from across 20 countries to the city this weekend.
The festival strives to showcase films — popular, non-Western and indie — that experiment with LGBT themes.
Till now hosted at Alliance Francaise de Bangalore, BQFF has expanded to a dual-venue festival, and will kick off at Goethe Institut, Indiranagar on Friday.
“On the first day, we’re having the screenings at Goethe Institut, and on the next two at Alliance Francaise,” says Vinay Chandran of Swabhava, which is organising the fest along the Good As You (GAY), We’re Here and Queer (WHAQ!) and Pirat Dykes every year.
A curated exhibition of illustrations by Nilofer that celebrate the beauty and playfulness of a voluptuous womanly body, a selection of printed and video works by performance artist Tsohil Bhatia, a collaborative photo work by photographer Shilpa Raj and model Striana that explores the melancholia and schism of gender among other works will be featured at Goethe Institut.
The culturals, which will be held at AFB, range from Khiyanur Vallikad’s piano performance and a few dance numbers by Pink Divas, the city’s queer dance troupe, as well as the classical dance performances of Kuchipudi and Odissi.
The organisers plan to bring in more films from France and Germany this year. So films curated by AFB are Martin Provost’s Violette, Sebastien Lifshitz’s Les Invisibles, Mitra Farahani’s Fifi Howls From Happiness, Robin Campillo’s Eastern Boys, Celine Sciamma’s Tomboy, Zencirci and Giovanetti’s Noor, Alice Douard’s Extrasystole, and Yohann Kouam’s The Return.
The Berlinale short film package by the Goethe Institut will feature Diogo Costa Amarante’s The White Roses, Marie Losier’s Bim Bam Boom, Las Luchas Morenas!, John Trengove’s The Goat, Roy Dib’s Mondial; and the Dresden short-film package, featuring Tor Iben’s Das Phallometer, Anne Zohra Berrached’s Hellige & Hure, Gregor Zootzky’s Hermes and Aphrodite, and Victor Lindgren’s Ta av mig.
The annual festival is free for all. For details, call 2223 0959 or email blrqueerfilmfest@gmail.com. For the schedule, log on to blrqueerfilmfest.com.