QFest 2018 Film Festival Guide

2 2 ND A N N U A L

HOUSTON

I N T L LGBTQ F I L M F E S T 07.26-30.18

2018

$50

QPASS Visit q-fest.com to purchase a 2018 pass!

A QPass does not guarantee admission. Seating is first come, first served.

TABLE OF CONTENTS 02:

PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE

03:

VENUES & ADMISSION

06:

SPONSORS & VENUES

07:

SPECIAL THANKS

10:

WELCOME FROM DIRECTOR

12:

OPENING NIGHT

13-14:

FRIDAY SCREENINGS

15-19:

SATURDAY SCREENINGS

20-23:

SUNDAY SCREENINGS

24:

CLOSING NIGHT PRESENTED

BY SPECTRUM SOUTH

PROGRAMS AT A GLANCE THURSDAY, JULY 26 OPENING NIGHT 7:30PM The Miseducation of Cameron Post Directed by Desiree Akhavan MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON ($10) 9PM | AFTER PARTY | BRASIL CAFE

FRIDAY, JULY 27 7PM | Reinventing Marvin Directed by Anne Fontaine RICE CINEMA ($10) 7PM | The Heiresses Directed by Marcelo Martinessi MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON ($10) 7:30PM | CALL ME sis Directed by Lee Sang-Woo ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER ($10) 9:30PM | Kill the Monsters Directed by Ryan Lonergan RICE CINEMA ($10)

SATURDAY, JULY 28 12PM | The Sign for Love Directed by Iris Ben Moshe & Elad Cohen RICE CINEMA (Free) 1PM | Se ñorita Maria, la Falda de la Montañ a Directed by Rubén Mendoza RICE CINEMA ($10) 1:30PM | This Spring Directed by Nicolas Gerifaud RICE CINEMA (Free) 3PM | The Year I Lost My Mind Directed by Tor Iben RICE CINEMA ($10) 5PM | Tempting Devils (3D) Directed by Jean-Claude Brisseau STUDIO MOVIE GRILL PEARLAND ($12) 5:30PM | They Directed by Anahita Ghazvinizadeh MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON ($10) 2

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6:30PM | The Story of the Stone Directed by Starr Wu RICE CINEMA ($10) 7PM | Sidney & Friends Directed by Tristan Aitchison HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE (Free) 7:30PM | Competition Shorts Directed by Various Artists AURORA PICTURE SHOW ($10) 9PM | He Loves Me Directed by Konstantinos Menelaou RICE CINEMA ($10)

SUNDAY, JULY 29 12PM | Dear Fredy Directed by Rubi Gat RICE CINEMA (Free) 1:30PM | Grey Violet—Odd One Out Directed by Reeta Aalto RICE CINEMA (Free) 2PM | Cracking Nuts Directed by Tolgay Hiçyilmaz RICE CINEMA ($10) 4PM | Air Directed by Anatol Schuster RICE CINEMA ($10) 6PM | Misty Eyes Directed by Cristián Pellegrini RICE CINEMA ($10) 8PM | School of the Holy Beast Directed by Norifumi Suzuki RICE CINEMA ($10)

MONDAY, JULY 30 CLOSING NIGHT RICE CINEMA

Presented by Spectrum South

7PM | Festival Awards Ceremony 7:30PM | 1985 | Directed by Yen Tan 9PM | Festival Reception

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ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER 1370 Southmore Blvd.

Houston, TX 77004 713.496.9901

MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON

AURORA PICTURE SHOW 2442 Bartlett Houston, TX 77098 713.868.2101

RICE CINEMA Rice Media Center/University Blvd. at Stockton Dr. Entrance 8 Houston, TX 77005 713.348.4853

BRASIL CAFE

STUDIO MOVIE GRILL PEARLAND 8440 S Sam Houston Pkwy E, Houston, TX 77075 713.821.2400

2604 Dunlavy Houston, TX 77006 713.528.1993

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Brown Auditorium/Caroline Weiss Law Building/1001 Bissonnet Houston, TX 77005 713.639.7300

HOUSTON MUSEUM OF AFRICAN AMERICAN CULTURE 4807 Caroline Houston, TX 77004 713.526.1015

$50 QPASS

Limited quantities. Available for purchase online through July 26. Remaining QPasses will be made available for purchase Friday, July 27 beginning at 6PM at Rice Cinema.

QPasses may be picked up during Opening Night starting at 6PM at the QFest Information Table, and at Rice Media Center beginning Friday, July 27 at 6PM. A QPass does not guarantee admission. Seating is first come, first served.

QPass holders should arrivae no later than 15 minutes prior to showtime to better ensure seating availability. QPasses will not be accepted for admission to Opening Night. Individual tickets may be purchased in advance online or same day at the door. Tickets for sreenings taking place at Aurora Picture Show, MFAH, ASTC, will need to be purchased directly from venue, either online or at the door. *All tickets purchased online will be available for pick up at the venue day of the performance.

VENUES + ADMISSION

SPONSORS + VENUES SPONSORS

MORENA ROAS DA ARTIST

VENUES

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | KRISTIAN SALINAS CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR | MICHAEL ROBINSON VOLUNTEER/SPECIAL EVENT COORDINATOR | STEPHANIE SAINT SANCHEZ QFEST PROGRAM DESIGN | KELSEY GLEDHILL

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35MM PROJECTION | RALPH KAETHNER

LaTonia Adeniran Jennifer Marie Alfaro Bill Arning—CAMH Sarah Baker—MFAH Bret Berg—AGFA Michael Bergeron—Houston Film Critics Society Ahshia Berry—Magpies & Peacocks Isabelle Bertolone—wirFILM GmBH Rachel Boyle—Rice Cinema Jim Brunzell—aGLIFF Miguel Calbillo TJ Callahan—Houston Film Critics Society Alfredo Calvino—Habanero Film Sales Byron Canady—SWAMP Valentin Carré—Luxbox Films Adam Castaneda—Houston Fringe Festival Amandine Castillo—Cultural Services of the French Embassy Sebastian del Castillo—AGFA Deborah Chen—HAAPI Gisela Chicolino Dominic Clay—HMAAC Felice Cleveland—CAMH Cary Darling—Houston Chronicle Mathieu Dartinet—WTFilms DiverseWorks Todd Donnell—Studio Movie Grill Charles Dove—Rice Cinema Kaitlyn Ellison—Asia Society Texas Center Andrew Edmonson Steven Evans—FotoFest Dan Fergus—Brasil Café Rick Ferguson—Houston Film Commission Becca Friday—Brasil Café Jennyfer Gautier—TF1 Studio Sarah Gish Howard Goldman—aGLIFF Ray Gomez—MFAH John Guess—HMAAC Sharjeel Hanif—HAAPI Sir Mark Fehrs Haukohl Gala Hernandez—Luxbox Films Chris Hill—Houston Film Critics Society Vinod Hopson—FotoFest Jasmine Jones—HMAAC Anna Julia—SWAMP Mary Lampe—Houston Cinema Arts Society Whitney Kuhn Lawson—Allied Integrated Marketing Jessica Kong—HAAPI Patrick Kwiatkowski—Houston Cinema Arts Society Alice Laufer—Erez Laufer Films Travis Leamons—Houston Film Critics Society

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Craig Lindsey—Houston Film Critics SocietyTish Jeanie Low Marian Luntz—MFAH Kayla Lyons Ernie Manouse Maria Martinez—Rice Cinema Jay Mays Lynn McQuaker—Studio Movie Grill Peter Millar Jess Mills—FilmRise Jila Mojtabai Vinny Moschetta—The Karpel Group Garineh Nazarian—FilmRise Dieynaba N’Diaye—TF1 Studio Andy Norton—napafilms Melelani Peterson Youri Rapoport—WTFilms Davinia Reed—HMAAC Nell Reed Amanda Sarmiento Clavijo Nicole Schilder--FilmRise Homa Shalchi—Allied Integrated Marketing Megan Smith—Spectrum South Sarah Jane Smith—Magpies & Peacocks Joshua Starnes—Houston Film Critics Society Tracy Stephenson—MFAH Tish Stringer—Rice Cinema Idan Schwartz—Consulate General of Israel Houston Clemence Taillandier—DistribFilms US Virginie Le Tallec—Cultural Services of the French Embassy Susie Tommaney—Houston Press Diana Tudela—Allied Integrated Marketing Ellis Watamanuk—FilmRise Ramon and Christine Jelson West Jeffrey Winter—The Film Collaborative Hal Wixon—Gulf Coast Film & Video Festival Kimberlee Wolpers—Studio Movie Grill Steven Wu—HAAPI Asaf Yecheskel—Costanza Film Distribution AURORA PICTURE SHOW SARAH STAUDER—Executive Director LISA S. GERTSCH--CPA MARY MAGSAMEN—Curator CAMILO GONZALEZ—Media Arts Education Manager PETER LUCAS—Communications and Development Associate JACINTA MAJITHIA—Program Assistant

SPECIAL THANKS

WELCOME TO QFEST Whether you are reading this program guide out of curiosity or find yourself seated among fellow festival goers awaiting the start of one of our 22 programs, we welcome you to QFest 2018: The 22nd Annual Houston International LGBTQ Film Festival!

QFest was founded in 1996 to proudly expand upon the cultural development of the Greater Houston Area. Created to build and grow a sense of community through the power of film among our city’s diverse constituencies, QFest charges forward with the unwavering support of eight cutting edge organizations and businesses, all participating in showcasing 38 feature and short films from around the world. This year’s selection is comprised of one International Premiere, five North American Premieres, three US Premieres, and nine Texas Premiers,and features the works of fourteen women directors 2018 marks the arrival of three firsts: a Juried Competition, a Best Feature prize awarded by select members of The Houston Film Critics Society, and an Audience Prize for Best Feature.

Sixteen features and seventeen shorts will compete for a handful of prizes awarded by a jury comprised of twelve local individuals representing all orientations, who have distinguished themselves for their commitments to advancing the arts, advancing film, and/or advancing causes that serve the LGBTQ communities. The 2018 inaugural jury members are: Lucy Anderson, Alfred Cervantes, Karen Fang, Trey Ferguson, Enrique Garay, Kelsey Gledhill, Margarita De La Vega Hurtado, Robin Mack, Mark McCray, Michelle Mower, Dennis Nance and Koomah. I am proud to have the participation and enthusiasm of each of these individuals!

Winners for all awards will be announced at our Closing Night program.

For our first open call, submissions exceeded a total of 1500, so the process of extracting just 33 shorts and features for this year’s competition was no small feat. My gratitude to this year’s volunteer screeners: Omar Bossio, Desirae Embree, Michael Glazner, Rob Katz, Ceci Norman and Erica Soileau.

Finally, I hope each of you have the Opportunity to experience the remarkable wealth of films from all parts of the world.

In keeping with the spirit that has shaped QFest from the beginning, I firmly believe this year’s program provides a much needed catharsis to a year defined by such profoundly disturbing and consequential upheavals. I invite everyone to take the opportunity to invite others to join you in experiencing the unifying and transformative power of film.

Happy QFest!

Kristian Salinas Artistic Director QFest is a non-profit organization dedicated to promoting the arts as a powerful tool for communication and cooperation among diverse communities by presenting programs by, about, or of interest to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender and queer community.

ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Kristian Salinas CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Michael Robinson VOLUNTEER/SPECIAL EVENT COORDINATOR Stephanie Saint Sanchez PRINT PROGRAM DESIGN Kelsey Gledhill 35MM PROJECTION Ralph Kaethner

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OPENING NIGHT

THURSDAY, JULY 26 7PM | MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS HOUSTON 9PM | AFTER PARTY | BRASIL CAFE

+ SHORTS | 7PM Mad as Hell DIRECTED BY EMILY PELSTRING | 2017 | CANADA | 4:10 MIN In this expressive music video, 1940’s and 50’s animated war propaganda is used against itself as this feminist subversive piece that gives the finger to thewar-propagating government.

Fundamental DIRECTED BY SHIH-CHIEN CHUI | 2017 | TAIWAN | 7 MIN Having grown up in a conservative household, a young teenager begins to learn that the world isn’t so black and white as he leaves his fundamentalist religion behind.

+ FEATURE | 7:30PM The Miseducation of Cameron Post Cameron, a closeted senior in high school, is caught by her boyfriend making out with her best friend during prom. The embarrassing revelation results in Cameron being sent away by her conservative family to an isolated religiously based conversion therapy camp in the woods. Attempting to get through this ordeal by remaining hidden in the shadows, she finds herself both confronted by the more aggressive campers, who accuse her of thinking she’s better than everyone, and befriended by two of the most resistant campers, Native American Adam, who was sent to camp by his politician father, and Jane Fonda, a mysterious young woman who, along with Adam, grows marijuana in the neighboring woods and hides her stash inside her prosthetic leg. Based on the book of the same name by Emily M. Danforth.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post DIRECTED BY DESIREE AKHAVAN 2018 | 90 MIN | USA | COLOR | FILMRISE

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FRIDAY, JULY 27 | 7PM | RICE CINEMA Reinventing Marvin (Marvin ou la belle education)

DIRECTED BY ANNE FONTAINE

2017 | 115 MIN | FRANCE | COLOR FRENCH AND ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Following a tumultuous childhood growing up with vicious bullying at school and physical threats at home from his older brother, Martin is awarded a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to travel to Paris for university, a chance arranged by his sympathetic principle. In Paris, Marvin reinvents himself as a playwright with the encouragement of an established playwright as his mentor, a wealthy Parisian as his financier/lover, andIsabelle Huppert as his muse. Encouraged to reveal the details of his childhood in his newest work, Martin unexpectedly strikes gold. However, along with the success comes resentment, as Martin’s family very publicly denounces their portrayals as fabrications. Against the advice of others, Martin returns home to set the record straight.

TF1 Studio

FRIDAY, JULY 27 | 7PM | MFAH US PREMIERE | (OUT OF COMPETITION)

The Heiresses (Las herederas) Chela and Chiquita have both grown accustomed to wealth from inheritance, but with their financial situation recently soured, their increasing amounts of debts not only cause them to sell off their possessions, but leads to Chiquita's imprisonment on charges of fraud.

Chela, left with no support, begins using one of their only assets left, their car, to make extra money as a taxi service, driving around wealthy older women. When Chela meets a younger woman who stills lives lavishly and freely, she begins to fantasize about new passions and escapes.

DIRECTED BY MARCELO MARTINESSI 2018 | 97 MIN | PARAGUAY | COLOR SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

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FRIDAY, JULY 27 | 7:30PM ASIA SOCIETY TEXAS CENTER

DIRECTED BY LEE SANG-WOO 2018 | 107 MIN | SOUTH KOREA | COLOR KOREAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

CALL ME sis Mi-ae, the middle aged mother of three and wife of a relatively prosperous bank executive grows increasingly frustrated by her two sons’ demeaning behavior towards her, her boorish husband’s unforgivable cheapness, and her own sadness at never having felt for herself the joys of true love, something she becomes acutely aware ofobserving her estranged daughter’s loving relationship with another woman.

After abruptly leaving a disastrous anniversary evening arranged by her thoughtless husband, Mi-ae meets the shy and kind Soo-nim, her youngest son’s schoolmate. Choosing instead to spend a long evening with Soo-nim rather than return home to the male members of her family, Mi-ae becomes irresistibly drawn to this gentle young woman, insisting that Soon-nim refer to her as sis.

Print Courtesy of the Artist

FRIDAY, JULY 27 | 9:30PM RICE CINEMA Kill the Monsters Wealthy gay couple Patrick and Sutton agree to take in young, struggling Frankie, who is both intellectually vulnerable and easily susceptible to becoming physically ill from the stresses of daily life. Though things begin promisingly, it soon becomes clear that Frankie’s increasing malady requires the services of a specialist, one both Patrick and Sutton believe they’ll find inCalifornia. Dragging the ailing Frankie along on a cross country trip, Patrick and Sutton begin to experience their own stresses, resulting in a series of break-ups, make-ups, and ever-shifting allegiances. However, it becomes evident that the glue holding their unconventional relationship together is the gratification they all receive from partaking in overindulgences of any kind, particularly of the carnal variety. Print Courtesy of the Artist 14 q-fest.com

DIRECTED BY RYAN LONERGAN 2017 | 78 MIN | USA | B&W

SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 12PM RICE CINEMA The Sign for Love Elad and Iris are best friends who were both born deaf to hearing families. Despite being single, Iris becomes determined to be a mother and asks Elad to be the father.

Agreeing to Iris’ proposal, the two friends pursue their quixotic journey towards parenthood full of an optimism that must now endure their respective families’ resistance and their own grave miscalculations of what it takes to be parents.

Print Courtesy of the Artist

DIRECTED BY IRIS BEN MOSHE & ELAN COHEN 2017 | 75 MIN | ISRAEL | COLOR HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 12:30PM RICE CINEMA Señorita Maria, la Falda de la Montaña (Señorita Maria Skirting the Mountain) High in the mountains of rural Colombia lives María Luisa, a 45 yearold who was born male but identifies as a woman, living her life as one in her staunchly conservative, Catholic village. Shunned from birth and the subject of rumors that have swirled around her most of her life, María has found in her love for animals and her faith, a way of dealing with a world that has done nothing but despise her. Standing tall and proud, there is nothing powerful enough to wipe her smile away.

Habanero Film Sales

DIRECTED BY RUBÉN MENDOZA

2017 | 90 MIN | COLUMBIA | COLOR SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

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SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 1:30PM RICE CINEMA This Spring (Au printemps tu verras) Deciding the time is finally right to come out to his friends and family, Nicolas brings his camera to record the responses of those near and dear after they each read letters he has written to share his life with them.

When it comes to his immediate family, Nicolas expresses hesitation to his sister about moving forward with his plans, unsure of what to expect from his father, mother, and grandmother.

Print Courtesy of the Artist

DIRECTED BY NICOLAS GERIFAUD 2017 | 63 MIN | FRANCE | COLOR FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 3PM RICE CINEMA The Year I Lost My Mind (Jahr des Tigers) Tom is a troubled young man who lives within a dark world of his own creation. Unable and unwilling to communicate with those around him, Tom seeks companionship through anonymous encounters in a public park. Unemployed, Tom scrapes by committing home burglaries with his only friend. During a break in, they discover the home owner sleeping undisturbed, an attractive intellectual who will soon become the unwitting target of Tom’s growing obsession.

However, the predator finds himself the prey when a mysterious and frightening helmet-clad stranger appears, determined to drag Tom further into darkness.

Print Courtesy of the Artist

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DIRECTED BY TOR IBEN 2017 | 85 MIN | GERMANY | COLOR GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 5PM STUDIO MOVIE GRILL PEARLAND Tempting Devils (Que le diable nous emporte) Camille, an erotic arts photographer, stumbles across a misplaced cell phone at the train station on which she finds a series of very explicit videos, presumably shot by the phone’s missing owner. Back in Paris, Camille meets Suzy, the phone’s very photogenic owner. Intrigued by Camille’s photography, Suzy agrees to an impromptu photo session, which very quickly turns sensuous.

Camille’s friend and lover, Clara, spies on both women, soon joining them in their lovemaking, all of whom are abruptly interrupted by Suzy’s distraught boyfriend.

WTFilms DIRECTED BY JEAN-CLAUDE BRISSEAU 2018 | 98 MIN | FRANCE | COLOR | 3D FRENCH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 5:30PM | MFAH TEXAS PREMIERE (OUT OF COMPETITION) They Fourteen year old J, going by the pronoun "they," is on hormone blockers, giving time to decide whether to transition. While their parents are away, the doctor tells J that they need to come to a decision soon. J's sister Lauren and her Iranian partner Araz come into town to help take care of J, not knowing of the impending decision, with issues from the past arising as each of the three have to make crucial decisions.

DIRECTED BY ANAHITA GHAZVINIZADEH 2017 | 80 MIN | USA & QATAR | COLOR ENGLISH & PERSIAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

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SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 6:30PM RICE CINEMA

DIRECTED BY STARR WU 2018 | 106 MIN | TAIWAN | COLOR CHINESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

The Story of Stone Josh, a horny new arrival to Taipei’s gay party scene, quickly falls in with the muscle boy crowd surrounding “Miss” Fong, proprietor of local hotspot Stone Bar, where Fong quickly enlists Josh as one of his Golden Boys, a posse of hotties hired to “entice” patrons to spend money at the bar. Lin, a shy florist who has set up shop under Stone bar following the death of his longtime boyfriend to AIDS, attracts Josh’s attention. Still devastated by his loss, Lin is quick to rebuff Josh, though Josh remains persistent. Sean, a well-heeled beefcake who has just opened a high end men’s boutique nearby and a friend of Miss Fong, quickly sets his sights on Josh, seducing him with kindness rather than sex. Unaware of Sean’s motives, Josh gradually falls prey to his charms, resulting in a devastating outcome for Lin. Print Courtesy of the Producer

SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 7PM | HMAAC Sidney & Friends Sidney, who was born intersex to a family in Western Kenya, was forced to flee to Nairobi after his family, convinced he was possessed by demons who wanted to make him a man, attempted to murder him.

Forced from slum to slum andsubjected to beatings and humiliation at the hands of strangers, Sidney’s life changes for the better once he meets a group of transgender friends.

Filmed over the course of three years, Sidney and his friends share their life stories with poignancy and humor.

Print Courtesy of the Artist

BY TRISTAN AITCHISON 18DIRECTED q-fest.com

2018 | 75 MIN | UK | COLOR & B&W SWAHILI & ENGLISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

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COMPETITION SHORTS

SATURDAY, JULY 28 7:30PM | AURORA PICTURE SHOW

COMPETITION SHORTS: DO QUEERS DREAM OF NEON SHEEP? QFest and Aurora co-present this curated program of short films told through queer imaginations and reconciliations, and spanning a wide array of genres and tones. Queer themes and identities are explored through narrative, documentary, experimental, and animated shorts from around the world.

Sky Room

Contact

MARIANNA MILHORAT | USA | 5:55

LÉA BANCELIN | FRANCE | 5:34

Someone is missing. Plants grow, but at what cost? Technology threatens and seduces as humans attempt to solve a mystery through telepathy and mirrors

After an unintentional phone call, Marie looks back on her relationship with Anne.

Bad Bed VAL HILDALGO | ARGENTINA | 8:22

Two woman try to make their relationship work, but know there’s only one taking control, while the other is falling out of love.

Finding love after being loved could be tricky—usually we replace someone with somebody, trying to fill it all again.

Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

White Bedrooms GABRIEL MORAN | SPAIN | 3:16

The most important moment of the thoughts and emotions of a man who strives for the warm arrival of his partner.

Duo Impact MOLLY HARDING, MIRANDA EVERINGHAM & ALEXANDRA NAGY | CUBA | 7:49

This documentary shines a light on the work done by a lesbian couple who perform female to male drag, examining two women's efforts to challenge gender expectations in rural Havana.

Enzo

SERENA PORCHER-CARLI | FRANCE | 7:23

A cozy and intimate documentary focusing on a trans-man living in France.

Tristan SONAM LARCIN & GASPARD GRANIER BELGIUM | 11:03

Tristan and his husband had a little girl together, but when he arrives to the nursery, Tristan realizes that not everyone sees his paternity the way he does.

Initiation DIRECTED BY MARIO OROZCO | MEXICO | 3:08

The process of creation of a writer on an oniric situation.

The Two Halves GWENN JOYAUX | ARGENTINA, PORTUGAL | 3:40

A girl was cut in two when she was born, but only one half made it through. The half with the head survived, as earthworms do.

Lac de plumes EMILY PELSTRING | CANADA | 4:10

In this music video for IDALG, a woman smokes and waits for a phone call. In another forestial world, accessed through a magic jewelry box, a snake maneuvers through minerals and plant life. The two worlds gradually merge as the body of the woman and snake become intertwined.

Dead. Tissue. Love.

NATASHA AUSTIN-GREEN | UK | 9:48

This intimate experimental documentary explores the individual character of a female necrophile, as she journeys and recounts her life experiences, sexual awakening and how she expresses her sexuality, whilst hiding it from a society that puts a demonized face on a human figure.

Onward Lossless Follows MICHAEL ROBINSON | USA | 16:45

A password-protected love affair, a little vapor on Venus, and a horse with no name ride out in search of a better world. Against the mounting darkness, a willing abduction offers a stab at tomorrow.

Dances RAMON WATKINS | AUSTRALIA | 5:22

A collection of true experiences on dating apps from the queer community, explored through dance and animation.

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SATURDAY, JULY 28 | 9PM RICE CINEMA | US PREMIERE He Loves Me Convinced a holiday away from the city will help mend their rocky relationship, two young men hitchhike to a remote seaside enclave, filling their days and nights with passionate lovemaking in the crystal clear water and excursions into the rocky outcrops for sensuous alone time under the sun.

But things gradually take a turn when the doubts they left behind catch up to them, leading to an emotionally charged confrontation that will either result in the crumbling of their already fragile relationship, or an opportunity to once again discover the spark that united them in the first place.

Print Courtesy of the Artist

DIRECTED BY KONSTANTINOS MENELAOU 2017 | 72 MIN | UK | COLOR

SUNDAY, JULY 29 | 12PM RICE CINEMA Dear Fredy Fredy Hirsch was born in Germany, a proud Jew and an openly gay man whose athleticism gained him a spot on Germany’s gymnastics team in the 1936 Olympics, but who’s Jewish ancestry would result in his disqualification under Hitler. Though he would eventually end up in Auschwitz, interviews with survivors who knew Hirsch reveal all he did to protect children imprisoned inside the concentration camps. Earning the respect of his fellow prisoners, he would eventually plot a revolt with members of the Auschwitz underground, a plan that never came to pass as a result of his mysterious death. Erez Laufer Films DIRECTED BY RUBI GAT 2017 | 74 MIN | ISRAEL | COLOR & B&W CZECH & HEBREW WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

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SUNDAY, JULY 29 | 1:30PM RICE CINEMA Grey Violet—Odd One Out Following Putin’s total clampdown on free expression and a renewed threat towards the safety of LGBTQ individuals by his supporters, Grey Violet, a queer political activist decides he must leave Russia and seek political asylum in Europe. As he proceeds through the arduous and sometimes fraught process, interviews back in Russia with his concerned mother provide a personal glimpse into the devastating impact caused by the lack of human rights.

NapaFilms

DIRECTED BY REETA AALTO 2017 | 54 MIN | FINLAND | COLOR RUSSIAN & FINNISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

SUNDAY, JULY 29 | 2PM | RICE CINEMA Cracking Nuts Vahide, a 29-year-old woman is at a troubling crossroads. After putting an end to a painful relationship back in Istanbul, Vahide returns to the rural Black Sea region of Turkey, her father’s homeland. Living with her religiously conservative aunt, tensions begin immediately for Vahide, provoked by her green hair and her complete lack of concern or respect for the traditions that structure the lives of both her extended family and their fellow villagers. However, after unintentionally stumbling upon a secret kept by her younger cousin Saliha, Vahide finds herself increasingly consumed by her cousin’s secret life, while her own secrets are in danger of being exposed by her resentful aunt.

Print Courtesy of the Artist

DIRECTED BY TOLGAY HIÇYILMAZ 2018 | 93 MIN | TURKEY | COLOR TURKISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

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SUNDAY, JULY 29 | 4PM | RICE CINEMA Air (Luft)

DIRECTED BY ANATOL SCHUSTER 2017 | 91 MIN | GERMANY | COLOR GERMAN WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

Ne’er do well Louk finds herself in yet another predicament when she antagonizes a pair of hunters by chasing away their intended targets.

While fleeing an inevitably nasty confrontation, Louk collides with studious, kind-hearted Manja, knocking them both to the ground.

Thankful for Manja’s silence as the hunters approach, Louk exchanges a soft kiss on Manja’s lips. Overcome

by Louk’s gesture, Manja finds herself consumed by the volatile Louk, committing acts that she would normally not do in order to remain close and to take care of this achingly lost soul. But Louk, haunted by her own tragic past, may not be capable of reciprocating Manja’s depth of emotions.

Print Courtesy of the Producer

SUNDAY, JULY 29 | 6PM RICE CINEMA Misty Eyes (Los Ojos Llorosos) Alice, a young journalist recently diagnosed with AIDS, becomes consumed by uncertainty as he begins his treatment. Making matters worse is his addiction to cocaine and his inability to open up to his own family. Seeking refuge in a former lover, Alice finds their reunion both comforting and afflicted by old habits that previously undermined their relationship. Alice realizes that any chance of survival will depend solely on his own willingness to open up to others for help, which in turn means he must also be open to the painful revelations of his loved ones.

Print Courtesy of the Artist DIRECTED BY CRISTIÁN PELLEGRINI 2018 | 100 MIN | ARGENTINA | COLOR SPANISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

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SUNDAY, JULY 29 | 8PM | RICE CINEMA 35 MM | (REVIVAL)

DIRECTED BY NORIFUMI SUZUKI 1974 | 91 MIN | JAPAN | COLOR/ TOEISCOPE JAPANESE WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES

School of the Holy Beast Many years following the mysterious death of her mother, a young woman enters the nunhood at the Sacred Heart Convent in an attempt to learn the truth behind her mother’s demise, only to uncover far more than she intended, for behind these convent walls exists a depraved and corrupt world replete with sadistic nuns relishing in perversely abusive rituals, lecherous God-hating archbishops consumed by their lust for the flesh, and a brutal lesbian mother superior filled with hate and hypocrisy. Despite its intentionally sleazy and salacious overtones, director Norifumi Suzuki, a celebrated artisan of the “pinky” genre which is much loved in Japan, delivers undeniable moments ofgenuine artistry and pure cinema. Long considered one of the most exquisitely realized films of the genre.

Print Courtesty of Cult Epics

CLOSING NIGHT

MONDAY, JULY 30 | 7PM | RICE CINEMA PRESENTED BY SPECTRUM SOUTH

1985 DIRECTED BY YEN TAN 2018 | 85 MIN | USA | B&W | THE FILM COLLABOARATIVE

7PM | QFEST AWARDS CEREMONY Join us as we celebrate the Closing Night of QFest Houston 2018, presented by Spectrum South! The evening will include the festival’s official awards presentation including, Freedom of Vision Award, Best Picture, Best Direction, Best Performance, Best Screenplay, and Best Short Film.

7:30 PM | 1985 Set during one of the most traumatic periods of the AIDS crises, Adrian, a young man recently diagnosed with AIDS, leaves New York to visit his family for the Christmas holidays. Returning back to rural, conservative Texas also means returning to the closet.

Nevertheless, knowing this will very likely be his last trip home, Adrian attempts to make amends not only with his doting mother and distant father, but also with his sensitive young brother, Andrew, who eventually confides to Adrian of feeling like an outcast, and with Carly, his best friend from high school who continues to resent Adrian for having left her behind without a word.

9PM | CLOSING NIGHT RECEPTION Following the Closing Night screening, join us for drinks, dancing, and mixing and mingling with fellow queer film enthusiasts in the Rice Media reception hall. Snap a pic in the Spectrum South photo booth, grab a complimentary beer or glass of wine from the bar, and enjoy beats by Bradley David Entertainment.

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