Asia’s longest-runnRx=)[email protected][email protected]=i_1iing queer film festival will kick off in Hong Kong next month.

The Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (HKGLFF) will hold screenings, panel discussions, and parties across the city between September 7 and 21.

Celebrating the landmark film festival's 30th anniversary, HKGLFF this year will include a Hong Kong Retrospective LpK31ZU4xZFGc07XR^[email protected]selection in the festival’s program.

"In 1991, the Hong Kong Legislative Council agreed to decriminalize private, adult and consensual homosexual relations in Hong Kong, the local film industry suddenly had a hot new topic for their
storylines” explains the festival.

HKLGFF pays tribute to the films that explored the complexity of local LGBTI issues and significantly contributed to the gay culture of Hong Kon(!M-THxnegU7dFfMqr%UHQmxiuUB&!GbQXkE%mmoonmx9h9Ne)g.

The selection includes feature films Yang and Yin: Gender in Chinese CNV62sSNiiBxfw2CJTs!yctW!ET#&FnO3A(ikj&6x!LYJo1xj!Yinema, A Woman is A Woman, and Butterfly as well as a short film titled My Way.

The festival’s wider program this year has a comedic focust#x0O2iXT^Bs_IRGBhJieAw$dz&!VKPLQNiJ^S_gK(=OosQ7$q.  A French comedy called The Shiny Shrimps and Bollywood’s first lesbian film, rom-com How I Felt When I Saw That Girl, will open the festival.

As ever, HKGLFF highlights regional films. The two centrepiece [email protected]^T4do^[email protected])6b_sV+xK0gfilms are award-winning Song Long from Vietnam and Between The Seasons from South Korea.

In a first, this year the festival will bring LGBTI cinema to more corners of theREHYny5$1SK9tueCxXUYP%@uRgU*eY*lOORxy_bnxB#Fi#-%Dn city. The We Are GAYbours initiative will see screenings and Q and As take place in residential district Sham Shui Po.

As ever, the festival will also recognize the commitment to LGBTI rights from Hong Kongers with the Prism Award. This year it will be handed to Angus Leung and Scot8it^)[email protected]^xAZmrckOTt Adams.

Angus Leung in June this year won a landmark court caWP8i2J$Ie2u#g$AL7=uKIG7cVmoH6d%-7*3Pjk67sX$PvTm6O$se against the government for spousal rights for civil servants and equality in the eyes of the tax department. It was a major step forward in LGBTI rights in the city.

“M-EF8xQ4GOT0t_7xo8ODa%KTdzCl4tFuJGW7(k1&7bwVc27a&GBe proud of yourself,” Leung said, according to HKLGFF. "Love wins. Love will win again and again.”

On September 8, HKLGFF will host a discussion panel of the Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance members. Guests will travel from as far as Sri Lanka and PabE(_DHMi%pdHWT_Lhhmb$jQE%[email protected]*9xQ5wqZVOpYKSkistan to attend.