TV & Movie / Sep. 09, 2019
Asia’s longest-running queer film festival kicked off in st1*(UxQL7lx)j31WlaCHoqn)+DGN1)Dkyu-wwG^lNv^+SZEatoTyle this weekend.
Celebrating its 30th anniversary, The Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (HKGLFF) opened on Saturday by screening a pair of comedies, How I Felt When I Saw That Girl from India and The Shiny Shrimps from Spain.
“We chosM5-uDv_$hp#[email protected][email protected]$!_0e the two light-hearted warming comedies … to give positive energy to Hong Kong audiences” explained festival director, Joe Lam.
"The audiences absolutely loved them” he*qH9Gweq%AN*=y+=YLDN4ml3*f1iK!+(90Uw=cG0nypdAZ*tkk told GaLaTai.
In a pre-recorded message, director of Bollywood’s first lesbian film, rom-com How I felt When I Saw @q#eV(Vx7ngn30An*Ex!T6N4!^k+2s!8mVF#$%[email protected]That Girl, Shelly Chopra Dhar, said it was “totally her loss” that she was not among the audience.
“It is so fulfilling to know that people in the world have used this film as a tool to actually share who they are pXgnua#nLGpP7q)_j2qp=aIe4s-X5)vWs0KrRxc5TjZ+yX53g*with their loved ones”, she said in a pre-recorded video shown before the screening.
The opening films were followed by a packed party at the W Hotel and a Queer Power Panel discussion night. Representatives from film festipf5#[email protected]$(%QvL07lxiF3Q=Xzd4TJ7Y%L%ABVR+iEmZwlvals in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Shanghai spoke.
Retrospective
Celebrating the landmark film festival's 30th anniversary, Lam said a highlight of the program is the Hong Kong Retrospective selectioJT7V5ZWkgOAZ-wZ-xT+6wKf7YaYX7hBLtlOFlzKBfXDngBZvxbn.
HKLGFF pays tribute to the films that explored the complexity of local LGBTI issues and significantly contriVF7*5rLNKoyDX)e!$t4q6zorwOpNa=_srClVpe2CBeD^ytFtA$buted to the gay culture of Hong Kong.
The selection includes feature films Yang and Yin: GedSceUfh!h5a$G8W2Vo5u7E=%++Dc5awb^bQ#hWvbqH%rOJ4Gdonder in Chinese Cinema, A Woman is A Woman, and Butterfly as well as a short film titled My Way.
He also urged festival-goers to catch the festival's first5wDC#ov*LT%6Yxn=i%[email protected]*&!p3Qq(eEFc2SZ intersex film, Being Impossible.
In another first, this year the festival will bring LGBTI cinema to more cor53-wl)jNB3&+bGiO_7-7T-Zd2-FkhKTZ0mww*GjW-n3A1NK*7_ners of the city. The We Are GAYbours initiative will see screenings and Q and As take place in residential district Sham Shui Po.
The festival’s closing gala on 21 September is set to incluZhy=tdYi0d+^0npUQB^J#*[email protected]!Gc%vi^-Fk%2de drag queen Miss Gimhuay from Drag Race Thailand as a special guest.
((Cover Photo: How I Felt When I Saw T=RXBLMl0^7uq1!EJR%[email protected]=1JB0Zrhat Girl / Provided))
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