(The poster for “Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride)The inaugural Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival (DGLFF) is running at the KZNSA Gallery until November 6.
The main gallery is the principal venue and features screenings while the Park Gallery holds principal workshops and plenary sessions. There will be informal discussions in the Mezzanine Gallery and the Multi-media Room hosts small documentary screenings.
DGLFF has been conceived and organised by festival director Jason Fiddler and proceeds from the project will benefit both the KZNSA and the KwaZulu-Natal Gay & Lesbian Tourism Association (KZNGALTA). The DGLFF offers an independent platform for filmmakers from South Africa and across the world to specifically deal with issues relating to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Intersexed (LGBTI) community. It showcases new and innovative feature films, documentaries and shorts whilst conducting workshops and discussions on past LGBTI movies, filmmaking and the relationship between the visual medium and pink community.
This by no means excludes individuals and stories from mainstream cinema, but will allow the LGBTI community to celebrate and explore ideas, concepts and tales of resonating interest with them. Talent discovery and skills development have been hallmarks of many international film festivals, and the DGLFF will endeavour to work with experienced hands to help nurture and provide opportunity to young filmmakers. The festival hopes to create a reputation for launching LGBTI-themed motion pictures to the South African LGBTI public.
The opening night film on October 28 was the multiple international award winning Judas Kiss, which has generated praise from critics and attendees at a number of North American pink film festivals. This will be the Pink African Premiere for this acclaimed US/Canadian motion picture.
Charlie David, a growing star in LGBTI film circles, plays the lead in Judas Kiss and his recent film Mulligans will also be screened. 2 Frogs in the West, a French Canadian film will appeal to lesbian viewers and gay guys alike, and the powerful Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride will bring potent ideas to the fore about the relevance of rainbow pride in our modern era.
House of Boys, set in Amsterdam in 1984, is a poignant and deeply moving film dealing with complex relationships as the dread of the AIDS pandemic began to take root. South African documentaries speaking specifically about the dangers facing black Lesbians will include Breaking out of the Box and Difficult Love. Local independent filmmakers, students, amateurs and professionals alike have been invited to create/screen their short productions around key concepts orientated towards the LGBTI community.
Says festival Director Jason Fiddler, “There is no denying it. South Africa today may have the world’s finest Constitution and a Bill of Rights, but human rights are regularly infringed and suppressed on a daily basis. The practice of ‘corrective rape’ has become endemic, where Lesbians, in particular black Lesbians, are targeted by men seeking to literally force a change in their sexuality. Prejudice is experienced daily by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Intersexed (LGBTI) individuals.
“At the heart of it lies ignorance and fear,” he continues. “Durban is seeing a renaissance of sorts in 2011. The first major Pride event in many years saw almost 1000 proud individuals marching together through Durban. Surrounding events saw higher than expected numbers of attendees. LGBTI people are becoming more open and proud in their rejection of stigma, especially in very conservative communities. The DGLFF comes fresh on the heels of this resurgence of Rainbow Pride and aims to further raise the profile of our community within KwaZulu-Natal. Support for the DGLFF has led to in-kind sponsorship by the KZNSA Gallery as a venue & co-publicist, Gearhouse SA incorporating their student programme with serious equipment sponsorship, and various media companies and publications lending their support from publicity to the development of the Festival website.”
The Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival runs until November 6. There are screenings daily from 09h00 to 23h00 and ample parking is available around the Gallery with security on site. Tickets R35 per main screening (R20 per documentary/short set). A Gold Pass at R400 allows the patron to see every production and share with others. A Silver Pass at R200 allows the patron to see each production once only and share with others. There is free access to public workshops and discussions and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Tickets can only be bought at the KZNSA Gallery in person and payment can be made by cash, debit or credit card. All advance and block bookings made via email: bookings@dglff.org.za
The Arts Cafe will be open from 08h30 to 18h00 daily and there will be refreshments for sale for evening screenings. Film reviews can be obtained directly from the DGLFF Website pages dedicated to each production, along with a YouTube trailer. Visit www.dglff.org.za
The KZNSA Gallery is situated at 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, Durban. Phone 031 277 1703/5, email: gallery@kznsagallery or visit www.kznsagallery.co.za
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