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XPOSED International Queer Film Festival
Thursday, 30 May 2024 until Sunday, 02 June 2024
Fifteen years of shaping, forming, breaking, discovering and finding XPOSED is about QUEER FILM in all it’s forms, glory, shame, distaste, trash and beauty. Sometimes it’s all in one and sometimes it’s spread out like Blanche at the Rusty Anchor.
XPOSED was started as a passion project, a passion for Queer Film, for Berlin and the ever expanding possibilities of storytelling within the world of Queer Film and the festival remains to this day a passion project. This festival is made by people who enjoy making festival, who enjoy queer films, filmmakers and queer Berlin, and this is reflected within the programming of the festival.
By not only screening some of the newest films around, XPOSED takes special care to always mix their programs with new and old films, be it in a short film program or a feature screening with a short. XPOSED enjoys creating programs and these programs can only be created by looking at the queer perspective from all corners of the world, perspectives that challenge normative views, propose an alternate way of thinking, and approach life and story telling from another way.
Created in 2006, the XPOSED International Queer Film Festival has built itself with the aim of creating entertaining, odd, left of centre Queer Film Programs that also in turn eXPOSE the Queer Filmmakers out into the international world of Queer Festivals and beyond. You can only be you when you are truly XPOSED. This festival, in the end, is about YOU.
2024 films...
Asog
Avant-Drag!
Cidade; Campo
Cinema Fouad
Close to You
Ještě nejsem, kým chci být (I’m Not Everything I Want to Be)
LEVANTE (POWER ALLEY)
Má Sài Gòn (Mother Saigon)
Mavi Kimlik (Blue ID)
Queendom
Riptide
Shorts 1 – Poetics of Perspective
Soft Bwoi
SOFT BWOI is a short art/experimental film that explores the existence of black males in our society and the restrictive parameters in which they have been given to survive in. Through the creative lens of yardie, dancehall and sound system culture, the film is for black men to observe the negative stereotypes that are associated with them and the toxic traits they have prescribed to. Angling for our community to self define what it means to be black and male by inviting vulnerability and the divine feminine to discover SOFT BWOI.
by Danny Bailey
UK, 2023
getty abortions
What do abortions look like? What kind of images shape our view on them? And where do these images come from? The desktop essay getty abortions examines how German and Austrian media illustrate the topic of abortion, browsing through stock photos, teen magazines and documents of a real abortion experience. It jumps from the early 2000s to the late 19th century, seeks out feminist knowledge and chats with fictional characters. But one question remains: Why does no one look into the camera?
by Franzis Kabisch
Germany, Austria, 2023
21 min.
Du Bist So Wunderbar (Paradise Europe)
On the day thousands of people went to the streets protesting against unaffordable rents in Berlin and the abolishment of the rental cap law, a gay Brazilian immigrant who was just kicked out of his apartment struggles to find a new room while his personal life falls apart as well as the city around him. Winner of the Silver Leopard at the 76th Locarno Film Festival – Pardi di Domani International Competition.
by Paulo Menezes & Leandro Goddinho
Germany / Brazil, 2023
17 min.
Les Sports X-trem
Lino trains day and night under the cunning supervision of Loana, a renowned boxing champion. Muscled flirting or sporty bromance? Between coups de fonte and satin bed sheets, their common horizon is the ultimate simultaneous knockout.
by Gio Ventura
France, 2023
19 min
Se Eu Tô Aqui é Por Mistério (If I’m Here It Is By Mystery)
New Rio, 2054. The renowned witch Dahlia arrives at the port with a mission: to establish the most powerful Clan that has ever existed and, thus, defeat the Order of Truth. In the future, many people are trans – but only a few are witches.
by Clari Ribeiro
Brazil, 2024
21 min.
Shorts 2 – Until We Meet Again
Nyame Mma
Following his father’s sudden death, a young man returns home for the funeral and closure as his father journeys to the afterworld. Nyame Mma explores how lack of space for queer men and male grieving makes their loss very isolating.
by Joewackle J. Kusi
Ghana, 2024
27 min.
everything in our house did not seem to fit
Part exorcism, part film, everything in our house did not seem to fit is an exploration of remembrance. This cinematic exorcism ritual is a poetic and experimental eulogy to the past, as it sheds light on the forgotten corners of childhood once lived.
by Alicia Abieyuwa Bergamelli
Italy / Nigeria, 2023
6 min.
親密雜音 (Heart Murmurs)
Heart Murmurs is a poetic dialogue between the filmmaker and Dean, a young man living in Hong Kong. In reflecting on his experience living with a congenital disability and HIV during the first years of the COVID pandemic, the film questions the boundary of care and control.
by Dorothy Cheung
Hong Kong, 2023
9 min.
Congratulations, Dx!
After receiving an undetectable HIV status, Dexter finally shows up in a birthday party and reconnects with his friends, following a long and sudden absence in their milestones and lives.
by Mark Felix Ebreo
Philippines, 2023
20 min.
I don’t want to be just a memory
Fellow Berlin queer community members together mourn the loss of their dead friends due to substance abuse and mental health crisis (and the loss of urban safe spaces in general) by sharing a few personal materials, stories and honest criticism about the club/nightlife scene. Resembling glowing-in-the-dark fungi such as Panellus stipticus, they transform dead bodies and memories into a collective structure that sustains future living – radiating the light together as a network of support and care.
by Sarnt Utamachote
Germany, 2024
20 min.
Shorts 3 – Flaring Up
Issues with my other Half
In 23 short scenes, in Issues with my other Half deep-seated fears are visualized as surreal nightmares.
by Anna Vasof
Austria, 2023
5 min.
Flare
A first-person poetic search for freedom and identity whilst navigating landscapes of autoimmunity
by Kate Blamire
Germany, 2023
27 min.
Plaza Melayang (Enflightenment)
Once upon a future, there was a man who didn’t grow wings. He yearns to fly like others and often has vivid dreams about it. When the dreams vanished without a trace, his world crumbled, but that devastation didn’t stop him from wanting to fly.
by Teo Wey Yinn
Malaysia, 2023
11 min.
Hold On To Me
Hold On To Me is an ode to Mother LaTravious, originally from Florida, a Black trans matriarch who chronicles her journey from a caterpillar on the street to a beautiful butterfly. Her transition, however, is not one of gender, but of the mind, heart and character — one she hopes her community of Black and Brown sisters will one day undertake as trans women brimming with potential.
Mother LaTravious and her community signify a chosen family both Rajvi and I as co-directors craved, and we felt compelled to make this film as an ode to the beauty, safety and dignity espoused in this world.
Unfortunately, Mother LaTravious passed away on October 12, mere days before Hold On To Me’s first screening at NewFest. We are determined to spread her vision for her community to as many audiences around the world as possible, in Hold On To Me, which will now serve to be one of the last forever places she will live on.
by Te Shima Anusha Brennen and Rajvi Desai
United States, 2022
5 min.
La Machine d’Alex (Alex’s Machine)
Alex is the only girl in her “automotive biomechanics” class. For her degree, she has chosen to build an engine made of artificial flesh. One night, Chloé, who shares her boarding school room, discovers that Alex takes a singular pleasure in working on her living machine…
by Mael Le Mée
France, 2022
25 min.
Bold Eagle
Trapped at home with hallucinogenic drugs and his talking cat, an “alter” anonymously performs lascivious acts on the Internet, seeking refuge in the strong arms of strange men, hoping to masturbate his way to true happiness.
by Whammy Alcazaren
Philippines, 2022
16 min.
Shorts 4 – Intergenerational Bonds
I Was Never Really Here
Sam (17, German-Ghanaian) and his mother Rita are eagerly awaiting the arrival of their old friend Gifty and her son Kwesi (19, Ghanaian). When Kwesi enters Sam’s life, the two begin to fall in love with each other and Sam begins to question his identity. Their growing connection is threatened by Kwesi’s lack of residency status. Gifty seeks help from Sam’s mother but time is running out and Rita’s efforts cannot prevent the worst.
by Gabriel Bihina Arrahnio
Germany, 2022
23 min.
Ne jamais s’arrêter de crier
(Never stop shouting)
The writer and filmmaker Abdellah Taïa writes a letter to his gay nephew, Brahim, to help him getting out of fear, to support him, to walk beside him. To love him strongly.
by Abdellah Taïa
France, Morocco, 2023
10 min.
Manting
Manting, a Chinese woman in her early 60s, reconnects with the lesbian lover from her adolescence when one of her old classmates passes away. After classmates’ reunion event in a karaoke bar, they spend a night together, roaming in the city.
by Shuyao Chen
China, USA, 2023
15 min.
Grandmamauntsistercat
Film created from the Polish Educational Archive materials, tells the story of a matriarchal family through the eyes of a child grappling with the reproduction of ideological and representational systems.
by Zuza Banasinska
Netherlands / Poland, 2024
23 min.
Buqaning Yuragi (Bull‘s Heart)
Father, son, his beloved, heat, summer, night. A small male world, unusually tender and vulnerable, like the whole life of migrants in big cities.
In addition to the difficult conditions of life and work, sometimes there is another context that remains in the shadows: love must be hidden. Especially when it comes to queer love.
by Margarita Bagdasaryan
Uzbekistan, Russia, Ukraine, Germany, 2023
14 min.
Shorts 5 – Glitchy Romance
You can’t get what you want but you can get me
A unique slideshow documenting two long-haired trans men falling madly in love. Over the course of one year, the artist couple Samira Elagoz & Z Walsh gathered photographs from real-life events such as their first kiss, meeting each other’s parents, long-distance thirst traps, a staged wedding, and top surgery and its subsequent recovery. A sweet and steamy celebration of T4T love with life and art all tangled up.
by Samira Elagoz & Z Walsh
Netherlands/Finland, 2024
13 min.
Feet Fear Freedom
Nobody pays much attention to feet. Until they start hurting. Podiatrist Edi takes up their cause with a passion. A bold incision, a well-aimed stab, and hidden foot stories spurt from the deep.
by Joris Keller
Switzerland, 2023
13 min
The river that never ends
Seen as a lifeless body of water, the Pasig River faces major changes as an expressway is constructed. Along this river, hidden stories and water hyacinths sprout around Baby, a middle-aged trans woman. Tomtom (9) has lost his beloved dog. Arthur (40) a Filipino-Chinese man with the secret desire to be a woman. An Old Man (60s) has lost his only daughter and struggles to cope with her death. Meanwhile, a Paralyzed Man (65) is completely reliant on his daughter Baby, which makes him unable to become the father she needs. Surrounded by the cold cityscapes and a polluted river, each is burdened by their own longing. In short instances with them, Baby becomes the vessel to fill their void.
While each encounter drifts by, Baby’s yearning for a father figure grows; but in this sprawling city, her connections become brief and transactional. And as she gazes at the abandoned spaces and wilting water hyacinths, Baby slowly decays in the city that remains indifferent to her.
by JT Trinidad
Philippines, 2022
18 min.
Naval Gays
A filmmaker has low self esteem. He hires an actor to play himself, a filmmaker with low self esteem, making a gay film about sex, the body and himself, inspired by the filmmaker’s sex, body and self.
by Grant Gulczynski
UK, 2023
12 min.
บัวบ้า (Crazy Lotus)
Strange things seem to be happening to the citizens chasing Good Seconds along the riverbank, as they are wandering around between infinite possibilities. The newly released Distant Heart Glasses they wear offer them an escape from reality which is as tempting as it is daunting. In a world where the lines between our urban spaces and our digital environment are continuously blurring, what is the best possible path forward, if there still is one?
by Naween Noppakun
Thailand, 2024
15 min.
Shorts 6 – Artist’s Odyssey
Pieces
A confused, two-dimensional misfit, unloved in their 2D home, ventures into the 3D world. Desperate to feel loved and find a safe space, they start losing touch with reality.
by Nyx Horme
Germany, 2024
4 min.
Wegen Hegel
“the real is rational, and the rational is real”, says German Philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. But when the pandemic hits Germany, everything changes. Chinese student PING just started his philosophy studies and faces many obstacles: hostility, loneliness, lockdown. On a dating app he receives spicy photos from MAX, who proposes a “social distance hook-up”.
Ping is excited and embarks on his adventure. Offered a mysterious drug, he is about to have sex, when he suddenly notices a book by Hegel. It sucks him into a drug induced reflection about free will and reality, which kills the vibe of the moment. He flees after an argument and loses himself in the drug experience. The next morning, he makes another unexpected discovery – and all that because of Hegel (Wegen Hegel).
by Popo Fan
Germany, 2023
14 min.
The Homecoming: A short film about Ajamu
Black Queer Photographer Ajamu X struggles to get to his own first one man show. He encounters obstacles along the way as we learn about his work and philosophy. A rare portrayal of sexual positivity from a UK Black perspective in the mid 1990’s.
by Topher Campbell
UK, 1996
17 min.
Dildotectonics
In this day and age, Rebeca attempts to create a collection of non-phallic ceramic dildos. During the Inquisition, Josefa finds a dildo that is used in their forbidden love relationship with Maria. Although in different timelines, the paths of Rebeca and Josefa end up crossing each other.
by Tomás Paula Marques
Portugal, 2023
16 min.
Carrotica
A mother and son navigate their lust and loneliness in the queerest of ways.
by Daniel Sterlin-Altman
Germany, 2024
13 min
Valery Alexanderplatz
Valery Alexanderplatz (Germany, 28′) is an experimental short movie filmed around Berlin Mitte and the famous Alexanderplatz about the life of Italian trans-activist Valérie Taccarelli. This story starts with Milva, the popular italian diva and her most known song “Alexanderplatz”. Just a few know though that this song is in reality an adaptation of Alfredo Cohen’s song “Valery”, released in 1978. “Valery” was a 15 years old trans teenager, now known as Valérie Taccarelli.
by Silvia Maggi
Italy, Germany, 2023
28 min
Shorts 7 – First Voyages
BLUSH – An Extraordinary Voyage
For 18-year-old Finnish–Kosovan Fatu, a simple visit to the grocery store feels as nerve-racking as a lunar expedition: for the first time in his life, he’s wearing makeup in public. Luckily his best friend Rai, a young woman on the spectrum of autism, is there to ferociously support him through the voyage.
by Iiti Yli-Harja
Finland, 2022
15 min.
Unmasking
What is left of my bodymind when the neuronormative masks start to break? How could a neuroqueer world feel like? How can a collective glitch transform the status quo? “Unmasking” is a neuroqueer video essay inspired by the manifesto “Glitch Feminism” by Legacy Russell and shows the intersection of queer feminism and Disability Justice as the “glitch” awakens in neuroqueer unmasking and nourishes in Collective Care, Trans Liberation, Prison and Psychiatry Abolition and Neuroqueerness.
by Florin Garzotto
Switzerland, 2023
21 min.
FLOWERBOYS
Two young lovers try to find a home in each other, but realize that what they truly seek is love in themselves.
by Nikol Urbanova & Luca Peres-Bota
Czech Republic, 2023
8 min.
Eating Papaw on the Seashore
Hasani and Asim navigate a hidden connection at the Guyanese Seashore. As they grapple with societal expectations and Asim’s impending departure for Trinidad, their relationship unfolds amidst playful moments in the ocean and intimate encounters in the kitchen. Set against cultural traditions and familial obligations, the story explores themes of sexuality, desire, and acceptance. Through tender moments and silent longing, it portrays the complexity of adolescent love and the challenges of self-discovery in a conservative environment.
by Rae Wiltshire and Nickose Layne
Guyana, 2022
18 min.
SOMA AND RASMUS
The queer lovestory is about the special relationship between a gay protagonist and his lesbian friend and the great test their friendship has to face when something significant changes between them.
by Tim Lanzinger
Germany, 2024
15 min
Skate
After receiving news about his father’s ailment, Theo returns home to care for him, despite their strained relationship. Upon his return, Theo finds him falling back into their old tradition of visiting a skating rink. There, he meets a skating group and soon finds himself falling for the leader. Over the course of the film, Theo attempts to renew his relationship with his father all while finding solace in his new friendships.
by Zoë Hodge
USA, 2023
14 min
Shorts 8 – Falling Into Place
Pipes
Bob the plumber is hired to fix a broken pipe and lands to his surprise in a gay fetish club.
by Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier, Sujanth Ravichandran
Switzerland, 2022
4 min.
Pacific Club
In 1979, the Pacific Club was opened in the basement of La Défense – the business district of Paris. It was the first nightclub for Arabs from the suburbs; a parallel world of dance, sweat, young loves, and one-night utopias. Azedine, 17 years old at the time, tells us the forgotten story of this club and of this generation who dreamed of integrating into France but who soon came face to face with racism, the AIDS epidemic, and heroin.
by Valentin Noujaïm
France, Qatar, 2023
16 min.
Queer Exile
After fleeing Egypt in the wake of the 2011 revolution, an activist seeks refuge in Berlin, yearning for a fresh start and the promise of safety and freedom. Yet, his journey leads him to a refugee camp situated in an area frequented by far-right groups staging anti-refugee demonstrations. Caught in the crossfire of hostility in his adopted home and the longing for his former life, he grapples with the complexities of his identity and the challenges of walking down a queer path. As he reflects on his past and contemplates his future, he confronts profound questions about belonging, sacrifice, and the true meaning of freedom.
by Ahmed Awadalla
Germany, 2024
10 min.
Beyond the Golden Line
Midnight. The moon is shining and the night is feverish in the colorful queer club. An injured Black transmasculine pole dancer is interrupted in his performance preparations by mysterious phone calls. Fear of rejection has prevented him from saying who he really is, and kept him away from everything. What if tonight, the magic of his pole offered him the chance to reconnect with the people he loves, and reveal his full radiance?
by SJ Rahatoka
Germany, 2024
19 min.
Flores del otro Patio
In the Colombian Caribbean, a group of queer activists practice a militancy that challenges heteropatriarchal norms while engaging in other causes to collectively fight against the various social injustices that plague the region. When the management of the country’s largest coal mine announces a press conference to promote the development of mining, the group prepares to carry out a denunciatory performative action… and resolutely queer.
by Jorge Cadena
Colombia, Switzerland, 2022
16 min.
Taking My Time to Dance
Rana, an eighteen-year-old bakla (Filipino queer), sneaks into their absent mother’s old room to steal clothes from her closet, but gets caught by their grandmother Nanay. Saada, their older trans woman friend, pays them a visit to help them get in drag for the first time. Before things get glamorous, Nanay asks the two to help her rearrange the living room. Nanay eventually lets Rana try on the old pink satin dress, and when they do, it lights up the whole room pink.
While Rana and Saada get ready for their Friday night dancing, Saada shares her experiences being a trans woman while Rana shares their anxieties towards their gender identity. It’s difficult to be queer, but Rana notices the light coming in through the window and watches the sunset…and it’s pink. They arrive that night at a club, where at first Rana is overwhelmed by their anxiety, only to be comforted by more seasoned drag queens. The night is over, Rana arrives home and they’re at least sure of one thing: they’re ready to dance.
by Celeste Lapida
Philippines, 2022
23 min.