Queer-Streifen Regensburg

2024 films...

Lesbian Short Films… 

La tentation du panda roux (The red panda temptation)
France 2023 | 20:00 min | Directed by: Haïga Jappain
After Anna suddenly learns that her biological clock is ticking much faster than she thought, she is preoccupied with her desire to have children. But it’s not just the threat of menopause that stands in the way of its fulfillment.

 

Twofold
United Kingdom 2024 | 18:38 min | Directed by: Ella Greenwood
When Erin and Allie meet at a New Year’s Eve party, the boundaries between past, present and future melt away. An encounter captured in a claustrophobic one-shot scene.

 

Café Pamplemousse Cacao (Coffee Grapefruit Cacao)
France 2023 | 23:32 min | Directed by: Dominique Preusse
Laetitia wants to have a child and Samuel, her ex-partner, wants to help her. But that’s easier said than done – because there’s also Gaëlle, Laetitia’s current partner.

 

Die Unbesiegbaren (The Invincibles)
Austria 2024 | 10:35 min | Directed by: Suzie Léger, Noemi Sophia James
Two Jewish artists in Vienna in 1938: their forbidden and hidden love blossoms in the shadow of national socialist persecution. Based on true events and a visual poem about courage and identity.

 

Queen Size
France 2023 | 19:52 min | Directed by: Avril Besson
Marina actually just wants to sell her mattress to Charlie before she moves back in with her parents. But the encounter between the two women throws her relocation plans into disarray.

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Gay Short Films… 

Chavo
Sweden 2022 |15:00 min | Directed by: Alecio Araci
A young Roma man who has been rejected by his family finds shelter for one night with an elderly food stall owner. He wants to make amends – and makes an unforeseen discovery in the process.

 

CHAUD (HOT)
France 2023 | 14:42 min | Directed by: Franck Hourliac
A Grindr date: instead of quick sex, an empathetic connection develops between two shy young men. A calm camera shows vulnerability and a genuine encounter.

 

The Last Take
USA 2023 | 14:17 min | Directed by: Brian Foyster
The dream of a shared bachelor villa ends before it has even begun. The studio boss has other plans for Bill and Everett, two young and successful actors in Hollywood in the 1930s.

 

Os Finais de Domingos (On Sundays)
Brazil 2023 | 8:09 min | Directed by: Olavo Junior
A visually stunning black-and-white drama: Domingos, an elderly man in poor health, spends a lonely Sunday until an unexpected love from the past visits him.

 

See You ‘Round the Block
Israel 2023 | 15:00 min | Directed by: Daniel Gat
As dawn breaks over Tel Aviv, ex-boyfriends Dror and Eitan meet. After a night of partying, they have to start their “walk of shame” together – captured in a captivating one-cut.

 

Embrasse-moi
France 2024 | 11:49 min | Directed by: Hristo Todorov
A young, good-looking guy and a charming, mature man arrange to meet for what should be a no-strings-attached sex date. However, the evening turns out completely differently than you would expect.

 

Dena asmatuta dago (Everything is invented)
Spain 2023 | 14:00 min | Directed by: Jone Arriola Lobete
Two boys splash around in the bathtub – without a rubber duck, but with a joint – and philosophize about God and the world. Unexpectedly, they move from abstract things to very personal questions… 

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Queer Short Films… 

Um Caroço de Abacate (An Avocado Pit)
Portugal 2022 | 19:38 min | Directed by: Ary Zara
Larissa plays high stakes when she sits in Cláudio’s car and asks him for a favor. They may have little in common, but the two have something in common: the curiosity that their counterpart awakens in them.

 

Ami d’ami (Friend of a Friend)
Canada 2023 | 15:00 min | Directed by: Simon Gualtieri
Jules is newly separated and is now sitting on the couch with Samuel, a friend of a friend. Then the rest of the flat share turns up and unintentionally thwarts the plan. Can the saint in the toilet help?

 

Son
Iran 2024 | 17:45 min | Directed by: Saman Hosseinpuor
With a sense of aesthetics, the film revolves around the themes of sexual orientation and gender identity and documents the challenges that arise for a mother-child relationship.

 

Stone
United Kingdom 2023 | 13:00 min | Directed by: Jake Graf und Hannah Graf
Tess searches for answers after her deceased father turns out to be a trans woman. The revelation forces her to confront the reality of her childhood, which her mother concealed.

 

Tobi | Bella
Germany 2024 | 3:00 min | Directed by: Luka Maximiliane Klotz
Deepest (Lower) Bavaria and drag, that’s not possible? But it can! Tobi alias “Bella Who” from Passau takes us on a journey to himself. An interesting transformation begins – not only visually …

 

La Sombra del Querer (Love from the shadow)
Chile 2024 | 19:52 min | Directed by: Ale Gálvez
Marta is a homeless trans woman living under a bridge of phone scams. On Mother’s Day, she seeks contact with her estranged daughter. A graceful portrait of loneliness, resilience and hope.

 

weisser riese
Germany 2023 | 5:00 min | Directed by: Lotte Luzie und Felix Lari Struempel
Perfectly styled on the way out, thrown ketchup-smeared chips on the way in, spilled a drink in the club. So what? Luckily there’s pinky WASH! By queers, for everyone. 

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Feature Films… 

L’air de la mer me rend libre (You promised me the sea)
France 2023 | 90 min | Original with English subtitles | Directed by: Nadir Moknèche

Cheers to the bride and groom? Saïd, a young man of Maghrebi origin, lives in Rennes with his parents and works in the family butcher’s shop. Hidden from his relatives, he maintains a relationship with Vincent. But his parents’ alarm bells have been ringing for a long time. They pretend to be unaware of his preference for men and secretly plan an arranged marriage with Hadjira, an equally “problematic” daughter who not only has a complicated relationship behind her, but also legal problems. After the wedding, Saïd continues to enjoy his dates as an “Arab stallion”, while his wife looks for a way to make the marriage work and still remain faithful to herself. Can the two overcome the hypocrisy and lies that dominate their lives together?

UNICORNS
United Kingdom, USA, Sweden 2023 | 99 min | Original with English subtitles
Directed by: Sally El Hosaini & James Krishna Floyd

On the way home after a party that ended in a fight, Aysha explains to Luke the love triangle that triggered the argument. It sounds complicated, Luke says, but Aysha replies that it’s actually quite simple: “Everyone just wants what they can’t have.” At this point, they both already know what they want to a certain extent. They just have to allow themselves to get it. UNICORNS traces their journey to self-acceptance with empathy, curiosity and a refreshing disregard for limiting labels.
“Initial misunderstandings are quickly overcome and their road trip through England develops into a passionate romance. The story is inspired by the true story of Asifa Lahore, Britain’s first Muslim drag queen.” [queer.de]

 

WHAT A FEELING
Austria 2024 | 110 min | Original with English subtitles | Directed by: Kat Rohrer

Craftswoman Fa (Proschat Madani) takes care of more than just the kitchen installations for her customers. She is an part of the furniture in a lesbian bar. Marie Theres (Caroline Peters) leads a completely different life. Her wedding day, which doesn’t go as expected, throws the well-to-do doctor completely off track. When Marie Theres is then almost run over by the self-confident Fa, she has had enough. Marie Theres is also full when she is brought home by Fa after a long night. She remembers nothing – did they or didn’t they? And how does this fit into a life that plays on all the clichés of a wealthy hetero family? Her life plan becomes increasingly unstable and conversations with friends and her daughter confront Marie Theres with completely new questions.

 

Days of Happiness
Canada 2023 | 118 min | Original with German subtitles | Directed by: Chloé Robichaud

A lesbian conductor – that immediately brings to mind “Tar”. However, Sophie Desmarais as Emma could hardly be more different from Cate Blanchett in her role as Lydia. Instead of exercising control, she has to free herself from the control of others. Emma, the new star of Quebec’s classical music scene, leads an orchestra. However, the real power lies with the artistic director, financial backers and the agent – her father. The more Emma tries to make her own decisions, the more obvious her father’s emotional abuse becomes. Emma is also confronted with the challenges of balancing closeness and distance in her relationship with cellist Naëlle.
Days of Happiness deals openly with realistic conflicts that many people can identify with.

 

SEBASTIAN
United Kingdom, Finland, Belgium 2024 | 110 min | Original with German subtitles
Directed by: Mikko Mäkelä

We follow Max, a 25-year-old freelance editor and budding novelist who seems to be well on his way to success in London’s cultural spheres. But at night he finds a different kind of intoxication as a sex worker under the pseudonym Sebastian – he tends to meet older men via the platform Dreamy Guys. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to develop short stories, and the long-awaited debut novel finally seems to be within reach. As Max increasingly struggles to maintain control of his finely balanced double life, he has to ask himself whether Sebastian is just a writer’s tool in his quest for the ultimate sense of authenticity – or whether being a writer has become just a pretext.

 

A Nightmare on Elm Street 2: Freddy’s Revenge
USA 1985 | 87 min | Original with German subtitles | Directed by: Jack Sholder

Cooperation with HARD:LINE film festival
„The gayest slasher movie ever made.“
Five years have passed since Freddy Krueger disappeared howling into hell. But now someone in Elm Street is once again being haunted night after night by terrifying visions of the deadly dream demon. And if Freddy’s messed-up soul managed to take possession of the young body, he would return from the world of the dead to plunge the entire city into bloody chaos. After the incredible success of Nightmare on Elm Street, horror fans clamored for more. So the devilish Freddy reappeared alive and kicking – and how! The movie features some of the most shocking special effects ever splashed across the screen. Even in the opening scene – still without his Freddy face – Robert Englund can really scare you.

 

GOTTESKINDER (IN GOOD FAITH)
Germany 2024 | 120 min | Original with English subtitles | Directed by: Frauke Lodders

Winning film Max Ophüls Prize: Youth Jury Prize 2024 | PREVIEW (The film will not be released in cinemas until 2025.)
Teenagers Hannah and Timothy grow up in a strict evangelical free church family. At first glance, the father seems caring. However, the perfect façade begins to crumble when Timothy feels attracted to his schoolmate Jonas. “I’m scum”, he writes on a piece of paper at home and slaps himself in the face. He fights his feelings with all his might and signs up for a conversion seminar. But Jonas also takes part in this seminar …
Hannah also cannot and does not want to live out her sexuality freely, but places herself entirely at the service of the church. She tries to proselytize the cool boy next door, Max, who confronts the two siblings ruthlessly but lovingly with his world.
Director Frauke Lodders’ award-winning feature film debut is convincing.

 

Neirud
Brazil 2023 | 72 min | Original with English subtitles | Directed by: Fernanda Faya

“NEIRUD illuminates a lifelong dedication to nonconformist living and an urgent affirmation of its existence.” [Fernanda Faya]
Aunt Neirud, tall and strong, was always present at family gatherings. Who was this woman who was so close to the director’s family? Fantastic stories from her father’s childhood inspired Fernanda Faya to make a documentary. As she comes across more and more traces of Neirud during her research, a whole universe gradually becomes apparent: women wrestling in the circus, a women’s troupe led by her grandmother and myths about “gorilla women”. One of the most important facets of Brazilian circus history, for which there is no documentation in official archives and collections. The forgotten life stories of these women are examples of a life outside of socially restricted notions of gender roles – and of the erasure of lesbian stories.

 

Úsvit (We have never been modern)
Czech Republic, Slovakia 2023 | 117 min | Original with English subtitles | Directed by: Matěj Chlupáček

The year is 1937 and in the middle of Svit, a small town at the foot of the High Tatras, lies a synthetic fiber factory whose young director Alois Haupt pursues a modern approach. The main character of the film, however, is his wife Helena. The aspiring doctor is about to give birth, but her determined view of her family’s rosy future is clouded by the discovery of the corpse of an intersex baby in the factory yard. The Czechoslovakian secret service agents are quick to finish their investigation, too quick in Helena’s eyes. Equipped with the necessary medical knowledge and a good nose, she therefore begins to investigate herself. This historical drama is inspired by true stories of intersex people in the 1930s.

 

AMAL
Belgium, France 2023 | 107 min | Original with English subtitles | Directed by: Jawad Rhalib

When Mounia, a student of Moroccan origin, finds the courage to live her homosexuality, she is subjected to relentless harassment. Teacher Amal, a practicing Muslim like most of the students, counters the open homophobia and cultivates tolerance and freedom of expression in the classroom – even if it puts her in danger. Not all colleagues and certainly not all families support her teaching methods – with dramatic consequences for everyone.
Belgian-Moroccan actress Lubna Azabal delivers an outstanding performance as a strong and determined woman who nevertheless slowly threatens to break down. Her eyes tremble and burn with love and despair. Her desire for a tolerant and open society is palpable.

 

PRETTY RED DRESS
United Kingdom 2023 | 110 min | Original with English subtitles | Directed by: Dionne Edwards

Travis has just been released from prison and it quickly becomes clear that everything has changed. His girlfriend Candice is auditioning for a musical and daughter Kenisha has a few problems. When Travis buys Candice her dream dress, the family’s problems only get worse. Secrets and unspoken desires threaten to become public, forcing Travis to ask himself who he is and how he wants to be perceived. The dynamics within the family, external influences from culture and community, the web of secrecy, shame, frustration and desire that develops around the red dress for all involved are sensitively illuminated. London is the backdrop for this warm-hearted and often funny piece of contemporary life, which is accompanied by Tina Turner’s hits.

 

IN BED
Israel 2022 | 85 min | Original with German subtitles | Directed by: Nitzan Giladi

Guy and his best friend Joy are enjoying the Pride Parade until a fatal shooting destroys their happiness. With Dan in shock, they seek shelter in Guy’s apartment. Guy turns to party drugs to keep the party going and get closer to Dan. A 24-hour trip full of excesses begins, during which Guy is confronted with his inner demons and reality. Israeli documentary filmmaker Nitzan Gilady uses the film to address the rampage at the Pride Parade in Tel Aviv in 2009.
IN BED shows homosexual expression in drug intoxication, where fears are numbed and friendships are neglected. The real reasons for consumption become blurred with the emotional world until everything spirals out of control. Sex becomes interchangeable in the Grindr/party maelstrom and has to be spiced up with drugs, revealing the pitfalls of this way of life.

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