Fridae

The 14th Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, which runs from July 14-18, 2005, is one of the biggest gay film festivals in Asia, along with Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. To be held at the Spiral Hall, Restaurant CAY and Tokyo Women's Plaza Hall.

Films being screened include Arisan (an Indonsian hit, to open the festival), Proteus, Touch of Pink, Sugar, Butterfly, Mysterious Skin, Power Up and Mango Kiss, an American lesbian film to close. Guests include Lisa Thrasher (producer of "Power Up" from the US) and Guinevere Turner (director, screenplay writer and actress of "power up" and who has appeared in American Psycho, Go Fish and The L-Word). Guest speakers include Yoshihiro Okabe (Mr, Head of Executive Community of Tokyo Lesbian & Gay Parade 2005, Takashi Ootsuka (Mr, owner of Tac's Note, a very well known gay bar in 2-chome) and Co-authors of Japanese book "Same Sex Partners - To learn about laws of same-sex marriage and Domestic Partnerships" Nobuyuki Akasugi (Mr), Yuki Tsuchiya (Ms) and Makiko Tsutsui (Ms).

æ: ASOL (Age, Sex, Occupation, Location)
Hideki: 30, male, Director of Tokyo International Lesbian & Film Festival, Tokyo, Japan.

æ: What's your "look"?
Hideki: Clean cut, clean shaven, just a regular Japanese guy.

æ: How did you get involved in the Tokyo International L&G Film Festival?
Hideki: I first saw the website of the film festival, and thought I wanted to have more friends working as a volunteer for the festival.

æ: What can people expect? What are the highlights of the festival?
Hideki: The festive atmosphere, the happy people, and of course, the great films from all over the world!

æ: What inspires you?
Hideki: I often get inspired when I'm driving around the suburbs of Tokyo.

æ: What is your earliest childhood memory?
Hideki: Playing in a small swimming pool (I was wearing a bikini. Don't ask me why.)

æ: What is the achievement you are most proud of?
Hideki: Having built a solid relationship with my boyfriend.

æ: If you could do it all over again, what would you change?
Hideki: I'm pretty satisfied with my life, so far.

æ: How are you misunderstood?
Hideki: That I'm a quiet and passive person. Actually, I'm pretty active, though.

æ: How do you spend your Sundays?
Hideki: Shopping, driving, and sometimes windsurfing.

æ: Tell us one of your fantasies?
Hideki: Getting a vacation for a month, and traveling around the world.

æ: What about yourself would you like to change the most?
Hideki: That I'm pretty shy of people.

æ: What was the most important thing that happened to you in the last 12 months?
Hideki: That I came out to my little brother.

æ: What do you think is important in a relationship?
Hideki: Being sincere for the person that I care about the most.

æ: What (or who) turns you on?
Hideki: My boyfriend.

æ: What's your biggest guilty pleasure?
Hideki: Staying in the bed for a while after I turn off the alarm clock.

æ: What is your vision for the gay community?
Hideki: That gay people will be able to have 'normal lifestyles,' living together with their boyfriends, etc.

æ: Who would your dream date be if you were straight for a day?
Hideki: I can't imagine that I'm straight!

æ: Tell us something even your mother doesn't know.
Hideki: That the 'friend' I introduced to her is actually my boyfriend!