Fridae

Fridae speaks to Denise Tang, the director of the Hong Kong Lesbian & Gay Film and Video Festival which runs from November 17 - 27, 2005. The 33-year-old PhD candidate at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University shares more about the festival and local lesbian karaoke culture.

Fridae speaks with Alice Wu, writer-director of the lesbian hit Saving Face which explores the relationship between a closeted Chinese-American lesbian and her mother (played by screen legend Joan Chen), in an exclusive interview.

Malaysia-born lesbian filmmaker Desiree Lim picked up her 8mm video camera and made her first short film, which won an award at the 1995 Tokyo Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, after watching a Hollywood film which she felt did not do lesbians justice. Her films will be screened at the inaugural Girl Pride Asia to be held concurrently with Nation.V from Nov 4-6 in Phuket.

Kanako Otsuji, who has the honour of being the youngest person ever elected to the Osaka prefectural assembly, talks about gender issues in Japan with a mainstream newspaper after coming out as a lesbian the day before the Tokyo Lesbian and Gay Parade this year.

LA-based celebrity photographer, Kal Yee talks about his new photo book, Slide featuring male models from Los Angeles, New York and Miami.

Fridae speaks to Jeffrey Tan, resident choreographer and assistant ballet master with the Singapore Dance Theatre. The SDT is presenting the visually spectacular epic, Reminiscing The Moon, this weekend at the Esplanade Theatre.

This week, Fridae speaks to Dr Russell Heng about this upcoming talk on Aug 16. Titled "Where Queens Ruled! A History of Gay Venues in Singapore," the talk is part of IndigNation, a collection of events to celebrate pride in Singapore.

Fridae speaks to Dr Tan Chong Kee, Singapore's best-known figure in civil society activism, about his upcoming talk on Aug 2 which challenges the notion that same-sex love is contrary to Asian values.

Gregg Araki's Mysterious Skin opens in Singapore this weekend. The Asian American director of Nowhere, Totally F***ed Up and Doom Generation tells Fridae about how a "totally normal, ordinary and boring" guy moves audiences young and old with more than just skin in his new film.

Hideki Miyazawa, director of the 14th Tokyo International Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, shares how and why he became involved in the festival.