The HKLGFF will screen a total 54 films from around the world – exceeding any previous year's record – including five feature films and one short under the new bisexual category, one feature and four shorts under the lesbian porn category, and two French films to close: Stranger by the Lake, and Winner of this year's Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival, Blue Is the Warmest Colour.
The festival marked the close of the 5-day, 28-film run last month at a small crowded cafe near Andingmen, Beijing with more cheer as usual as organisers report that this year marks the first time in its 13-year history that none of their events were disrupted nor did they have to engage in a cat and mouse game with the police as they did in previous years.
In what organisers have dubbed to be a first for South Asia, Nepal will host a LGBTI sports festival in Kathmandu from October 12 to 14 that will see the participation of at least 200 local amateur athletes from the LGBTI community and some 150 foreign athletes from 17 countries.
First started as Q!Screenings in 2002 in Jakarta, the festival now known as Q! Film Festival, is having its 10th run in the Indonesian capital and holds screenings in five other cities including Surabaya, Malang, Makassar, Bali and Yogyakarta.
It’s a bumper crop of events including the Mr Gay Hong Kong pageant, Flotilla, HK Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, Gay Day @ Disney for Hong Kong’s first LGBT festival – an unprecedented collaboration between local LGBT groups. The pride parade will be held Nov 12 after a hiatus last year but organisers say they do not wish to be included in the line-up for now.
The 5th Beijing Queer Film Festival was held from June 15-19 at different locations after the festival, which was scheduled to take place at an undisclosed location in the capital's Xicheng District, was forced to be cancelled.
Cambodia's third annual pride festival is underway from today till May 17, scheduled to coincide with the International Day Against Homophobia (IDAHO).