The Love & Pride Film Festival kicks off on 27 September with a screening of oriental documentary Looking for? as the debut film for the festival opening night. Directed by Chou Tung-Yen, the film focuses on the way dating apps have changed contemporary society’s perception of love and relationships, and will be followed by a Q&A session with film editor, Huang Chia-Wen.
Other films to be featured include Being 17 (French), Close-Knit (Japanese), Die Beautiful (Tagalog), Don’t Look at me that way (German/Mongolian) and Don’t Call Me Son (Portuguese).
Film aficionados can catch the festival at Golden Village Grand, Great World City and Golden Village Suntec City. Tickets for the opening night are priced at $15 for GV Movie Club members and $18 for the public. Tickets for all other screenings are priced at $10 for GV Movie Club and Singapore Film Society members and $13 for the public.
For more information on Love and Pride Film Festival, please visit www.gv.com.sg. Tickets are available for purchase at all GV cinemas, on GV’s website www.gv.com.sg and via the iGV app (available on iPhones and Android) from 14 September onwards.
Here is the line of films:
"Looking for?"
Mandarin/ R21/ Homosexual Theme/ 60mins
This is the most commonly seen start up line in gay dating apps. It's the quickest way to find out what you are looking for. Friendship? Relationship? Or just skinship? When the director of the film was being asked what he was "looking for?" for the first time, he was dumbfounded and almost did not know how to reply. This in turn inspired him to do this movie "Looking For?" whereby he interviewed more than 60 gays in various developed cities to exchange their life stories. He used the dating app as a focal point to reflect the contemporary change of how dating app has changed us to show how society perceives love and relationships in the modern world now.
Editor’s Note :
Editor’s Note :
Getting invited by director Chou, Tung-Yen, I started the most tortured yet rewarding video editing experience in 2016. Through almost 1-year post-production process, I felt like I made 60 plus 1 (the director) intimate gay friends who shared their inner worlds wholeheartedly with me.
At the very beginning, I had no idea how to edit this documentary but spent my working hours laughing, shedding tears, feeling lonely and loved together with these cute and sexy interviewees showing on my screen. And then I got to know that the question and quest for love, desire, and a relationship are actually beyond gender-that's the most important gift I'd love the audience can take out with them.
At the very beginning, I had no idea how to edit this documentary but spent my working hours laughing, shedding tears, feeling lonely and loved together with these cute and sexy interviewees showing on my screen. And then I got to know that the question and quest for love, desire, and a relationship are actually beyond gender-that's the most important gift I'd love the audience can take out with them.
Being 17
French/ R21/ Homosexual Theme/ 114mins
17 years old Damien lives with his mother, Marianne, while his father is on a military mission abroad. In school, Damien is constantly bullied by Tom, the adopted son of local farmers. But to help out Tom’s sick mother, Marianne offers to take him in. Forced to live together, the tension between the two boys becomes more and more palpable...
Close-Knit
Japanese/ M18 / Mature Theme/ 127mins
Rinko is a transgender woman with a heart of gold. Her boyfriend Makio was captivated by her heart and accepts her for who she is. A lonely girl named Tomo suddenly appeared in their life. This is the story of sixty heartwarming days in the life of these three individuals who each find their own happiness amid the blooming cherry blossoms of spring.
Die Beautiful
Tagalog/ R21/ Mature Theme & Sexual Violence/ 120mins
Trisha, a Filipino transgender woman, suddenly dies while being crowned in a beauty pageant. Her last wish was to be presented as a different celebrity on each night of her wake, but her conservative father wants to bury her as a man. Trisha's friends are left with no choice but to steal her body and hold the wake in a secret location. And as Trisha is transformed to look like different celebrities, they also look back at the colorful and extraordinary life that she has led - being a son, a sister, a mother, a friend, a lover, a wife, and ultimately, a queen.
Don’t Look at me that way
German/ Mongolian / R21/ Sexual Scenes and Some Homosexual Content/ 88mins
Hedi is the new neighbour of Iva, who raises her daughter Sophia by herself. The two women start a relationship and Iva is desperately in love with Hedi. Suddenly Iva’s father appears. Hedi feels strongly attracted to him. It seems that only one world exists for Hedi. Her own.
Don’t Call Me Son
Don’t Call Me Son
Portuguese/ R21/ Sexual Scene/ 82mins
A bike, high school, joints, girls, a rock band. Pierre is a teenager like any other. After a DNA test, he discovers that the woman he calls Mom is not his biological mother, and he now has to move in with his real family. In a new home and with a new name, he starts to wonder about his real identity.
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Below is a schedule of the screenings. All films are rated R21 due to homosexual theme and content.
Opening night: Wed, 27 Sep
GV Grand, Great World City
Looking For? (60 mins)
Q&A with filmmaker Huang Chia-Wen (40mins)
Fri, 29 Sep 7:20pm GV Grand, Great World City
Being 17 (114 mins)
Sat, 30 Sep 4:00pm GV Grand, Great World City
Close-Knit (127 mins)
Sun, 1 Oct 2:00pm GV Grand, Great World City
Don’t Look at me that way (88 mins)
Mon, 2 Oct 9:30pm GV Suntec City
Don’t Call Me Son (82 mins)
Tues, 3 Oct 7.30pm GV Suntec City
Don’t Look at me that way (88 mins)
Wed, 4 Oct 7:20pm GV Suntec City
Being 17 (114 mins)
Thurs, 5 Oct 7:00pm GV Suntec City
Close-Knit (127 mins)
Fri, 6 Oct 7:00pm GV Suntec City
Die Beautiful (120 mins)
Sat, 7 Oct 4:00pm GV Grand
Great World City Don’t Call Me Son (82 mins)
Sun, 8 Oct 2:00pm GV Grand
Great World City Die Beautiful (120 mins)