Saturday, August 22, 2009

3rd Queer Lion at 66th Venice Film Festival


I can’t believe I forgot this so special award from the Venice fest; so better late than never (lol!). This year there are 14 movies running for the Queer Lion and 4 LGTB films in the retrospective. Here are the films that will be competing for this year Queer Lion.

Official Selection
A Single Man, Tom Ford, USA, 2009 (gay theme)
Persécution (Persecution), Patrice Chéreau, France, 2009 (gay interest)

Orrizonti
Choi Voi (Adrift), Thac Chuyen Bui,Vietnam (lesbian theme)
Io Sono L’Amore, Luca Guadagnino, Italy (lesbian character)

Venice Days
Celda 211 (Cell 211), Daniel Monzón, Spain (gay interest)
L’Amore e Basta, Stefano Consiglio, Italy (9 lesbian and gay love stories)
Gordos, Daniel Sánchez-Arévalo, Spain (gay character)
Qu’un Seul Tienne et Les Autres Suivront (Silent Voices), Léa Fehner, France (gay theme)

Controcampo Italiano
Il Compleanno (David’s Birthday), Marco Filiberti, Italia (gay theme)
Poeti, Toni D’Angelo, Italia (gay interest)

Critics’ Week
Domaine, Patric Chiha, France and Austria, 2009 (gay theme)
Good Morning Aman, Claudio Noce, Italy, 2009 (gay theme)

Out of Competition
L’Oro di Cuba, Giuliano Montaldo, Italy (some LGBT personalities are interviewed)
Valhalla Rising, Nicolas Winding Refn, Denmark (gay characters)

The Jury
President: Gustav Hofer – Italian culture correspondent for Arte TV and documentary filmmaker
Luca Ragazzi – Italian Cinema Critic, director/screenwriter/producer/actor
Mark Smith – British deputy editor of Time Out Amsterdam and other publications
Peter Macias – Italian director and screenwriter
Roberto Schinardi – Italian journalist, cinema and TV critic

It is unbelievable that there is no woman in the jury! (lol!) So we know the interest of the movie that has more probabilities to win and I can tell you that will not be lesbian interest just because the odds. The surprise could really come from the movie from Vietnam.

Message from Daniel N. Casagrande, Queer Lion Award Director

“Queer Lion - Part 3. The Queer selection of movies presented at this year’s Venice Film Festival looks one of the most interesting of the last years; other than the 14 movies competing for the award (who are listed at the following webpages), we dearly welcome the 4 re-discoveries in the retrospective “Questi fantasmi 2”. But, beyond the titles presented in this Magazine, the Film Festival can as usual have some surprises in store. For this reason, the jury can take any movie into consideration. In a program so rich, we welcome the arrival in Venice of Chinese director Yonfan, longtime friend of the Turin Gay & Lesbian Film Fest, and in Competition here with Prince of Tears; the friendly presence of Todd Solondz and his Life During Wartime with a great Charlotte Rampling; the camp atmospheres of Pipilotti Rist’s Pepperminta; the animated shorts Teat Beat of Sex, from acclaimed director Signe Baumane; the surreal and poignant comedy The Last Days of Emma Blank from Alex van Warmerdam. And, icing on the cake, heading the Official Jury, Ang Lee, leading figure of contemporary cinema and director of LGBT masterpieces The Wedding Banquet, Brokeback Mountain and Taking Woodstock. Enjoy the show.”

As always happens, if a film not in the list has any type of LGTB theme/character will also be considered for the award.

To read the official announcement go here where you will find information in English for each film and check the info for the four films in the retrospective that includes one rare film with lesbian interest: La Nave Delle Donne Maledette, Raffaello Matarazzo, Italy, 1954

Just for fun check the Promo video for this year’s awards.

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