DOCUMENTARY SHORTS IN COMPETITION

A documentary about the play “Parayan Maranna Kadhakal” by “Mazhavil Dhwani” discusses the plight and struggles of the Transgender Community.

Gaston is a young man who wants to find the clown that animated his 3 year old birthday party, of which he has photos in an old album that he finds in a box in his house. His mother resists the idea but finally helps him. The clown from that remote birthday now has her new life as Marcel, a trans woman who runs her flower shop next to the cemetery in Nogoyá, Entre Rios. The encounter between Gastón and Marcel unleashes a series of memories and reflections on the past and present of their, and produces a re-signification in what it means to change from child to adult and from man to woman.

1991. The height of the AIDS crisis and a grim time for gay rights in the UK. A group of gay male nuns, the London House of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, decide to canonise Derek Jarman, a prominent queer filmmaker and the most public figure living openly with HIV at the time. They proclaim him Britain’s first living gay saint. Saintmaking brings the Sisters together again for the first time in over twenty years, to collectively piece together their memories and the joy, fury and pain they still feel about their years of frontline activism.

The Colour of Music unpacks and addresses inequities in the music industry through intimate first-person accounts from Queer, Black, Indigenous, People of Colour, women+ artists. Their intersectional identities inform the creative process, from the first lyric to the polished track. In an industry where authenticity is rare, these artists unapologetically sing their truths. But the industry is cutthroat – our characters are dissuaded from following their passions even before they pick up an instrument. Their identities, the very thing they most value and prioritize, presents as their biggest obstacle.

Mashrou’ Leila are indie rock gods in the Arab world. But their fame comes with a price. In a part of the world where singing about politics or sexuality is more than a little risky — and with an openly gay lead singer — Mashrou’ Leila’s very existence and success is unprecedented. Beirut Dreams In Color bring us the timely story of an unlikely band, a daring fan, and the harrowing repercussions sparked when their lives intersect.

A unique journey across the world to discover the challenges faced by LGBT+ people.