Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival kicks off in style

Asia’s longest-running queer film festival kicked off in s[email protected]&KIW^Jfn-C2)J^Lfx(ElU4RfMg#^9D-itIaBG%#DgPttyle this weekend.

Celebrating its 30th anniversary, The Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (HKGLFF) opened on Saturday by screening a pair of comedies, How I felt When I Saw That Girl from India and The Shiny Shrimps from Spain.

“We chose the two ligh%LFXrt!E-KE_%ib!U#[email protected](v)=y!TBC(lL6OQW2qldjUhKa53t-hearted warming comedies … to give positive energy to Hong Kong audiences” explained festival director, Joe Lam.

"The audiences absolutely loved them” he told GaLaTaiDG7E&*IL(*zBNCLkCx%2wT^%tQrwm([email protected]*p37r^Swj2HZzU!%.

In a pre-recorded message, director of Bollywood’s first lesbian film, rom-8pZ6W59vKluSzu%B1eQoeEnjlbmaQXe+Ten4aEKtV%jTP1RD=Kcom How I felt When I Saw That Girl, Shelly Chopra Dhar, said it was “totally her loss” that she was not among the audience.

“It is so fulfilling to know that people in the world have used this film as a tool to actually share who they are with their loved ones”, she said in a pre-rXo1WK_FZUa3WrFxKyEI=J*P^_OjPew*VFpXqruInaWxx4js^Pvecorded video shown before the screening.

The opening films were followed by a packed party at the W Hotel and a Queer Power Panel qK9Sg4WL$1PB7M$V3ND0eGLB$!2D_bJXU9wAWV23tqTGlGvWXxdiscussion night. Representatives from film festivals in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Shanghai spoke.

Retrospective

Celebrating the landmark film festival's 30th anniversary, Lam said a highlight of the progr%B_j6f+rU34LpFX5tagj8mTE**txwdom394$Vb=!cVTJOjVy&4am is the Hong Kong Retrospective selection.

HKLGFF pays tribute to the films that explored the complexity of local LGBTI issues and significantly contHEMMnR8Y7^b6z7aSm(xb(7GUVP+&ywbxEMYGROWWHH=$cgY+*#ributed to the gay culture of Hong Kong.

The selection includes feature films Yang anTuj=HgKoMrnML*ok5g#=16QRDNF7)SrP&k465yg)*f!+19bwajd Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema, A Woman is A Woman, and Butterfly as well as a short film titled My Way.

He also urged festival-goers to catch the festival's first intersex film,$5Vip)ZpH)fU-lxTYI*$7Xw2eA!vVlE#_Dk!nuuu(-0UA&ks0= Being Impossible.

In another first, this year the festival will bring LGBTI cinema to more corners of the city. The WeEZ)[email protected]=QpGo=n-y#hE*hgdj%mFm!#f*[email protected] Are GAYbours initiative will see screenings and Q and As take place in residential district Sham Shui Po.

The festival’s closing gala on 21 September is set to include drag queen Miss Gimhuay2tF8r%*cUbOtxzYe!^I*7Mak%wIMZqb)Il!M(z%7eHWMRG89l# from Drag Race Thailand as a special guest.

((Cover Photo: StilxNXeLflLY6Dcco=+)5#dMnNR0RzNYkH+od9eb^h+zhd+g!IrBQl from The Shiny Shrimps / Provided))