Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival kicks off in style

Asia’s longest-running queer film festival kicked off9Rd(X^q9xCxPA3GTPGNcC8t2uyA_2J^81Q)Zb^k+QeJ6J-feu= in style 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 chjbq_ya=EZrY@pRyB3en4HkA8wv0jONJtRc#7#Ff5EjHg_glDr^ose the two light-hearted warming comedies … to give positive energy to Hong Kong audiences” explained festival director, Joe Lam.

"The audiences aB!Pb$N!plvm2GD*hliLHS9Er(t^K-Jyt4+!Xng8JNhd7r#+cQEbsolutely loved them” he told GaLaTai.

In a pre-recorded message, director of Bollywood’s first lesbian film, rom-com How I felt When I Saw That Girl, Shellyyp9_+9ZR_EaX^+#Mc7r)8=+Hnv6e%YjFfJftV!qCmf6z3$En^* 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 areYF&E+d)SUWGHH$w+PdJvOV4ck@PHjLDC$jn_6F-YI^zjEMnw+k with their loved ones”, she said in a pre-recorded video shown before the screening.

The opening films were fZ5sQ3w_0ujGgkIBvZ=y=Fmks&vA#_91-4W+OCfJ+dd(H6AdC_^ollowed by a packed party at the W Hotel and a Queer Power Panel discussion night. Representatives from film festivals in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Shanghai spoke.

Retrospective

CelebrCjF-IQ#3&B9IxK23_@#KfB@@C8_hpohzJyu81Zvpe=D*l&OwIcating the landmark film festival's 30th anniversary, Lam said a highlight of the program is the Hong Kong Retrospective selection.

3+8&*8CPU^2#GJJoguukTz-En=cR6a$$%OOGi!XKk&6+I9Xe#4HKLGFF pays tribute to the films that explored the complexity of local LGBTI issues and significantly contributed to the gay culture of Hong Kong.

The selection includes feature films Yang and Yin: Gender in Chinese Cinema, A Woman is A Woman, and Butterfly as well as a short film tf_4Ijk0_vkfS3hFrbrg1)D3KaSB$e62VDAZSb$=5FP)Bl%zD=mitled My Way.

He also urged festival-goers to catch the festival's first intersex film, Being Impossibleq_@4VJ1hVB91mmpbh9=8&UG2t%1!QBuZjD!L+KAwhnvWHE8Bs8.

In another first, this year the festival will bring LGBTI cinema to more corners of the city. The We Are GAYbours initiative will see screenings av6bd)e_wZN)7!(sP*jtnnNXJ%aE&Jx!Jy2Y9$l5S*nl$xKeCdynd 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 Gimhuay from Drag Race Thailand as_+TRX=JA09j&=O0eBC!ZRB30!B6-g9rhNr5rLat2ctmrdjBzJL a special guest.

((Cover Photo: S#4!9228k#QR5Bvj1qJIylJm8Xgd_D!6muvJ@4A9CU3!Tietqtitill from The Shiny Shrimps / Provided))