South Africa's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival

South Africa's Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Cape Town

Gay cinema in South Africa is undergoing significant changes, and this year’s 15th Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Cape Town aims to reflect those changes while continuing to challenge stereotypes.

On offer at this gay film festival in Cape Town and Johannesburg will be a broad variety of gay and lesbian movies, ranging from comedy to documentary, feature films and shorts, with both local and international titles.

Through the various topical films, a number of panel discussions and of course the special guests that will be present, the festival promises to be a unique and interactive experience.

Some of the special guests this year include Emmy-award winner Bennett Singer, director of Brother Outsider: The Life of Bayard Rustin, an award-winning documentary selected by Justice Edwin Cameron.

The film reveals the life of the gay man who mentored Reverend Martin Luther King. Cameron will attend some of the screenings and engage with the director and Rustin’s life partner Walter Naegle, also a guest of the festival.

Here’s a quick look at some of the gay and lesbian movies that will be showing at this year’s Out in Africa Gay & Lesbian film festival:

25 Cent - A gritty, ‘in the moment’ gallop through the red-light district of San Francisco, this is a journey into the uncensored life, loves and tricks of its street hustlers.

Itty Bitty Titty Committee - Shy, heartbroken Anna is a plastic surgeon’s receptionist. Her life is transformed when the office is defaced by sexy Sadie, a member of the underground women’s rights faction C(i)A or Clits in Action.

The Bubble - Hottie Israeli Noam and gorgeous Palestinian Ashraf drive this captivating ode to transcendental love.

There will be many more films showing at the Out in Africa Gay & Lesbian film festival that are set to tantalize the imagination, along with the panel discussions that will be held after screenings in both Johannesburg and Cape Town – see the website (www.oia.co.za) for details.

The Cape Town installment of the festival will be held at the Nu Metro Cinema at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town from 11 to 21 September, while in Johannesburg you can catch the festival from 4 to 14 September at Nu Metro at the Killarney Mall.

For more info about the 15th edition of the South African “Out in Africa” Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, please call +27(0)21 461 4027.

Molo says: “Expect all information on the Gay & Lesbian Film Festival and other important film festivals on CapeTownMagazine.com

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