Streams of Shorts, a Feature from Israel & More Set for Pride Film Fest Programming for June and July 2023

Pride Film Fest will celebrate the Pride month of June with three programs of short LGBT films from around the world and an in-person screening of the Argentine film HORSEPLAY at Chicago's Facets on June 22. The festival website is at http://pridefilm.org/ .

The first program, entitled BEST OF THE FEST 1, is a compilation of films that will include two films from France, a comedy from Ireland about coming out and family secrets, a family drama set in China by an American filmmaker, a political drama from Colombia, a comedy from the UK. and a story from Slovakia about found gay families. BEST OF THE FESTS 1 will stream from June 14-25. It will be followed by a compilation of four women-focused films from the US and the UK, and an Australian drama of a group of gay men and the struggle for societal acceptance play out in post-gay marriage Australia. BEST OF THE FESTS 2 will stream June 21 - July 2.

There will be a one-night only, in-person screening of the homoerotic Argentinian feature HORSEPLAY at Facets, located at 1517 W. Fullerton in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood, on Thursday, June 22 at 7 pm. In the hot Argentine Summer, a group of mates gets together to enjoy the holidays, drink, party, and make provocative videos of their mates. A rare mix of homophobia and horseplay come together; however, jealousy and violence begin to emerge under the surface.

Finishing out June will be BEST OF PRIDE FILM FESTIVAL. The program will include shorts from the US on aging and family issues, a film from Vietnam about health issues and dating apps, and two more films to be announced. BEST OF PRIDE FILM FESTIVAL will stream from June 28 - July 10.

The final program of the summer will be the 2022 feature MINI-DV, from Israel. The film by Shauly Melamed is an expansion of the filmmaker's 2019 short. In it, he revisits his childhood with the help of home video he shot at age 14. MINI DV will stream from July 5-16.

Access to the films is $12.00 per film for either the streamed or in-person screenings. Monthly memberships are also available for $10.00 per month which entitles the purchaser to view short and mid-length programs for no additional charge and to view the feature length films for $7.00 puer film. Tickets for the individual programs are now on sale at https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/e/Search. Membership passes are available at https://www.goelevent.com/OpenSpaceArts/Membership/Sale.

More information about the festival can be found at www.pridefilm.org.

June 22, 2023 - 7 pm

HORSEPLAY (Argentina, 2022, 1:42)
Written and directed by Marco Berger

In the hot Argentine Summer, a group of mates gets together to enjoy the holidays, drink, party, and make provocative videos of their mates. A rare mix of homophobia and horseplay come together; however, jealousy and violence begin to emerge under the surface. Themes of masculinity, toxicity, and bromance are placed under the microscope in Marco Berger's often uneasy, playfully erotic, and volatile drama film. Building on his previous work, Taekwondo, Berger puts us in a friendship group where homosexuality and male love are dismissed, and homoerotic play is embraced.

June 14 - 25, 2023

BEST OF THE FESTS 1 (1:53)

9ÈME ÉTAGE DROITE (9th FLOOR TO THE RIGHT) (France, 16:00)
Directed by Andrea Romano

Lorenzo's date brings a surprise guest.

FLORES DEL OTRO PATIO (Colombia, 15:00)
Directed by Jorge Cadena

Set in the Colombian Caribbean, a group of queer activists use extravagant performative actions to fight together against the various social injustices that plague the region.

FOREIGN UNCLE (USA, 20:00)
Directed by Sining Xiang

Sining brings his American boyfriend, Patrick, back to China to visit his family, the family's attitude towards Patrick changes after Sining inadvertently comes out to them, except for Sining's 7-year-old nephew, Naonao. This film features the filmmaker's real-life family members playing themselves.

THE TALK (Ireland, 10:00)
Written and Directed by Jonathan Hughes, Ireland, 10 minutes.

THE TALK is a comedy that chronicles the life-changing conversation between father and son when staunchly unionist father Dennis walks in on his son Barry in bed with a man. However, Barry isn't the only one hiding a secret from the family.

LE FEU AU LAC (FIRE AT THE LAKE) (France, 15:00)
Directed by Pierre Menahem

Felix comes down from the pastures where he's guarding his cows and finds his old mother lying unconscious on her bed. He drives a few miles in the valley to the house of a young man who just contacted him on a dating app.

THE PASS (UK, 15:00)
Directed by Pepi Ginsberg

On holiday, Ben declines an offer from a handsome man, Sam, to go to a private beach, The Pass. There, Ben meets Christopher, who grows aggressive as he struggles to mask his desires for Ben, leaving him afraid to get out of the water.

TOGETHER (Slovakia, 22:00)
Directed by David Benedek

The story of three boys living in Bratislava. Michal, Simon, and Robo are living their everyday troubles, love, and family affairs. Only after unpleasant events will they realize they are starting to form a family together.

June 21 - July 2, 2023

BEST OF THE FESTS 2 (1:22)

APAYAUQ (USA, 16:00)
Directed by Zeppelin Zeerip

Apayauq Reitan's journey to become the first out transgender woman to complete the legendary Iditarod sled dog race. Apayauq's goal is to share her story beyond Alaska and inspire trans youth nationwide.

BEAUTIFUL THEY (USA, 11:00)
Written and Directed by Cloudy Rhodes

Violet and Blue's youth collide in an early morning toke that leads to the ocean, where connection stirs. A tender, visually charged, uplifting queer surf-romance about the nuance of gender and the refuge found in being truly seen. Featuring Morgan Davies and Sariah Saibu.

FOR LOVE (UK, 12:00)
Directed by Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor

Nkechi, an illegal immigrant, who's been hiding for three years, lives with her girlfriend Martha and their two other friends Dolapo and Tolu. When immigration does a random check on Dolapo, both Nkechi and Martha are forced to make decisions about their love and their future together.

KILLING MYSELF (USA, 13:00)
Directed by Jillian Junco

Eve, a Filipino-American teenage girl, has decided she's going to kill herself and leave a suicide note for her mother. When she leaves the house to get cigarettes for one last smoke, she meets Dawn, who pulls her into a fun ride - and while her mother discovers her suicide note, she rediscovers life.

POOFTA (Australia, 30:00)
Directed by Andrew Blogg

Two men who struggle with anxiety and inner fear. A trailblazer for the LGBTIQ+ community reaches out to help them. Homophobia, internalized homophobia, and the struggle for societal acceptance play out in post-gay marriage Australia.

June 28 - July 9, 2023

BEST OF PRIDE FILM FEST - SHORT FILMS

SPARKLE (USA, 19:40)
Directed by Kristen Wolf

A non-binary child struggles to find the perfect Father's Day gift for their disapproving dad.

REWIND (USA, 3:00)
Directed by Brooke Pender

When an elderly woman on her deathbed gets transported back in time, she's given the opportunity to relive past moments with the one that got away.

ZINDAGI DOBARA (Life Again) (USA, 15:00)
Directed by Amritpal Kaur

Zindagi Dobara is a short narrative film centering a young South Asian teen who is forced to live with her distant aunt she's never met or heard of before when her parents are killed in a car accident. The two are forced to embark on a lifelong journey to coexist and perhaps one day, love one another.

RARE DISEASE (Vietnam, 10:20)
Directed by Hoang-Vu Nguyen

After a life-threatening emergency, Rocky is diagnosed with a rare disease which causes choking if he utters more than 280 characters a day. Meanwhile, the app-to-life date he's been longing for is imminent.

Two more short films to be announced

REWIND. Click on image to download file.
July 5 - 16, 2023

MINI DV (Israel, 1:15)
Written and directed by Shauly Melamed

At the age of 12 Shauly receives his first camera. 14 years later he finds the recordings. From his mature perspective, Shauly returns to the child he once was, to his cinematic attempts and to his biggest secret which only the camera caught.

ABOUT PRIDE FILM FEST

Pride Film Fest showcases the breadth of world LGBTQ film to express the variety and complexity of queer life across the globe. Programming includes films previously lauded in global film festivals alongside new films curated through the Pride Film Contest.

Pride Film Fest began in 2012 as Queer Bits, an in-person event curated by Pride Films and Plays. In 2022, Open Space Arts became the sponsor for the now independent, year-round streaming program, Pride Film Fest. Pride Film Fest is a member of the Chicago Alliance of Film Festivals.

David Zak is the Director of Pride Film Fest, a program of Open Space Arts. His award-winning works over 40 years as a theater director ranged from the musical ANIMAL FARM to JERRY SPRING THE OPERA to THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER. He recently directed THE KRAMER PROJECT at Center on Halsted, and THE CHRISTMAS SCHOONER for Beverly Arts Center. He was awarded six Joseph Jefferson Awards for his work as a writer and director. He has been elected to the City of Chicago's Gay and Lesbian Hall of fame. He produced Dan Pal's award-winning short film Counting for Pride Films and Plays.

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