Gay film festival to open in Tel Aviv
Fourth international festival to kick off on June 23, include screenings of 50 feature films, 70 short films
The 4th Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival, TLVFest, will kick off on June 23 with a festive screening of the movie "Strella" by Greek director Panos H. Koutras, which had its world premiere at the 2009 Berlin International Film Festival.
The screening of the movie, which follows the complicated relationship between an ex convict and a transgender prostitute, will be attended by the director and by actress Betty Vakalidou.
Fifty features and 70 short films will be presented at this year's festival. The screenings will take place at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque and the LGBT Center at Gan Meir.
From 'I Can't Think Straight' - to be screened in festival
The festival will host a tribute to the Mix Brasil festival, considered to be the major gay film festival in South America. The Brazilian festival's director, Suzy Capo, will be in Israel as a guest of TLVFest and introduce a program that gives a multifaceted picture of Brazil.
Due to the large number of short films submitted to this year's festival, the short Israeli movie competition will be divided into two clusters. The winning movie will get a NIS 3,000 prize and be sent to participate at the IRIS British festival.
Among the festival's guests this year are American director, screenwriter and producer Allan Brocka, French director Remi Lange and independent director and screenwriter Maria Beatty.
