Fear and Survival: Being LGBTQ in Iraq (2022)

Iraq International Awards

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Peter von Kant

Peter von Kant, a successful, famous director, lives with his assistant Karl, whom he likes to mistreat and humiliate. Through the great actress Sidonie, he meets and falls in love with Amir, a handsome young man of modest means. He offers to share his apartment and help Amir break into the world of cinema. Several months later, Amir becomes a star. But as soon as he acquires fame, he breaks up with Peter, leaving him alone to face himself.

Break the Game

Record-breaking gamer Narcissa Wright grapples with her toxic obsession for attention and her space in the streaming community after coming out as transgender, all while attempting to set a new world record for The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

Letter Beyond the Walls

Letter Beyond the Walls reconstructs the trajectory of HIV and AIDS with a focus on Brazil, through interviews with doctors, activists, patients and other actors, in addition to extensive archival material. From the initial panic to awareness campaigns, passing through the stigma imposed on people living with HIV, the documentary shows how society faced this epidemic in its deadliest phase over more than two decades. With this historical approach as its base, the film looks at the way HIV is viewed in today's society, revealing a picture of persistent misinformation and prejudice, which especially affects Brazil’s most historically vulnerable populations.

The Male Gaze: Nocturnal Instincts

Strap yourself in for an exhilarating journey into darkness with these five award-winning short films from across the globe that delve into heart-pumping escapades varying from the intensely erotic to the ultra-violent to the warm-inside feels. The night has never looked so inviting. Segments: After Dawn [Passée l'aube] (2017), Poof (2018), Spiral (2018), Night of Love (2018), Floating Melon [浮果] (2015).

The People's Joker

An aspiring clown grappling with her gender identity combats a fascistic caped crusader.

Toto Forever

A wide-eyed young postman and a gangster in trouble with the mafia find their lives become inexplicably intertwined when a heady affair attracts danger at every turn.

Have We Met Before?

Short docudrama exploring the history of sex in the homosexual community from the 1970s to the present day, and how the internet has changed the way gay men meet forever.

My Sweet Prince

Alcopops, VHS tapes, cigarettes, boys, MSN Messenger, Placebo - this is 2003. Set on the Isle of Wight, fragments of the director's own teenage video diaries collide with the fictional story of 15-year-old Tommy in this short film about a boy's search for connection in the advent of the internet age. Infatuated with his best friend's boyfriend and unable to truly reveal himself to anyone, Tommy feels an overwhelming sense of isolation on the small chalk island he calls home. Desperate to be seen, he logs on to family computer, clicks connect and opens MSN.

Hey You

When two men arrange a hook-up, is who's top or bottom all they should be worried about? Hey You exposes how, with the convenience of social media and dating apps, our hard-fought rights and freedoms can be taken for granted and how, for many others, that fight isn't over.

All Good Things

Road trips usually signify a beginning but for Isaac and his partner Levi, this is their last chance to spend time together before they part ways. As they drive closer to their destination, Isaac finds that maybe he isn't as prepared for his first breakup as he had thought.

Dominant Chord

Country music star Adam has to choose between damaging his career by coming out in the closed-minded world of country music or losing his long-time partner Brian.

First Position.

When a young dancer moves to San Francisco in the early 1980s, signs of a sickness test his relationships, as well as his lifelong dream in this strikingly photographed and stirring portrait.

Billy Boy

In an era marked by the reign of fluid relationships, through apps and blind dates, Alejo seeks to fill his sentimental void by constantly changing sex partners.

When Love Comes

Between getting trashed, tripping, blowing guys off and writing songs, Mark falls for Stephen. Fig and Sally put perform Marks songs between casual sex with anyone and everyone. Katie is a few-hit wonder who hit rock-bottom in L.A and returns to New Zealand to patch her life back together. Stephen, Mark and Katie branch out for a slumber party at a beach house of their better days. Fig and Sally arrive, and not long after Eddie arrives also (Katies American guy). Mark stops running away from Stephens love, Katie and Eddie get engaged and Fig and Sally ... have sex?

Blink

An indie film about greed and corruption among small-time criminals in the streets of Manila starring GMA contract artist Sherwin Ordonez in his first mature role.

The Carnival

Since they were children, every summer they used to participate together in the traditional carnivals of their hometown. This magical celebration, transform men of the community into dionysiac figures with makeup, coloured costumes, glitter and feathers. Alcohol, friendship and parties out of control become the limelight. Boundaries get blurred with the heat of the sun at the edge of the imposing Paraná River.

Secret Journey

I (Ken MItsuishi), documentary video maker, saw a guy named YUDA (Kazuma Honda) in middle of Tokyo. I was curious about Yuda and begun following him around, but one day he disappeared with my video camera. A couple months later, a lady name Michi Nakamura (Yukiko Okamoto) came to my office. She had the strap of my video camera that Yuda stole from me, and said she saw the address that was on the strap, so she came here. I asked her about Yuda, and she told me that he was dead. Right after she left my office, she was hit by a car, I visited her in hospital and she begins to tell me about the mysterious story of her and Yuda.

LIEB MICH! - Latin Gay Shorts Volume 5

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Bingwit

Salem is an ambitious woman who uses her body to attract three men - her politician husband Domingo, the hunk servant Medel/Arnel, and her boy toy Aldon - until Medel/Arnel and Aldon fall in love with each other!

Princess Cyd

High school athlete Cyd Loughlin lives alone with her depressive father in South Carolina, perpetually longing to get away from it all. When her aunt, famous novelist Miranda Ruth, agrees to host her for a few weeks during the summer, Cyd jumps at the opportunity. While there, she falls for a girl in the neighborhood, even as she and her aunt gently challenge each other in the realms of sex and spirit.

They/Them

Campers at an LGBTQ+ conversion camp endure unsettling psychological techniques while the campsite is stalked by a mysterious killer.

Polly

When Jacob's ex-girlfriend Polly comes to visit, the pair can barely contain their excitement. Since their teenage days when they were an item, Jacob has long since been out of the closet and in a happy relationship with boyfriend Nicholas, so both he and Polly have a lot of catching up to do. Sure enough, Polly's visit extends into a long stay as the trio relish each other's company. However, all good things must, eventually, come to an end.

Family according to Mathieu

What should have been a simple family reunion turns into a settling of scores.

A Blast

Running away on the highway, Maria is alone in her roaring SUV. Behind her, fire and a case full of money. In front of her, the hopeless vastness of the motorway. Only a day before she was a caring mother, a loving wife, a responsible daughter. Today she has gone rogue.

The Boy Who Couldn't Swim

Two teen boys meet each other in Copenhagen and team up to find one of the boys' mother. Instead they end up finding themselves - and each other.

My Life on Ice

Etienne is crazy about ice skating and videoing his daily life with a digital camera. He records his mother, friends, and geography teacher. Initially his intention is to setup a date between his mother and his teacher, however, he starts to realize that he is infatuated with the teacher himself.

Gone, But Not Forgotten

Questions about the identity of an amnesiac threaten his romance with the park ranger who rescued him.

Rock Haven

The coastal California community of Rock Haven is the perfect place for cute eighteen-year-old Brady and his loving mother to begin a fresh start. Their mission: to spread the word of the Lord. But while roaming the beach one day, Brady meets Clifford, a young man who is the complete opposite of him: outgoing and athletic as well as incredibly handsome. Their initial encounter stirs up feelings of homo desire that Brady has been suppressing. Once Clifford makes it clear that their attraction is mutual, Brady's conflicting feelings of religious obligation and natural impulse go into overdrive, and the two young men must navigate their confusion, lust and beliefs in order to come to a mutual understanding.

Two Brothers

An independent drama about two brothers trying to patch up the holes in their relationship, while coming to terms with their personal differences. One brother has moved away from home rather than confront his family with the fact that he's gay; he eventually has a reunion with his older brother, who ran away from home years before, with no explanation regarding where he went and why.

You I Love

Vera and Tim are successful young professionals. Everything changes one night when Tim hits a young Kalmyk immigrant to Moscow, Uloomji, with his car. The two men begin a affair while Vera struggles to comprehend their bond and her boyfriend's erratic behavior. She is dragged reluctantly into a love triangle.

A Siren in the Dark

Cameron, a Police Officer with psychic abilities, is called upon to interview an accused teen in hopes of finding the whereabouts of the teen's missing gay lover. His investigation immediately spirals into sordid tales of drug abuse, sexual obsessions, and a mysterious man living on a deserted mountain road.

Do I Sound Gay?

What makes a voice “gay”? A breakup with his boyfriend sets journalist David Thorpe on a quest to unravel a linguistic mystery.

Body Boy

A young man prostitutes himself in the parks of Madrid while he is looking for his father, who abandoned him when he was a child.

Zootopia

Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny on Zootopia's police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case - even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve the mystery.

Baligtaran

Kat is a beautiful DJ who immediately catches the eye of pansexual woman Denise. But while Kat falls for Denise, she’s just one of the many partners Denise plays around with. Will Kat learn to be okay with their set-up or will Denise change her ways for Kat?

Marie

Due to her father’s death, Marie returns to the countryside after 15 years. Her childhood friend, Estêvão, is leaving with her on a trip to Crato, her father’s hometown.

Ernesto

Ernesto is a teenager who wanders, in search of himself, through the streets of Rome. Chapter after chapter, time passes and people just disappear but he continues to live impromptu relationships, causing pain to himself and to others. Taking refuge in his happy moments and in political ideologies, he believes he can save his soul from suffering although life will force him to grow and move forward.

Matcha & Vanilla

A lesbian couple in conservative Japan must fight to stay together when one of them is diagnosed with terminal cancer.

Sad Temptation

A closeted middle aged man named Suh Moon Gi is unsatisfied with his wife Suh Jung Hye. He meets a young homosexual employee Shin Joon Young at his company and falls in love.

Putik Sa Laman

A young woman Aileen returns to her hometown in the province after living in the city for several years. As she navigates her complicated relationships with her family and friends, Aileen must confront the harsh realities of her past and the secrets that have haunted her family for years. The film's title, which translates to "Dirt on the Skin," refers to the painful memories and secrets that the characters carry with them.

Herculanum

Three "meetings." Two men. A rumbling volcano.

The World In Your Window

Eight-year-old Jesse lives in a twilight world of sadness and silence, squeezed into a tiny caravan with his grief stricken father. They're in limbo, existing more than living. The child intuitively understands that looking forward is harder than looking back, and that's where life happens. But they are stuck, until an accidental friendship with a V8 driving transsexual unlocks the means for Jesse to liberate his father and himself.

Xiao Lin

Every gay person goes through a process of discovering their own identity. Caught between their truest self and the family and societal pressure around them, which should a college student still in the middle of this process choose? Details

The Space Between Us

In a motel room, a teenage boy and a much older man discuss love, sex and life in an intimate moment of honesty between two strangers.

Because You're Mine

Torn by the farewell letter of his boyfriend, Samuel tries to change his ideas in nature. The forest will bring him a strange and sensual consolation…

Rhapsody

Peter, a gay cabaret pianist, falls in love with Bill, a construction worker with intimacy issues. When Peter discovers Bill's secret, he is determined to set him on a straight path, and when a shy young woman moves in across the hall, he puts his plan in motion, even as Bill seeks to strengthen his ties to Peter. This gay romantic drama was filmed in Chicago in 1992 where it had its premiere before it was thought to be lost. Now, recently re-discovered, the film has been remastered from the best source materials and presented now for your enjoyment!

Dream Boat

A cruise ship and 3,000 men – it is a universe without heteros and women that usually remains a mystery to the outside world. Once a year the Dream Boat sets sail for a cruise exclusively for gay men where most passengers are united by the wish to live life authentically as themselves in a protected place.

Venus – Filly the Lesbian Little Fairy

In this animated fairy-tale Filly, a lesbian fairy with nimble fingers, seduces women by day dressed as a boy. But at night something strange happens and soon half the population of Whatsit Village are eagerly queuing up.

The Judgment

A gay Egyptian couple return from America for a family emergency. In this homophobic environment, their secret threatens to unravel under anxiety, unease, and suspicion that someone is using witchcraft to send them back.

Cherry Pop

When Zaza, headliner of a weekly drag show, 'CHERRY POP', refuses to come out of her dressing room, all hell breaks loose backstage. A young newcomer, The Cherry, is hiding a huge secret from the girls while getting ready for his debut performance.

Naked in New York

Naked in New York begins in the car of grown up Jake, he is talking to us about his girlfriend, Joanne, and to whom you can turn to for help while facing life. From there it flashes back to his memories of his parents, college, house across from a squirrel infested peanut factory, best friend, writing career and Joanne.

Mona Lisa Smile

Katherine Watson is a recent UCLA graduate hired to teach art history at the prestigious all-female Wellesley College, in 1953. Determined to confront the outdated mores of society and the institution that embraces them, Katherine inspires her traditional students, including Betty and Joan, to challenge the lives they are expected to lead.

Bros

Two emotionally unavailable men attempt a relationship.

Beauty and the Beast

Tonight's program has been composed by and for grown-ups who are children at heart. Eternal history, the tale of Belle-Rose. Also known as Beauty and the Beast.

Men Don't Whisper

After being emasculated at a sales conference, gay couple Reese and Peyton set out to do the most masculine thing they can think of - sleep with some women.

Redacted

A fictional documentary discusses the effects the Iraq war has had on soldiers and local people through interviews with members of an American military unit, the media, and local Iraqis.

Show Me Love

Two teenage girls in small-town Sweden. Elin is beautiful, popular, and bored with life. Agnes is friendless, sad, and secretly in love with Elin.

Nobody Loves Me

On the brink of her 30th birthday, Fanny feels the door to marital happiness closing on her. She is obsessed with death and even visits evening classes on dying, so it seems fitting that she encounters a skeleton in the malfunctioning elevator of her apartment building. The skeleton is her neighbour Orfeo, a Black, gay, self-declared psychic, who convinces her that she is about to meet "him". But is it really Lothar, the new yuppie apartment manager ...?

Spun

Over the course of three days Ross, a college dropout addicted to crystal-meth, encounters a variety of oddball folks - including a stripper named Nikki and her boyfriend, the local meth producer, The Cook - but all he really wants to do is hook up with his old girlfriend, Amy.

Lilya 4-ever

Lilya Michailova lives in poverty, dreaming of a better life. Her mother moves to the United States and abandons her to her neglectful aunt. Desperate for money, Lilya starts working as a prostitute, and meets Andrei, who offers her a good job in Sweden. However, upon arrival, her life quickly enters a downward spiral.

Oi! Warning

A young man gets caught up in a conflict between his friends, a skinhead and a gay anarchist.

Moral Rules

Moral Rules is an adaptation of Frank Wedekind's Spring Awakening. The adaptation takes place in Greece where we follow some days of the lives of two boys currently on the last year of a strict religious school. As they uncover their mutual attraction and explore their sexuality. The characters of the play display elements that potentially belong to each one of us, from sexual curiosity and promiscuity to fear towards the unknown, and from superficial communication to moral hypocrisy. The story takes place in 7 acts in a form of a cinematic theater play.

The Gift

Controversial documentary about gay men purposely contracting the AIDS virus.

For Boys

Seriously ill Mikael, who is living his last days, needs acceptance and lures young men into his apartment with a fake profile. When Paul arrives and shows unexpected warmth towards him, Mikael's world begins to collapse.

Fahrenheit 9/11

Michael Moore's view on how the Bush administration allegedly used the tragic events on 9/11 to push forward its agenda for unjust wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Les Biches

A bored bisexual millionaire picks up a young destitute street artist and whisks her away to her villa in Saint Tropez. They meet a dashing local architect and both fall for him, setting in motion a ménage à trois of deception and betrayal.