LGBT film fest in Kolkata this weekend

KOLKATA: Shortly after the conclusion of KIFF, the city is set to host another film festival: 'Dialogues: Kolkata International LGBT Film & Video Festival'. The event - to be held from November 26-29 - will features 37 films from 13 countries.
Launched in 2007 as an annual cultural event in Kolkata, 'Dialogues', according to the organizers Sappho for Equality, Pratyay Gender Trust and The Goethe-Institut/Max Mueller Bhavan Kolkata, is India's oldest and continuously running LGBT film and video festival.It is a celebration of writers, directors, actors and their work dealing with gay lesbian, bisexual, and transgender themes and issues, said the organizers.
"The festival focuses on showcasing feature films, shorts, and videos from national and international filmmakers, typically highlighting feature films of interest to the LGBT community, and simultaneously providing a much-needed venue for independent films and videos from India and abroad on these themes," said a statement from Sappho.
"The festival will include films from around the country and abroad. Special mention should be made of specially curated packages from the Dresden Film Festival and Berlin Film Festival," the statement added.
Anindya Hajra, founder of Pratyay Gender Trust, told TOI: "Kolkata is a city is full of cinema-lovers. There is immense passion for films in general, but when it comes to movies on LGBT, there is little scope. Our objective is to sensitize the public and invite them to have discussions on the topic. The people who are coming from abroad and other states will unite here and make a creative space, where issues will be raised and ideas exchanged." The inaugural film will be 'Qissa' by Anup Sharma, which has won several awards and travelled to various film festivals around the world.
Other films to be screened are the Romanian 'Beyond the Hills', that had premiered at Cannes Film Festival 2012, Its director Cristian Mungiu had won the prestigious Plame d'Or for his second feature '4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days' in 2007.
the English-language 'Mosquita y Mari' (2012) by director Aurora Guerrero, Spanish-language film 'Plan B' by Argentine filmmaker Marco Berger and the British comedy 'Appropriate Behaviour' directed by Desiree Akhavan. The festival will see the premiere of 'Tin Sottyi.../In Fact' - a documentary on LGBT lives produced by Sappho for Equality.