The 21st International Film Festival of Kerala, opening on December 9, will offer special facilities for the transgender community. A special category was created for the registration of the transgenders and the members will be provided with special toilet facility as well. Moreover, a Gender Bender package that explores the emotional, social, cultural and political situations of LGBT members is also part of the festival.
The curated package includes six films from different parts of the world. ‘Front Cover’ directed by Ray Yeung, ‘Loev’ by Sudhansu Saria, ‘Quick Change’ directed by Eduardo Roy Jr, ‘Rara’ by Pepa San Martin, Ester Martin Bergsmark’s ‘Something Must Break’ and ‘The Summer of Sangaile’ by Alante Kavaite are the films to be screened under this category.
Loev, the only Indian film in this category, is a tender love story between two men, an aspiring musician Sahil and wall street dealmaker Jai. The film had its premiere in many prestigious festivals like Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival, Frameline film festival and Pink Apple - Lesbian and Gay Film festival.
Ray Yeung’s ‘Front Cover’ is a poignant comedy about a gay New York City fashion stylist and a famous Chinese actor. An unlikely friendship develops between them after a photo shoot and they start a journey of self-discovery. ‘Front Cover’ has won many awards and great response from audience in film festivals like Chicago International Film Festival, FilmOut San Diego, US, Outflix Film Festival and Seattle International Film Festival.
Philppino film ‘Quick Change’ deals with the story of a retired entertainer who offers quick cosmetic fixes to transgender performers and treats side effects caused by beauty enhancers. ‘Rara’ is about the complicated changes that happen in the life of Sara, a 13-year-old girl in a town in Chile, who lives with her mother, her younger sister, and her mother’s lesbian lover. ‘Something Must Break’ is a bittersweet story about the love between Sebastian, who wants to be a woman, and Andreas who is a heterosexual.
The film has won awards in Chicago International Film Festival, CPH PIX , Guadalajara International Film Festival, Guldbagge Awards, Goteborg Film Festival, London Film Festival, QueerLisboa - Festival Internacional de Cinema Queer, Rotterdam International Film Festival, Seville European Film Festival.
‘The Summer of Sangaile’ is the story of a teenage girl Sangaile, an aspiring pilot, who finds herself attracted to a 17-year-old girl, Auste, who reciprocates the feeling.