IFFR Pro Dialogue: Reframing desire, reclaiming the story – queer cinema’s playful & radical imagination

In its commitment to multidimensionality, the current state of queer cinema finds filmmakers freeing themselves from narrative constraints, documenting the quotidian everyday, restaging queer history, reconfiguring genre and celebrating transgressive action and expression. The crossover potential for their films to be seen and iterated beyond the LGBTQ+ festival circuit also presents challenges: how can “commodifying the queer” occur without compromise? IFFR filmmakers, festival programmers and sales agents join us to discuss the themes and formal sensibilities in the work they make, curate and represent.

The panel will consist of Georden West (director, Playland – Tiger Competition), João Pedro Rodrigues (director, Fogo-Fátuo – Harbour), Gema Arquero (producer, La amiga de mi amiga – Bright Future), Pol Merchan (festival programmer and director, El jardín de los faunos – Short & Mid-length), Heng Fai Hong (director, Kissing the Ground You Walked On – Bright Future) and Julien Razafindranalay (sales agent, Films Boutique).

With contributions from festival programmers Yi Wang (Queer East Film Festival) and Bohdan Zhuk (Molodist Kyiv International Film Festival).

Moderated by producer and curator Madeleine Molyneaux.

Film still: Playland dir. Georden West