Gay Film Nights
Encyclopedia
Gay Film Nights
Gay Film Nights (Serile Filmului Gay in Romanian
) is an LGBT
film festival
organised annually in Cluj-Napoca
, Romania
by the LGBT association Be An Angel
. By presenting a series of films with LGBT themes, it seeks to showcase LGBT culture
and cinema, while also initiating a dialogue with other members of society. The complete title of the event is Festivalul de Film "Serile Filmului Gay" (or "Gay Film Nights" Film Festival). The festival was first organised in 2004. Entry to the films is free.
The films shown at the Gay Film Nights are somewhat different from those shown as part of Bucharest
's annual GayFest
, which also includes a film festival. Gay Film Nights tends to be more mainstream and focussed on English-language films in its selection, while GayFest usually presents a greater number of documentaries and European productions, with a greater focus on LGBT rights.
Apart from the screening of films, Be An Angel also organises a number of other events during the Gay Film Nights festival. One of these is the Miss Travesty Romania contest which is open to drag
and cross-dressing
participants, intended to celebrate transsexual and transgender
culture, and Mister Gay Romania.
Additionally, the Gay Film Nights includes a Gay Prize Gala, which seeks to recognise those who have contributed to LGBT culture and rights throughout the year, with prizes awarded in several categories.
GAY FILM NIGHTS International Film Festival 2009
AWARDS
Best Short Film: Todas!!! (Spania)
Best Documentary: "Transvestites also cry" by Sebastiano d'Ayala Valva(Franţa)
Best Feature Film: I Can’t Think Straight (Marea Britanie)
Public's Choice: My name is Love (Suedia)
Films:
Shortfilm
A Domicilio
Area X
Below the Belt
Benny's Gym
Fabulousity
FAIR Enough
Flores en el Parque
Just
Kaden
King County
Kompisar
Laundromat
Le Baiser
Mechanic's Daydream
Mother's Day
Postmortem
Premieren
Radu + Ana
Scarred
Signage
Secrets of the Mystic Oracle
The Offering
Thick Lips Thin Lips
Twirling Earl
Una Ultima Voluntad
Uncle Mike
Was is schon normal?
Longfilms
Butch Jamie
Coffee Date
East Side Story
Finn's Girl
Pusinky
The Gymnast
Documentaries
Campillo
Here's Looking at You, Boy
Red Without Blue
The Two Cubas
Voodoo Woman
, the festival's organiser. For the first time, the festival included photography exhibitions, a theatre performance and a Home Made Movies Contest, where amateur filmmakers were invited to create an LGBT-themed short film, of no more than 20 minutes, with a message of anti-discrimination or tolerance. The event was organised as part of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and was sponsored by KulturForum Europa.
Films shown in the 2007 Gay Film Nights were:
The Gay Prize Gala 2007 took place on September 29 at 22:00 at Club Angels, with the following recipients in the following categories:
The "black ball" was once again awarded to Gigi Becali
, for his repeated anti-gay remarks.
Additionally, at 22:00 every night, a different LGBT party was held as part of the festival, including a karaoke
night, a live music party and the Miss Travesty event on September 30.
The Gay Prize Gala 2006 took place on September 29 at 22:00 at Club Angels, with the following recipients in the following categories:
The Gay Prize Gala also awarded a "black ball" to the politician Gigi Becali
, for his anti-gay remarks and his virulent opposition to Bucharest's GayFest
pride parade in June 2006.
Film festivals in Cluj:
Gay Film Nights (Serile Filmului Gay in Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
) is an LGBT
LGBT
LGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
film festival
Film festival
A film festival is an organised, extended presentation of films in one or more movie theaters or screening venues, usually in a single locality. More and more often film festivals show part of their films to the public by adding outdoor movie screenings...
organised annually in Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca
Cluj-Napoca , commonly known as Cluj, is the fourth most populous city in Romania and the seat of Cluj County in the northwestern part of the country. Geographically, it is roughly equidistant from Bucharest , Budapest and Belgrade...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
by the LGBT association Be An Angel
Be An Angel
Be An Angel Romania is a Romanian human rights organisation based in Cluj-Napoca founded by Lucian Dunăreanu, a LGBT rights activist...
. By presenting a series of films with LGBT themes, it seeks to showcase LGBT culture
LGBT culture
LGBT culture, is the common culture shared by lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people. It is sometimes also referred to as Queer culture. The term gay culture, though not synonymous, is sometimes also used though this may also apply specifically to the culture of homosexual men.LGBT...
and cinema, while also initiating a dialogue with other members of society. The complete title of the event is Festivalul de Film "Serile Filmului Gay" (or "Gay Film Nights" Film Festival). The festival was first organised in 2004. Entry to the films is free.
The films shown at the Gay Film Nights are somewhat different from those shown as part of Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
's annual GayFest
GayFest
GayFest is the annual gay pride festival of Bucharest, Romania, which first took place in 2004 and now occurs in May-June of each year, lasting for nearly a week. It is organised by the non-profit organisation ACCEPT, the country's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights organisation...
, which also includes a film festival. Gay Film Nights tends to be more mainstream and focussed on English-language films in its selection, while GayFest usually presents a greater number of documentaries and European productions, with a greater focus on LGBT rights.
Apart from the screening of films, Be An Angel also organises a number of other events during the Gay Film Nights festival. One of these is the Miss Travesty Romania contest which is open to drag
Drag (clothing)
Drag is used for any clothing carrying symbolic significance but usually referring to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of another gender. The origin of the term "drag" is unknown, but it may have originated in Polari, a gay street argot in England in the early...
and cross-dressing
Cross-dressing
Cross-dressing is the wearing of clothing and other accoutrement commonly associated with a gender within a particular society that is seen as different than the one usually presented by the dresser...
participants, intended to celebrate transsexual and transgender
Transgender
Transgender is a general term applied to a variety of individuals, behaviors, and groups involving tendencies to vary from culturally conventional gender roles....
culture, and Mister Gay Romania.
Additionally, the Gay Film Nights includes a Gay Prize Gala, which seeks to recognise those who have contributed to LGBT culture and rights throughout the year, with prizes awarded in several categories.
Gay Film Nights 2009
Was in 19 – 25 October 2009, Cluj-Napoca.GAY FILM NIGHTS International Film Festival 2009
AWARDS
Best Short Film: Todas!!! (Spania)
Best Documentary: "Transvestites also cry" by Sebastiano d'Ayala Valva(Franţa)
Best Feature Film: I Can’t Think Straight (Marea Britanie)
Public's Choice: My name is Love (Suedia)
Gay Film Nights 2008
Gay Film Nights 2008 took place between 13 and 19 October 2008, under the tagline of "The same people. The same ideals. Just in appearance different". It was the fifth edition of the festival.Films:
Shortfilm
A Domicilio
Area X
Below the Belt
Benny's Gym
Fabulousity
FAIR Enough
Flores en el Parque
Just
Kaden
King County
Kompisar
Laundromat
Le Baiser
Mechanic's Daydream
Mother's Day
Postmortem
Premieren
Radu + Ana
Scarred
Signage
Secrets of the Mystic Oracle
The Offering
Thick Lips Thin Lips
Twirling Earl
Una Ultima Voluntad
Uncle Mike
Was is schon normal?
Longfilms
Butch Jamie
Coffee Date
East Side Story
Finn's Girl
Pusinky
The Gymnast
Documentaries
Campillo
Here's Looking at You, Boy
Red Without Blue
The Two Cubas
Voodoo Woman
Gay Film Nights 2007
Gay Film Nights 2007 took place between 15 and 21 October 2007, under the tagline of "Respect me the way I am!". The festival commemorated the fifth anniversary since the founding of Be An AngelBe An Angel
Be An Angel Romania is a Romanian human rights organisation based in Cluj-Napoca founded by Lucian Dunăreanu, a LGBT rights activist...
, the festival's organiser. For the first time, the festival included photography exhibitions, a theatre performance and a Home Made Movies Contest, where amateur filmmakers were invited to create an LGBT-themed short film, of no more than 20 minutes, with a message of anti-discrimination or tolerance. The event was organised as part of the European Year of Equal Opportunities for All and was sponsored by KulturForum Europa.
Films shown in the 2007 Gay Film Nights were:
- Tan Lines (Australia)
- Surveillance (UK)
- Bob and Jack's 52-Year Adventure (USA)
- Vampire Diary (UK)
- Another Gay MovieAnother Gay MovieAnother Gay Movie is a 2006 gay romantic comedy film directed by Todd Stephens. It satirically follows four gay friends, Andy, Jarod, Nico and Griff, who vow upon graduating high school that they will all lose their "anal virginity" before their bull dyke friend Muffler's big Labor Day party...
(USA) - FtF: Female to Femme (USA)
- The Birthday (Netherlands)
- Brother Outsider (USA)
- Friends in High Places (Germany)
- The short films Summer by Hong Khaou, Lucky Man by Dan Faltz, Sonntag Morgen by Beate Kunath, #01 hygienist by Beate Kunath and Backstroke by Amy Bronson
The Gay Prize Gala 2007 took place on September 29 at 22:00 at Club Angels, with the following recipients in the following categories:
- Person of the Year for supporting the Romanian LGBT community: Daniel Zavoian
- Prize for excellence: Neculai Constantin MunteanuNeculai MunteanuNeculai Constantin Munteanu is a Romanian anti-communist dissident. Through his shows on Radio Free Europe he became known for condemning Nicolae Ceauşescu's regime, which lasted until 1989...
- Organisation of the Year for supporting the Romanian LGBT community: Be An AngelBe An AngelBe An Angel Romania is a Romanian human rights organisation based in Cluj-Napoca founded by Lucian Dunăreanu, a LGBT rights activist...
- Prize for LGBT activism: Kenno
- Prize for the promotion of LGBT culture: Gay Film Nights
- Best medium of information for the LGBT community: AngelicussAngelicussAngelicuss is the first Romanian LGBT magazine and is published by Be An Angel, an LGBT rights organisation from Cluj-Napoca. The magazine was initially only available through the internet, with the first print version released in November 2004 and distributed free of charge. In 2005, the magazine...
Magazine - Sexiest male: Răzvan Fodor
- Sexiest female: Monica Barladeanu
- The most popular drag queenDrag queenA drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
in Romania: ToxiceToxiceToxice is the 1st drag queen band submitting the Romanian national preselection at Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The band is composed of: Divina Duvall , Alehandra del Barrio, Fernanda and Bella Blue. The slogan of Toxice is that "Drag queen is an art and has nothing to do with sexual... - Gay songGay anthemA gay anthem is a song that has become widely popular among, or has become identified with, the LGBT community; usually with gay men. The lyrics of gay anthems are often marked with hope against the odds, pride, unity, or defiance...
of the year: Prinde-mă, aprinde-mă by Andreea Bălan - The most objective TV show with an LGBT theme: PRO TV Portret on PRO TVPro TVLaunched in December 1995, Pro TV reaches almost 99% of Romania’s 21.5 million people and has 48% of its broadcast schedule comprising locally-produced programs...
The "black ball" was once again awarded to Gigi Becali
Gigi Becali
George Becali is a controversial Romanian politician and businessman, mostly known for his involvement in the Steaua Bucureşti football club.He has been a Member of the European Parliament since June 2009.-Biography:...
, for his repeated anti-gay remarks.
Gay Film Nights 2006
Gay Film Nights 2006 was held between 25 to 30 September, and was the first festival to include short films (the short films shown were Highlanders Too, Toilet Treatments and Providence Dirt Newsreel). A different full-length film was shown each day at 19:00 at Club Angels, with five films shown in total (considering that the festival runs for five nights):- Almost NormalAlmost Normal-Synopsis:Brad Jenkins, a 40-year-old gay college professor is still uncomfortable in his own skin. After a disagreement with mother, he storms out of his home, claiming that he is "going somewhere where [he] is more normal." A sudden car accident transports him back to his youth and a world in...
(USA) - TransamericaTransamerica (film)Transamerica is a 2005 independent comedy-drama film produced by IFC Films and The Weinstein Company. The film tells the story of Bree, a transsexual woman , who goes on a road trip with her long-lost son Toby ....
(USA) - The BirdcageThe BirdcageThe Birdcage is a 1996 American comedy film directed by Mike Nichols, and stars Robin Williams, Nathan Lane, Gene Hackman, Dianne Wiest, Dan Futterman, Calista Flockhart, Hank Azaria, and Christine Baranski. The script was written by Elaine May...
(USA) - Boys Don't CryBoys Don't Cry (film)Boys Don't Cry is a 1999 American independent romantic drama film directed by Kimberly Peirce and co-written by Andy Bienen. The film is a dramatization of the real-life story of Brandon Teena, a transgender man played by Hilary Swank, who pursues a relationship with a young woman, played by Chloë...
(USA) - Saving Face (USA/China)
Additionally, at 22:00 every night, a different LGBT party was held as part of the festival, including a karaoke
Karaoke
is a form of interactive entertainment or video game in which amateur singers sing along with recorded music using a microphone and public address system. The music is typically a well-known pop song minus the lead vocal. Lyrics are usually displayed on a video screen, along with a moving symbol,...
night, a live music party and the Miss Travesty event on September 30.
The Gay Prize Gala 2006 took place on September 29 at 22:00 at Club Angels, with the following recipients in the following categories:
- Person of the Year for supporting the Romanian LGBT community: Alexandra Ungureanu
- Prize for LGBT activism: Romaniţa Iordache from ACCEPTACCEPTACCEPT is the primary nongovernmental organization advocating for the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender people in Romania. It is based in Bucharest and also acts as the Romanian representative at ILGA-Europe...
- Prize for the promotion of LGBT culture: The ToxiceToxiceToxice is the 1st drag queen band submitting the Romanian national preselection at Eurovision Song Contest 2006. The band is composed of: Divina Duvall , Alehandra del Barrio, Fernanda and Bella Blue. The slogan of Toxice is that "Drag queen is an art and has nothing to do with sexual...
musical band - Best medium of information for the LGBT community: The GayOne.ro online magazine
- Sexiest male: Adrian Rosenberg
- Sexiest female: Alexandra Ungureanu
- The most popular drag queenDrag queenA drag queen is a man who dresses, and usually acts, like a caricature woman often for the purpose of entertaining. There are many kinds of drag artists and they vary greatly, from professionals who have starred in films to people who just try it once. Drag queens also vary by class and culture and...
in Romania: Kaballa Timişoara - Gay song of the year: Viaţa mea by Cristina Rus
- The most objective TV show with an LGBT theme: Bomba zilei on OTV
The Gay Prize Gala also awarded a "black ball" to the politician Gigi Becali
Gigi Becali
George Becali is a controversial Romanian politician and businessman, mostly known for his involvement in the Steaua Bucureşti football club.He has been a Member of the European Parliament since June 2009.-Biography:...
, for his anti-gay remarks and his virulent opposition to Bucharest's GayFest
GayFest
GayFest is the annual gay pride festival of Bucharest, Romania, which first took place in 2004 and now occurs in May-June of each year, lasting for nearly a week. It is organised by the non-profit organisation ACCEPT, the country's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights organisation...
pride parade in June 2006.
See also
- Be An AngelBe An AngelBe An Angel Romania is a Romanian human rights organisation based in Cluj-Napoca founded by Lucian Dunăreanu, a LGBT rights activist...
, the organiser of the event - GayFestGayFestGayFest is the annual gay pride festival of Bucharest, Romania, which first took place in 2004 and now occurs in May-June of each year, lasting for nearly a week. It is organised by the non-profit organisation ACCEPT, the country's largest lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender rights organisation...
, Bucharest's annual gay culture event - Gay rights in RomaniaGay rights in RomaniaLesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender persons in Romania may face legal challenges not experienced by non-LGBT residents. Romania, like a number of other Eastern European countries, remains socially conservative with regard to the rights of gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender citizens...
Film festivals in Cluj:
- Comedy ClujComedy ClujComedy Cluj is an international film festival of comedy film organized annually in October in Cluj-Napoca, Transylvania, Romania.- History :The first edition of Comedy Cluj was held in 2009 and comprised 70 films coming from 19 countries as well as several workshops, street theater shows,...
- Transilvania International Film FestivalTransilvania International Film FestivalThe Transilvania International Film Festival is a film festival held in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and established in 2001 by Romanian Film Promotion...