VI Side by Side LGBT Film Festival, 21 - 30 November, 2013

In the face of adversity and continued repression from the authorities over the past year, Side by Side LGBT Film Festival pulls through and returns once again, for the sixth year running, to Saint Petersburg, Russia putting on a full programme of screenings anddiscussions dedicated to LGBT issues and rights between 21 – 30 November, 2013.

On the offering this year are over 30 films including award-winning work from Cannes, Berlin and Venice Film Festivals. Opening the film festival is Matterhorn, by Dutch director Diederik Ebbinge, which won both critics and audience acclaim at the 35th Moscow International Film Festival. Dennis Wielaert, cinematographer of the film, joins the discussion afterwards. Premiering also is Xavier Dolan’s Tom at the Farm (Canda / France), Keep the Lights On (USA) by Ira Sachs and from Polish director In the Name of.. by Malgoska Szumowska.

Reflective of the deteriorating climate in Russia the discussions this year will focus on several pertinent issues. After the screening of the hard-hitting and shocking documentary Valentine Road (Marta Cunningham, USA, 2013) a panel of experts, including Elena Klimova, journalist and creator of the project “Children-404”, will address the issue of LGBT youth in Russia and their right to access information concerning homosexuality. Additionally, LGBT activist, Bettina Dziggel, will be sharing her experiences of what life was like for LGBT persons during the German Democratic Republic and how it was possible for LGBT people to resist a totalitarian regime and pursue strategies of emancipation. Directors, Jochen Hick and Andreas Stohfeldt, will also be present.

The task of deliberating over the films this year and deciding who the worthy winners should be of the BOBIK Award, 2013 is the responsibility of Alexander Markov (documentary filmmaker and programmer of Message to Man Film Festival), Elena Kostyuchenko (journalist - Novaya Gazeta), Marina Shtaudenmann (founder and director of the International Festival Agency Tour de Film), graphic artist Victoria Lomasko and Bard Yden (Director of the Queer Film Festival Skeive Filmer, Oslo, Norway).

All events are restricted to persons 18+

Festival highlights:

21 November, 2013: OPENING of the VI Side by Side LGBT International Film Festival: Matterhorn (feature, directed by Diederick Ebbinge, Netherlands, 2013). Special guest: director of photography Dennis Willaert.

23 November, 2013: Valentine Road (documentary, directed by Marta Cunningham, USA, 2013) Special guest: journalist Lena Klimova, the founder of Russian project “Children 404”, devoted to LGBT Youth.

26 November, 2013: Tom à la ferme (fiction, directed by Xavier Dolan, Canada/France, 2013). FIPRESCI Award at Venice Film Festival 2013

29 November, 2013: Keep the Lights On, (fiction, directed by Ira Sachs, USA, 2012).