Fifth Moscow Side by Side LGBT Film Festival, 21 - 24 April, 2016

Side by Side LGBT Film Festival comes to the capital once again and will be celebrating its fifth Moscow festival from 21 – 24 April, 2016.

The theme is the power of cinema and this year the audience through the programming selection will be reminded of cinema’s incredibly transformative power and how it can impress upon us particular emotions, introduce new ideas or concepts that may challenge our perception, encourage us to formulate a more critical stance or even more dramatically be a call to action.

Side by Side will be offering some of the most talked about and highly acclaimed LGBT films produced over the last 12 months.

VOICES FROM THE PAST

To open the festival is Peter Greenaway’s latest semi-experimental and visually rich film Eisenstein in Guanajuato. A biopic on one of Russia’s greatest directors, Sergei Eisenstein, the film openly explores his affair with Mexican guide Palomino Cañedo, during his stay in Mexico in the 1930s. Just as then, still now, to speak openly of Eisenstein’s homosexuality, courts controversy and resulted (ashamedly) in the Russian State Film Fund refusing Greenaway’s request for funds to make the film. Despite this obstacle the film was made and the truth has been told!

After the screening will be a discussion with film critics Anton Dolin and Sergey Dyoshin.

A major focus of the festival is one of the darkest periods of twentieth century history and the heinous crimes and despicable acts of brutality, torture, murder and inhumanity, which took place in the Nazi Concentration Camps across Germany and Europe and the GULAG in Soviet Russia. Although the experiences of the majority are well documented the stories of women, children, Romany, gay men, lesbian women, the poor and homeless, the physically and mentally disadvantaged are often ignored and forgotten. Unfortunately, history too discriminates and it is through the presentation of the film Sounds from the Fog along with guests Albert Knoll (archivist from the Dachau Memorial Centre) and Irina Roldugina (historian and researcher) we seek to explore the experiences of the thousands of gay men and lesbian women who endured terrible atrocities during this time.

BECOMING SELF

The road to becoming who we are is not always easy. In Ingo Haeb's stunningly shot film The Chambermaid Lynn the central character, Lynn, only begins to learn how to get close to people and be emotionally expressive when she falls for dominatrix Chiara.

Through the presentation of the new feature, Girls Lost by Alekandre-Therese Keining, documentary Gardenia: Before the Last and Curtain Falls we see a rich presentation of portraits, young and old, coming to terms with a full range of questions relating to gender identity and questioning persons. Q&As follow the film screenings with the creators.

THE POWER AND DANGER OF SOCIAL NETWORKS

Meet the protagonsist Sandra Bagaria of the film the Amina Profile. Her experience raises many ethical questions concerning social networks and whether or not there should be stricter controls and greater regulations.

The short collections Dyke Me Up! and Setting them Straight promises a rollercoaster ride of emotions and feelings and are a must, not to miss!

FESTIVAL PARTNERS

PROGRAMME

FESTIVAL SCHEDULE: WHERE and WHEN?

TICKETS: 350 - 250 RUBLES

FIND US IN:

HASHTAG:  #sidebysidefest 

INTERNATIONAL PR CONTACT: Manny de Guerre [email protected]