Museum of Fine Arts, Houston to Host 20th Annual QFest, 7/21-24

From Thursday, July 21, to Sunday, July 24, Houston will host the 20th annual QFest, a LGBTQ film festival programmed by artistic director Kristian Salinas, with screenings in venues throughout the city. This year, the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, screens six films examining familial bonds and connections, a recurring theme in this year's festival. Selections also include a tribute to Italian filmmaker Liliana Cavani, director of The Skin, an Italian war film, and The Night Porter, which follows the story of a former concentration camp victim who encounters a previous abuser. Visit www.mfah.org/qfest or www.q-fest.com for more information.

QFest attendees are encouraged to kick off the festival at the Museum's Happy Hour on Thursday evening outside of the Audrey Jones Beck building. Starting at 6 p.m., guests can celebrate the premiere with a cash bar, food truck, and a DJ. Other People screens in nearby Brown Auditorium at 7 p.m.

Other People

(Directed by Chris Kelly, USA, 2016, 96 min.)

Thursday, July 21, at 7 p.m.

David (Jesse Plemons), a 29-year-old comedy writer, moves home to Sacramento to take care of his sick mother, Joanne (Molly Shannon). The move is complicated by David's father's refusal to accept his son being gay. As his mother's health declines, each family member faces their inevitable loss. Other People was the opening film in the 2016 Sundance Film Festival.

The Skin (La pelle)

(Directed by Liliana Cavani, Italy/ France, 1981, 131 min.)

Friday, July 22, at 7 p.m.
Never released in the United States, The Skin is Liliana Cavani's adaptation of Curzio Malaparte's 1949 memoir, featuring Marcello Mastroianni as the famed writer. The Italian war film focuses in during the American occupation of the city of Naples, when Malaparte served as an Italian liaison officer for the controversial General Clark (Burt Lancaster), whose invasion of ROME was heavily criticized.

The Night Porter (Il portiere di note)

(Directed by Liliana Cavani, Italy/ USA, 1974, 118 min.)

Saturday, July 23, at 5 p.m.

In this unsettling drama, a concentration camp SURVIVOR (Charlotte Rampling) discovers her former torturer and lover (Dirk Bogarde) working as a porter at a hotel in postwar Vienna. When the couple attempts to recreate their sadomasochistic relationship, his former SS comrades begin to stalk them. For mature audiences only, The Night Porter deftly examines the lasting social and psychological effects of the Nazi regime. This film is recommended for mature audiences only.

Next to Me (Pored mene)

(Directed by Stevan Filipovic, Serbia, 2015, 95 min., Serbian with English subtitles)
Saturday, July 23, at 7:30 p.m.
Serving as the festival's international centerpiece, this provocative Serbian film follows Olja, a Belgrade high school teacher who is married to a painter whose latest exhibition has prompted criticism. One night she is attacked, and after finding her students watching THE ASSAULT on YouTube, she beings to suspect their involvement and takes harsh measures to learn the names of the culprits.

Women He's Undressed

(Directed by GillIan Armstrong, Australia, 2015, 95 min.)

Sunday, July 24, at 3 p.m.

This documentary celebrates the life of Australian costume designer and three time Oscar winner Orry-Kelly. Orry-Kelly designed for 282 motion pictures, including costumes for Errol Flynn, Bette Davis, Rosalind Russell, and Marilyn Monroe in films ranging from Casablanca to Some Like It Hot. Talented, daring, brash, and bold, he contributed to the most magical moments in cinema history.

Uncle Howard

(Directed by Aaron Brookner, UK/ USA, 2016, 96 min.)

Sunday, July 24, at 5 p.m.

Howard Brookner was buried on his 35th birthday in 1989. He was many things: gay, an Ivy League graduate, seedy-nightlife lover, and maker of cult documentaries. To director Aaron Brookner, he was a loving and inspirational uncle who died of AIDS when Aaron was only seven. Uncle Howard follows the director's personal journey to discover his uncle's films and establish his legacy.

Admission to QFest screenings is $10 for the general public, and $8 for MFAH members, students with ID, and senior adults. Visit www.mfah.org/films for more information or to purchase advance tickets.

Film Buffs is the Museum's patron group for movie lovers. Visit www.mfah.org/filmbuffs or call 713.639.7531 for more information.