Pride Fall Film Festival to Screen Eight International Short Films at Music Box Theatre

PrideArts (formerly Pride Films and Plays) has announced a one-night festival of eight short LGBTQIA films, to be screened in the Main Theatre of the Music Box Theatre, 3733 N. Southport Avenue, Chicago: on Monday, October 12, 2020 at 7:30 pm. The selection of films includes work by new directors, in some case using new technology (iPhone 11, Filmic Pro), in the explorations of sexual orientation and gender identity across cultures and among male and female-identifying, transgender and non-binary people. Tickets for the one-night only festival are $15.00 and may be purchased in advance at www.pridearts.org or at the door. Masks must be worn throughout the screening (except while eating or drinking) and socially distanced seating is required. More information on the Music Box's COVID-19 safety precautions is available at https://musicboxtheatre.com/covid-19-update

HER & HER, (UK, 12:53)

Directed by Jade Anouka

Her & Her have been seeing each other for a few months now and are both very much in love. But they have just moved in to Her small one bedroom flat and of course she's brought the dog! Suddenly Her home is their home and the realities of their differences come to full view. Different backgrounds, cultures, upbringings, rules. One uses poetry and the other music to tell their stories. Both British. Both women. One black. One white. Both quarantined and filming on an iPhone! Part poetry video. Part music video. This experimental short film is a lyrical and musical story told using poetry and beatboxing. Filmed during lockdown and entirely on an iPhone 11 using Filmic pro.

BIRDS OF A FEATHER, (USA, 2:22)

Directed by Varad Bhamburdekar

In the courtyard of an Indian Palace, a male peacock named Kana fails to get his feathers up for a female named Ami until he meets another peacock named Madan with the same problem. They both finally bloom to reveal their feathers and their attraction for each other as the film closes with a Bollywood dance sequence as the peacocks celebrate their new-found love.

E VISSERO, (Italy, 12:48)

Directed by Aldo Verde

A colorful and lively short film about asking uncomfortable questions in a daft and funny way. It depicts a conversation between two young men, Merry (21) and Happy (23), during which they explore the themes of freedom, prejudice, and social disapproval. This short film inspired by teen movies explores with grotesque elegance the desire for freedom typical of youth. By explicitly showing to the viewer a series of increasingly "extreme" behaviors, it asks the questions "How open-minded are you?" and "How far can you accept other people's freedom?".

AYANEH, (Switzerland, 14:09)

Directed by Nicolas Greinacher

In Switzerland, Ayaneh, a young refugee from Afghanistan, meets Anna one day at a public swimming pool and instantly feels attracted to her. As the relationship between the two women develops, Ayaneh is confronted with growing resistance from her religious family.

WHO I AM, (USA, 9:26)

Directed by Taina Asili

WHO I AM is a documentary about Paola Gonzales, a trans woman born and raised in Puerto Rico, who finds empowerment in her gender identity as she journeys to Upstate New York and becomes a professional wrestler. The documentary is a part of a series of documentary shorts by New York based Puerto Rican singer, filmmaker and activist Taína Asili about women of color and resilience.

KEY OF T, (Canada, 12:05)

Directed by Mike MacKinnon and Ash Chugg

What happens when you must choose between who you are and what you love? Choral singer Ari Agha is faced with this dilemma when they consider testosterone therapy, which could cost them their singing voice. A dire lack of research on the topic makes it an even tougher decision. KEY OF T is the story of their decision, the journey of their voice transition, and they did with the result.

DATED, (USA, 6:00)

Directed by Zenon Samuels

A 50+ gay man tries to make sense of the online dating world. Pilot episode of a short-form web series. Written by and starring Steve Chivers.

ONE MORE PLEASE (USA, 6:00)
Directed by Aleksei Borovikov

A lonely young man begins a playful drinking game with a handsome stranger. Director Aleksei Borovikov is a Russian-born film and video director who graduated from Moscow Film School in 2016 and with a diploma in Film Directing and is now pursuing an MFA degree in Cinema Directing at Columbia College Chicago.