Official poster painted by Andrej Dúbravský
Festival organizers aim to give queer people courage
According to the organizers of the 18th Slovak Queer Film Festival, to live their lives, what queer people in Slovakia need most is courage. “We’re currently facing attempts to control arts and culture, as well as our personal relationships,” says the event’s director Zita Hosszúová. Held from 20 to 26 November 2024 at Bratislava cinemas Kino Lumière and Kino Film Europe, the Slovak Queer Film Festival is a tribute to those who aren’t afraid to take a stand for their own lives. The festival also provides a safe space for those who lack such courage or are still searching for it.
The artist behind the official festival poster is Slovak painter Andrej Dúbravský. “The most interesting thing about courage is that we so often psych ourselves up to find the courage to do what we long to do, only to find that doing so isn’t nearly as hard as we’d thought, but actually lovely and exciting,” explains the internationally recognized artist, well known for his brave queer-themed work. The Slovak Queer Film Festival poster depicts two people longing for love and seeking acceptance in each other’s eyes. “Regrettably, we still live in an age when it takes a certain amount of courage for many queer people in Slovakia to live fully, happily and true to themselves. We are confident that, with its array of film screenings and events, the Slovak Queer Film Festival will be one of those occasions that inspires people and helps them summon up such courage,” adds Zita Hosszúová.
This year, the international LGBTI+ film festival is screening over 30 feature-length films, as well as more than 30 short films. The latter will appear in the international competition Shorts, where they will vie for the award for the festival’s best queer short film. All in all, over 25 countries from around the globe will be represented in the programme.
As in previous years, the films will be divided into several sections, representing the widest possible range of genres, categories, themes and countries of origin: Panorama – Contemporary Queer Film, Shorts – International Competition, Shorts – Special Screening, Queer CzechoSlovakia, Classics and The Kids’ Zone. As always, audiences can also look forward to a varied programme of accompanying events, which will be connected to this year’s festival theme of Courage.
Organizers: Iniciatíva Inakosť, Kvír film
This event is held with the financial support of the Slovak Audiovisual Fund.
Chief Partners: Férová nadácia, Poisťovňa NN, Corwin, DHL, Nadácia SPP, Ruido, Zürich Insurance Company, Embassy of the Netherlands in Bratislava, U.S. Embassy in Bratislava, Embassy of Canada to Slovakia, Goethe Institut Bratislava, Institut français Bratislava, Embassy of Switzerland in Slovakia, Embajada de España en Eslovaquia, Instituto Cervantes Bratislava, MyCinepass, Kino Lumière – cinema of the Slovak Film Institute, Kino Film Europe
Media Partners: Webmagazín, TV JOJ, Denník N, Pravda, Startitup, Odzadu, FM RADIO, DIVA, Aktuality, Film sk, Queer Slovakia, Citylife
