Chéries Chéris, Paris at the time of lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer films and ++++

Nov. 15 2016

by Marc Dedonder

The 22nd edition of Chéries Chéris, Paris' lesbian, gay, bi, trans, queer and ++++ film festival, opens tonight at 8pm for 8 days of screenings, masterclasses and competitions at MK2 Quai de Loire and MK2 Beaubourg. Opening with "King Cobra", the event film co-produced and starring James Franco, based on the true story of male porn star Sean Lockhart, aka Brent Corrigan, and his producer, targeted by a rival producer and his male escort. The closing film, on November 22, will be "Absolutely Fabulous: The Movie".

For over 20 years, the Chéries Chéris festival has been bringing us the best of LGBTQ+ cinema. For the space of a week, Chéries Chéris takes us out of the comfort of our individual screens and lets us share, on the big screen and in the red velvet of a movie theater, stories of love, love, love, love and love.a movie theater, love stories, tragedies, struggles, but also sensuality, laughter and joy from the four corners of the globe. Chéries Chéries also gives you the chance to meet the film's directors and crews, who are often present at festival screenings.

Ten feature-length fiction films will be in competition this year, with entries from Chile, Austria, Portugal, France, Mexico, Canada, Israel, Turkey and Italy. Particularly eagerly awaited is L'Ornithologue, by João Pedro Rodrigues, director of O Fantasma, which won the director's prize at the last Locarno Film Festival. Ten documentary films will also be in competition, including "Les Vies de Thérèse", last Queer Palm at the Cannes festvial, and "Chemsex", a documentary on new sexual practices under the influence of drugs.

Headlining this year's Chéries Chéris festival is the master of underground queer cinema, Bruce La Bruce. He'll be presenting his first three films in remastered copies ahead of their release in a 4-DVD box set on December 6 (Epicentre films): "No Skin Off My Ass", "Super 8 1⁄2" and of course "Hustler White", which revealed him. Bruce La Bruce will also be giving a masterclass on November 20.

Other guest artists, Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau, directors of "Théo & Hugo dans le même bateau" and "Crustacés et coquillages"will give a masterclass devoted to "Mala Noche", Gus Van Sant's first feature film, made in 1985 but only released in France in 2006.

Last but not least, Lionel Soukaz, a leading figure in French homosexual cinema, underground and militant, has been given carte blanche. He will host two special screenings followed by discussions on the films "Habibi" and "Guy and co".

Two screenings at Chéries Chéris 2016 will be devoted to Voguing, a movement born in New York in the 1980s, inspired by the poses struck by models. the poses struck by models in the pages of Vogue magazine, with screenings of Sara Jordenö's "Kiki" and Gabrielle Culand's "Paris is voguing".

Very hot, four sessions will be devoted to erotic films, including Jacques Scandelari's "Homologues ou La Soif du mâle", which hasn't been screened since 1977.

With its "Panorama" section, the festival will also feature some twenty feature-length fiction films and documentaries, as well as a large number of short films, including some erotic shorts by Antonio Da Silva.

For the full list of films, with trailers, and precise times for all screenings, visit the Chéries Chéris festival website. The special edition 22nd Festival Chéries-Chéris 5-seat Mk2 ticket is €34.50, i.e. €6.90/seat.