Pink Screens is back for the 15th consecutive time. The Brussels Queer Film Festival celebrates alternative sexualities and genders through nearly 80 films, performances, an exhibition, workshops, gigs, parties and lots of surprises…
Back in the NOVA, our home port since ever, and cinema Aventure, the Pink Screens festival is also invited to the Beurschouwburg for the first time, where you will be able to discover a selection of experimental short films (17.11) and a performance introducing the unmissable Pink Night (19.11).
More than ever before, films will be at the heart of the festival as they allow you to travel from South Africa to Italy, the Czech Republic to India via Argentina or Pakistan in order to discover characters and individuals who live their sexuality, or state their gender proudly, in spite of the local social conventions.
This year, we will highlight the AKS festival, the trans film festival which, having seen its beginnings in Pakistan 3 years ago, is experiencing enormous difficulties to survive. Attractive bags with the ’Pink Screens’ logo will be sold in support of this festival.
Far from being a dinosaur, Pink Screens remain as militant as ever whilst wishing to continue being a space for pleasure, discoveries, encounters and steaming parties, insane and joyfully washed down in the famous bar of the NOVA.
FOCUS Xpérimentations
The cinema is a space of expression governed by codes, but also a space for creation, of freedom to permanently challenge these same codes. That can only impassion those who wish to shake up conventions and explore the boundaries. Male and female directors, artists self-taught or not, they are numerous to innovate, mix genders and make of the alliance between images and sound a voice to express the queer, the innovative, the militant, the claimant, sometimes the feminist but always the daring. A focus on this was long due! From the sublime ’Strange Love’ immersing us in contemporary India far from stereotypes, to the sensory experiment of ’Welcome to this House’ (ranging from experimental film to classical documentary), passing through the unavoidable mythological recreation of ’Amori e metamorfosi’ and, last but not least, the (free!) screening of the latest best experimental queer short films in Beursschouwburg, we invite you to four screenings that will titillate your senses and imagination.
FOCUS Porn with a difference
It is a very sexual edition that we are proposing this year: 2 midnight screenings, an encounter/discussion, and a few short films that complete our programme here and there. On 12 November, ’Nova Dubai’ establishes fucking of every kind as the means to fight real-estate speculation! A film that reminds us of Bruce LaBruce’s first works. On 11 November, it’s time for ’When We Are Together, We Can Be Everywhere’, an incursion into the Berlin alternative scene. Sexual encounters and explicit sex scenes and the questions they raise: Can porn paint itself with the colours of romantic love? And does it allow a community to be built around certain values? We will have the opportunity to ask the questions directly to the director Marit Östberg on 13.11.2016 at 15:00. The debate will also tackle the notion of ’alternative porn’ and how to direct it.
Pink Night
To crown this anniversary edition, the Pink Night will put on different masks making use of the three rooms of the Beurschouwburg with three different atmospheres. As many ways to happily bring the festival to a close whilst having a great night out.
