TLVFest

TLVFest or the Tel Aviv International LGBT Film Festival (Hebrew: הפסטיבל הבינלאומי לקולנוע גאה) is an annual film festival held in Tel Aviv, Israel. The festival is focused on LGBT themed film from around the world.[1]

Tel Aviv’s International LGBT Film Festival
LocationTel Aviv, Israel
Founded1 January 2006 (2006-01-01)
Hosted byYair Hochner
Websitewww.tlvfest.com

The films are primarily screened at Tel Aviv Cinematheque. The festival runs around the same time as, sometimes concurrently, with Tel Aviv Pride.[2]

History

The first ever LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transsexual) film festival in Tel Aviv was held in 2006, and focused on LGBT-themed films would otherwise never get theatrical, TV or DVD distribution in Israel. The festival took place at the Ha’ozen Hashlishit (Third Ear) music venue on King George Street and screened in five tiny theaters of 20–40 seats each. The festival opened with Greg Araki’s Mysterious Skin and the festival sold out every film, attracting more than 2,000 people.

The festival moved to the bigger Tel Aviv Cinematheque in 2007.

Selected films, screened at festival

Controversies

Funding 2012

The Israeli Film Council threatened to withdraw funding for the festival; however it didn't cancel the funding.

BDS pressure 2017

A number of scheduled speakers canceled their attendance at the event in response to pressure from the BDS movement.[3][4][5] The speakers who withdrew their participation are South African director John Trengrove, Canadian author and screenwriter of Pakistani descent Fawzia Mirza, Palestinian Nadia Ibrahim, who was supposed to sit in a jury panel, and Swiss Jasna Fritzi Bauer, though only Trengrove, Mirza and Ibrahim cited the BDS movement. Jasna Fritzi Bauer and Helene Hegemann claimed schedule clashes as a reason for cancellation.[6] Despite speakers withdrawal, there were not changes in the screen program and the films of those who cancelled their participation were shown during the festival. John Trengrove cancelled his participation after he arrived to Israel on festival dime[7] Palestinian Israeli actress Samira Saraya and filmmaker Maysaloun Hamoud participated in the festival.[8]

Boycott call 2020

More than 100 filmmakers from 15 countries signed a petition launched by the Palestinian Campaign for the Academic and Cultural Boycott of Israel calling for a boycott of the festival out of solidarity with the struggle by the Palestinian queer community. Among the signatories are filmmakers Charlotte Prodger, Alain Guiraudie, Thomas Allen Harris, Harjant Gill, Ian Iqbal Rashid, Sarah Schulman, John Greyson, Adrian Stimson, Richard Fung, Catherine Gund and Raquel Freire, as well as film scholars Alexandra Juhasz, Thomas Waugh, Marc Siegel, Shohini Ghosh and Chris Berry.[9]

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References
  1. "LGBTs Talk BDS in TLV". Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  2. "The Tel-Aviv international LGBT Film Festival". Retrieved 6 May 2016.
  3. Stern, Itay (May 29, 2017). "Wave of Cancellations Hits Tel Aviv LGBT Film Festival Due to BDS Pressure". Haaretz.
  4. Spiro, Ami (May 29, 2017). "TEL AVIV LGBT FILM FESTIVAL TARGETED BY ANTI-ISRAEL BOYCOTTERS". Jerusalem Post.
  5. Agencies, IMEMC News &. "Wave of Boycotts Hits Israeli LGBT Film Festival as International Artists Heed Palestinian Call to Respect Picket Line".
  6. Ennis, Dawn (May 30, 2017). "Why queer filmmakers are boycotting Israel's LGBTQ film festival". LGBTQ Nation.
  7. Stern, Itay (May 29, 2017). "Wave of Cancellations Hits Tel Aviv LGBT Film Festival Due to BDS Pressure" – via Haaretz.
  8. "Tel Aviv LGBT film festival targeted by BDS". The Jerusalem Post | JPost.com.
  9. Itay Stern: Over 100 LGBT Filmmakers Abroad Call for Boycott of Tel Aviv Festival / קולנוענים בעולם קוראים להחרמת הפסטיבל הגאה בת"א כהזדהות עם הפלסטינים. In: Haaretz, 6 March 2020; Alex Ritman: 100-Plus LGBTQ Filmmakers to Boycott Israeli Festival The Hollywood Reporter, 4 March 2020; Hannah Brown: Filmmakers call for a boycott of TLVFest Jerusalem Post, 2 March 2020; Stuart Winer: 100 LGBT filmmakers to boycott Tel Aviv festival to support queer Palestinians Times of Israel, 2 March 2020; 130 Queer Filmmakers Pledge Not to Participate in Israeli Government Sponsored LGBT Film Festival BDS, 2 March 2020; Nora Barrows-Friedman: LGBTQ filmmakers boycott Tel Aviv film fest Electronic Intifada, 10 March 2020.
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