COMRADES: The Chinese LGBT Film Festival
September 5-7, 2008The LGBT Community Center
208 West 13th Street,
New York City
Asia Catalyst supports grassroots human rights advocacy in Asia, and celebrates the power of film and art to inspire and catalyze change. Comrades: The Chinese LGBT Film Festival is a weekend showcase of work from a gay film festival that authorities banned in Beijing. The images and words of these new filmmakers give New Yorkers a glimpse into the hidden lives of gay Chinese. The festival includes both commercial and independent work that shows the broad spectrum of lesbian, gay and transgender experience as it is lived day-to-day in China. This is work by some of China's most promising young filmmakers (Zhang Yimou, eat your heart out).
The old Communist term "comrade" has a secret meaning -- it's used by some gay and bisexual people in China to refer to themselves. We took it as the title of the film festival in order to stand alongside our Chinese comrades, whose work cannot always be freely seen in their own country. Join us for a remarkable weekend of film and conversation. Schedule is subject to change -- please check back in for updates!
The films screened at “Comrades: The Chinese LGBT Film Festival” were all part of a series of attempts by Chinese filmmakers to hold an LGBT Film Festival in Beijing – attempts that were foiled when local authorities repeatedly shut down the film festivals. Click here for the history of the LGBT Film Festivals, as told to us by one of the key organizers, along with photos from his personal collection.
Support COMRADES by visiting our online store at CafePress for stylish and colorful COMRADES t-shirts, tote bags, mugs or a super-cute (and very politically progressive) teddy bear! Click here for more info on supporting COMRADES and Asia Catalyst.
Download the COMRADES poster!