PH films in int’l LGBT fests

Scene from “Patay na si Hesus”

Filipino films take center stage in several LGBT cinema events all over the world.

Two Filipino films are part of the 4th Taiwan International Queer Film Festival in Taipei, from Oct. 20 to Nov. 19. Included in the Panorama section, Joselito Altarejos’ “Tale of the Lost Boys” will be screened on Oct. 20 and 24, while Victor Villanueva’s “Patay na si Hesus” will be shown on Oct. 23, 26 and Nov. 4.

The Taiwan event aims to establish itself as “the premier LGBT festival in all of Asia.” “With the power of moving images,” the fest seeks to “transform the world, one heart at a time.”

“Patay na si Hesus” is also headed to the 29th New York LGBT Film Festival, set from Oct. 19 to 24. Also dubbed as the NewFest, the New York LGBT event serves as the East Coast premiere of “Patay na si Hesus,” which will be presented on Oct. 22 at the Cinépolis Chelsea.

The fest’s website describes “Patay na si Hesus” as “a heartwarming and utterly distinctive take on the family road-trip movie, reminiscent of the delightfully melancholic ‘Little Miss Sunshine,’ while imbuing it with its own idiosyncratic, queer flourishes.”

Also featured in the NewFest 2017 are the following Filipino films: Altarejos’ “Tale of the Lost Boys” (Oct. 21); Samantha Lee’s “Sana Bukas” (Oct. 21); and Leo Chiang and Johnny Symons’ “Out Run” (Oct. 23).

The fest’s website calls Lee’s film “a fun and flirtatious debut feature.” According to the fest’s website, Altarejos’ film follows a Filipino straight man and a closeted Taiwanese gay on “an impromptu road trip [that] leads to experiences that will forever redefine their identities.”

Chiang and Symons’ documentary turns the spotlight on members of Ladlad, “the world’s first LGBT political party.” The NewFest’s website points out that the “rousing” docu “goes beyond … personal narratives, following the historic struggle of Ladlad in its attempt to bring its voters out of the shadows, to fight for representation.” Presented by HBO and programmed in partnership with Outfest, the NewFest aims “to portray diverse and compelling stories from across the LGBT spectrum.”

Aside from Taiwan and New York, “Patay na si Hesus” is also included in the lineup of the Seattle Queer Film Festival (Oct. 21), the Gender Bender fest in Bologna (Oct. 25 to Nov. 5) and Cinematografo in San Francisco (Nov. 9 to 12).

Also part of the 22nd Seattle Queer Film Festival are Jun Robles Lana’s “Die Beautiful,” Petersen Vargas’ “2 Cool 2 Be 4gotten” and Lee’s “Sana Bukas.”