CTIFMF Proudly Celebrates LGBTQ Films

Official Selection Announced

Once again, the CTIFMF is proud to present a series of films focused on LGBTQ stories from around the world. This diverse selection of films speak to the diversity of experiences from within the LGBTQ community and yet also resonate strongly with universal themes of love, acceptance, and self-discovery.

Two African films, one from South Africa and one from Nigeria, will have red carpet premieres during the festival and tickets will be available via the website, filmfestival.capetown.

The South African Premiere of the film Kanarie on October 10th at 8:30pm SK Nouveau V&A Waterfront (www.kanariefilm.com) The film, directed by Christiaan Olwagen and starring Schalk Bezuidenhout has won numerous awards

Set in South Africa in 1985 against a backdrop of apartheid, religion, and war, Kanarie follows a teen boy, Johan Niemand, who has always been bullied in his small town for his flair for British new wave music and love of Boy George. After he gets called on by the military and auditions for the Kanaries (the South African Defence Force Church Choir and Concert Group), he believes the choir will be his ticket out of fighting the war, but he begins to see the role he plays in the oppression and injustice around him. On tour, he develops feelings for a fellow Canary and he starts to question everything he knows about himself, leading to a confrontation with his commanding officers.

Kanarie is a love story. A film about finding individuality in a world of the oppression and uniformity.

The Nigerian / UK co-production Walking with Shadows will have its World Premiere at the CTIFMF on 12 October 8:00pm @ Nu Metro5. Based on the novel by Nigerian author Jude Dibia, the film tells the story of a man who has to come to terms with his dark secret and choose between keeping his family or accepting a life of possible loneliness and rejection.

Hot off its USA theatrical release, and a win at the Sundance Film Festival, The Miseducation of Carmen Post is based on the celebrated novel by Emily M. Danforthand ollows Cameron (Chloë Grace Moretz) as she is sent to a gay conversion therapy center after getting caught with another girl in the back seat of a car on prom night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEdngvMGjg0

Cape Town International Film Festival Director Leon van der Merwe describes this year’s selection this way: “Queer cinema has never offered a more richly complex and diverse characters and stories than we have seen recently  and that shines through in the quality of films that the program team have put together. This diversity of films reflects shifts in cultural conversations around identity, but also the festival’s own spirit as welcoming and inclusive.

We try to forget the labels and look for queerness in all kinds of films. It really works because this section of the festival is very successful within the community but also for an audience who’s just interested in seeing these films.”

Below is the full list of films competing within the LGBTQ category of this year’s Cape Town International Film Festival:

  • Girl – Belgium,Netherlands – Lukas Dhont
  • I Miss you when I see you – Hong Kong – Simon Chung
  • Just Friends – The Netherlands – Ellem Smit
  • Kanarie – South Africa – Christiaan Olwagen
  • Malila:The Farewell Flower – Thailand – Anucha Boonyawatana
  • Mario – Poland – Marcel Gisler
  • Postcards From London – UK – Steve McLean
  • Retablo – Peru / Germany / Norway – Alvaro Delgado Aparicio
  • Soldiers Story From Ferentari – Belguim, Romania,Serbia – Ivana Mladenovic
  • The Miseducation of Cameron Post – USA – Desiree Akhavan
  • Walking with Shadows – Nigeria, UK – Aoife Kelly, Funmi Iyanda

From the 10th -19th of October, 80 Feature Films, 20 documentaries and 66 short films will be screened at various venues at the V & A Waterfront. Full schedules and ticketing information can be found  on the the website, www.filmfestival.capetown.

The Cape Town International Film Market and Festival is proudly hosted by the City of Cape Town.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb