ShPFF 2018 Invites You to a Feast of LGBTQ Films!

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ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival (ShPFF) will run from June 10 to June 17, 2018. The festival’s evolved from a LGBTQ film screening night to a full-blown festival that supports emerging Chinese filmmakers while bringing cutting-edge international queer cinema to Shanghai.

In the past year, ShPFF reached out to many reputable LGBTQ film festivals around the world. We have successfully introduced many from our Chinese Short Film Awards, “Cocoon”, “Two Men”, “A Girl Covered”, “Blooming Night”, “Kill the Gay”, etc. to international LGBTQ film festivals in Stockholm, Honolulu, Seoul, New Zealand, etc. During Iris Prize Festival 2017, the Best Film from ShPFF 2017 Chinese Short Film Awards, “Cocoon” was shortlisted as a finalist for the award!

“Besides presenting more Chinese LGBTQ films to the local audience, we are also trying to share our voices and views to the world. This is a great opportunity for international LGBTQ films to first meet the local audience too!” ShPFF 2018 Festival Director, Raymond said.

In the significant 10th year of ShPFF, we will be making another attempt by screening over 50 strong and inspiring LGBTQ films from 22 countries in 8 days. Not only did we manage to attract award-winning and recommended films from reputable LGBTQ film festivals in Berlin, London, Amsterdam, and Copenhagen but also LGBTQ films from world-class film festivals, including Cannes International Film Festival, Golden Horse Awards, and Singapore International Film Festival. In addition, there are many unique and exquisite short films.

ShPFF 2018 Chinese Short Film Awards received nearly 60 submissions, 33 made it into the finals. The nominees are in the run for five awards, including Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Sound & Music. The submissions are diverse and high-quality which gave ShPFF 2018 a fresh breath. The winners and nominees will be screened during the festival.

Among the Feature Films, some of the highlights which include Alifu, The Prince/ss (TW), the nominee of Golden Horse Award 2017 for Best Original Screenplay, tells the story of challenges faced by transgender people when seeking for love; Paths (DE), Berlin International Film Festival Teddy Awards 2018 Finalist, portrays a long-lasting relationship; Pulse (AU), Audience Choice award winner of the 22nd Busan International Film Festival, tells a story of a gay and disabled teenage boy changes into the body of a beautiful woman, so that he can be loved; 120 BPM (FR), the nominee of Palme D’or Award 2017, Best Film of Caesar Award 2017, tells a story about members of the advocacy group ACT UP in Paris demanding action by the government and pharmaceutical companies to combat the AIDS epidemic in the early 1990s; There is a Light (IT), the nominee of Nastro d’Argento 2017 Best Original Story, focuses on an introverted clerk Paolo and a unconventional pregnant woman Mia who started on a journey looking for the father of Mia’s unborn daughter; The Wedding Banquet (US), the nominee of Oscar Award 1994 Best Foreign Language Film, which we will hold a special discussion to celebrate its 25th anniversary.

The highlights among the International Short Films this year include Goddess (IN), winner of Best Short Film at the LA Outfest 2017, tells about a rebellious girl resisting the family and social tradition to express her love to her maid; Between Us Two (SG), the Best Singaporean Short Film at the 28th Singapore International Film Festival, focuses on the dialogue between a gay son and his dead mother; Losing Sight of A Longer Place (HK), Best Animated Short Film of the 54th Golden Horse Award, is a story about the long-standing gap between a son and father; Odd Job Man (DK), the Best Short Film of Iris Prize Festival 2017, describes a struggling old man who has the opportunity to pursue a dusty dream. In addition, we will be screening inspiring films from #FiveFilms4Freedom, a collaboration of the British Council and British Film Institute (BFI), and also a series of short films from the Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance (APQFFA).

On top of all these, ShPFF and Nowness will co-organize a talk and workshop to discuss the representations and significance of gender in LGBTQ films. The guests are the Fan Qing, Director of Nowness; Lecturer at the Shanghai Theatre Academy and PhD Researcher at the University of California, Berkeley, Situ Jiayi; Founder of the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival (TIQFF) 2014 and Portico Media, Jay Lin.

We are proud to announce the full line-up of films and schedule for ShanghaiPRIDE Film Festival 2018! We invite you to join us and enjoy the feast of LGBTQ films together!