This year’s Q! Film Festival (The festival’s mission is to introduce alternative films apart from the main stream ones in the cinema as well as to raise awareness on LGBT issues. See more details here) was held between Sep 22nd – Oct 03rd, 2010 in Jakarta. I missed last year’s festival due to work schedule and I was determined to see this years ! Fortunately on their first public screening on Sep 25th, a friend of mine asked me whether I wanted to accompanied him because his friend, Billy Christian (he directed famous Indonesian actress Atiqah Hasiholan in The Clown and The Bride at Pink Homemade section) having a screening at Goethe Haus for Q! Film Festival. Billy‘s future project is directing a full length feature film with horror genre!
Me and Billy Christian
Of course I would loved to go ! And there we were headin’ to Goethe Haus to watch the fabulous Pink Homemade, a compilation of 5 short films made by Indonesians (plus a quirky music video soundtrack from a later released MadameX movie).
The festival was FABULOUS as i remembered !!! Filled with not just movie screenings, but also Q! Gossips-talk show with Queer VS Media and Transgender theme, Q! Exhibition-an art showing, Q! Lit-book launching of Un Soir de Paris, Menagerie 7 and Q! Stories (anthology of 12 short stories), Q! On Stage-a unique version of local dating show Take Him Out (later was cancelled due to security reasons) and a free and confidential HIV test. They even gave me a Katy Perry‘s Teenage Dream CD because I asked a question at the Q&A session and a goody bag after the screening. Ha ! How cool is that ?
Q & A sessions with Billy Christian, Sigi Wimala, Daud Sumolang & Host
I also got the chance to have a photo with Sigi Wimala, a model/actress/fabulous young mom/director for Boy Crush which was also screened at Pink Homemade section. She was very humble and down to earth. I would love to see her again sometime 😀
Me & Sigi Wimala
Despite all the threats, protests and rejections from local religious community, this year’s screenings was quite successful (even some of their screenings had to be cancelled). And I am hoping that I could see and attend this festival next year and many years ahead because its celebrates diversity and teaches us how be more open minded :).
Now the festival are heading to other cities in Indonesia, hopefully everything goes well and I’ll see you next year guys 😉
Check out their website at www.q-munity.org for more details.
Amby from Art8amby.
Art8amby's Blog 