The organizers have vowed to alter the "imagined" images of Asian lesbians seen
in most Western discourses by voicing "real" and diverse Asian experiences
dramatically different from those of their Western counterparts.
The festival has lined-up 31 films including features,
documentaries, experimental works from Taiwan, Hong Kong, China, Japan, South
Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Malaysia, among other Asian countries.
All the films are divided into six topical programs. These include a look at
issues ranging from sexual/gender formation and identification, lesbian desire
and sex, violence and social injustice, individual and collective experiences
in the course of post/neo-colonial, capitalistic modernization, family values
and patriarchal oppression and subversion of the mainstream.
Teaming up with the Center for Asia-Pacific/Cultural Studies, National Tsing
Hua University, the festival will also arrange panel discussions, workshops and
lectures held by invited artists and scholars to further explore the
socio-cultural issues relating to gender and sexuality in inter-Asian context.
Those eager to participate in this event but who live outside Taipei, fear not.
The festival will go on tour to central and southern Taiwan between September
and December, and there are plans for screenings in China, Hong Kong and the
Philippines next year.
Invited filmmakers from various Asian countries will also be present in Taipei
for question-and-answer sessions after the screenings. Most of the works have
both Chinese and English subtitles, with the exception of around eight films.
Ticket price ranges from NT$180 to NT$200, available through
http://www.artsticket.com.tw.
For more information, go to http://alff2005.gsrat.net, or call (02) 8251 0105.
Event Notes
What: Asian Lesbian Film and Video Festival
Where: Spot -- Taipei Film House, 18, Zhongshan N Rd, Sec 2, Taipei.
When: Today until Aug. 10
Tickets: NT$180 to NT$200
