TLVFest LGBTQ+ Film Festival Unveils 21st Edition Program

The TLVFest International LGBTQ+ Film Festival has announced the program for its 21st edition, scheduled to take place from October 22 to 31 at the Tel Aviv Cinematheque. The festival will feature a diverse lineup of international and Israeli films, including dramas, comedies, and documentaries.

Among the international highlights is "Rose" by Markus Schleinzer, a black-and-white drama set in 17th-century Germany, starring Sandra Hüller as a woman posing as a man. The film, which won Hüller the Silver Bear for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival, will represent Austria in the Oscar race. Other international selections include award-winners from Berlin like "Ivan and the Dog" and "The Trial of the Chicago 7," as well as films from Cannes such as "Rome Is Not America" and "A Woman's Life."

The festival's lighter side includes the camp comedy "Stop! That! Train!" where RuPaul plays the U.S. President, alongside "Drag Race" stars Ginger Minj and Jujubee. Kristen Stewart and Alia Shawkat star in Dylan Meyer's "The Wrong Girls" as two broke friends who gain telepathic powers from an experimental substance. Alejandro Amenábar's "The Captive" offers a queer reading of Cervantes' captivity in Algiers.

Special screenings will celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Wachowskis' debut film "Bound" and the cult classic "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." The Israeli program boasts the premiere of Yuval Hadadi's "A Man Walking Down the Street," about a man returning to Israel after 30 years and falling for a younger man. Also featured are Moshe Rosenthal's "Independence," Asaf Keness's "Where To?" exploring a relationship between an Israeli and a Palestinian Uber driver in Berlin, and "Grocery Store" by Yuval Shani, a coming-of-age story set in the Jerusalem hills.

Additional Israeli films include Nitzan Giladi's final feature, "And You Shall Love," about a Haredi yoga instructor whose faith and marriage are challenged, and Michael (Mish) Rozanov's "Negative," set during a chaotic HIV testing clinic shift. The documentary section includes Daniel Lombroso's "Manhood" on penis enlargement industry, Rachel Mason's "My Brother's Killer," and "Time Warp," about a drag band performing a "Rocky Horror"-inspired show.

This marks the first festival since the passing of its founder, Yair Hochner, who led TLVFest for 20 years. Gili Porat is the new artistic director, and Yael Levi is the producer. Porat expressed hope that audiences would discover new favorites beyond their initial expectations.