CHICAGO – Like many of the other film festivals in 2020, the 38th edition of Chicago’s REELING LGBTQ+ fest will be virtual and online. Over the course of 11 days, 30 features and 54 short films from 21 countries will be presented. Click here [19] for details.
The 30 feature films can be downloaded for four days once they premiere (to Illinois residents only), and the shorts programs will be available throughout the U.S. Virtual Q&As with filmmakers will be available as part of many of the films, see the website for more details.
Reeling38’s official Opening Night film is the romantic love story “Breaking Fast,” starring Haaz Sleiman (”The Visitor”) as Mo, a Muslim doctor living in West Hollywood, who tries to resist the charm of Kal (Michael Cassidy), a charismatic non-Muslim he meets at a party and who surprises him by offering to break fast with him during the holy month of Ramadan. Through these two characters, director Mike Mosallam (who directed the 2015 short film on which the feature is based) delves into Muslim-American culture with a tenderness and wit that comes from the heart. The film also features former Chicago actress Rula Gardenier, who now resides in Los Angeles.
One great source of pride in the Chicago cinema community is REELING, the second oldest LGBTQ+ International Film Festival in North America. The 38th REELING Film Festival – facilitated by Chicago Filmmakers of the Edgewater neighborhood – is one of the most important cultural events for Chicagoans, even in this virtual year of 2020. it also attracts LGBTQ+ people and their allies from throughout the Midwest who consider the festival to be the highlight of their cinematic year.
[21] | By PATRICK McDONALD [22] |
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