DEAFNESS and isolation. The terror of being closeted and getting taunted by schoolmates. Working in Japan as prostitutes to send money home. A son coming to terms with being gay in the dark corners of Manila's streets.
These are the issues that will confront Filipino moviegoers as they watch four edifying Filipino documentaries in the film program Pinoy Pinkies, one of the rainbow treats from the third Pink Festival (International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival) this June Pride season.
Presented in the newest and trendiest mall cinema, the Gateway Cineplex 10 in Araneta Center, Pinoy Pinkies enlighten audiences on different aspects of lives that homosexuals lead in a society that is not so queer-friendly and how they triumph against all odds.
Swollen Tonsils Productions' Benedict Navarro, Cindy Tejada and Leo Angelo Maranan immerse in the obscure world of the deaf gay community in Manila to show that these gays were far from being deprived and powerless. Through their uniquely-created language - the Gay Sign Language (GSL), three deaf gay persons prove that language is not just a mere tool for communication, but is also an icon of a strongly-bonded group. The film was produced with the help of the Department of Communication of the De La Salle University.
Chris Pablo shows his early documentary skills in his rediscovered 1998 educational video Slow Motion, a subtle yet penetrating diatribe on anti-gay bullying in grade schools. Produced by the Department of Health and the Japan International Cooperation Agency's Family Planning and Maternal and Child Health Project, Slow Motion is a highly recommended educational tool for teachers, student leaders and government officials on how to handle issues of homosexuality among pre-teeners.
Paolo Villaluna bares all about finding his sexuality in the scared glances among closeted men in bars and restrooms in his groundbreaking documentary Palugid. A Japan-bound entertainer Joan braves abuses from the government, job recruiters and prospects of sexual exploitation in exchange for assuring her family food and housing in Nick Deocampo's The Sex Warriors and the Samurai.
Celebrating with the world the annual Gay Pride Month, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, in cooperation with the Mowelfund Film Institute and ProGay, mounts this week-long film event with empowering images of gays and lesbians. With its theme, In the Pink of Health, the festival highlights the human and health rights of this marginalized sector.
The Pink Festival 2005 is also supported by the Canadian Embassy, the Quezon City Government, GMA7 Television Network, the Swiss Embassy, The Spanish Ministry of Culture, Casa Asia, Philippine NGO Support Program (PHANSuP), Women's Educational Media (Womedia), Norweigian Film Institute, University of the Philippines Film Institute, AIDS Society of the Philippines, Fahrenheit Café and Fitness Center and Italiani's Restaurant.
Corporate sponsorships and provincial bookings are now being accepted. For more information, call ProGay at telephone (632) 3673109.
Visit the website at www.pinkfilmfest.cjb.net or e-mail: progay@yahoo.com
SCREENING SCHEDULE FOR PINOY PINKIES (subject to change without prior notice)
June 4 Saturday - 4:00 p.m at the Gateway Cineplex 10, Cinema 6
June 8 Wednesday - 5:00 p.m., University of the Philippines Film Institute
June 9 Thursday - 9:00 p.m at the Gateway Cineplex 10, Cinema 6
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About the organizers:
Progay Philippines is a service and advocacy organization that provides counseling, training and education assistance to marginalized gay, lesbian, transgender and bisexual Filipinos, especially the youth and the ageing sectors. ProGay initiated Pride traditions in the country when it led the first ever gay and lesbian Pride parade in the entire Asian region on 26 June 1994. For more information, log on to http://progayphilippines.blogspot.com
ProGay is a 100% volunteer-run organization. Please help us make a better world for LGBT people by donating equipment, volunteering for our services outreach and promoting our work among corporations, schools and institutions that have extra personnel and services.
Every little bit helps. To donate cellphone load, internet hours or fast food gift certificates, email your intentions to progay@yahoo.com
Daghang salamat! Xie xie ni! Domo arigato!
Posted May 31, 2005