Something that might not be obvious to those who haven’t attended the festival in the past, SECS Fest does not have separate LGBT programs. But we do have plenty of LGBTQ content. Instead of creating programs that cater to those with alternative sexual identities, we spread out the content so that hopefully there is something for everyone in every shorts program.
But this might not be obvious from the titles of the films.
This year, we are opening the festival with Fantasy, about a married couple seeking help spicing up their sex life, but we proceed the film with a comedic short about a man seeking help with his obsession with cock.
Additionally, we have succeeded in including at least one LGBTQ film in every program, excluding the archival series. Piety is part of Sex Work Shorts and follows a group of sex workers on an outlandish and morbid adventure. The L & B in LGBTQ are well represented in our Femme is Fierce shorts collection that begin with a sweetly told bath-time story, some same sex depictions of kink / BDSM, and ending with an all girl slumber party.
One film I’d like to highlight is the first LGBTQ film from Lust Films, We are the Fucking World.
We are the Fucking World (d. Olympe de G., 33 min, Spain, 2017)
A manifest for pornography based on consent, WE ARE THE FUCKING WORLD (documents nine queer porn stars shooting an orgy in a way that shows them going beyond the question of gender or sexual orientation – showcasing the beauty of every body and every desire. This film raised funds to support the fight against homo/bi/transphobia. (33 min)
We are the Fucking World plays before the docu-porn IAVN: I am Valentina Nappi.
The focus of our Erotic Angst shorts program is about first times, including, but not limited to depictions of virginity- including two films that deal with queer sexuality. One even explores the meaning of virginity in a queer / trans context.
THE 36-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN(d. Skyler Braeden Fox, 30 min, Canada, 2017)
From celibate teenage bible thumper to post-teen lesbian, Skyler, now trans masculine and nearing middle age, feels he missed out on something during his youth. Sex. Not the queer kind he’s been having. But something a bit more… standard. A sweet coming-of-middle-age sex documentary about fulfilling a long-standing fantasy and losing your virginity.
One of the highlights our our Closing Shorts program is a documentary about a very old gay leather club.
SIXTY NINE CLUB (d. Rob Eagle, 21 min, United Kingdom, 2018)
Founded in 1965 when homosexuality was illegal in Britain, the Sixty Nine Club is Europe’s oldest social group for gay leathermen. The club’s last surviving older members show us why the Sixty Nine Club means so much to them through home movies and tales of debauchery, love, and friendship.
This is far from a complete list of the films with queer content. For example, Shine Louis Houston (Crash Pad Series) has a film in the festival, Birthday, that totally lives up to our expectations with a diverse cast depicting under represented queer stories (Erotic Angst Shorts).
