Mosquita y Mari is a coming of age story that focuses on a tender love between two young Chicanas growing up in Huntington Park, Los Angeles. Growing up in immigrant households, both girls are expected to prioritize the well-being of their families. Yolanda, an only child, delivers straight A’s and the hope of the American Dream while Mari, the eldest, shares economic responsibilities with her undocumented mother who scrambles to make ends meet. When Mari moves in across the street from Yolanda, a friendship develops. As their friendship grows, a yearning to explore their strange yet beautiful connection surfaces.

Event Info↗

The Turkish army considers homosexuality a mental disorder which exonerates young men from military service, but also requires a medical diagnosis to be reached through both psychological and more invasive (and humiliating) diagnostic procedures. This film tells the heartfelt stories of several gay men, who have made entirely different choices about military service. Due to missing freedom of speech the young men are forced to hide their faces while exposing one of Turkey’s biggest taboos. (Description courtesy of the filmmaker.)

Event Info↗

Hold the skepticism—the smart and funny group of people profiled in this fast-moving documentary have heard it all before. Meet Swank Ivy who makes YouTube videos debunking common beliefs; or David Jay, the movement’s poster boy and regular on television talk shows, including The View. (A)sexual documents the growth of this newly organized sexual minority while raising provocative questions about queer inclusiveness and the boundaries of “normal” sexual desire. In 2002 Jay created a website, asexuality.org; today, there are some 26,000 members of AVEN (Asexual Visibility and Education Network). Members discuss coming out as an asexual, their struggles for acceptance, and the various subgroups within the community (to cuddle or not to cuddle?). Along with David Jay and other members of the asexual community, the film features academic researchers who speculate that there are over three million asexuals in the US. Sexperts Carol Queen and Dan Savage weigh in on the f ledgling asexual movement and its place in queerdom. Is it possible that in today’s sexualized society, lack of desire is perversion’s f inal frontier? (Description courtesy of Monica Nolan, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival)

Event Info↗