Zenne Dancer is inspired by the true characters and stories of Zenne Can and Ahmet Yildiz, who was murdered by his father July 18, 2008 in Istanbul. It is the contemporary story of three unlikely friends: Ahmet, a hyper-masculine gay (bear); Can, a male belly dancer (Zenne); and Daniel, a German photo-journalist. One day they meet Daniel, a German photojournalist newly arrived in Istanbul. The three of them forge a friendship and Daniel and Ahmet grow even closer, as a relationship begins to blossom between them. Soon, Ahmet’s hyper conservative family, suspicious and fearful of Ahmet`s sexual orientation, has hires a man to spy on him When Ahmet’s family discovers Ahmet’s plans to leave the country, they decide to defend their family honor. Zenne Dancer is an honest and unflinching look at living opening gay in Turkey, confronted by a systemic, institutionalized and culturally embedded homophobia.

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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.

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Danger! The ozone layer of planet Zots is disappearing due to an overabundance of emotion! What can a lesbian space alien do to save her world? Well, board a flying saucer of course, and take a trip to New York City (it’s on planet Earth), where hearts will be broken and “big feelings” will be overcome. From the out-of-this-world people who brought you the wonderful shorts Dyke Dollar, Countertransference, and Hold Up comes the tale of codependent Barr, promiscuous Zylar, and sweet Zoinx, three shiny-headed space aliens on a mission of heartbreak. Can love survive the trials and tribulations of intergalactic romance? With the low-fi kitsch of 50s B movies, director Madeleine Olnek embraces what sci-fi fans have known for years—outer space is the perfect setting for the final frontier of relationship drama. Soup up your cardboard spaceship, put on your tinfoil hat, and find the nearest wormhole to claim your seats for the hilarious Sundance hit Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same. (Description courtesy of Alexis Whitham, Frameline International LGBT Film Festival.)

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