In his most audacious film since his groundbreaking debut O FANTASMO, João Pedro Rodrigues reimagines the myth of Saint Anthony of Padua as a modern-day parable of sexual and spiritual transcendence. On a bird-watching expedition in the remote wilderness of northern Portugal, Fernando (Paul Hamy) capsizes his canoe and loses his bearings. His ensuing odyssey, both intensely physical and wildly metaphysical, involves sadistic Chinese pilgrims, a deaf-mute shepherd named Jesus, pagan tribes, Amazons on horseback, and a glorious variety of feathered friends. Shot entirely outdoors and in magnificent ‘Scope by Rui Pocas, THE ORNITHOLOGIST is a bracing exercise in queer hagiography, a cheerfully blasphemous tale of a religious awakening. Desc. courtesy of The New York Film Festival.

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At first glance, they seem unlikely gang-bangers. Some of the boys wear lipstick and mascara, some stilettos. They carry Louis Vuitton bags, but they also carry knives, brass knuckles and mace. As vulnerable gay and transgender youth, they’ve been shot, stabbed, and raped. Once victims, they’venow turned the tables, beating people into comas and stabbing enemies with ice picks. Started in 2009 by a group of bullied 9th graders, today these 14-22 year old gang members all have rap sheets riddled with assault, armed robbery, and drug dealing charges. Led by an ex-convict named Mo, Check It members are now creating their own clothing label, putting on fashion shows and working stints as runway models. But breaking the cycle of poverty and violence they’ve grown up in is a daunting task. Life for the Check It can be brutal, but—it’s also full of hope and an indomitable resilience. At its heart, CHECK IT explores the undying friendship that exists between these kids—an unbreakable bond that is tested every day as they fight to stand up for who they are in a community relentlessly trying to beat them down. CHECK IT is about a gay African-American gang struggling to survive in one of Washington D.C.’s roughest neighborhoods through an unlikely avenue: fashion.

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DISCO LIMBO is a movie about a boy who can't stop thinking about the night he met another boy and so he loses himself in a whirlwind of memories of parties, mountains and karaokes. If you've ever asked yourself, "What if David Lynch made hip queer techno trippy movies with handsome Argentinian men?" then this is the movie for you.

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