Our (gay) guide to the 2012 Vancouver International Film Festival

Any day Now

Alan Cumming and Garret Dillahunt turn in stellar performances in this 70s-set account of a gay couple's struggles to overcome prejudice and adopt a developmentally disabled teenager.

Fri. Sep 28, 4:00 pm, Granville #7
Sat. Oct 6, 11:00 am, Vancity Theatre
Mon. Oct 8, 9:30 pm, Granville #7

Travis Fine | USA | 97 min | Website

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Beautiful 2012

Four medium-length films by four masters: Ann Hui’s powerful transsexual tale My Way; Kim Tae-yong’s intense drama You Are More Than Beautiful; Gu Changwei’s experimental urban puzzler Long Tou; and Tsai Ming-liang’s mini-masterpiece The Walker, which features the slowest red-garbed walking monk in cinema.

Mon. Oct 1, 10:45 am, Pacific Cinémathèque
Thu. Oct 4, 9:15 pm, Pacific Cinémathèque

Kim Tae-yong, Tsai Ming-liang, Gu Changwei, Ann Hui | Hong Kong/China | 90 min

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Call Me Kuchu

With Uganda's parliament considering an appalling Anti-Homosexuality Bill, David Kato - the country's first openly gay man - and his fellow activists soldier on against seemingly insurmountable persecution.

Thu. Sep 27, 9:15 pm, Granville #2
Mon. Oct 1, 2:30 pm, Granville #4
Fri. Oct 5, 12:00 pm, Granville #4

Malika Zouhali-Worrall & Katherine Fairfax Wright | USA/Uganda | 87 min | Website & Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

The Capsule

Athina Rachel Tsangari has created both a film and a projection installation for the DesteFashion- Collection 2012, commissioned by art collector Dakis Joannou. It is a “Greek Gothic” mystery inspired by the work of the young Polish artist Aleksandra Waliszewska.Tsangari curated an haute couture “capsule” for the DesteFashionCollection 2012, selecting works by young, avant-garde designers who boldly challenge the boundaries of fashion as wearable sculpture.

Sat. Sep 29, 6:45 pm, Pacific Cinémathèque
Tue. Oct 2, 10:45 pm, Pacific Cinémathèque

Athina Tsangari | Greece | 35 min | Website

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

The Charm of Others

Ninomiya Ryutaro’s galvanizing debut explores the relationships and romantic rivalries between the guys in a repair workshop. Great performances and flawless control of mood and emotion, plus explosions of rage and corporal punishment. Dragons & Tigers Award nominee. Filmmaker in Attendance.  Dragons & Tigers Award nominee.

Sun. Sep 30, 9:15 pm, Pacific Cinémathèque
Mon. Oct 1, 4:00 pm, Pacific Cinémathèque

Ninomiya Ryutaro | Japan | 89 min

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

The Invisible Ones

Taking a bit of a detour from the sexy gay arthouse dramas he's known for, Sebastien Lifshitz ("Come Undone") records the little-heard, agreeably candid voices of France's elderly lesbians and gay men in "The Invisible Ones." A Cannes berth and Lifshitz's name should help build the profile of this modestly rewarding piece, which will achieve its highest visibility at international queer fests but may be little seen beyond that rarefied sphere. Gaul distrib Ad Vitam could root out modest niche auds on home turf.

Avowedly inspired by mainstream French society's negligible interest in its gay minority, and the latter's preoccupation with youth and beauty, Lifshitz set out to explore the generation that grew up before the time of sexual liberation. Not that "The Invisible Ones" presents anything so crude as a manifesto, since there is no narration or captioning, and the director's voice is never heard. Instead, 11 subjects from a wide range of backgrounds present their testimony to a still camera, intercut with mood-setting shots of drifting clouds and rustling corn.

Sun. Oct 7, 9:15 pm, Granville #4
Fri. Oct 12, 12:00 pm, Granville #4

Sebastien Lifshitz | France | 135 min | Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Joffrey: Mavericks of American Dance

The Joffrey Ballet revolutionized American ballet by daringly combining modern dance with traditional ballet technique, combining art with social statement and setting ballets to pop and rock music scores. Bob Hercules' doc combines archival footage, behind-the-scenes imagery and interviews to thrilling effect.

Tue. Oct 2, 9:30 pm, Granville #7
Thu. Oct 4, 4:00 pm, Granville #7

Bob Hercules | USA | 82 min | Website & Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Keep THe Lights On

Breaking new ground in contemporary American gay cinema, Ira Sachs’ deeply personal drama Keep The Lights On examines a volatile 10-year relationship between two divergently addictive personalities, observed in a style that is loose and impressionistic.  Filmmaker in Attendance.

Wed. Oct 3, 9:15 pm, Granville #2
Thu. Oct 4, 12:20 pm, Granville #1

Ira Sachs | USA | 101 min | Website & Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

The Last Time I Saw Macao

While searching for a friend who's gotten herself mixed up in dirty dealings, filmmakers João Pedro Rodrigues (To Die Like a Man) and João Rui Guerra da Mata lose themselves in Macau's architectural jungle, as well as its history and mysteries. Filmmaker in Attendance.

Sat. Sep 29, 9:15 pm, Granville #2
Tue. Oct 2, 1:30 pm, Vancity Theatre

João Pedro Rodrigues, João Rui Guerra da Mata | Portugal | 85 min

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Laurence Anyways

Montreal, 1989. Laurence (Melvil Poupaud), who teaches literature at a CEGEP, has lived for two years with Fred (Suzanne Clément), the love of his life. On his 30th birthday, Laurence tells Fred that although he's madly in love with her and he doesn't want to lose her, he's a woman trapped in a man's body and wants to undergo a sex change. Although Fred feels betrayed at first, she decides to stay and help Laurence with his transformation. But daily life is not easy for the unusual couple. Laurence is fired after he starts dressing as a woman at school. Fred begins to resent Laurence for wanting her in spite of deciding to be a woman.

Fri. Oct 5, 9:30 pm, Granville #7
Sun. Oct 7, 4:00 pm, Granville #7

Xavier Dolan | Quebec | 159 min | Website & Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Liar

When 14 year-old Tara's boyfriend comes out to her and ends their relationship, Tara's older sister and her friend become convinced that Brian was lying about being gay. Before she knows it, Tara is drawn into a revenge mission that she's not sure she believes in. When the girls catch up with Brian and their plan takes an unexpectedly violent turn, Tara is forced to choose between standing helplessly on the sidelines or stepping in to defend the boyfriend that hurt her.

Sun. Oct 7, 9:15 pm, Granville #4
Mon. Oct 8, 4:00 pm, Cinémathèque

Adam Garnet Jones | Canada | 7 min | Website | Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Lou Harrison: A World of Music

Lou Harrison is considered one of the great composers of the 20th century. Student of Schoenberg, friend of Cage, Harrison’s micro-tonal music astonishes for being so open and so beautiful. Eva Soltes crafts a loving and lively tribute to this iconoclast.  Filmmaker in attendance.

Wed. Oct 10, 6:45 pm, Granville #4
Fri. Oct 12, 12:00 pm, Granville #4

Eva Soltes | USA/Japan/India | 92 min | Website | Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

Parts of the HEart

In eight episodes, Paul Agusta traces the life story of Peter, a gay man in Jakarta, from his first pre-pubescent crush to his middle-aged itches, via the stresses and strains of maintaining long-term relationships. Peter is played by eight different actors (by the great Joko Anwar in one episode) and his story is typical - but fabulous.  Filmmaker in attendance.

Fri. Sep 28, 9:15 pm, Cinémathèque
Fri. Oct 5, 1:30 pm, Cinémathèque

Paul Augusta | Indonesia | 90 min | Website

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

The Unlikely Girl

The arrival of a corn-fed All-American exchange student not only ends Cécile's reign of leisure at her family's French summerhouse but also presents an unwelcome rival for the neighbourhood boy toy's affections. What initially seems a straightforward romantic triangle evolves into something far more sinister and complex in Wei Ling Chang's sensual and sophisticated thriller.  Filmmaker in attendance.

Sat. Oct 6, 7:00 pm, Granville #1
Sun. Oct 7, 12:20 pm, Granville #1

Wei Ling Chang | USA/France | 96 min | Website | Trailer

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.

White night

Korea’s pioneering gay filmmaker Lee-Song Heeil follows up No Regrets with a tight, noir-ish story about a fateful, maybe life-changing sexual encounter. One winter night in Seoul, a motorcycle courier meets a moody, taciturn guy who has a lot on his mind ... such as revenge for a gay-bashing two years ago.

Thu. Sep 27, 9:15 pm, Cinémathèque
Wed. Oct 3, 12:40 pm, Granville #5

Lee Song Hee-il | South Korea | 70 min

Visit http://www.viff.org for tickets and information.