INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM COMPETITION
This year, the festival shines with all the colors of the rainbow thanks to films from around the world and across various genres. Ten feature films will compete for the main jury prize. All Shall Be Well becomes Angie’s mantra after the death of her partner, as she begins a battle with her family over the estate. In the streets of São Paulo, Baby finds protection, money, and perhaps love. In the musical fantasy Reas, former inmates reenact their stories in the ruins of a Buenos Aires prison. Fresh from the Venice Film Festival comes Pooja, Sir, a Nepalese detective film based on true events. The Missing is a Filipino animated sci-fi about aliens and coming to terms with the past, while I Saw the TV Glow is a horror ode to 90s queer television. Vera and the Pleasure of Others explodes with the sexuality of young people open to all genders and kinks. Félix Maritaud returns in Solo as a manipulative drag queen. Chuck Chick Baby is a feel-good film where Helena’s secret love from her youth reappears after years. The opening film of the festival on November 7 will be The Beauty of Gaza, who supposedly walked all the way to the streets of Tel Aviv.
It is an enormous honor and joy for me that we’re celebrating the 25th anniversary of Mezipatra together this year. Over these 25 years, our festival has not only grown into the biggest queer film festival in Central and Eastern Europe, but it has also become a symbol for the community and Czech society as a whole. Mezipatra is more than a festival – it has evolved into a platform connecting different worlds, where queer culture intersects with a broader social dialogue.
Mezipatra is celebrating its 25th edition. Fifteen years ago, we dissolved gender boundaries, evolving from a gay and lesbian festival into a queer festival. But what does queer mean to us today? Queer is a spectrum—a line of countless points, each representing a unique individual. These people dismantle labels, prejudices, and stereotypical binary constructs that limit the world. Queer liberates. And queer unites. Our shared motto empowers us to fight for freedom, help one another, and rely on each other despite diversity. Let’s draw inspiration from this year’s films which explore and push forward the fluidity of gender and sexuality. Together, let’s celebrate this energy and break free from the status quo!
