TO raise awareness on the issues being faced by the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning and intersex (LGBTQI) persons and their community, the Short+Sweet International (SSI) and the Manila Biennale announced on February 15 the first-ever Pink Shorts Manila (PSM).
Scheduled to take place on February 24 and 25 at the Teatrillo in Casa Manila, Intramuros, this event will present six short plays: Friends Lang Po, Valedictorian, It Doesn’t, Oh Yes Gameshow, That Night With Rose & Tracy and Ledge of Reality.
The six short films to be shown are Ma?; TRANSparent; What I Would’ve Told My Daughter If I Knew What To Say Back Then; Nandito Naman Tayo Para Sa Isa’t Isa, ‘Di Ba?; Ang Gugmang Ti-unay ni Daniella and Sorry For The Inconvenience.
There will also be performances and art exhibitions of local LGBTQI artists across the country.
A shindig to be hosted by Jungle Circuit Party and the awarding ceremony for both the featured plays and films will cap off the two-day festival.
According to Festival Director Rhadem Camlian Morados, this festival is a monumental effort to benefit the community’s long-standing cause.
“It’s really an honor to have this opportunity to be able to give more voice [and] a platform to all those who have bold stories of LGBTQI,” Morados told reporters during the news briefing.
Proper platform
WHILE there are a lot of talents in this marginalized sector of society, the filmmaker noted that they have yet to be given the right venue to express their voices either as individuals or as a group.
“I think the PSM will be able to do that and will be able to highlight not only the talent but, of course, the storytelling skills and the passion of the LGBTQI community,” Morados said, who is also an advocate of community’s rights from Mindanao.
Founded by Mark Cleary in Sydney, Australia 16 years ago, the SSI is known for featuring each piece of performance artwork in a span of 10 minutes or less.
As the LGBTQI component of SSI, the PSM aims to deliver a selection of contemporary stories of the LGBTQI struggles and aspirations, while providing an additional stage for artists to showcase their talents.
Renowned works
THE kickoff of the “World’s Biggest Little Festival” in Manila is timely, given the continuous winning streak of LGBTQI-oriented and locally produced films abroad.
In fact, PSM Executive Producer Quincy Raya said that two Filipino films— Ma? and another entitled Nakaw—made it to the first Short+Sweet Film Festival of SSI last year that was participated in by other entries from Sydney and Melbourne, Dubai and Los Angeles.
Raya boasted that the preeminent film last year was Nakaw, which actually won the Best Cinematography and Best Director awards along with another film: “Our Viewer’s Choice [entry] was represented by Ma?. So we had two Filipino short films that were actually showcased in Hollywood last year.”