LFFF 2023 PROGRAMME DAY 2: SATURDAY DECEMBER 23
Day 2 of LFFF 2023, which again kicks off at 7.30pm, will screen approximately 20 films in three segments – Inside Fetish, Kink Narratives and Fun Fetish — and will also include the Festival’s Awards session, which will not only hand out the prizes for this year’s best contributions but also screen a selection of winning works from last year.
Saturday’s programme includes Festival World Premières of three 2023 films: Decadance from Italy, ImageThunder from Germany and The Divine Right of Stagnation from UK. A welcome late addition is Norma Place, a seven-minute film from the French makers of the much anticipated John Willie documentary Beyond Bizarre.
World Première: DECADANCE (2023, Italy, 30:23)
Directed by Morgana Mayer
The decadence of the contemporary world is viewed through the eye of Hamburg director Morgana Mayer, who pays homage to the surreal cinema of Alberto Cavallone. A strong, extreme, anti-narrative film that proposes an idea of surreal and grotesque female eroticism, DecaDance is the fifth film by Mayer, 46. It presents a strong criticism of contemporary society which is now dehumanised, suggesting only degradation can give humanity and poetry.
Saturday December 23: Inside Fetish
5 films – total screen time: 82 min
IMAGETHUNDER – WHEN ATARAXIA SETS IN (2023, Germany), 9:45 min, Dir. Swen Brandy, aka Carnivore
This dialogue-free, documentary-style clip — a World Première from LFFF 2023 (image above) — showcases Swen Brandy’s past work and artistic approach through snippets of seconds, unveiling the method of ‘Playshooting’. It is highly intense, intimate, and “not intended for the faint-hearted”; rapid image sequences could trigger seizures in susceptible people. It captures mental and psychological challenges, moments of pleasure, pain, humiliation, tough and sweet challenges, all focused on the experience of stepping out of one’s comfort zone and exploring new boundaries.
PT #1398 (2023, UK), 22:39 min, Dir: Luca Federici
This video shows a performance for the camera that focuses on the implications that medical institutions have in the control of the body and the construction of sexual perversions. It involves sadomasochistic and body modification practices, and kinky activities. Depicted scenes may be perceived as disturbing or distressing and are not suitable for sensitive viewers.
OHRWRUM (2022, Switzerland), 14:23, Dir: abcde Flash
Four Swiss-based queers meet for the first time to explore the various ways that play is possible with much under-represented organ: the ear.
CINEMA FETISH (2023, Italy), 5:22 min, Dir: Morgana Mayer
A woman explores the pleasures of ‘playing’ with video cameras (UK Première).
DECADANCE (2023, Italy), 30:23 min, Dir: Morgana Mayer
The director of Cinema Fetish (above) has also provided an LFFF 2023 World Première with Decadance — see panel above.
Saturday December 23: Kink Narratives
7 films – total screen time: 71:16 min
World Première: THE DIVINE RIGHT OF STAGNATION
Directed by Marc Blackie (2023, UK, 15:00)
Having grown disaffected with her day-to-day existence, Tessa Kuragi decides to engineer an emotional catastrophe to shake her out of this malaise. Soon learning that you have to be careful what you wish for, she seeks comfort in distraction when overcome with this imaginary grief. But the world keeps turning, despite her lack of attention, and as her mind is distracted, her body is exploited and unwittingly fulfils its function.
Shot with Blackie’s highly stylised black and white aesthetic and reminiscent of the films of Kōji Wakamatsu, The Divine Right of Stagnation is at first a meditation on indifference before plummeting into the realms of a fantasy that sours and brings an indelible conclusion.
SOMETIMES, MY BODY BETRAYS ME (2014, UK), 6 min, Dir: Marc Blackie
An adversarial confrontation with one’s own meat and bones, as our earthly vessels conspire against us. Tessa Kuragi is the victim of her body and its traps, as well as the demands it makes of her. When dinner is ruined, a last stand is made in an effort to restore some dignity and to put flesh, muscle, meat and various other inner workings firmly back in their place.
THE DIVINE RIGHT OF STAGNATION (2023, UK), 15 min, Dir: Marc Blackie
The second of the programme’s two Marc Blackie films is London Fetish Film Festival 2023 World Premier (see panel above.)
THE TABLE (2013, France), 14:28 min, Dir: Izabel Grondin
A man goes to a potential employer’s house one evening, only to find out that the job started as soon as he got in the house.
NORMA PLACE (2023, France), 6:50 min, Dir: Charlotte Grondin, Guillaume Pin
Los Angeles, December 1958: Doree, a young woman posing for pin-up pictures, meets for the first tme with an eccentric and endearing Englishman…
Loosely based on the private correspondence of John Willie, the author of famous comic book Sweet Gwendoline, Norma Place depicts the atmosphere that surrounded the photographic sessions that he used as a basis for his bondage drawings.
Additional production credits: Producer: Pistoleros/Beatrice Borowiec; DOP: Michael Helms; Sound design: Frédéric Salles & Frédéric Texier; Music: Laurianne ‘Caduce’ Angeon; Producton designer: Elizabeth Haas; Make-up & hair: Angela Hammons & Nikkie Nichimoto; Costumes: Helena Lestrat & Marielle Grondin. Cast: Doree: Danielle Power (see above and top banner); John Willie: Master K.
GOOD GIRL (2022, United States), 11:37 min, Dir: Jenny Kleiman
After ending a six-year relationship, a well-behaved, Jewish obstetrician-gynaecologist decides to turn her brain off and her body on by exploring BDSM — instances of which are popping up in the most unusual places.
ALICE (2022, Poland), 12 min, Dir: Martyna Maria Ludwig, Anna Maria Ryń
Hardly anyone would expect to find Wonderland on a crowded Polish bus. Alice, however, discovers much more in these circumstances, finding her own specific paraphilia and freedom of senses, which subsequently leads her to liberation from the expectations of others.
STOP PRESS: HER & HIM (2023, Poland), 5:21 min, Dir: Marek Stoklosa
“One shot, one love” is all the description we have for this piece.
CAPSULE HOUSE (2023), a ten-minute film from Japan, is included in the Fun Fetish segment below
Saturday December 23: Fun Fetish
7 films – total screen time: 37 min
HOT WAYS TO DIE (2023, United States), 2:19 min, Dir. João Dall’Stella
Hot Ways To Die is a collection of queer moving images made for social media to explore the interlapse between horror, comedy, and fetish in celebration of Halloween 2023. The image collection was featured in by Out.com magazine, Queerty, Pride.com and many more LGBTQ+ outlets.
As a dedicated member of the Latin and LGBTQ+ communities, João harnesses his storytelling skills to shed light on their unique experiences. An advisor at Sundance: Collab, he hosts its Directing: Core Elements class, nurturing the next generation of filmmakers.
João Dall’Stella’s latest work is feature film Steam (below), a genre-blending slasher horror/comedy. He’s currently in the development stage of Dom, an original superhero pilot that promises to redefine storytelling in its own right.
Q-THERAPY (2019, United States), 1 min, Dir. João Dall’Stella
A man goes to a very unconventional therapist to solve his personal issues. Stars Andrew DiConcetto as the Therapist and Chris Hunter as the Patient.
STEAM (United States), 15:23 min, Dir. João Dall’Stella
A young couple — Thomas and his boyfriend Juan — decide to visit a gay bathhouse to spiice up their relationship, unaware that a psychopathic killer lurks behind the steam. Additional production credits for Steam: Alessandro Pederzoli, Riley Shen, Alec Mahon and Qing Shao. Stars: Steven Eich as Thomas, Andrew DiConcetto as Juan and Trent Walker as Mr Monroe.
VCR CLEANING (United States), 1:57 min, Dir. João Dall’Stella
Starring @jeremyurann, this is a spooky short about poppers (also known as VHS cleaners).
“Poppers are clearly having their biggest year ever since Troy Sivan released Rush,” says director João, “and it’s so funny that poppers are sold as VHS cleaners. How the hell do you even use that? So I imagined what makes the most sense to me you… just treat your VCR as a Possessed Power Bottom.”
The centerpiece of Dall’Stella’s 2023 Halloween special #HotWaysToDie (see above), this short film is a mixture of horror, comedy and “one of those Cinemax movies that it would be on at two in the morning”. Additional production credits include: @leopurman, @dilusional.millenial, @jennygoldbergmua, @cdiamonddd, @archiebentoncomposer.
STREET CARESS (2023, France), 1:40 min, Dir. Laurent Hart
No information available at time of publication.
CAPSULE HOUSE (2023, Japan), 10 min, Dir. Lily Rinae
Apart from the still from this film above, no information was available at time of publication.
CELESTIAL BODIES (2022, United States), 5 min, Dir. Ryan Suits
An adult sci-fi comedy: two astronauts struggle to resist the intoxicating temptations of an alien spaceship.
Ryan Suits (they/them) is a multidisciplinary artist based in Philadelphia. Their kaleidoscopic visual aesthetic is a hybrid of arthouse and lowbrow cinematic styles. Their work infuses kink and queer-inspired sensuality into surreal femme-focused imagery through a variety of experimental photographic techniques.
They enjoy playing with mixed media and giving permanence to the ephemeral. Their work explores a combination of long exposure photography, stop motion, stereoscopy, optical illusions, virtual reality, and anything else that will create vibrant fantasy worlds. Featuring: Sierra Mckenzie, Ignacia, Wisteria Actia.
LFFF 2023 Awards Preview – See Page 3
Share On Facebook
Tweet It
