GAYLETTER

What do blowjobs, the Apocalypse, truck-sex culture of the 1970’s, and surveillance anxieties all have in common? They’re each being put on lavish display at this week’s 26th New York Queer Experimental Film Festival  — and that’s only a fraction of the topics being covered. This year’s festivities will be held in a massive Brooklyn warehouse space by MIX NYC, a community of artists and organizers committed to sharing queer experimental media through a wealth of different methods. The festival promises to be as subversive as ever, taking viewers through six days of artistic and intellectual debauchery, taking the form of films, installations, and performances all created by or for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer people.

The kaleidoscopic festivities begin on Tuesday (November 12, opening night), a debut of films that showcase bodily experiences as filtered through a reflection of the toxic world we live in. With film titles ranging from Balls (Nathalie Mihee Lemoine) to Bradley Manning Had Secrets (Adam Butcher), it’s bound to be a political spread of timely films and installations, featuring special guests Bubi Canal, Gerry Visco and Linda Simpson. On Wednesday (November 13), plan to come hungry: it’s time for Smorgasbord, a collection of shorts that tackle everything from mental illness and HIV/AIDS to trans parenting and procreation (sorry I know you were expecting them to be about food), all curated from a diverse group of Canadian filmmakers. Directly following is Afro-Asian Visions, a showcase of queer artists of color aiming to reflect on the past while keeping an eye on the art of the future. Lastly, there’s Last Dance, a concentration on a queered Apocalypse via hypnosis, Madonna, and 16mm educational films, all curated by Dirty Looks NYC.

The festival commences again Thursday night (November 14) with CinemaScopeS, a visceral journey through a series of films that analyze the way we perceive our environment, challenging realities and presenting technological innovations along the way. Later in the night is A Stom Sogo Tribute, a salute to the Japanese moving-image artist renowned for his aggressive experimentalism. The good people at MIX NYC have mined the archives for the tribute, presenting never-before-seen discoveries from Sogo’s massively prolific oeuvre. Next up is Viscera, an examination of flesh and bodies in every sense imaginable, spanning from fluids and artifice to self-care and intimacy. Events get underway again on Friday (November 15) with I Like Quiet, Dark Places, a film series identifying the limits that define our identities and what we can do to subvert them, followed by Big Joy, a documentary on queer poet and experimental filmmaker James Broughton. Later in the night is the trippy Gnostic Trance, a psychedelic voyage steeped in fear, lust, and desire that will be required viewing for the stoned set.

Gearing up again for the weekend, Saturday’s (November 16) events kick off with Cage In Search of Bird, an exploration into queer diaspora and the longing for a home within the queer community. Following is White Walls Or Warehouses, a concentration on art’s community and commodity that deconstructs the essential question of what art truly is. Later in the night is one of the fest’s most exciting programs (yes, in a boner-inducing kind of way). It’s Going To Be A Humpy Night is a late-night mash-up of porn and art that is sure to be a treat for all denominations of the queer community, ranging from rubber fetishists to anonymous hook-up enthusiasts. Things start up again on Sunday (November 17), the last official day of the film festival, with programs ranging from Feed Your Head, a transgressive jaunt through psychedelia, and Craftivism, a collection of shorts showcasing unique artists’ physical creations. Don’t forget to include the open-to-the-public gallery spaces filled with installations from a variety of queer artists in your schedule, as well as the nightly performances from drag queens and performance artists alike.

 
Already picked out the programs you want to see? Then hurry up and grab your tickets here. It’s gonna be a wild, wild ride.