Sun / Oct 24 / 13:00 

Panel Discussion

How Queer is ‘Queer Cinema’ from the Middle East?

With 

Guest-Moderated by 

Imad Gebrayel: Designer, Educator and Researcher

In recent years, Queer cinema has gained paramount interest and institutional support: Renomated festivals has assigned sections and awards for films labeled as “Queer” and numerous new festivals around the world were established specifically for them. 

But how is “Queer Cinema” defined? Do queer films have distinct features? Are there forms of narration or certain generic conventions that make films “queer” or is it all just about featuring characters with non-normative sexual identities/orientations? What opportunities and limitations do the label “queer” entail for the spheres of funding, distribution, and reception of Middle Eastern films?