Event Info
Aligned + Sweat + Burn My Skin
Presented by The 25th annual Reelout Queer Film Festival
8:00pm - 10:00pm
$25-$100
Event Description
This program looks at the way men navigate each other in masculine spaces. This evening consists of two short films, the animated Sweat by queer media artist and Icon wrik mead and the erotically-charged Brazilian short film Burn My Skin by Leondardo Amorim; followed by the very sexy feature film Aligned by Apollo Bakopoulos. Filmmaker in Attendance!
Aligned – dir. Apollo Bakopoulos/Greece/1:17:22/2023 CANADIAN PREMIERE!
Aligned is an intimate exploration of self-discovery, love, desire, and pain set against a backdrop of dance, beautiful music and stunning cinematography. Aeneas is a modern dancer in Hellas who struggles with self-worth and finds solace and direction in dance. Meanwhile, in NYC, another modern Greek-American dancer, Alex is flying to Greece to perform his thesis. He forges a strong friendship with Aeneas both in and out of class and while touring Athens. The two dancers, though worlds apart, share a cultural heritage that sparks an unexpected connection. This sensual tale reveals the beauty that resides within us all and the transformative power of self-love.
“Aligned is the type of movie that will seep into your pores and stay with you for a long while.” – Film Threat
Preceded by the following 2 shorts:
Sweat -dir. Wrik Mead/Canada/2:30/2023 Sweat presents a lone male figure who enters a sauna and eventually is drowned by his own fear. Is he really under attack by the whispers in the room or are they just voices in his head?
Burn My Skin – dir. Leonardo Amorim/Brazil/19:25/2023 These men are all dripping in sweat, but it doesn’t matter.
Community Sponsors: Maison DePoivre Gallery & M4M Sexual Health at Trellis
Apollo Bakopoulos is a New York-based film director, producer, and screenwriter born in Greece on June 29th 1983. He has dedicated his life to the art of filmmaking. After completing his studies at the Eicar International Film School of Paris (2005) and the London Film Academy (2008), Apollo moved to London where he worked as a cinematographer/camera operator for three years. His work has since taken him around the world, creating spots, commercials and 16mm short films in multiple international locations such as London, Paris, New York and Hawaii.
He has collaborated with award-winning artists such as Dan Kneece best known for his work on ”Mulholland Drive” and ”Blue Velvet”. Currently he is producing a documentary that explores topics of identity, equality and freedom of expression featuring Patricia Fields of ”Sex and the City”. (2022)
Themes of transformation, sensuality, and visual beauty are often seen in Apollo’s work.
He encourages self-expression and creativity, breaking psychological and artistic boundaries to empower individuals embrace their unique identities, fostering personal growth and societal progress.
His most recent accomplishment is ”Aligned” – his debut feature film.
In-Person Event
Wed. February 7th 2024 + Add to Calendar
The Screening Room
