The International Queer Film Festival Merlinka or Merlinka Festival is an annual LGBT-themed film festival which is annually organized in Belgrade (since 2009), Sarajevo (since 2013) and Podgorica (since 2014). The Belgrade edition is organized in the Belgrade Youth Center during the second week of December, and it lasts for five days. The Sarajevo and Podgorica editions are organized in January and February of each year, with the former being organized in the Art Cinema Kriterion, and the latter being organized in the PR Centre. The festival was founded in 2009 by the Gay Lesbian Info Centre and Belgrade Youth Center. It screens feature, documentary and short films from all over the world that deal with gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, transsexual, intersex and queer issues.Merlinka – International Festival of LGBT Films , Belgradian, December 2014.
The festival was named after Vjeran Miladinović Merlinka, a transgender sex worker and actress who was murdered in 2003. She is best known for her role in the Teddy award winning film Marble Ass directed by Želimir Žilnik. The festival was established to promote LGBT art and culture. In 2014, the festival produced a theater play about Vjeran's life, Merlinka's confession, directed by Stevan Bodroža. Merlinka is the only active film festival to be annually organized in several countries.
Awards The Festival awards the Dorothy's slipper award for the best short film. Until 2012 the festival awarded prizes for the best feature and documentary film.
YearFilmGenreCountry2009Otto; or Up with Dead PeopleFeatured2010Tools 4 FoolsShort2010The Big Gay MusicalFeatured2010FamiliensacheDocumentary2011Frischluft-TherapieShort2011WeekendFeatured2011East Bloc LoveDocumentary2012I've Only Just BegunShort2012GaybyFeatured2012I Am a Woman NowDocumentary2013CamioneroShort2014Through The Mirror I call it loveShort Short201509:55-11:05, Ingrid Ekman, Bergsgatan 4BShort2016Open WoundFeatured2016Strike A PoseDocumentary2016DoveShort2016TransitionShort2017BPM (Beats per Minute)Featured2017Queercore: How to Punk a RevolutionDocumentary2017Fish CurryShort2017Quiero decirteShort2018Hard PaintFeatured2018Tranny FagDocumentary2018WholeShort2018Two of Every KindAnimated2018SisakShort2018ZidShort2019This is not BerlinFeatured2019Until Porn Do Us PartDocumentary2019Dante vs. Mohammed AliShort2019Butterflies in BerlinAnimated2019SupportShort2019FicusShort2019CrocodileShort2020Summer of 85Feature2020Maria LuizaDocumentary2020FabiuShort2020CarrouselAnimated2020Prom NightShort2020SnakeShort2020Let there be colourShort2020I'm not gayShort
See also List of LGBT film festivals
References
External links Official Website Belgrade Youth Center Merlinka festival on IMDb