Husein lives as a hairdresser in Istanbul, Mahmoud works as a LGTB activist in Berlin. Both are gay and have fled Syria, but a special dream brings them together: As Muslims, they want to take part in the ‘Mr. Gay World’ competition for the first time in order to set an international standard for homosexuality in Islam. The result is an impressive story about love and homophobia in the Western and Muslim world. With MR GAY SYRIA, Turkish filmmaker Ayse Toprak has created a highly topical film about the courage, consistency and humour of her protagonists, for which she has been awarded international prizes at over 120 festivals.

2017 | Documentary | F/D/TR | 87 min. | DCP
Coproduction
Les Films d’Antoine, COIN FILM, Toprak Films
World premiere Sheffield doc/fest 2017
World Sales Taskovski Films Ltd.
Distribution COIN FILM
Theatrical release 6 September 2018

Team

Script/Directing Ayse Toprak
Camera Hajo Schomerus, Anne Misselwitz
Sound Vincent Rozenberg
Editing Nadia Ben Rachid
Music Zeid Hamdan
Producers Christine Kiauk, Herbert Schwering
Co-producers Antoine Simkine, Ekin Çalışır

AWARDS

2018 Festival Mix Milano | Best Documentary
2018 IFEMA Film Festival | Audience Award
2018 Boston’s Wicked Queer FF | Best Documentary Jury Award
2018 Roze Filmdage Amsterdam | Best Documentary
2018 Zinegoak FF | Diversity and Human Rights Award
2017 Verzio IHRDFF | Special Mention for Human Rights Film
2017 Chéries Chéris Paris | Grand Prix
2017 Tirana IFF | Best European Documentary
2017 Sevilla FF | Ocana Award to Freedom
2017 Chicago IFF | Silver Hugo
2017 Sarajevo FF | Human Rights Award
2017 Lovers Film Festival Turin | Special Jury Mention
et al.

Festivals

Antenna Filmfestival | Sydney
Hofer Filmtage | Hof
Exground Filmfest
| Wiesbaden
IDFA | Amsterdam
Berlin & Beyond | San Francisco
MoMA Doc Fortnight | New York
!f Istanbul Independent Film Festival | Istanbul
Movies That Matter | Amsterdam
Crossing Europe Filmfestival | Linz
Outfest
| Los Angeles
Jacob Burns Film Center | New York
Fringe! Filmfest | London
Pink Apple Film Festival | Zürich
Inside out Toronto LGBT FF | Toronto
TLVFest The Tel Aviv Int. LGBT Film Festival | Tel Aviv
QDoc Film Fest | Portland
DOXA Documentary Film and Video Festival | Vancouver
et al.



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