QFest St. Louis presents Ma Belle, My Beauty

QFest St. Louis uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and to celebrate queer culture. The event will excite, entertain, and enlighten audiences of all identities. In “Ma Belle, My Beauty” — which premiered at Sundance — newlywed musicians Bertie and Fred are adjusting to their new life in the beautiful countryside of France. It’s an easy transition for Fred, the son of French and Spanish parents, but New Orleans native Bertie grapples with a nagging depression that is affecting her singing. When Lane — the quirky ex who disappeared from their three-way relationship years ago — shows up for a surprise visit, she brings both new energy and baggage of her own. A tipsy, moody dive into polyamory from first-time feature filmmaker Marion Hill, “Ma Belle, My Beauty” maintains the buoyant atmosphere of a summer adventure — replete with wine-drenched candlelit dinners, firelit vineyard parties, and sunny creekside hikes — as its principals grapple with their desires, passions, and life ambitions. The Hollywood Reporter writes: “Lauren Guiteras’ sun-dappled cinematography has a jazzy ease that complements the film’s overall laid-back vibe. And composer Mahmoud Chouki shows great versatility, blending French, Latin, New Orleans and North African rhythms into a musical melting pot that reflects how all these different characters are trying to come together in harmony.”