Gay Film Fest Now On

The Durban Gay & Lesbian Film Festival is in full swing at the KZNSA gallery, 166 Bulwer Road, Glenwood, Durban. R35 for features and R20 for documentaries/shorts; an inexpensive bar is open during the evenings (R10 beers, R10-R20 spirits, R10-R15 wines) along with great Pride memorabilia, flags and books of interest.

All major credit/debit cards are accepted for reasonable transactions & purchases.

THU 03 NOV 10:00AM - Milk (screening of film for afternoon discussion)
THU 03 NOV 1:00PM - Activism & Martyrdom: discussing Milk in the SA Context
THU 03 NOV 6:30PM - London Shorts: Short Set #1 (3 short films)
THU 03 NOV 8:00PM - 2 Frogs in the West (feature film, English&French+subtitles)
FRI 04 NOV 2:00PM - Film Makers Workshop: Indep. films that tackle LGBTI issues
FRI 04 NOV 6:00PM - Interactive discussion with director of House of Boys
FRI 04 NOV 7:30PM - House of Boys (feature film)
FRI 04 NOV 10:00PM - Mulligans (feature film)
SAT 05 NOV 10:00AM -Sexuality Workshop: Opening the doors to your closet
SAT 05 NOV 1:00PM - Sexuality Workshop: Love safer sex
SAT 05 NOV 4:00PM - Breaking out of the Box (documentary)
SAT 05 NOV 5:00PM - Difficult Love (documentary)
SAT 05 NOV 6:00PM - Waited For (documentary)
SAT 05 NOV 8:00PM - Judas Kiss (feature film)
SAT 05 NOV 10:00PM - Official Closing Party at the KZNSA
SUN 06 NOV 2:00PM - 2 Frogs in the West (feature film, English&French+subtitles)
SUN 06 NOV 4:00PM - London Shorts: Short Set #2 (3 short films)
SUN 06 NOV 5:00PM - Beyond Gay: The Politics of Pride (closing night film)

Please come support us! Share this info with your friends. For more info & trailers:
www.dglff.org.za / or call 0318110959 (office hours) / or email bookings@dglff.org.za

Durban from the air

The clear blue skies and sea yesterday gave us an opportunity for an early morning breakfast run (or hop) to Pietermaritzburg and some awesome shots of Durban's World Cup Football Stadium from above. After breakfast we got back to Durban in time for work.

Nederlands in Durban

Always welcome in Durban are our guests from the Netherlands. Particularly during the World Cup last year and with the success of the Netherlands team right through to the semi-final, the Oranje-fans in Durban were great fun. Meet Jelle and Arjen from Groningen in the north who are staying with us during their tour of South Africa.

Kite-Surfing in Durban

Durban and the east coast of Southern Africa are great kite-surfing destinations. Here for a holiday break in Durban and then on a Mocambique are kite-surfer Ivo and friend Stefan from Vienna in Austria. They are also looking at the possible establishment of a kite-surfing resort along the beaches of Mocambique.

A little bit of Perth

I always say that the view from our rooftop is a little like the view of Perth from across the Swan River. In Durban to confirm this is Justin a post-graduate student who has been doing volunteer work with disabled children in the Winterton area and is enjoying a break with us at the guesthouse before returning home.

It's adult Panto time again and Durban's famous/infamous cast once again don the drag outfits to give us a hilarious insight into the times and trials of Alice in all of her glory.

Meet Thomie, our part-time guesthouse manager in a frock as well as the cronies who are always good for a laugh and great evening entertainment.

Here's the link to the facebook event for more info.

Guesthouse photos

We made some improvements to the Guesthouse last year and don't seem to have loaded the pics anywhere. In particular a guest was wanting a photo of the glass chandelier we bought outside the Grand Bazaar in Istanbul and hung in our dining room. So here's a few pics of the house, showing the lounge, the dining area, the patio outside the pub and a night view of the spiral staircase to the roof.

Film Fest for Durban

It's the inaugural Gay and Lesbian Film Festival in Durban this month. As an independent platform for filmmakers from South Africa and across the world to specifically deal with issues relating to the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgendered and Intersexed (LGBTI) community, the DGLFF will showcase new and innovative motion pictures, documentaries, shorts and related productions whilst conducting workshops, debates and talks on past LGBTI movies, productions processes, film writing and how the visual medium affects and is affected by the pink community across the world. Special emphasis will be placed on Durban and KwaZulu-Natal filmmakers, especially those that deal with human rights and issues of human sexuality in their work. This will not exclude by any means individuals and stories from mainstream cinema, but will allow the LGBTI community to celebrate and explore ideas, concepts and tales of resonating interest with them.

Click on the link here and book your tickets early.

France and LA meets Durban

It's always great to introduce foreigners to our city and Yohann and Giovanni are no exception. Hope you have an awesome time in South Africa guys and make the trip all the way around. Enjoy!

Dave and Llewellyn's Sling bring the gay boys together

This is our city and our baby's first view of the sea and her new home in Durban. Welcome home sexy!!

Braai invite

You're invited to a bring-and-braai on Sunday at my Flying School, Light Flight in Cato Ridge to check out our new plane. Will be flying in the am but the plane can be seen any time from 10am and I will light fires from 12.30.. so please come and be part of the excitement.

Mr Gay South Africa 2011 gets under way

Contestant Fahraaz

Contestant Prince

The Mr Gay South Africa 2011 contest is under way and the KwaZulu-Natal contestants, Fahraaz, Mngobi and Prince, came for preliminary judging to the Guesthouse today. Judges Trevor, Gavin and Prince put the contestants through their paces and a decision will be taken by the Mr Gay South Africa team as to the finalists for the main event to take place in Pretoria later this year.

Fun in Durban

It's been a spectacular long weekend in Durban, kicking off with Madame Zingara on Friday, much wine, men and song, and frolicking in the Guesthouse rooftop jacuzzi. The weather has been superb while most of South Africa has been in a winter shiver. Great to meet you guys and Francois (left) for his second visit to the guesthouse.

Thinus (right) and Rudi are owners of the new Ramp Divas Club which recently relocated and offers gay clubbers an awesome experience in Boksburg.

Night with Madame Zingara

Llewellyn booked a table weeks in advance as bookings opened and a group of 16 of us enjoyed the Madame Zingara spectacular in Durban this weekend. In the photos are Cathy Specific compere and comedienne of the Show with Dave, Llewellyn and Jeremy; in the second photo dressing up for the occasion is Theuns and Llewellyn - Theuns will be opening a new street cafe and restaurant at the reknowned BBB site in Durban soon - and in the bottom photo Dave gets cozy with Madama Zingara hereself. The show is fully booked out for the 3-month tour in Durban, the acrobatic feats (and guys) were fantastic and the food spectacular.

Gaydar rebirth in Durban

Enjoying a drink in the Guesthouse pub are Exit journalists Ernst, Eddie and Gerhard here for the rebirth party of gay dating website Gaydar, whilst Raph from France has joined us with Celine a work colleague from a French Perfume manufacturer working in Johannesburg on contract.

Welcome to Durban guys and for bringing some new talent to town. Guesthouse co-owner Llewellyn is in the centre of the pics.

Wreck of the Phoenix

It is not often that a ship of the size of the Phoenix is wrecked on our coast. The last I recall was the Aimie Lykes in 1970 when I was still a schoolboy. The latest is the Phoenix which ran aground this week just up the road (or should I say beach) from Durban. Brad took the day picture and we all took a drive up last night to have a look. Amazing sight! The ship was en route to being scrapped, but made it's own way to an early graveyard after breaking anchor and drifting ashore. It seems like they will be pulling her off the rocks and sinking her offshore.

Family Sunday roast for Llewellyn's 41st Birthday

It's the birthday month for just about all of us - Llewellyn on the 2nd August, his twins on the 9th August and Dave on the 24th. So here's Llewellyn tucking into his birthday cake baked by his kids, whilst we also enjoyed a Sunday roast that Dave prepared with yorkshire pudding!!

Cape Town weekend

We took time out last weekend and paid a quick visit to Cape Town. This is the former house of Simon van der Stel, first govenor of the Cape in the 1600s, still a wine farm and also a museum.

Groot Constantia wines are well respected and we spent some time visiting local farms and enjoying the wines and Cape sunshine.

Edinburgh Sean

Guest Sean from Edinburgh joins us in the Guesthouse pub during his 6-months travels through India, Cambodia, Vietnam and South Africa. This is Sean's first visit to South Africa and he was welcoming the cooler winter air compared to the high temperatures of India's heat.

Hot Winter in Durban

Durban was stunning for the running of the Durban July Handicap yesterday. Glorious sunshine and great outfits. Llewellyn did some handiwork and added a crown to our velvet waitcoats and my kids Mark and Kate-Lynn joined us for the fun. The running of the 13th Race (naked guys) added some amusement and I managed to take a video clip which I will load on YouTube later.

Dave and Llewellyn with July waistcoats