After losing a beloved uncle, queer filmmaker Marianne Amelinckx delves into the tapestry of hidden truths that binds her family together and decides to unravel its threads as the only path to collective healing.
In 2022, as filmmaker Marianne Amelinckx was grieving the sudden loss of her uncle Ignacio, she sat down with her father. She invited him to dive into a family story that had felt off-limits until then. Her goal was to unveil the mystery behind some very odd pictures in the family album circa 1950 where Ignacio was always dressed as a girl. But talking about this topic is only the beginning of the story. As the narrative unfolds, we witness Marianne going back to her hometown, reconnecting with her family through present-day interviews that provide deep conversations, and, most specifically, reconnecting with her other “DEAR UNCLE” Andy, her dad’s youngest sibling whom she hasn’t had a real chance to have a relationship with due to an issue Marianne doesn’t know much about because, as her dad would say, "we just never talked about it". Sobering revelations blend with home videos and vibrant experimental filmmaking will be the medium to tell this nuclear family story about what happens when our parents' wishes exceed the limits of our identity and how these family dynamics shaped the filmmaker’s own journey as a queer person.
Queer Venezuelan Writer/Director based in Los Angeles, passionate about female-driven and LGBTQ+ stories. Her short film SALTA, received the Jury's Mention at the Tribeca Festival 2017 and won Best Short Film at the Pink Apple LGBTQ+ Film Festival. These recognitions, coupled with Venezuela’s political situation, prompted her relocation to the USA. In 2021, Marianne directed MUSTACHE MONDAYS, a PBS SoCal documentary spotlighting queer nightlife in Los Angeles. The film premiered at Outfest Fusion 2022 and earned the LA Press Award for Best LGBT Feature. In 2022, she co-Directed BLESSED AND HIGHLY FAVORED, a proof of concept short film winner of the NALIP Women of Color TV Incubator and the Yes and Laughter Lab for Social Impact Comedy.
Most recently, she was honored as a finalist in Shondaland’s Women Directing Mentorship Program. Dear Uncle is her latest project and her first feature, the project was made thanks to the support of the Tribeca FIlm Institute and Canva.
Premiere Available
Tribeca Festival 2024 - Canva and Tribeca Kickstart Award
Producer - Julieta Messmer
Cinematographer - Camilo Paparoni
