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SQIFF x Porty Pride Film Night
This year, SQIFF and Porty Pride team up once again to present a bold and eclectic mix of queer short films from around the world, screening at the beautiful Portobello Town Hall!
This vibrant programme spans narrative, documentary, and experimental work, delving into themes of memory, transformation, identity, and history. A Bird Called Memory is a striking meditation on love, loss, and the haunting nature of recollection. (Untitled)2025 is an incantation to our Indigenous ancestors from the Global Majority who experienced enforced binary genders, colonialism and the theft of land and resources. Twenty Something offers intimate glimpses into queer youth, as João writes a personal letter about the past, the future, love, friendship, fears and personal growth. In Cornelius, a powerful documentary that delves into the inspiring life and work of Cornelius Wilson, a dedicated community health advocate who has tirelessly fought against the AIDS epidemic within the Black LGBTQIA+ community for over four decades. Dr. XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology brings together drag, medical history, and trans narratives in a wildly original documentary format. Finally, Hot Young Geek Seeks Blood Sucking Freak is a comedy-horror short about the two scariest things on earth: vampires, and coming out. You don’t want to miss it!
Stick around after the screening for a lively discussion with special guest Heath Virgoe, Director of Hot Young Geek Seeks Blood Sucking Freak, hosted by Indigo Korres.
Curated by Indigo Korres.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of £5, £10, £15. To book, click here.
Accessibility
This programme has:
- An age recommendation of N/C 16+.
- English language descriptive subtitles.
- BSL-English interpretation provided for the introduction and panel discussion.
This screening is 72 minutes long with a introduction and panel discussion.
Films in this programme include:
A Bird Called Memory, Dir. Leonardo Martinelli, 2023, Brazil, 15 min
A bird called Memory has forgotten how to come back home. Lua, a trans woman, tries to find Memory in the streets, but the city can be a hostile place.
Content notes: Depiction of transphobia.
Twenty Something, Dir. João Nunes, 2024, Portugal, 14 min
After the end of a 3-year relationship, João writes a letter about the past, the future, love, friendship, fears and personal growth.
Content notes: Discussion of relationship grief.
Cornelius, Dir. Ken Gregory, 2024, United States, 7 min
“Cornelius” is a powerful documentary about Cornelius Wilson, who has been a tireless advocate for AIDS awareness in the black LGBTQ community for over forty years. It highlights his dedication through personal interviews and showcases his impact on health and education. Celebrating his significant contributions, “Cornelius” is a tribute to his enduring influence and the importance of compassionate community advocacy.
Content notes: Discussion of HIV stigmatisation, racism.
Dr. XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology, Dir. El Jones, 2023, United Kingdom, 14 min
Dr. XYZ is a community-made trans+ healthcare training film and ethnofiction. It is an exercise in queering the public information film genre, shot in 16mm. The film weaves ethnographic healthcare accounts from Birmingham’s trans+ community with moments of drag-satire re-enactment to depict a collective vision of the UK’s healthcare system.
Content notes: Discussion of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, mental health issues, medical neglect within NHS, transphobia, ableism, racism, passing culture, self-medicating, gender dysphoria, medical waiting lists, explicit language. Depiction of animated genitalia.
(Untitled)2025, Dir. Campbell X, 2025, United Kingdom, 8 min
(Untitled)2025 is an incantation to our Indigenous ancestors from the Global Majority who experienced enforced binary genders, colonialism and the theft of land and resources. Campbell X explores these themes through a lyrical script, innovative camera techniques which explore the human form in close detail, a haunting soundscape and visuals from lush and devastating extraction from both countries and bodies.
Content notes: Discussion of colonialism. Depiction of bombing.
Hot Young Geek Seeks Bloodsucking Freak, Dir. Heath Virgoe, 2024, United Kingdom, 12 min
When best friends Max and Ricky find themselves the prey of an angry vampire, they must ditch their Halloween plans to hide out at home. But when a forgotten pizza delivery shows up, can they risk letting the driver in? Can they stop arguing with each other? And can Max find the courage to face the one thing worse than death – coming out?
Content Notes: Discussion of sex, role-play. Depiction of death.
Access Notes: Contains flashing imagery.
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Image Credit: Cornelius, Dir. Ken Gregory, 2024