SQIFF

Sqifflix: Sexual Content Warning
2020-05-26 17:00 - 2020-06-26 17:00 UTC
Click here to access the full programme.
For anyone after some slightly xxx-y content to make lockdown more pleasureable, we bring you Sexual Content Warning. A sweet night cleaner has his work cut out in Canada’s busiest gay bathhouse. Disability activist Andrew Gurza reflects on his first sexual encounter and how the event shaped his identity. Scottish filmmaker John Walter addresses cruising and sexual risk, in particular around the ‘cottage,’ a public toilet that is repurposed as a space of sex. Gustavo is a photographer who captures the bodies of naked men in public spaces in Sao Paulo. And writer and poet Aurora Levins Morales, a.k.a. The Gimp Gourmet, prepares a very special recipe!
All films have English language subtitles or captions. See notes for below for each film’s language/s, level of accessibility for blind and partially sighted people, age recommendation, content notes, and if the film contains flashing lights or sound levels that might be disturbing for some. These notes are also found on each film’s page on vimeo.
The films are all free to watch with thanks to the filmmakers. Click here to donate to LGBT Unity Scotland to support LGBTQIA+ refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants.

The Night Cleaner (5m) [click here to watch]
Dir: Blair Fukumura, Country: Canada, Year: 2016
As the night cleaner in Canada’s busiest gay bathhouse, Travis has his work cut out for him. With good humour he shyly takes us on an amusing and sometimes harrowing tour through his nightly duties.
Language/s: English

Accessibility for blind and partially sighted people: Lots of voiceover/dialogue and bright images.

Sound design access notes: Some abrasive sound effects.

Age recommendation: 18+
Content note: Discussion of sex, bodily fluids, and brief reference to sexual harrassment; depiction of sex and bodily fluids.

Bedding Andrew (5m) [click here to watch]
Dir: Blair Fukumura, Country: USA, Year: 2014
On the eve of his 30th birthday, Andrew, a man with Cerebral Palsy, reflects on his first sexual encounter and how the event shaped his identity as a gay man.
Language/s: English
Accessibility for blind and partially sighted people: Lots of voiceover/dialogue and bright images.
Sound design access notes: Loud and abrasive sound effects.
Age recommendation: 15+
Content note: Discussion of sex and ableism.

Courtship Disorder (5m) [click here to watch]
Dir: John Walter, Country: UK, Year: 2015
Courtship Disorder addresses cruising and sexual risk, in particular around the ‘cottage,’ a public toilet that is repurposed as a space of sex. Cruising for sex in real space has not disappeared despite the development of online cruising apps. ‘Courtship Disorder’ refers to a controversial term used by sexologists such as John Money to describe a spectrum of human behaviours, especially in men, including exhibitionism, voyeurism, toucherism, rubbing, and sexual assault.
Language/s: English

Accessibility for blind and partially sighted people: Film is mostly visual with surreal monologues; bright images.
Sound design access notes: Some abrasive sound effects.

Age recommendation: 18+
Content note: Discussion of sex; depiction of sex and nudity.

Lightrapping (22m) [click here to watch]
Dir: Marcio Miranda Perez, Country: Brazil, Year: 2016
Gustavo is a photographer who captures the bodies of naked men in public spaces in Sao Paulo. One night, young Pedro follows him, curious and undecided about participating in the project.
Language/s: Portuguese

Accessibility for blind and partially sighted people: All in Portuguese with sparse dialogue; very dark images.

Age recommendation: 18+
Content note: Discussion of sex; depiction of possible sexual violation.

Pussy Vinaigrette (3m) [click here to watch]
Dir: Patty Berne, Country: USA, Year: 2011
The Gimp Gourmet prepares a very special recipe! Starring, written by and with fruit carving by Puerto Rican Jewish writer and poet Aurora Levins Morales. Does activist filmmaking have room for this much sexiness…?
Language/s: English

Accessibility for blind and partially sighted people: Poetic monologue with some visual ideas. Not very bright images.
Age recommendation: 15+
Content note: Depiction of sexual imagery and suggestiveness.

Sqifflix: Vision Portraits
2020-06-15 00:00 - 2020-06-21 23:30 UTC
Vision Portraits is a vivid and hypnotic exploration by filmmaker Rodney Evans illuminating the compelling stories of four visually impaired artists – photographer John Dugdale, dancer Kayla Hamilton, writer Ryan Knighton, and the filmmaker himself. Evans contrasts their journeys with his own personal and professional one as a filmmaker gradually losing his vision and as a gay man. Evans’ self-reflexive approach emphasises how each artist adapted creatively and thrived as their process evolved with their unique perspectives. An important film for anyone interested in disability aesthetics, demonstrating how blindness and visual impairment bring about distinct artistic viewpoints.
We are pleased to be hosting a live Q&A with director Rodney Evans on Saturday 20 June at 7pm. The Q&A will take place on SQIFF’s Facebook page at facebook.com/sqiff. Hosted by Amelia Cavallo, theatre practioner, academic, and co-founder of Quiplash.
In partnership with LGBT Health & Wellbeing. Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and Lottery funding from the BFI.
Vision Portraits will be available online 15 to 21 June. Tickets are priced on a sliding scale £0-£8 on a pay what you can basis. To book, please use the button below. We will email a link to the film to ticket holders and this will be available to view/experience at any time between 15 to 21 June.

Access
Film has English audio with English language captions.
Audio description available. We will send the version of Vision Portraits that has audio description built into the soundtrack to all ticket holders.
Film is otherwise relatively accessible to blind and partially sighted audiences with some visual storytelling but a reasonable amount of explanatory dialogue and voiceover and bright images.
Age recommendation of N/C 12+.
Content note: Discussion of ableism.
Live Q&A with BSL interpretation and live captioning.

Dream Access Focus Group SOLD OUT
2020-10-10 14:00 - 16:00 UTC
**Please note this event is now sold out. You can join a waiting list by clicking Buy Tickets below and we will contact you if a space becomes available**
Disability provision is almost always a second thought even in places that are all about radical inclusivity – this is the case with queer spaces as well. This workshop is an opportunity to listen to advocates experiencing diverse disabilities, and to find solutions for radical access provisions in a collaborative way. Documentation of the event, in the form of a zine to share with SQIFF and other festivals, will provide a community-based, co created list of problems and suggested solutions, prioritising input from excluded communities rather than theoretical ‘best practices.’
Event led by Disabled activist Luke Murphy. Zine created by Dr of medieval queer+trans theology, storyteller, and zine-maker, Jonah Coman.
Please note this workshop is intended for Deaf and Disabled participants.

Tickets are free. To book, click the button below. You can book a ticket up to one hour before the start time. We will send out a Zoom link for the event to ticket holders a day or two beforehand.

ACCESS
BSL interpretation, live captioning, and live audio description are provided for the workshop. We will send instructions on how to access the live AD to all ticket holders before the event. Contact us by emailing info@sqiff.org if you would like any more information about live AD during the Festival.
The workshop is 2 hours long with a comfort break in the middle.
We have a limited access fund to assist people with no or limited internet access to attend the Festival. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2020, please contact info@sqiff.org.

Watch Party: Blindsided
2020-10-11 19:00 - 21:00 UTC
A documentary narrative about Patricia Livingstone, a deafblind, lesbian artist facing a series of losses and gains. The film weaves intimate, real time scenes shot over the course of eight years with home videos and photographs, relaying the story of a woman whose spark did not fade even in the face of hardship and loss. Screening with local short film, Blind Spot, exploring and attempting to simulate the experience of visual impairment.
After the screening, filmmaker and poet, Ross Wilcock, and film journalist and accessibility consultant, Charlotte Little, will respond to the films and discuss the experiences of Deaf and Disabled LGBTQIA+ people. Blindsided and Blind Spot will also be available on SQIFF’s Vimeo on Demand channel between 5 and 18 October.

Tickets are on a sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, or £8. To book, click the button below. You can book a ticket up to one hour before the start time. We will send out a Zoom link for the event to ticket holders a day or two beforehand.

ACCESS
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
The films have English audio with English language captions. BSL interpretation and live captioning provided for introduction and Q&A.
The event has live audio description. The films have lots of dialogue and voiceover, all English language.
The films are 80 minutes long with a brief introduction at the start, a 5 minute comfort break after the film, and a discussion lasting approximately 45 minutes.
Content notes: discussion of homophobia, ableism, domestic abuse, and brief mention of suicide; depiction of ableism, domestic abuse, and surgery.
We have a limited access fund to assist people with no or limited internet access to attend the Festival. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2020, please contact info@sqiff.org.
Tickets
Tickets for most live events are on a sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, or £8. Our sliding scale allows you to choose what to pay based on what you feel you can afford. No evidence or proof of circumstances is required. If you can afford to pay more, we really appreciate it as we rely on this income to pay queer people fairly for their work and keep the festival going.

Watch Party: Queer Scotland Shorts
2020-10-18 17:00 - 19:00 UTC
We are always proud to present some of the astonishing queer filmmaking made by local talent. This year features meditation on the queer body and its owner’s cultural history, the potential for zine culture to assist in the recovery from mental health difficulties, being censored when writing LGBTQ characters, living as a gay man in the era of 1950s McCarthyism, feminist sci-fi baby-making adventures, love on the mind of an admirer, and Deaf identities.
The screening will be followed by a filmmaker Q&A. There will be an award for Best Scottish Short voted for online by audiences.

Tickets are on a sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, or £8. To book, click the button below. You can book a ticket up to one hour before the start time. We will send out a Zoom link for the event to ticket holders a day or two beforehand.

ACCESS
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
The films have Arabic and English audio with English language captions. BSL interpretation, live captioning, and live audio description are provided for the event. We will send instructions on how to access the live AD to all ticket holders before the event. Contact us by emailing info@sqiff.org if you would like any more information about live AD during the Festival.
The films will be around 1 hour long with a brief introduction at the start and a 30 minute Q&A.
Content notes: discussion of homophobia, misogyny, ableism, mental health issues, and suicide; depiction of homophobia, nudity, grief, and death.

The films in SQIFF Shorts: Queer Scotland include some abrasive sound effects.

We have a limited access fund to assist people with no or limited internet access to attend the Festival. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2020, please contact info@sqiff.org.
Tickets
Tickets for most live events are on a sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, or £8. Our sliding scale allows you to choose what to pay based on what you feel you can afford. No evidence or proof of circumstances is required. If you can afford to pay more, we really appreciate it as we rely on this income to pay queer people fairly for their work and keep the festival going.
PROGRAMME
Saturnrania (5m)
Dir: Holly McLean, Country: UK, Year: 2019, Language/s: English
A feminist sci-fi adventure documentary following an experimental physicist on her quest to have a baby.
The Fabric of You (11m)
Dir: Josephine Lohoar Self, Country: UK, Year: 2019, Language/s: English
Set in the Bronx, in the era of 1950s McCarthyism, everybody wants to look the same. Michael a gay, twenty-something-year old mouse, hides his true identity while he works as a tailor.
When Isaac enters the shop one day he offers the escapism and love Michael craves. In Michael’s confined apartment, he becomes tormented by the memories of Isaac’s tragic death. Michael’s memories and flashbacks are triggered when he notices Isaac’s jacket draped on the back of a chair. Haunted by the solace Isaac once offered, he struggles to come to terms with his loss.
Let My Body Speak (10m)
Dir: Madonna Adib, Country: UK, Year: 2020, Language/s: Arabic
This documentary is a personal and intimate journey exploring the repression experienced by the filmmaker during her childhood when she faced sexual control in a Damascus also experiencing a growing socio-political repression in the late 80s and early 90s. Through the creative use of family archive in Damascus mixed with current footage of her body she reconstructs the pain of the past absorbed by her body.
What is Wrong with Her? (7m)
Dir: Leah Francisco, Country: UK, Year: 2020, Language/s: BSL and English
Leah finds life and identity by moving past other people’s labels in this British Sign Language poem travelling through time and space. Produced by Solar Bear Theatre company through their digital arts programme, Solar Flares.
Zine There Done That (8m)
Dir: Fergus Cruickshank, Ana Hine, Country: UK, Year: 2019, Language/s: English
As Ana recovers from a serious mental health breakdown, she discovers the potential for zines to rebuild her life and rediscover her voice. This intimate documentary is captured on an eclectic mix of formats to mirror the delicate piecing together of Ana and her connection to the underground mental health zine community in the UK. A tender, creative, and ultimately empowering look at how art can bring people together to take ownership of their lives.
Be Seen (2m)
Dir: Sophie Stone, Country: UK, Year: 2020, Language/s: BSL
Love fully explored in the mind of the admirer. Produced by Solar Bear Theatre company through their digital short programme, Solar Snaps.
All the reasons behind a kiss (3m)
Dir: Aimie Willemse, Country: UK, Year: 2020, Language/s: English
A theatre student gets rebuked for writing LGBTQ+ characters in her zombie apocalypse play as “following the latest trend”, however it turns out, she has a personal reason to do so.
Real Boy (11m)
Dir: Jamie Rea, Country: UK, Year: 2020, Language/s: BSL
All the parts of life from the smallest atom to the meaning of life converge and form into a feeling of completeness within Joe. We share in this journey. Produced by Solar Bear Theatre company through their digital arts programme, Solar Flares.

Workshop: d/Deaf approaches to Filmmaking with Jamie Rea
2022-10-21 12:00 - 14:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
Artist Jamie Rea hosts a workshop on d/Deaf approaches to filmmaking, creating a networking experience for deaf and hard of hearing queer filmmakers of all levels of expertise. This session will be used to discuss intersectional identities and their influence in filmmaking. All materials will be provided.
The workshop will be in BSL with BSL-English interpretation, and live captioning as well as induction loop available. Please note the workshop prioritises deaf and hard of hearing participants.
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click the button below or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

Accessibility:
Live Captioning
Induction Loop
BSL-English Interpreter
Wheelchair Accessible
Quiet Space in the Intermedia Lab at the CCA
Audience Travel and Access Fund
If you would like to discuss any access needs, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

Are you into emotional edging?
2023-09-27 15:30 - 17:30 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Join us for a journey of conscious and unconscious thoughts. This screening features distinct experimental shorts made by trans and non-binary people that focuses on the varied ways our community tell stories of forming and navigating relationships, both digitally and in real life.
The films in this programme utilise archival footage, found footage, digital glitch, chemical abstraction, digital animation, layered imagery, and direct animation to explore the telling of our stories.
Milo Clenshaw will be hosting a panel discussion after the screening with special guests Hogan Seidel, director of The Backside of God, and Jamie Crewe, director of A Luxury.
Curated by Indigo Korres.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

A Luxury (2021, Dir. Jamie Crewe): A film commssioned by Edinburgh International Book Festival, 2021, in response to Shola Von Reinhold’s novel LOTE (2020). Made in homage to Curtis Harrington’s film The Wormwood Star (1956), a portrait of the artist Cameron, the film finds Shola in the attic of Preston Hall, Midlothian, undergoing a transportation. A section of LOTE is read over churning abstract liquids, and finally an escape.
A Trans with a Movie Camera (2018, Dir. Frances Damian Arpaia): A non-narrative cine-essay that collaboratively explores the potentials for trans-feminine representation in film.
The Backside of God (2020, Dir. Hogan Seidel): The Backside of God is an experimental documentary utilizing archival footage, digital glitch, chemical abstraction, and direct animation to explore the intricacies of the artist’s relationship with their familial, religious, and queer identity.
Bigger on the Inside (2022, Dir. Angelo Madsen Minax): From an isolated wooded cabin a trans man star gazes, scruff chats with guys, watches youtube tutorials, takes drugs, and lies about taking drugs – feeling his way through a cosmology of embodiment. Relative to the immensity of longing, the bodily insides become both portal and lens through which to probe the porousness between interior and exterior, the micro and macro. Nudes and landscapes are equally erotic, as Eros is an issue of boundaries: When i desire you, a part of me is gone.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussion of transphobia, misogyny, religious views, homophobia, emotional edging, mental health, sex;
Depiction of masturbation, sex.

Access Notes:

Glitchy imagery

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
61 minutes long with a Q&A after the screening.
English, Latin, Portuguese, and Vietnamese audio and screens with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
Audio description available for the film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact by emailing info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Bigger on the Inside (2022, Dir. Angelo Madsen Minax)

Building Community with LGBT Unity
2023-09-29 12:30 - 14:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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In the summer of 2023, SQIFF and LGBT Unity hosted filmmaking workshops for queer asylum seekers and refugees. The workshops were facilitated by filmmakers Campbell X and Ambroise of Paradax Period, and focused on not only storytelling, filming and editing, but also building community and creating accessible ways to make films.
In this screening, we bring you all the shorts made during this workshop series, followed by a small Q&A where Campbell X and Ambroise talk about this process with some of the participants.
Presented in partnership with LGBT Unity Scotland, a community-led group providing essential support to LGBTQIA+ refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Depiction of date rape drug, being outed, drug use, alcohol use, suicide attempt;
Discussion of persecution, transphobia, abuse, assault, homophobia, conversion therapy, mental health issues.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
30 minutes long and a Q&A after the screening.
English and Portuguese audio and screens with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided for the intro and panel discussion.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from SQIFF x LGBT Unity

Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean with TGirlsonFilm
2023-09-29 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Five girlies reunite at a five-and-dime for the 20th anniversary of James Dean’s death. They all gossip and process where life has led them over a cup of coffee, the film features five female leads, one of which is Cher and another is a glamorous transexual. Based on a play and directed by Robert Altman, this is trans director Kristiene Clarke’s favourite trans representation.
Curated by Jaye Hudson. Presented with TGirlsonFilm and Introduction by Kristiene Clarke.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Depiction of transmisogyny, ableism, outdated language and sexism.

This screening has an age recommendation of BBFC 15.
109 minutes long.
English audio and screens with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
Audio description available for the film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Come Back to the 5 and Dime, Jimmy Dean Jimmy Dean (1982, Dir. Robert Altman)

Animation Now
2023-09-29 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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‘Animation Now’ celebrates a new generation of queer animators. The programme includes both 2D and 3D animation in the form of narrative shorts, experimental art film and an immersive game walkthrough.
The screening starts with the heartfelt 3D animation Dear Nana telling the story of the narrator’s late grandmother who was a supportive figure throughout their life. Clotilde follows in a stop-motion animated medium and provides a playful light-hearted moment in the programme.
The screening ends with a panel featuring some of the filmmakers in the programme on the newest wave of digital animation. Expect talk of gaming-inspired filmmaking.
Curated by Nat Lall.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

Dear Nana (2023, Dir. Han Nguyen): Dear Nana is a deeply personal work that reflects my own childhood memory of living as a queer kid in a small, conservative town in North Central Coast, Vietnam. It is made in memory of my maternal grandmother who passed away in 2011. She was the first person to teach me that there is no shame in being myself and doing whatever makes me happy instead of trying to conform to the norm and doing what is expected of me. This work is both about remembering her and reassuring myself that she would still be supportive of me now that I have come so far in my journey of self-expression. The film also features aspects of Vietnamese culture, such as the tradition to venerate our ancestors and pray for their blessings.
Clotilde (2023, Dir. Maria João Lourenço): In a planet where reproduction is mandatory in the daily life of its inhabitants, there is an alien who just wishes to pleasure herself.
White-Haired Witch and Black-Haired Witch (2023, Dir. Yini Yang): In a distant corner of the universe, amidst flowers, vines, and an endless expanse of crimson water, numerous placentas float. One of the placentas connects two fetuses, and in a flash of lightning, the placenta is divided into two halves. From one of the halves, a white-haired witch grows gradually, longing to find the other half of the fetus but unable to locate it. Consequently, it gives birth to a black-haired witch from its own body to coexist. One day, the black-haired witch embarks on a journey, leaving behind a letter documenting its travels for the white-haired witch. While waiting, the white-haired witch finds answers and returns to the primordial dream.
Living with It (2023, Dir. Holly Summerson): Perfectionist Lee (Annabelle Davis) must adapt to the imperfect reality of living with an illness – brought to life as a chaotic supernatural flatmate – Bug (Lawrence Chaney). Accepting the long-term effects of illness – and making the best of an imperfect situation – are explored through the relationship between two dysfunctional flatmates in this dark comedy animated short.
Coming Out Autistic (2023, Dir. Steven Fraser): Coming out Autistic is a short animated documentary that explores the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+. Queer coming out stories are well documented, but the occurrence of telling friends, family, co-workers and strangers that you are autistic is less explored. Parallels with queer experiences are investigated and a wide range of individuals are interviewed to express the array of feelings and reactions that are encountered.
Desire’s Exhibition (2023, Dir. Salmo Pagão): With the aim of finding Desire, so-and-so performs a ritual to go down in the depths of himself. There he came across an exhibition of Desire’s works which had until then haunted his dreams and non-dreams in land. It is important to him confront the works, recognize them, and rise with crucial answers.
A mother’s love for her baby (2022, Dirs. Éiméar McClay & Cat McClay): Using a combination of 3D animation and experimental prose, A mother’s love for her baby explores the corruption and conditions endemic in the Magdalene Laundries and mother and baby homes run by the Catholic church in Ireland throughout the 20th century. Influenced by Saidiya Hartman’s concept of “critical fabulation” – the use of storytelling to fill the gaps left in historical records – the film advocates for a bottom-up form of historiography: centring historically marginalised voices of Irish women and critiquing the structures of power that (re)produce their dispossession.
Junior & The Kid (2023, Dir. Dani Wasserman): Junior & The Kid is a sparse retelling of a fictional love affair between an unnamed western cowboy and 90s baseball superstar and heartthrob Ken Griffey Jr.
Where the Mouth is (Machinima Version) (2022, Dir. Benjamiin Hall): Set in the Saxon-era archipelago once where Oxford now stands, “Where the Mouth” is (re)builds Oxfordshire as an interactive world outside of time, leaping off from the collections of the public Museum of Oxford. You are let loose in the swampy terrain to observe the local tradition of ‘beating the bounds’ – marking parish boundary stones with a stick in order to embed them in the memory of the town’s residents. The mouth of that collective memory has issued many truths, half-truths, desires, cries, anecdotes, apocryphal stories, and tiny reminders of a future from the past.
Originally commissioned by the Museum of Oxford and Digital Artist Residency, with later support from Bloomberg New Contemporaries Digital Fellowships; Soundtrack by Peter Talisman (Slugabed and Samuel Organ) as mixed from their 2021 album ‘Lord of the Harvest’; Movement/ motion capture performance by Anya Sirina; Special thanks to Tom Milnes.
Patches (2021, Dir. Georgie Athanasopoulos): Outcast due to physical differences, a lonely little boy in the 1920’s makes an unlikely friend and finds belonging through sacrifice.
The Prince’s Dilemma (2023, Dir. Devin Rowe): The film follows Prince Philip, who longing to be with a prince of his own, must decide to follow the traditional tale expected of him or forge his own happily ever after.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussion of living with a chronic illness;
Depictions of animated genitalia, animated masturbation.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
74 minutes long with a Q&A after the screening.
English, Latin, Portuguese, and Vietnamese audio and screens with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided for the intro and panel discussion.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact by emailing info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Coming Out Autistic (2023, Dir. Steven Fraser)

Queer East Presents: Peafowl 공작새
2023-09-29 21:00 - 23:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Shin-myung is a transgender woman and dancer who competes in waacking. Having cut ties with her family and rural hometown, Shin-myung seeks various ways to fund her gender reassignment surgery. But one day, she is informed that her estranged father, a master of Nongak folk music, has died. He stipulated that Shin-myung can receive her inheritance money if she returns to the village and performs a traditional drum dance, as part of his memorial rituals. Unwilling to yield to her intolerant father’s posthumous demands, the unapologetic Shin-myung is forced to reluctantly reconnect with her past while staying true to herself. Driven by an empowering vision of trans identity, this assured debut feature from Byun Sung-bin contemplates the possibilities – and limits – of forgiveness.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

ACCESSIBLITY
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
115 minutes long.
Korean audio with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Peafowl 공작새 (2022, Dir. Byun Sung-bin)

Not Quite That
2023-09-30 12:30 - 14:30 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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‘Not Quite That’ follows 57-year-old Sarah, a butch lesbian predisposed to breast cancer.
Sarah discusses the implications of a mastectomy as a butch presenting person. She contemplates if people would perceive her as transmasculine and how that would make her feel.
Her long-term close friends listen attentively and help her process the situation. The love and support shared by this group of old friends is heartwarming. A feel-good film for sure.
This film is followed by two shorts. Director Leo Torre of The Ship of Theseus will join us to chat about short filmmaking and the importance of queer/trans friendships.
Curated by Nat Lall.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

Not Quite That (2022, Dir. Ali Grant): Might a genetic mutation be the very thing that allows this nice Jewish butch lesbian to be fully seen at last? Meet Sarah, 57. Lesbian? For sure. Jewish? Yes and no. Mother? In all but one sense. Trans? No, just often mistaken as such. Breast cancer survivor? Well, that’s the plan, the survival bit, but without the cancer or the breasts. Not Quite That is an intimate and insightful exploration of how we are seen, how we see ourselves, and why it matters.
The Ship Of Theseus (2022, Dir. Leo Torre): A creative trans self-documentary video exploring themes of early transition and gender rebirth using themes of mythology and the sea.
Patricia in the Dark (2023, Dir. Laura Hartley): Born into a world where the word ‘transgender’ didn’t exist, 95-year-old Patricia spent most of her life longing for love and acceptance but too afraid to reveal her true self.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussion of cancer diagnosis, surgery, gender dysphoria, body image, transphobia;
Depictions of pregnancy, nudity, drains, hospitalisation.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
60 minutes long with Q&A after the screening.
English and French audio with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
Audio description available for the film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Not Quite That (2022, Dir. Ali Grant)

Queerventures with Kendal Mountain Events
2023-09-30 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Kendal Mountain Festival is one of the UK’s longest running Adventure Film Festivals. Their programming goes far beyond the stereotypical adventurer, reaching out to individuals whose narratives are often overlooked. As part of this they have proudly curated a film programme of Queer-led films to stand in solidarity with the local LGBTQIA+ community and ensure that everyone sees themselves represented in the adventure world.
The event will be hosted by one of the Kendal Mountain team, Emily Lyons who will guide you through films that will transport you all over the world and showcase a multitude of folk from the community, from those getting outdoors everyday and people at the top of their game.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

I am a Fellrunner (2020, Dirs. Jessie Leong & Julie Carter): Fell running is more than a sport – it is part of an identity. Through the evocation of a poem, ‘I am a Fellrunner,’ explores the way in which one woman is defined as a fellrunner in the place where she belongs.
Fragments Choisis (2022, Dir. Alicia Cenci): In the mountains, she is Elisabeth the skier, in the streets, she is Elisabeth the activist. She lives her two lives very separately and makes sure those two sides do not interfere with each other.
Until the day she becomes world freeride champion. The activist then meets the sportswoman when Elisabeth decides to use her title and the attention around it to come out publicly.
Eden (2021, Dir. Charlie Bush): Eden Elgeti was part way through her male to female transition when she realised she wanted biological children in the future. Told she was now unable to produce fertile sperm after the hormone treatments, a medical practitioner suggested there was a very small chance cold water might help reverse the effects and so she started extreme cold water swimming.
Venture Out (2020, Dirs. Jamie DiNicola, Matthew Mikkelsen & Palmer Morse): Venture Out is a story of overcoming odds, the power of resilience, and ultimately, the ever-lasting effects of LGBTQ community building. The Venture Out Project, founded by Perry Cohen, is a non profit organisation that brings LGBTQ folks together outdoors on wilderness trips. In sharing Perry’s story, and hearing from the other TVOP participants, we get a glimpse into the healing qualities of nature and life-saving community bonds that are being forged as a result of Perry’s work.
Ascension (2023, Dirs. Emma Crome & Matt Pycroft): Elite climber Alex Johnson has attempted to climb the iconic boulder The Swarm, California, for a decade. Not succeeding breaks her down into self-reflection where she finally accepts her sexuality.
Big Things to Come (2022): One of Europe’s leading adventure photographers, Hamish Frost lives twin lives. In Ascension, we explore the side of himself he has kept hidden from the outdoor community. A story of confidence and connection and a reminder of the importance of diversity in the great outdoors.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussion of mental health, fertility, suicide, depression, eating disorder, mental health, bullying, homophobia.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
71 minutes long.
English and French audio with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Eden (2021, Dir. Charlie Bush)

SQIFF x Porty Pride Film Night
2024-06-28 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Portobello Town Hall, 147-149 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1AF
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This year SQIFF and Porty Pride are partnering to bring an exciting selection of short films from Scotland and beyond to Portobello Town Hall!
This screening presents a mix of animation, documentary and fiction film exploring various queer identities. The Singer, Coming Out Autistic and Living with It are Scottish films made by queer people with various disabilities. Still We Thrive is an experimental documentary directed by Campbell X, showcasing a rich tapestry of image, music and poetry is interwoven in this powerful meditation on Black resilience. Digital Natives is a personal film and exploration of Jo’s relationship to the internet. Finally, Not Quite That is a raw documentary about a queer woman and breast cancer survivor in Canada. The film is an intimate and insightful exploration of how we are seen, how we see ourselves, and why it matters.
Join us for an incredible conversation after the screening with Scottish filmmaker Holly Summerson, and hosted by Nat Lall. BSL-English Interpretation, and wheelchair access are available at this event.
Curated by Indigo Korres.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of £5, or £10. To book, please click here.

The Singer (2023, Dir. Cora Bissett): In the loud streets of Glasgow, deaf song-writer Joe meets busker Andy. The two learn to communicate over their love of music and realise together they can create something unique.
Coming Out Autistic (2023, Steven Fraser): This animated documentary explores the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+.
Living with It (2023, Holly Summerson): Perfectionist Lee must adapt to the imperfect reality of living with an illness – brought to life as her chaotic supernatural flatmate Bug.
Still We Thrive (2021, Campbell X): A rich tapestry of image, music and poetry is interwoven in this powerful meditation on Black resilience.
Digital Natives (2022, Jo Reid): A film by Jo Reid (2022) – an exploration of Jo’s relationship to the internet.
Not Quite That (2023, Ali Grant): Might a genetic mutation be the very thing that allows this nice Jewish butch lesbian to be fully seen at last? Meet Sarah, 57. Lesbian? For sure. Jewish? Yes and no. Mother? In all but one sense. Trans? No, just often mistaken as such. Breast cancer survivor? Well, that’s the plan, the survival bit, but without the cancer or the breasts. Not Quite That is an intimate and insightful exploration of how we are seen, how we see ourselves, and why it matters.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussion of cancer diagnosis, surgery, colonialism, body image;
Depictions of pregnancy, nudity, drains, hospitalisation, ableism.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
89 minutes long with a introduction and Q&A.
English audio and British Sign Language with English language descriptive subtitles. BSL-English interpretation provided.
If you have any questions about accessibility at for this event, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case.
Image: from Living with It (2023, Dir. Holly Summerson)

From Production to Festival: Crafting Accessible Films with We Crip Film
2024-10-08 17:00 - 19:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Join the British Film Institute’s (BFI) ‘We Crip Film’ in celebrating disabled rage, intersectionality, & queer joy in the film industry. Together, we will go on a journey of giving birth to a film. From production all the way through to film festival aftercare answering the many conundrums “how do I balance access and creativity?”, “how can I advocate for myself and my access needs?” and of course, the classic “how the f*** can I make this film accessible when I have zero money?”. Do not fret, We Crip Film is on the case!
We will delve deep into a case study of access-dedicated film festivals, defining what is and is NOT best practice and discussing the results and impact of FWD-DOC’s film festival accessibility scorecard.
You will leave this panel feeling ready to kick some inaccessible ass and be in possession of some incredible practical filmmaking and exhibition resources which will be shared with everyone in attendance.
Joining on the panel will be:

Clare Baines (BFI, Inclusion Partner) moderator
Charlie Little (Matchbox Cine, film exhibition access consultant)
Lindsey Dryden (filmmaker & fwddoc)
Tara Brown (the queer fat crip film programmer)

We Crip Film, is the BFI’s Disability Screen Advisory Group. First formed in 2018 and now in Its sixth year chaired by Kyla Harris (BBC’s We Might Regret This) & co-chaired by Justin Edgar (104films). We support and advocate for authentic disability representation & disabled talent behind the camera, on-screen, within our cinemas and UK-wide. We believe in cross-disability solidarity. We work in coalition with other groups who have experienced marginalisation in accomplishing our goals.
This panel will be followed by some accessible networking. We all know that standing round with some drinks isn’t for everyone, and often incredibly inaccessible, so join us in some crip-friendly “networking”. Think wholesome fun, where you can yap with people on projects and build long-lasting connections & hopefully friendships.
Curated by BFI We Crip Film.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, £10, or £12. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

Accessibility
This programme has:

English-BSL interpretation for the whole event
Live Captioning for the whole event

You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2024 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2024, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: BFI We Crip Film

Coping, Managing, Healing - SOLD OUT
2024-10-10 15:30 - 17:30 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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**Please note this event is now sold out – we may be able to release more tickets nearer the screening. CCA Box Office are operating a waiting list for sold out events – please contact them directly or go to their website to be added to this!**
This is a screening of films that explore health without a curative focus. The focus is on managing pain, navigating change and utilising support systems. SQIFF prides itself on its commitment to making film accessible through reasonable adjustments, ongoing conversations and a keen interest to keep our activism intersectional. Expect to hear insights from chronically sick queers, helpline volunteers, gender affirmative surgery patients, supportive lovers and community pioneers.
Following this screening, Nat Lall is hosting a panel discussion with the director of the film There’s Not Much We Can Do, Erica Monde, and NHS doctor, Chenai Mautsi.
Curated by Nat Lall.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, £10, or £12. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

Accessibility:
This programme has:

English audio with English language descriptive subtitles
Audio Description
English-BSL interpretation for the panel discussion.
Live Captioning for the panel discussion.

This screening is 57 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 18+.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2024 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2024, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Films in this programme include:

There’s Not Much We Can Do, Dir. Erica Monde, 2022, United Kingdom, 19 min
In this personal essay documentary, the director reflects on her endometriosis diagnosis through the invasive Japanese Knotweed. While both the disease and the plant grow disruptively, one is treated with urgency and the other with inaction. An ecofeminist meditation on body, biology, care, and control, There’s Not Much We Can Do prompts us to question what we consider “natural.”
Content notes: Discussion of medical neglect, medical treatments, endometriosis symptoms.

The Callers, Dir. Lindsey Dryden, 2024, United Kingdom, 18 min
A love letter to queer possibility, THE CALLERS moves through time and around the UK to tell the intimate stories of people who have called Switchboard LGBT, England’s oldest LGBTQ+ phone helpline for over 50 years, seeking guidance on everything from where to find the nearest leather bar to how to come out, impress a new lover or mend a broken heart.
Content notes: Discussion of BDSM, sex, mental health, abuse, death, trauma, pregnancy, body image, gender dysphoria, medical waiting lists, suicide.

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.

You can’t get what you want but you can get me, Dirs. Samira Elagoz, Z Walsh, 2024, Netherlands, 13 min
A unique slideshow documenting two long-haired trans men falling in love. Over the course of one year, the artist couple gathered photographs from real-life events such as their first kiss, meeting each other’s parents, long-distance thirst traps, a beach wedding, and top surgery. A sweet and steamy celebration of T4T love with life and art all tangled up.
Content notes: Discussion of surgery, sex, genitalia. Depiction of nudity, sex, bodily fluids, hospitalisation, surgical drains, needles, blood, stitches, fresh top surgery scars, pain medication, scabbing wounds.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Cornelius, Dir. Ken Gregory, 2024

Our World: Signs for the Future with Take One Action and Edinburgh Deaf Festival - SOLD OUT
2024-10-12 11:30 - 13:30 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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**Please note this event is now sold out – we may be able to release more tickets nearer the screening. CCA Box Office are operating a waiting list for sold out events – please contact them directly or go to their website to be added to this!**
Curated by Charlie Little, a queer, deafblind film access consultant and curator, ‘Signs for the Future’ is a collection of short films interwoven with intersections of identity, our natural world and elements, and climate justice issues. These films capture Deaf and disabled perspectives and intersectional identity, seeking to spark conversations about collective, intertwined struggles and how our climate plays a role in our unity.
This special showcase will also feature the short film Bee’s Journey, which was produced by emerging Deaf filmmakers and created in response to the Scottish Sensory Centre’s ‘Rewilding BSL’ project. This project led to the creation of over 400 British Sign Language signs for climate and environment-related terms, making climate justice action and environmental discussions more accessible for BSL users.
Bee’s Journey came to life during a filmmaking workshop, ‘Filming Our World: Rewilding BSL & Queer Ecologies,’ facilitated by Take One Action Film Festivals, SQIFF, and Edinburgh Deaf Festival this summer. The workshop presentations were led by Dr. Audrey Cameron, Will Clark, and Klarissa Webster.
Curated by Charlie Little.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, £10, or £12. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

Accessibility:
This programme has:

American Sign Language, British Sign Language, English audio English language descriptive subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for the introduction.
Live Captioning for the introduction.

This screening is 60 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 12+.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2024 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2024, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Films in this programme include:

Bee’s Journey, Sandra Duguid, Audrey Cameron, Tanya, 2024, United Kingdom, 3 min
Filmed in the serene wildness of Salisbury Centre’s communal garden space, Bee’s Journey follows the perspectives of three individuals and their connection to nature and their identity. This film was imagined and manifested during a Deaf and climate justice-focused filmmaking workshop in collaboration with Take One Action, SQIFF, and Edinburgh Deaf Festival.
Content notes: Discussion of ADHD.

Scotland, Forgive Me, Dir. Will Clark, 2022, United Kingdom, 6 min
Set against a picturesque Scottish beach, a Deaf person writes a love letter to Scotland and to people looking for a place to belong, using poetry to explore their struggles of identity and connection to the country they were born in.

Battery, Dir. Ewan Marshall, 2023, United Kingdom, 14 min
In this apocalyptic love story, Elliot uses his last remaining wheelchair battery to navigate a city devastated by climate disaster, hoping to reunite with his deaf boyfriend.
Content notes: Physical violence.

Octopus, Dir. Ella Glendining, 2022, United Kingdom, 12 min
Upon returning to her sleepy seaside home town for a funeral, a young woman reconnects with the friends she left behind.
Content notes: Discussion of grief, death.

The Beauty of Being Deaf, Dir. Chella Man, 2021, United States, 3 min
Submerged underwater, three people explore and express their celebration of identity and hearing loss.

How to Carry Water, Dir. Sasha Worztel, 2024, United States, 15m
This punk rock fairytale doubles as a portrait of Shoog McDaniel – a fat, queer, and disabled photographer working in and around northern Florida’s vast network of freshwater springs, the state’s source of precious drinking water.
Content notes: Depiction of nudity. Discussion of sexual references, references to fatphobia.

Access notes: Strobe effects.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: The Beauty of Being Deaf, Dir. Chella Man, 2021

Confessions of a Reformed Activist
2025-02-21 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP, United Kingdom
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An engaging, participatory session led by filmmaker and artist Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi, exploring the limits of activist filmmaking and how new narratives of unique individual truths can lead to greater societal understanding.
Open to all Scotland-based filmmakers, moving image artists, producers and cinematographers.
Through an open and reflective discussion, we will critically examine the role of activism in the current climate, explore new ways to use film as a tool for dialogue and social change, and consider how empathetic storytelling and reimagined activism can help shape a more liberated future— where the personal and political intersect in our creative practice.
Please note: This session will involve discussions around activism, identity, and social change, which may include topics that some participants find sensitive or triggering. We are committed to fostering a supportive environment, and a quiet area will be available for anyone who may need a break at any point during the session.

HOW TO APPLY
This session is part of our Filmmakers Circle, an intimate and collaborative space designed for industry professionals and peers to demystify documentary filmmaking by nurturing a holistic understanding of the craft and engaging in ongoing topical dialogues.
In order to join the Circle, please fill out the application form by the end of Wednesday 12 February.

TICKET INFO

Space is limited, we encourage you to submit your early to secure your spot.
Tickets are available at a flexible, pay-what-you-can rate (£2/£4/£6). A link to make the payment will be sent to the selected applicants to confirm their place in the Circle.
To ensure accessibility for all, travel and accessibility bursaries are available and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, so financial constraints don’t prevent participation.

ACCESS
We aim to create a comfortable environment for the session which will include breaks, refreshments, comfortable seating, and access to a quiet area. To find out more about accessibility at Glasgow Women’s Library click here.
If you have any specific access needs or concerns, please feel free to let us know in the application form.
Confessions of a Reformed Activist is presented by SDI in collaboration with Take One Action and SQIFF.

Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi is creative, entrepreneur and Akashic reader. Based in Glasgow, Kiana works with collaborators all over the world on creative, ground-breaking, and social justice projects.
Kiana studied BA (Hons) Film and Media/Psychology at the University of Stirling, then went on to get an MA Film from Screen Academy Scotland in 2016, before beginning my internship at media co-op to create her hip-hop protest film Tax on Me in 2017. She also holds an LLB Law Degree from the Open University.
Kiana’s work has challenged societal narratives and sparked important conversations about justice and inclusion. Her debut hip-hop protest short film Tax on Me in 2017, making a media splash and bringing to attention the injustices of the care tax. Tax on Me received press attention and provoked a parliamentary motion which praised its impact on bringing to light human rights issues faced by thousands of disabled people across the UK, as well being a catalyst for policy change. Kiana was named one of 30under30 most inspirational women in Scotland 2017 and MDUK Campaigner of the Year 2018.
She is currently developing her autobiographical documentary, Kiana: Stargazing and Spinraza; and working on new music releases as a singer/songwriter.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi

Queer Freedom
2025-11-01 10:00 - 12:00 UTC | The Social Hub, The Social Hub, Candleriggs Square, Glasgow, G1 1TQ
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Oska Brights very own Head Programmer, Matthew Hellett is back at SQIFF with a fearless, unapologetic celebration of Learning Disabled and autistic filmmakers stories, who are reshaping cinema with their unique voices, powerful stories, and visionary perspectives. He presents a specially curated programme of some of his highlights from over the years at Oska Bright Film Festival. After the screening, stay tuned for a special conversation hosted by Stella Nicholson with Matthew Hellett.
Curated by Matthew Hellett.

Click here to book your ticket for this event
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £4, £8, £12, £16, or £20, in order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income. You can choose what you pay based on your circumstances – you won’t be asked for any proof/ID. We just ask that you are honest! Please find the ‘What Should I Pay?’ guidance here.

Accessibility
This programme has:

English audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for introduction and panel discussion. The interpreter for this event is Lou Hanson.
Live Captioning for introduction and panel discussion

This screening is 54 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
If you require access seating please get in touch. Access seating includes: wheelchair spaces, bean bag seating, sitting in the front row / in the aisle / at the back. If you need any other provisions, please let us know by emailing info@sqiff.org with your name, ticket information and access request. If you are attending with companions and they need seating with you please also let us know. We will provide one free PA ticket for people who require any type of assistance (all tickets are pay what you can). We will do our best to work with you whilst also managing the capacity of each venue. Thank you for working with us on this.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2025 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2025, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Films in this programme include:
Just Me, Dir. Mattie Kennedy, 2014, United Kingdom, 3 min
A film about individual identities and family ties, Versions is made through the technique of stop-motion and collage in which the filmmaker uses various silhouettes, which could potentially represent rebirth.
Content notes: Discussion of ableism.

Izzy Aman: The Joy of Drag, Dir. Isabella Walton, 2023, United Kingdom, 13 min
This film explores the rich expressive world of drag kinging through the experience of one individual: Isabel Adomakoh Young, known as Izzy Aman in the drag world.
Content notes: Discussion of patriarchy, racism, toxic masculinity.

Coming out Autistic, Dir. Steven Fraser, 2023, United Kingdom, 4 min
Coming out Autistic is a short animated documentary that explores the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+.

S.A.M., Dirs. Neil Ely, Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, 2020, United Kingdom, 16 min
S.A.M. is a short drama film in which two teenagers bond after meeting in a park after school.
Content notes: Depiction of ableism.

Sparkle, Dir. Matthew Hellett, 2008, United Kingdom, 3 min
Sparkle, made by Matthew Hellett, charts his transformation into a glamorous alternative persona, the drag queen Mrs. Sparkle.

(Un)fit to Work, Dir. Yasmin Godo, 2023, United Kingdom, 5 min
A disabled mechanic takes us on a musical journey of 80s disco & ballroom through his imagination after he’s denied access to apply for the job he’s best suited for at his local job center.
Content notes: Depiction of ableism.

Born to Dance with an Extra Chromosome: the Drag Queens (and Kings) with Down’s Syndrome, Dir. Nikolay Nikolov, 2020, United Kingdom, 10 min
Born to dance with an extra chromosome: the drag queens (and kings) with Down syndrome. This short film follows Drag Syndrome during a performance at the Ace Hotel in East London.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Supported by Screen Scotland, the BFI Audience Projects Fund and Film Hub Scotland (part of the BFI Film Audience Network), all awarding National Lottery funding.

Image Credit: Izzy Aman: The Joy of Drag, Dir. Isabella Walton, 2023
