Pushed into corners through marginalisation and oppression, the characters in these short films come out fighting for their bodily autonomy, rights, and liberation. YaliniDream performs a poem of refugee/migrant love for self and the world. Artist Liberty Antonia Sadler uses poetry to celebrate larger bodies in a fatphobic society. In Ponyboi, an intersex runaway and […]
Four queer Arab stories are powerfully illuminated through genderqueer Australian filmmaker Jordan Bryon’s compelling piece of guerrilla filmmaking. Jordanian teenager Hiba is transitioning in secret, fearful of being killed by her Bedouin tribe; gay Iraqi refugee Youssef has fled Baghdad and is living in limbo in Bryon’s safe house in Amman; lesbian feminist Rasha hides […]
As part of our strand on queerness and religion, You Gotta Have Faith, we bring you classic queer rom-com But I’m a Cheerleader on the 20th anniversary of its release. Natasha Lyonne - of Orange is the New Black and Russian Doll fame - stars as Megan Bloomsfield, a high school cheerleader whose strait-laced friends […]
Kattumaram depicts the Tsunami-affected lives of middle-aged Singaram and his orphaned niece Anandhi and nephew Mani. Singaram works hard as a fisherman to provide for his family and tries to arrange a groom for his niece, who rejects all proposed alliances. Anandhi instead falls for Kavita, a visiting photographer teaching alongside her at the local […]
We know that mental health issues disproportionately affect LGBTQIA+ individuals and communities, who often experience difficulties in accessing support. To create space for discussion and representation of these topics, we’ve curated a collection of insightful and powerful shorts in partnership with See Me Proud. Topics covered include depression, anxiety, loneliness, irrational thoughts, living with bipolar […]
How we are (un)represented as Deaf and Disabled people has a huge impact on our lives. Exploring such representation, we take a look at queer porn made by and about Deaf and Disabled queer people. With work by DIY queer filmmaker and activist, Loree Erickson, and self-described “bad ass, fat ass, Jew, dyke amputee,” Nomy […]
From 80s punk to modern day synth pop, rocking Argentinian queer women artists are chronicled in A Girl’s Band by bassist turned filmmaker, Marilina Giménez. Her band YiLet broke up long ago but Giménez still has access to dozens of musicians who are ready to speak their truths about partying on the road, sexual harassment, […]
We present a round-up of the excellent, idiosyncratic new queer filmmaking produced within Scotland. We welcome the return of filmmakers who have screened at SQIFF before including Michael Lee Richardson, Wei Zhang, Siri Rødnes, Eleanor Capaldi, and Natasha Lall, and are excited by a whole host of new names bringing very impressive work packed with […]
On June 27 1969, police raided The Stonewall Inn, a gay bar in New York. In a spontaneous show of support and frustration, the city’s queer community rioted for three nights, an event often considered the birth of the modern LGBT Rights Movement. Revealing and often humorous, Before Stonewall exposes the fascinating decade-by-decade history of […]
We delve into the varied practices of BDSM and societal attitudes towards this age-old erotic preference, which continues to be subject to stigmatisation and censorship. In Lasting Marks, one of sixteen gay men put on trial for taking part in consensual sadomasochism in late 80s England narrates his experience. Berlin-based conscious BDSM practitioner, Caritia, explains […]
