SQIFF

Shakedown
2018-12-09 15:30 - 17:15 UTC | Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB, United Kingdom
Owned by women, underground and illegal in nature, the club Shakedown was an independent, all black lesbian strip club operating in LA from the late 90s. Director Leilah Weinraub’s film chronicles the explicit performances and personal relationships of the party’s dancers and organisers, including Ronnie-Ron, Shakedown Productions’ creator and emcee; Mahogany, the legendary “mother” of the community; Egypt, their star performer; and Jazmine, the “Queen” of Shakedown.
Presented in partnership with Scottish Documentary Institute.
All ticket holders can join us at Saramago at CCA after the screening for free drinks supported by Sheffield Doc/Fest.
www.sheffdocfest.com
Tickets are priced on a sliding scale £0-£8 depending on what you can afford. To book, please use the button below or call GFT box office on +44 (0)141 332 6535.

ACCESS
Film is in the English language with English language subtitles/captions. Hearing loop available (GFT’s Cinema 3 and box office).
Film is very visual-based, so less suitable for blind and partially sighted audiences. Large print versions of handouts available.
Glasgow Film Theatre has good access for wheelchair users. Click here for more details on venue access.
We have a limited travel fund to assist people to come to the Festival for those who could not otherwise afford to attend. If you would like to apply for this, please contact access@sqiff.org.
Tickets
In order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income, we use a sliding scale ticket price of £0-£8 for our events. 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! Our ticket sales go towards supporting the vital work of LGBTQ+ filmmakers, artists and organisers. If you have a free ticket and can no longer use it, please contact the relevant venue box office to let them know so it can be used by someone else. For more info on what you should pay, click here.

SQIFF 2018 Closing Night: White Rabbit
2018-12-09 19:00 - 20:40 | Scottish Youth Theatre, The Old Sheriff Court, 105 Brunswick Street, Glasgow, G1 1TF, United Kingdom
Recently single, Korean-born LA artist Sophia Lee – played by performance artist Vivian Bang (who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Daryl Wein) – devotes herself to her public performance art, whether it’s a provocative Korean perspective in the park on the LA Riots or quirky digital art on social media. To pay the bills, she does odd jobs for TaskRabbit. When a stranger makes Sophia late for a TaskRabbit gig, she loses her temper with her, only to run into her repeatedly and discover a strong connection. Sophia develops feelings for her, but it’s unclear if her love is reciprocated.
Preceded by closing night speeches. Sponsored by Merchant City Brewing Co.
Screening as part of QFN’s Gay as in Hysterically Funny tour for BFI Comedy Genius.
Comedy Genius is a celebration of comedy on screen, led by BFI, the Independent Cinema Office and BFI Film Audience network, supported by funds from the National Lottery. QFN is a strategic Film Hub Wales project and receives support from the BFI Film Audience Network.
Tickets are priced on a sliding scale £0-£8 depending on what you can afford. To book, please use the button below.

ACCESS
Film is in the English language with English language subtitles/captions. BSL interpretation for closing night speeches.
Large print versions of handouts available.
Scottish Youth Theatre has good access for wheelchair users. Click here for more details on venue access.
We have a limited travel fund to assist people to come to the Festival for those who could not otherwise afford to attend. If you would like to apply for this, please contact access@sqiff.org.
Tickets
In order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income, we use a sliding scale ticket price of £0-£8 for our events. 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! Our ticket sales go towards supporting the vital work of LGBTQ+ filmmakers, artists and organisers. If you have a free ticket and can no longer use it, please cancel your order or let us know so it can be used by someone else. For more info on what you should pay, click here.

East Asian Focus: Alifu The Prince/ss
2018-12-09 20:30 - 22:10 | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
A set of intersecting queer Taiwanese stories about love, identity and loss. Alifu, a member of an indigenous Paiwan community, is selected to succeed her father as the head of her tribe, but hasn’t yet come out to her family as trans. She is attracted to Chris, a closeted drag performer, while her flatmate, Peizhan, is also dangerously obsessed with Alifu. At the same time, Sherry, the trans woman who runs the nightclub where Chris performs, suddenly becomes ill, forcing Wu, her long-time friend and plumber, to remember their shared past as he cares for her.
Tickets are priced on a sliding scale £0-£8 depending on what you can afford. To book, please use the button below or call CCA box office on +44 (0)141 352 4900.

ACCESS
Film is in Taiwanese, Mandarin Chinese, Paiwan, and English languages with English language subtitles/captions. Hearing loop available.
Film relies on visual material to convey ideas and is mostly non-English language, so is less accessible for blind and partially sighted audiences.
Large print versions of handouts available.
CCA has good access for wheelchair users. Click here for more details on venue access.
Comfy seating (bean bags) available. If you would like to reserve this, please contact access@sqiff.org.
We have a limited travel fund to assist people to come to the Festival for those who could not otherwise afford to attend. If you would like to apply for this, please contact access@sqiff.org.
Tickets
In order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income, we use a sliding scale ticket price of £0-£8 for our events. 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! Our ticket sales go towards supporting the vital work of LGBTQ+ filmmakers, artists and organisers. If you have a free ticket and can no longer use it, please contact the relevant venue box office to let them know so it can be used by someone else. For more info on what you should pay, click here.

SQIFF 2024 Opening Night Scottish Shorts - SOLD OUT
2024-10-08 20:20 - 22:20 | Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB, 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.**
We warmly welcome you back to another year of SQIFF with our ‘Scottish Shorts’. This screening exclusively contains short films by artists based in Scotland and highlights outstanding local talent. We are also delighted to showcase three new films made by SQIFF’s very own Queer Filmmakers Group. Expect a screening that celebrates community, resistance and various filmmaking media. We hope to welcome several of the filmmakers for a Q&A after the screening.
All filmmakers in this screening and ‘Scottish Shorts 2’ are automatically entered into a competition to win the title of Best Scottish Short. The winner will be announced at the closing screening of SQIFF 2024.
Curated by Nat Lall and Huss.

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 GFT Box Office on 0141 332 6535.

Accessibility
This programme has:

English audio with English language descriptive captions
English to BSL interpretation for introduction and panel discussion
Live Captioning for introduction and panel discussion
Audio Description

This screening is 75 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
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:

Films not Bombs: Soup, Stickers and Solidarity, Dirs. Rosie Bowyer, Léo Paiva Capocci, Morgan Gabriel Hares, Kat Robertson, 2024, United Kingdom, 11 min
Films Not Bombs is a community film about Glasgow’s Food Not Bombs chapter in Govanhill. It highlights how the group offers free food weekly to challenge war and capitalism, demonstrating the transformative power of community action. Created through a University of Glasgow and GMAC course, the film features Glasgow’s queer community and is the debut film for three of its creators.
Content Notes: Depiction of police. Discussion of food scarcity, capitalism.

A Float, Dir. Isabel Barfod, 2023, United Kingdom, 3 min
A Float explores subtle modes of refusal through the lens of a Black Queer swimmer in a hostile environment. Set in a Victorian era public swimming pool, A Float follows our protagonist as they access alternate realities, speculated futures and enact small acts of revenge.
Content Notes: Depiction of racism.
Access Notes: Contains flashing imagery.

In Our Millions, Dirs. Meli Vasiloudes Bayada, Ally Lloyd, Esme Haddrill Selman, 2023, United Kingdom, 3 min
‘In Our Millions’ is a short film about Scottish solidarity with Palestine filmed during the November 11th protests. It is a Super8 film collaboratively shot and ecologically hand-processed over the course of a day as part of a workshop run by Lydia Beilby and Take One Action.
Content Notes: Depiction of a protest.

Just Jackie, Dir. Michael Lee Richardson, 2023, United Kingdom, 12 min
JACKIE (9) loves sweets, trying on their mum’s clothes and make up, and admiring girl-next-door TEGAN (11) on her trampoline from the bedroom window.
Jackie adores her, and they’ll do anything to get close to her. Even, to health-conscious mum CAROL’s surprise, ask for a trampoline.
Content Notes: Depiction of deadnaming. Discussion of dieting.

Planet Abundance, Dirs. Emma Bowen, Ailie Rutherford, 2022, United Kingdom, 4 min
This short film documents The Planet Abundance project, a series of artist-led workshops at Category Is Books. Participants imagined a feminist world of abundance and post-work society, exploring alternatives to capitalism through speculative science fiction based on Teresa Feldmann’s draft. Commissioned by Feminist Exchange Network (Glasgow) and curated by Ailie Rutherford, the project fosters radical political imagination.

A Different Home, Dir. Jules Lacave-Fontourcy, 2024, United Kingdom, 15 min
Where is “home” for queer people who live in a city but grew up rural? This documentary explores the tensions between craving rural life and thriving in urban queer communities while feeling alienated from both. Visually rooted to the land, this film reflects on what it means to grieve a home which remains but does not welcome us as who we are.
Content Notes: Discussion of queerphobia, ableism, transphobia, misgendering, deadnaming, and trauma.

A Tight Five Hours, Dir. Ewan McPherson, 2024, United Kingdom, 15 min
As the queer comic Ewan McPherson battles his stammer while performing live, a worker inside his brain tries frantically to prevent the damage caused by negative thoughts by recalling memories of interviews with fellow queer performers and promoters”.
Content Notes: Discussion of homophobia.
Access Notes: Short length distorted imagery.

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.

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: Just Jackie, Dir. Michael Lee Richardson, 2023

Scottish Shorts 2 - SOLD OUT
2024-10-10 18:30 - 20:30 | 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!**
Scottish Shorts 2 is a short film programme that celebrates the rich tapestry of queer Scottish filmmakers and stories. This collection of films showcases the diversity, resilience, and creativity of the LGBTQ+ community in Scotland, offering poignant and powerful narratives that span love, identity, self-discovery, and the complexities of modern life. The programme offers a diverse and compelling look at queer life in Scotland, highlighting the unique voices and stories of the LGBTQ+ community. Through these films, audiences will experience a range of emotions and insights, celebrating the richness and complexity of queer Scottish experiences. We hope to welcome several of the filmmakers for a Q&A after the screening.
All filmmakers in this screening and ‘SQIFF 2024 Opening Night Scottish Shorts’ are automatically entered into a competition to win the title of Best Scottish Short. The winner will be announced at the closing screening of SQIFF 2024.

Curated by Nat Lall and Huss.

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:

British Sign Language and English audio with English language descriptive subtitles
Audio Description
English-BSL interpretation for the introduction and Q&A
Live Captioning for the introduction and Q&A

This screening is 90 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:

Love [Gaol], Dirs. Giulia Lina Giannetti, Paul Morgan, 2022, United Kingdom, 12 min
A film about all kinds of love within the LGBTQ+ community from folks of North Ayrshire.
Gaol [Scottish Gaelic] [Goohl]

Affection, love

I love my partner.

(object of) love

The queer community is full of love.

(pl.) kindred

Chosen family is based on love and support.
Content notes: Discussion of queerphobia.

Femme Disturbance, Dir. Conor Baird, 2024, United Kingdom, 25 min
Femme Disturbance investigates a closeted adolescence, its surrounding family dynamic and the empowering figure of the Action Heroine. To tell these stories the Sisters are interviewed and the Adolescent speaks alongside the Critic. Home movie footage and action heroine performances across Hollywood film and video games are reembodied, cut and collaged.
Content notes: Discussions of disordered eating, homophobia, family discord, mental health. Depictions of fictional violence, implied nudity.

Growin’ Pains, Dir. Sammson Orr, 2023, United Kingdom, 6 min
During a family argument, a teenager flees to the garden for relief, only to find the conflict follows them. Feeling hopeless, they grow into the grass and are swallowed by the ground. They awaken in a subterranean world as a cryptid creature, escaping humanity. What starts as magical escapism becomes a burden as the house and conflict still haunt them.
Content notes: Depiction of nudity.

Miss Temperance, Dir. Jeremy McClain, 2023, United Kingdom, 12 min
A year after a drug- and booze-fueled night that sparked their sobriety, a drag artist prepares to return to the spotlight. As the evening unfolds, Jackson faces nerves, excitement, and past shadows. With their mentor’s support, they confront their fears and find creative freedom in their sober identity. The film explores self-discovery, resilience, and reinvention while celebrating Glasgow’s queer scene.
Content notes: Depiction of alcohol use, drug use, pregnancy.
Access notes: Flashing lights.

ob-SOUL-1337, Dir. Harry Roberts, 2023, United Kingdom, 17 min
An animated short film that uses death and the afterlife to explore our relationship with technology, the duality of our identities online and off and the monetization of our personal memories of thoughts by Big Tech.
Content notes: Depiction of strong language, gore, cartoon violence, nudity, sexual innuendo, death, sex.
Access notes: Flashing imagery, distorted sounds.

I’ve Got Something To Tell You, Dirs. Ben Clery-Hall, Mandy Mcmillan, 2024, United Kingdom, 4 min
An exploration of queer temporality through the mind of someone realising they are trans.

Strangers, Dir. Klarissa Webster, 2023, United Kingdom, 4 min
2 peoples worlds collide in a graveyard. One dealing with a near loss, another still harbouring the pain after many years.

COWBOY, Dir. Luca Kerr, 2024, United Kingdom, 10 min
Young Transgender man ‘Cowboy’ is run out of his small home town and turns to Glasgow in search of a new beginning. But he is unable to shake the shadows of his past.
Content notes: Depiction of homophobic slurs, cigarette use, alcohol use, physical violence, blood.
Access notes: Flashing lights.

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: ob-SOUL-1337, Dir. Harry Roberts, 2023

Reas + Post Screening Discussion
2025-08-13 18:00 - 20:00 | Edinburgh Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ
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In collaboration with Scottish Documentary Institute, we’re proud to present REAS: a ground-breaking documentary-musical by Lola Arias that explores queer solidarity and kinship within the carceral system. The screening will be enriched by a post-film relaxed 30-minute workshop with filmmaker Erica Monde.
Yoseli has a tattoo of the Eiffel Tower on her back and has always wanted to travel, but she was arrested at the airport for drug trafficking. Nacho is a trans man who was arrested for swindling and started a rock band in jail. Gentle or rough, blonde or shaved, cis or trans, long-term inmates or newly admitted: in this hybrid musical, they all re-enact their lives in a Buenos Aires prison.
Reas is a collective work that reinvents the musical genre: the performers dance and sing about their past in prison, relive their life as fiction, and invent, through fantasy and imagination, a possible future for themselves.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale. To book, click here.

Accessibility:

An age recommendation of BBFC 15.
Content Notes: Contains mentions of drug and people trafficking.
Spanish language audio with English language descriptive subtitles.
Filmhouse is wheelchair accessible, with gender neutral toilets.

This screening is 79 minutes long with an introduction and post-film workshop.
If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

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: Reas, Dir. Lola Arias, 2024, Argentina, Germany, Switzerland
