London is a cultural jungle. So much to see. So much to do. Seemingly such little time. My cultural pick of the next two weeks is, without doubt, the FLARE FILM FESTIVAL (The London LGBT Film Festival) which opens today and runs 16-27th March – it’s the largest LGBT film Festival in Europe and it celebrates 30 glorious years this year.
Whether you choose to engage with this event via a Faraday Pride event or independently; if you’re passionate about cinema, art and culture or you just want a bit of entertainment, I urge you not to let the FLARE pass you by. This is a very popular event and most screenings sell out within hours.
In the true meaning of festival, it is a celebration on many levels. Here are my top three reasons for not letting this festival pass you by:
- You have the crème de la crème of cinematic talent handpicked from around the world being showcased. Faraday Pride has secured tickets to three screenings this season: a trans thriller from Mexico, a forbidden love story from India and a documentary showcasing a controversial American photographer.
- You have forums for debate and discussion – of particular interest is Queer’d Science. Science and technology can at times be conservative forces, used to control bodies and suppress LGBT expression. But they can also be seized upon as radical tools of liberation. As BFI Flare turns 30, we consider the ways the LGBT community and artists have engaged with advances in science and technology over the past few decades and consider what brave queer new worlds await us.
- You have club nights showcasing DJs and the best of London’s LGBT nightlife
I’ve secured a small allocation of tickets for the following films, please take note the screening date and time:
–Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures – Saturday 19 March 2016 18:30
This in-depth portrait of the legendary American photographer Robert Mapplethorpe features an extraordinary range of interviews with family, friends, fellow students, artists, lovers, models and co-workers. There are rich testimonies from eyewitnesses at various stages of Mapplethorpe’s career. Beautifully shot, it is a carefully constructed celebration of an individual’s devotion to art and a record of the power of photographic expression.
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/flare/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=mapplethorpelookatthepictures
–Loev – Wednesday 23 March 2016 20:40
Two men reconnect in this emotionally raw and politically radical gay love story from India. Shot in complete secrecy in a country where homosexuality is still punishable by law, Sudhanshu ‘Suds’ Saria’s debut film is a bold and important film – as politically radical as it is emotionally raw. That it exists at all is something to celebrate, but that it is such a confident, compelling and emotionally rich piece of work is nothing short of extraordinary.
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/flare/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=loev
–Carmin Tropical – Thursday 24 March 2016 20:30
A trans woman is drawn back to her past after the murder of her friend in this Mexican thriller. Rigoberto Perezcano’s accomplished and often poetic film explores nostalgia through the prism of a tense thriller.
https://whatson.bfi.org.uk/flare/Online/default.asp?BOparam::WScontent::loadArticle::permalink=carmintropical
To visit the website visit: http://www.bfi.org.uk/flare
If interested please feel free to contact me on gtushaw@syr.edu.
Gary T
Faraday Pride Coordinator.
Photo credit: Krytofr