BFI Flare at 40: The untold story of London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival

One of the longest-running LGBTQIA+ film festivals in the world, London’s annual BFI Flare is about to fill BFI Southbank with the sounds of rainbow joy and fabulous people.

More significant, the festival reaches its landmark 40-year anniversary, bringing together premieres, talks, classic screenings, short films and late-night events celebrating our global queer community.

So much has changed in the 30 years since the very first festival I attended in 1996 as a journalist. Subsequently, I have returned every year in a variety of capacities from punter, programmer, film publicist, and even a happy time working on the festival press desk itself.

Whilst we get to enjoy all of this, it has taken months of preparation and planning, let alone hours of watching 100s of films. To get some behind-the-scenes background into this 40th anniversary, Darren Jones, BFI Flare’s Production and Events Manager, and Programmer, offers some personal insights and programme highlights.

Paul: Darren, can you believe it’s that time of year again for BFI Flare. And not just 10 days of celebrating LGBTQIA+ lives on film from around the world but also reaching a momentous milestone with its 40th edition. Happy birthday, Flare! So, what’s in store?

Darren: 2026 marks BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival’s 40th anniversary. Taking place from 18–29 March 2026 at BFI Southbank in London, the festival will showcase a global selection of contemporary LGBTQIA+ cinema alongside events, talks, discussions, archive screenings and DJ nights. Divided into thematic strands – Hearts, Bodies, Minds and a special Treasures series, this year’s lineup features 31 world premieres, 65 features and 62 shorts from around 47 countries plus a lively events programme, exhibitions and conversations with filmmakers and creatives, including a Screen Talk with Russell T Davies and an exclusive talk exploring the creative journey of the Heartstopper phenomenon, from the beloved graphic novel and the groundbreaking Netflix series to the upcoming film.

In addition to in‑cinema screenings, the festival continues its international digital outreach through Five Films for Freedom in partnership with the British Council, offering five curated shorts for free online viewing to global audiences and supporting LGBTQIA+ communities where rights and freedoms are under threat. From world and UK premieres like Hunky Jesus opening the festival to Black Burns Fast closing it, Flare’s 40th edition offers a wide range of powerful, provocative, joyful and deeply personal stories that reflect the diversity of queer experiences worldwide.

I know you have been involved with film and events like me for many years before joining the BFI’s festival team, so I wonder what the first BFI Flare film you went to was. I know my first festival was in 1996 and my first year managing the press desk was 2014. What was your earliest memory of attending?

I attended Flare as an audience member from the mid-2000s before becoming a volunteer in the late-2000s, when I used to take a week off from my day job as General Manager of the Hackney Picturehouse, helping out with the day-to-day running of the festival.

This gave me an insight into the inner workings of the festival. I joined the team on short fixed-term contracts as an Events Coordinator in 2015 and went on to join the team full time as Production and Events Manager in 2018 and was then privileged to be invited to join the programming team in 2024.

The first film I remember seeing at the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival was Gregg Araki’s Mysterious Skin. It hit me pretty hard. It’s so raw and intense. The story stayed with me for a long time, making me think about trauma, identity, and how people cope in different ways. Watching it at the festival with an audience made it feel even more powerful. It definitely left a mark on how I see movies and the stories they tell.

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