The hottest gay films at BFI Flare this month
By Will Stroude
The 30th anniversary edition of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival will take place at BFI Southbank from Wednesday, March 16 – Sunday, March 27 2016, promising 12 days of the best gay cinema the world has to offer.
Extra tickets for the most popular titles have been released today (March 10), so book now while they’re still available, or take a look at the vast array of other feature films on offer, from romantic to the racy, the emotional to the educational. Here’s our pick of some of the month’s most exciting releases:
The movie adaptation of John Donnelly’s critically-acclaimed play sees Tovey reprise the role he first portrayed on stage back in 2014, alongside fellow returnees Nico Mirallegro (Hollyoaks) and theatre actress Lisa McGrillis. Following three very different nights over 10 years in the life of a Premier League footballer, Tovey stars as Jason, a rising star at the beginning of his career, whose world is thrown into turmoil after he kisses long-time friend and team-mate Ade (Arinze Kene) as they share a hotel room the night before his first big international match.
H aving concocted a seemingly perfect plan of filming every conversation in the hope of tempering any potentially negative responses, documentarian Alden Peters journeys across America to coe out to all his friends and family and capturing the responses, leading to some heart-warming, tense and sometimes hilarious encounters. A film for anyone who has faced the challenge of self-acceptance, Coming Out playfully explores shared experiences that unite LGBTQ people across generations.
Naz and Maalik are cheeky Muslim high-school students who spend their summer days arguing with their family, selling fortune cards and deciding whose bed they will sneak into at night. But their youthful romance is soon thrown into jeopardy after a chance encounter puts them firmly in the crosshairs of the FBI, whose investigations threatens to expose their secret.
In the 1970s, porn mogul Chuck Holmes changed the face of the adult entertainment industry forever, founding the iconic Falcon Studios and liberating gay male erotica from the back alleys. Eye-opening documentary Seed Money we chart Holmes’ evolution from aspiring entrepreneur to powerful business magnate, and ultimately charitable philanthropist with a genuine commitment to the gay rights movement. Featuring contributions from those who worked with him, and his many admirers (including John Waters and Scissor Sisters’ Jake Shears),
A bona fide gay classic, Timothy Conigrave’s best-selling 1995 memoir finally makes it way to the big screen, documenting the late author’s life-long love affair with former schoolmate John Caleo. When Timothy meets rugby player John at the tender age of 15, it’s love at first sight. Battling prejudices both at home and at their local high school, the pair quickly form a bond, embarking on a relationship that forever changes their lives. Ryan Corr and Craig Stott give arresting performances in a heart-rending account of a relationship that lasted nearly two decades and a tender, romantic testament to the enduring and redemptive powers of love. Bring your tissues.
Troubled by the strained relationships with his absent mother and emotionally volatile father, artistic, sexually-confused Oscar has a tendency to drift into a fantasy world where his anxieties take on very physical forms, including conversations with his pet hamster (voiced by Isabella Rossellini). This alternative coming-of-age tale imaginatively weaves together offbeat humour, grotesque body horror and stark realism to authentically capture the feeling of growing up as an outsider.
Check out the BFI Flare trailer below, and remember to book now for your chance to experience the best LGBT cinema of 2016:
The 30th anniversary edition of BFI Flare: London LGBT Film Festival will take place at BFI Southbank from Wednesday, March 16 – Sunday, March 27 2016. For more visit bfi.org.uk/flare.More stories:Geordie Shore star gets totally naked for Kim Kardashian tribute selfieKim Kardashian hits back at Bette Midler’s shade about her nude selfie