BFI Flare London’s LGBT Film Festival celebrates its 30th Edition this month with one of their most exciting and eclectic programs to date and it is the reason that we are packing our party clothes to catch the Virgin Atlantic plane back across the Pond to indulge in 12 days of real queer cinematic treats. queerguru has been able to preview many of the movies that have been selected, and here (in alphabetical order) are our top ten picks of the very best of this year’s Festival.
Beautiful Something : Four gay men of different generations are searching for love, and much more, one cold winter’s night in Philadelphia and this is the story of how their paths cross until the morning breaks. Written and directed by Joseph Graham (‘Strapped’) this edgy and very sensual and unsentimental movie is by no means perfect but it’s forthright take on contemporary gay life ….. well, sex anyway …. is both refreshing and extremely entertaining. See our review here.
Dawn : is actually a ‘short’ movie and part of a program called ‘What Others Think’. The story is about two lost outcasts meet in the darkness, and they are more afraid of themselves than each other. As the sun begins to rise, and the veil of night is lifted, the pair are forced to look at themselves and face the harsh reality that life is sometimes what you make it, and that in the cold light of day, it takes more than the eyes to see inside a soul. It is the latest remarkable movie from one of the UK’s most talented trans filmmakers Jake Graf.
Loev : This rather touching and gentle ground-breaking drama follows the story of a young gay couple struggling to keep their relationship going, whilst of one of their close friends tries to comes to terms with his unrequited love. It is a very impressive debut from newbie filmmaker Sudanashu Saria, which takes on an even greater than usual resonance by the mere fact that it is set in India where homosexuality is still illegal. However in fact the movie, evidently shot very much on the down-low, showcases how these gay men in contemporary Indian society seem totally at ease with their sexuality and the story that unfolds focuses intently on their own relationships with each other. See our review here.
Mapplethorpe: Look at the Pictures : this insightful look at one of the greatest queer photographers of the last century is directed and written by Emmy Award winning filmmakers Fenton Bailey & Randy Barbato (who also produce hit reality TV shows such as RuPaul’s Drag Race). It traces his stunning work at the different stages of his life and equally enlightening, all the men that he was involved with too. The documentary includes a great quote from Peter Berlin the celebrated model and photographer of gay erotica in the 1970’s who claimed that he took his photographs in order to get laid, whereas Mapplethorpe’s motive was to become famous. They both succeeded.
Nasty Baby : the first feature that acclaimed Chilean queer filmmaker Sebastián Silva has shot in the US, this is a unpredictable and compelling tale of a gay couple who want to become parents but inadvertently get involved in a brutal scenario where they take a life instead. Silva wrote, directed and starred with Kristen Wiig in this wonderful shocking drama which won the prestigious Teddy Award for Best LGBT Feature Film at last years Berlinale Film Festival.
Naz & Maalik : a refreshing tale of two Muslim gay teenagers who have been inseparable best friends for years and are now trying coming to terms with both their sexuality and the fact that their relationship has now evolved into something more romantic and physical. After their night of passion together, we follow how this all continues developing the whole of the next day in this engaging wee drama from newbie filmmaker Jay Dockendorf which takes place as the boys cram a lot in on the streets of the Bedford-Stuyvesant area of Brooklyn which is very much their ‘hood.’ See our full review here.
Tangerine : BFI give you an opportunity to see movies that you may have missed the first time around in a program they call Second Chance Sundays. We have chosen one outstanding movie that we never ever tire of seeing. This day in the life of two transgendered hookers on the streets in their patch of L.A. is akin to a bizarre reality show with its the high voltage of energy that its cast of larger-than-life characters bring to it that is the essential ingredient of this wonderful big-hearted frenetic drama. Shot entirely on IPhones, it made stars out it’s two actresses with Mya Taylor even picking up a major acting award. See our full review here
The Pass: Starring local heartthrob, the openly gay actor Russell Tovey, (HBOs Looking) the story starts when two 19 year old footballers end a night of tomfoolery in their hotel bedroom with an unexpected kiss. The emotional repercussions of this pass, and the decisions that follow on and off the pitch, have a major impact on every aspect of the public and private lives of both men across the next decade. queerguru wonders if the people at BFI Flare will be laying on extra paramedics for the night as it is well known what the effects of the mere sight of Tovey’s naked torso can do to people. During a performance of ‘A View From The Bridge’ at New York’s Lyceum Theatre, Tovey simply removed his shirt and caused a male theatregoer to faint there and then on the spot.
Theo & Hugo : this groundbreaking edgy movie from partnered gay French filmmakers Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau won the prestigious Teddy Audience Award at last months Berlinale Film Festival, and we totally understand why. It is somewhat of a totally unexpected revelation when the explicit sex that lasts a full 20 minutes at the start of this extraordinarily wonderful new queer movie then surprisingly makes way for what turns into this rather tender and delightful tale of love-at-first-sight between these two cute young guys. It is probably our favorite new narrative in the whole program. Click HERE for our full review.
Women He’s Undressed : Gillian Armstrong’s captivating documentary on three-time Academy Award Winning Costume Designer the larger than life Orry-Kelly starts out with a rather wonderful statement ‘He called himself a hem stitcher, yet he really was a Hollywood Star. In the country he’s come from, that’s bloody amazing, but no-one has ever heard of him’. The country it refers too is Australia which a very young Orry George Kelly left for the US in the 1920’s to find fame and fortune on Broadway, but ended up in Hollywood winning more Oscars than his one-time long term boyfriend Cary Grant. Its a wee gem of a movie, check out our full review HERE.
