BFI Flare’s queer film festival is back in full swing at London’s Southbank British Film Institute. One of the highlights of the festival each year is its stellar line-up of short films. This year is no exception.
Here is a selection of my favourite shorts so far.
This is my favorite film in Flare so far. Part of the I Need, I Want, I Will shorts programme. A neurodivergent man, Ramin (Joshua Griffin), is faced with a choice after an embarrassing encounter at the supermarket with its manager Mark (Ed White). Written and directed by Bertil Nilsson, this film is simply beautiful. 10/10
This is actually two films. Part of the Flare Expanded series of virtual reality works, Chroma 11 is based on a true story of lost love. Ix Wong Thien-pau and Aaron Khek Ah Hock are a long-term couple and a dance duo. Ix is from Malaysia and Aaron from Singapore. Whilst filming Ward 11, a short documentary about their work, Aaron passed away. Chroma 11 is a beautiful virtual reality extension of the documentary, shown separately, which reunites the two lovers in the form of a dance duet through clips of rearranged memories and volumetric video. It’s a loving piece of work and I imagine in years to come, many of us will be creating virtual reality memorials for lost loved ones. The future begins now. 9/10
OutdoorsThis film is part of the excellent Only Connect series of short films – a collection of films about getting and finding sex and love. Two men connect in a park one afternoon and go back to one of their apartments for an afternoon of fun. They are very compatible and their future looks promising. Two weeks later, however, a chance encounter between them reveals a painful secret. Written/directed by John Mark Fitzpatrick & starring Nathan Ives-Molba & Sam Goodchild 8/10
Scred TBMAlso part of the Only Connect short films programme. TBM is French for ‘well-hung’. With this moniker, a young, highly-sexed father with few boundaries gets up to no good. One evening, events take an unexpected turn. Sexy, dramatic and full of suspense. An excellent short by Kevin Le Dortz. 9/10
Pedro Feels Like Dancing (Pedro Faz Chover)
After getting onto the wrong bus and then having his phone stolen, handsome, but slightly dippy, Pedro finds himself lost in Recife, Brazil where he’s visiting. Luckily, an equally handsome stranger comes to his rescue, and the two men have an eventful 24 hours. Beautifully shot and with a great soundtrack, this warm Brazilian tale will keep you guessing. Writer/director Felipe César de Almeida 8/10
In the poor town of Quibdo, in the Choco region of Colombia, violence, racism, homophobia and transphobia are rife. Life is cheap and murder-rates are very high. This documentary short follows the Black Boys Choco, a 270-strong local group of dancers who are dancing their way through the hate and violence. The group has united queers, the local trans community and ex-gang members to be a strong force of hope. The group is too late to help the over one hundred young members of the community named at the end of the film who have met violent deaths. They are, however, a beacon of light for the future and a shining example for other such communities around the world to follow. 8/10
Queerguru’s Contributing Editor Ris Fatah is a successful fashion/luxury business consultant (when he can be bothered) who divides and wastes his time between London and Ibiza. He is a lover of all things queer, feminist, and human rights in general. @ris.fatah
BFI FLARE Film Fest began on 3/15 and will end on
3/26. To see the whole program and book tickets
check out https://www.bfi.org.uk/
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