Mumbai: British Council, the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities, in partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, has announced the return of Five Films for Freedom for its tenth anniversary. This global event showcases five captivating short films from the Philippines, India, Spain, the UK, and the USA. In India, in partnership with The Queer Muslim Project, 12 screenings of the films will be held across ten cities across India with ten partners.
Free to watch online from 13 March to 24 March, Five Films for Freedom shines a spotlight on LGBTQIA+ narratives that embody resilience and authenticity. Through these films, the audience will get to know more about the emerging LGBTQI+ cinema across the world and understand the life and challenges faced by the community, with themes including identity, love, family, and acceptance.
From the historic defiance captured in Compton's 22 in San Francisco to the heartfelt exploration of love and understanding in Halfway, this year's selection promises to captivate audiences with its diverse and impactful stories. Each of the films touches upon themes of family, identity, and the universal pursuit of acceptance, this lineup offers powerful perspectives on the LGBTQIA+ experience.
One of the films is the award-winning "Halfway," directed by Kumar Chheda (India), a moving portrayal of love and reconciliation set against the backdrop of Juhu Beach in Mumbai.
The other films on the list are:
- Little One, Directed by Clister Santos (Philippines)
- Cursive, Directed by Isabel Steubel Johnson (UK)
- The First Kiss, Directed by Miguel Lafuente (Spain)
- Comptons’22, Directed by Drew de Pinto (USA)
The films will be available to the audiences to view online from 13-24 March. Audiences in India are encouraged to watch the films and share their experiences using the hashtag #FiveFilmsForFreedom. For more information and to access the films, visit the British Arts YouTube channel.
