LGBTQ+ History Month
This time of year, we’re usually gearing up to launch our annual LGBTQ+ History Month celebrations. Each year we programme a season of films exploring the history of LGBTQ+ representation and showcase incredible films that haven’t always been given the spotlight they deserve. Though we aren’t open to share a big screen programme with you, we’ll still be highlighting some fantastic films you can watch from home.
To rent on BFI Player
BFI Player has a wealth of films available to rent, rather than
signing up to a subscription. Most films I mention here are available for £3.50
and are films we have screened and loved over the past couple of years.
Rafiki
This effervescent Kenyan coming of age drama is bold and bright
and a genuine delight to watch. It’s an exploration of the fizz of first love,
and in 2018 we built our LGBTQ+ History Month programme around its release.
Benjamin
Written and directed by Simon Amstell, Benjamin is
a semi-autobiographical, bittersweet comedy about an off-beat young man
struggling to make connections.
The Miseducation of Cameron Post
Set in America in 1993, this film follows a teenage girl sent to
a Christian conversion camp, after being caught kissing another girl. A
poignant film that handles its subject matter with smart wit and buckets of
heart.
On BFI Player Subscription
If you have a subscription to BFI Player, there are some great
films that you’ll already have free access to. A subscription costs £4.99 per
month, but you will also get a one-month extension to the 14-day free trial if
you support the Showroom by signing up to our paid membership scheme.
Weekend
Shot on location in Nottingham, this is a deliciously romantic
drama about two men that meet on a Friday night and spend the weekend together.
Refreshingly soft and gentle, it’s something to be swept away by.
Tomboy
This powerful film from Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a
Lady on Fire), follows a young girl who moves to a new town. After
being mistaken for a boy, she decides to explore a summer-long reinvention. A
charming and nuanced exploration of childhood, self-acceptance and gender
identity.
Young Soul Rebels
Directed by acclaimed artist and filmmaker Isaac Julien, Young Soul
Rebels is a stylish thriller come gay-love-story set in London
in 1977. It paints a rich, engrossing picture of the era, as we are thrown into
the world of two pirate radio DJs.
Find out more about our Showroom Memberships and the benefits.
This article first featured in the Sheffield Telegraph on Thursday 4 February 2021.
