Five Films For Freedom, the world’s widest-reaching LGBTQIA+ digital campaign, ran from the 15th -26th of March and presented five new LGBTQIA+ films from Cyprus, Guyana, Nigeria, Northern Ireland and South Korea to audiences across the world.

The film programme continues the British Council’s partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, with the short films promoted across the British Council’s global digital networks and BFI Player for free to coincide with the festival at BFI Southbank and online at bfi.org.uk/Flare.

The selection of films, chosen by the British Council from BFI Flare’s programme, explores subjects such as violence and security, love across borders and shifting identities. Films screened in 2023 were:

·      All I Know by Obinna Robert Onyeri (Nigeria/USA)

·      Butch Up! by Yu-jin Lee (South Korea)

·      Eating Papaw on the Seashore by Rae Wiltshire and Nickose Layne (Guyana)

·      Just Johnny by Terry Loane (UK – Northern Ireland)

·      Buffer Zone by Savvas Stavrou (UK/Cyprus)

Global audiences were encouraged to show solidarity with LGBTQIA+ communities around the world where freedom and equal rights are limited by watching the films via the British Council Arts YouTube channel and through other channels in countries with access restrictions.

 British Council Director of Film, Briony Hanson, said: 

 “Five Films for Freedom promotes rarely heard LGBTQIA+ stories from around the world, and makes them accessible to a global audience, particularly for people living in cultures where they cannot live or love as they would like.”

Watch this year’s Five Films for Freedom campaign trailer below:

On Thursday the 16th of March 2023 Durban held it’s Five Films For Freedom Watch Party at Escape Altitude in Durban North. Band, Wah Wah Baby performed live and Zee the DJ handled the one’s and two’s. Lex LaFoy - as one of the counties 25 Business and Arts South Africa (BASA) Cultural Producers Programme Graduates (2022) project managed the event. After watching all five films, a panel discussion on themes and responses to the films was headed by well-known LGBTQIA+ and Human Rights activists and leaders within their own professional spaces - Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Suntosh Pillay and Aluta Humbane.

To find out more visit https://film.britishcouncil.org/about/work/fivefilmsforfreedom

Written By The Girl