The programme has been been announced for this year’s Glasgow Film Festival, which includes a decent selection of LGBT-themed fare. The fest will be running from February 13th-26th, and boasts over 310 separate events and screenings of films from 38 countries. The 13th annual festival boasts 9 World and International Premieres, 65 UK Premieres and 67 Scottish Premieres. The UK Premieres include Raoul Peck’s I Am Not Your Negro, Terrence Malick’s Voyage of Time: Life’s Journey, Cate Shortland’s Berlin Syndrome and Aki Kaurismäki s The Other Side of Hope.
The movies will be screening at the GFT, CCA, Cineworld and Grosvenor cinemas to host films, alongwith unique pop-up cinemas everywhere from snowy ski slopes to the Barras. It’s one of the biggest film festivals in the UK, and has a few decent LGBT flicks for punters to pick from.
So what could those interested in LGBT cinema watch? Take a look below.
Check It
CCA / Fri 24 Feb (18.15)
Fed up with being the victims of hate crimes, a group of gay and trans teens form a gang in Washington DC. Calling themselves ‘Check It’, they seem unlikely gang members at first glance. Some of the boys wear lipstick and carry handbags but they also carry knives and brass knuckles. Led by an ex-convict named Mo, this one-time group of victims have not only turned the tables on anyone trying to hurt them but are also trying to break free from the cycle of poverty and violence they grew up in. Dana Flor and Toby Oppenheimer’s documentary is a gritty and intimate portrait of marginalisation and gang violence in the United States.
Stranger Than Fiction / Directors Dana Flor, Toby Oppenheimer USA 2016, 1h30m, N/C 12+
Handsome Devil
GFT / Thu 16 Feb (13.00)
Handsome Devil is a terrific coming-of-age, coming-out charmer that marks a significant step up for John Butler, and features a cast of supremely talented young actors. Fionn O’Shea is a complete delight as gawky, 16 year-old Ned, a bright, artistic lad who faces his own hell on earth when he is sent to an all-boys Irish boarding school where rugby is everything. He steels himself for the loneliness, ridicule and constant insinuations about his sexuality. Everything changes with the arrival of his new roommate Conor (Nicholas Galitzine), a star player in the rugby team, and inspirational English teacher Dan Sherry (Andrew Scott). Ned and Conor bond over a mutual appreciation of cool music and an unlikely friendship blossoms.
Gala / Director John Butler Cast Fionn O’Shea, Nicholas Galitzine, Moe Dunford, Andrew Scott Ireland 2016, 1h35m, N/C 15+
Remembering the Man
CCA / Fri 24 (15.45) & Sat 25 Feb (15.30)
Recent box office success Holding the Man dramatised Timothy Conigrave’s celebrated queer memoir, telling the story of his love for high school sweetheart John Caleo at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis in Australia. Remembering the Man is the real deal; a drama/documentary in which a tight-knit circle of friends offer their memories of Tim and John, and a love that transcended violent opposition and illness. A lengthy audio interview recorded shortly before Tim’s death in 1994 allows him to narrate events in an elegiac tale that offers a timely reminder of the constant need to fight prejudice.
Stranger Than Fiction / Directors Nickolas Bird, Eleanor Sharpe Australia 2016, 1h23m, N/C 15+
Weirdos
GFT / Thu 16 (18.15) & Fri 17 Feb (10.45)
Veteran Canadian director Bruce McDonald (Roadkill, Hard Core Logo) reunites with award-winning playwright and screenwriter Daniel MacIvor on this big-hearted coming of age drama. Handsomely shot in black and white and set during the July 4th weekend of 1976, Weirdos follows 15 year-old Kit (Dylan Authors) and his best friend Alice (Julia Sarah Stone) as they abandon small town life to hitchhike towards a brighter future. Life on the road becomes a journey of self-discovery filled with casual encounters, home truths and conversations with Kit’s “spirit animal” – Andy Warhol.
True North: New Canadian Cinema / Director Bruce McDonald Cast Dylan Authors, Julia Sarah Stone, Molly Parker Canada 2016, 1h25m, N/C 15+
Below Her Mouth
GFT / Sat 18 Feb (20:45) & Sun 19 (11:00)
Written, directed and shot entirely with an all female production crew, April Mullen’s bold, uninhibited drama Below Her Mouth is a true rarity in its portrayal of women in film. When two women, Jasmine (Natalie Krill) and Dallas (Erika Linder), unexpectedly begin a passionate love affair, Jasmine is forced to confront the profound truth with her fiancé Rile (Sebastian Pigott). An assured and powerful film exploring the all-encompassing nature of attraction.
True North: New Canadian Cinema / Director April Mullen Cast Natalie Krill, Erika Linder, Sebastian Pigott Canada 2016, 1h32m, N/C 18+
All This Panic
CCA / Sun 19 (18:30) & Mon 20 (13:00)
Filmed over a period of three years, All This Panic is an astonishingly intimate portrait of seven teenage girls from Brooklyn, as they navigate their turbulent ‘panic’ years. Jenny Gage follows sisters Ginger and Dusty, and a small group of their friends and peers, as they take tentative steps towards adulthood. The teens share their vulnerabilities, hopes and fears for the future with surprising candor and maturity, while supporting each other through familial tensions as they make forays into their first relationships. All This Panic reveals itself to be incredibly moving and personal, as we see these young girls narrating the story of their lives.
Stranger Than Fiction / Director Jenny Gage USA 2016, 1h19m, N/C 12+
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