While cinema lovers are stuck at home over the coming weeks. BFI Flare is migrating to BFI Flare at Home. Following the Festival’s last minute cancellation earlier this week due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
In just days, festival organisers have created an offer to give festival attendees the opportunity to view LGBTIQ+ shorts and features. All available via the superb BFI Player platform from 20-29 March. With new films including Levan Akin’s exquisite Georgian-set romance, And Then We Danced; Olivier Ducastel and Jacques Martineau’s deliciously enigmatic chamber piece, Don’t Look Down. And Daniel Karslake’s powerful documentary about four different LGBTIQ+ individuals who experience bruising encounters with organised religion, For They Know Not What They Do. But that’s not all, with other titles due to be confirmed in the coming days.
BFI Flare at Home will sit alongside short films from BFI Flare Five Films For Freedom collection. All made available in partnership with the British Council from Friday 20th March. With an extensive list of favourites from previous festivals also available. Including much loved queer film classics, and the free BFI National Archive curated LGBT Britain on Film Collection, also be available. Ultimately ensuring access to over 230 films in total.
However, that’s not all as BFI Flare will also be hosting live Q&A’s with filmmakers. And offering daily curated programmer recommendations of work from the BFI Player Flare collections. While also bringing the party to living rooms around the UK with a curated closing night DJ set made available as a Spotify playlist.
Tricia Tuttle, Director of Festivals
‘BFI Flare is a very special and long standing festival with a loyal and dedicated following so when the decision was made to cancel the ‘live’ festival the team knew that they wanted to share some elements of BFI Flare digitally to celebrate the spirit of BFI Flare and the incredible range of LGBTIQ+ stories from talented filmmakers being told in the UK and internationally. We want to bring some of the spirit of Flare into viewers’ living rooms.’
In addition to the new titles from this year’s Festival. Viewers will have access to a wealth of LGBTIQ+ films available on BFI Player from across the globe. With an impressive collection that includes festival favourites from the last couple of years. Alongside classic titles from the cream of LGBTIQ+ cinema. Titles include:
120 BPM; APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOUR; CARAVAGGIO; A DEAL WITH THE UNIVERSE; A FANTASTIC WOMAN; FREAK SHOW; GIANT LITTLE ONES, GOD’S OWN COUNTRY; THE GARDEN; I AM DIVINE; JT LEROY; JONATHAN AGASSI SAVED MY LIFE; JUBILEE; LEAVE IT ON THE FLOOR; LOVE IS THE DEVIL; MAPPLETHORPE; THE MISEDUCATION OF CAMERON POST; MYSTERIOUS SKIN; LA NOCHE; RAFIKI; SAUVAGE; SIXTH HAPPINESS, STRANGER BY THE LAKE; STUD LIFE; TELL IT TO THE BEES; TOMBOY; TOM OF FINLAND; TUCKED; VITA & VIRGINIA; WEEKEND; XXY; YOUNG SOUL REBELS.
Viewers also have access to the free LGBT Britain on Film collection. A colourful and challenging collection of archive films drawn from the BFI National Archive and regional and national archive partners. Exploring screen representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives over the past century https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/collection/lgbt-britain
The new BFI Flare at Home programme will be available in every UK home via BFI Player. With a special offer for BFI Player’s subscription to those who had booked for BFI Flare. While general audiences continue to be invited to sign up for a free two week trial. Most content will be available as part of the SVOD collection, with some additional titles available for rental/TVOD.
BFI Flare hopes to announce more titles as they become available in the coming days. And here at Cinerama Film Online we thank the BFI Flare team for their outstanding work. Pulling together a truly rich platform for viewers in just days. Showing the BFI’s amazing commitment to LGBTQ audiences and artists at a time of great challenge in the industry.
YOU CAN FIND BFI FLARE PLAYER HERE
