The Observed Self
6pm – 7.15pm
Examining the tension between public perception and private reality, these films explore how we see ourselves versus how we are codified by society, art history, and traditional family structures.
My Mother’s Girlfriend
Dir: Arun Fulara – 14:59, India
Two women in love, Renuka and Sadiya, spend a joyful day celebrating a birthday before heading home together. However, their evening is interrupted by the presence of Renuka’s son, leading to a collision between these two central relationships.
Crypsis
Dir: Chris McGill – 09:01, UK
After fleeing for his life, a gay refugee files for asylum in Scotland. Lacking evidence, he decides to photograph himself in the dark techno world of a queer underground scene. Based on accounts of real-life African LGBT refugees and the challenges they face during the asylum process, Crypsis is a raw depiction of a grim reality obscured by vitriolic public debate about refugees and the broken system that surrounds them.
Eliza
Dir: Ames Pennington – 9:37, UK
This mockumentary centres on Eliza Cook, a Victorian working-class lesbian poet. Blending 19th-century style with a camp Northern cadence, the film traverses time to explore the intersections of queer history, place, and urban redevelopment.
My Endless Eclipse
Dir: Bijan Aarabi – 14:25, Iran
A transgender man has hidden his gender identity all his life. To escape a forced marriage, he is forced to flee his country. But he falls into the hands of human traffickers.
L’ amour Rebelle
Dir: Leo Crane – 4:20, UK
A dove tumbles through the sky. A figure treads on discarded feathers. An egg hovers & hatches. This mini-opera, animated in charcoal, reimagines Georges Bizet’s Carmen and its enduring relevance to issues of sexuality and conflict.
Ordinary
Dir: Atlas O Phoenix – 11:51, US
Guided by the Anaïs Nin quote, “We do not see things as they are, we see them as we are,” this experimental essay weaves together multiple storylines to explore a patchwork of intersecting identities. The film questions the true purpose of identifiers and whether they can ever truly capture who a person is.
Old Girl in a Tutu: Susan Rennie Disrupts Art History
Dir: Cheri Gaulke (08:02, US)
With wit and irreverence, octogenarian queer artist Susan Rennie inserts her own body into iconic artworks with her iPhone, joyfully disrupting the male gaze and art-historical convention.
Spaces of Reclaiming
8pm – 9:15pm
Exploring how we navigate and reclaim physical environments, these stories highlight the quiet courage found in unexpected places.
Longing
Dir: Courteney Tan – 12:27, UK
On the night before her flight home, a Malaysian woman with a secret finds herself on an impromptu date with another woman.
Alwan
Dir: Qais Sarhan – 2:50, UK
Alwan is a cheerful child longing for a friend. After a series of disappointments, a box of crayons unexpectedly brings magic into his life. The story celebrates the power of creativity and the simple joys found within our imagination.
We Vogue
Dir: OTOXO Students – 09:14, Spain
Ballroom voguing has fiercely swept across the world becoming a global phenomenon. Against the backdrop of Spain’s contemporary ballroom scene, Jayce and a growing group of Black trans folks have emerged to reclaim the space.
Boob Cockpit
Dir: Erin Orion Kay – 02:13, US
Titillating Wonders! Mystifying Frights! Astounding Discoveries! Boob Cockpit, a long-lost American science fiction television series, follows the adventures of a gravity-defying, Double D class spaceship and its plucky Pilot; escaping booby traps at every turn.
Factory Talk
Dir: Lucie Rachel, Chrissie Hyde – 4:31, UK
An intergenerational conversation about identity, sexuality and masculinity in a rural factory. Through the clanging of metal they make small talk, but as the gripes and grumbles testify to better times, the questions rising on the factory floor are of more than just nostalgia.
Sister Wives
Dir: Louisa Connolly-Burnham – 28:57, UK
In 2003 Utah, two young women living within a strict, fundamentalist polygamous society develop unexpected feelings for one another. Sharing the same roof and marriage, they navigate their attraction under the gaze of a regressive community that views their love as a sin, leading them to contemplate escaping the only life they’ve ever known.