LGBT History Month: Short Film Evening

To mark and celebrate LGBT History Month 2020, we partnered with SPOut (The Scottish Parliament LGBT Network), the Financial Conduct Authority and SQIFF to deliver a night of short film.

Hosted within the Scottish Parliament on the evening of 6 February, 7 shorts were shown which represented a diverse range of people, experiences and communities within the wider LGBTQ+ family. We were thrilled to be joined by several actors, directors and producers from these 7 films, along with a large group of people from across Scotland.

As well enjoying the short films and taking part in lots of networking and discussion, participants heard from these speakers as to why each of their organisations chose to get involved in this event.

Carole Anderson
Chair
SWAN

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Maggie Craig
Head of Scotland Office
Financial Conduct Authority

Tracey White
Head of Chamber, Reporting and Broadcasting
The Scottish Parliament

Helen Wright
Festival Coordinator
SQIFF

The Short Films

Below is a list of the movies shown at the event. Please click on each of the links for trailers, information and more.

Acceptable Face

Dir: Holly Summerson Year: 2019 Language: English Runtime: 6 minutes

The sort of person who someone might say: ‘oh, he’s gay, but he’s lovely!” Acceptable Face is an animated discussion about the ‘ideal’ respectable queer person. How would they look, act, and let people know that they’re not ‘that kind of gay’? Based on a series of interviews with LGBTQ+ people, this experimental charcoal animation explores the pressure to be a ‘good example,’ and the joy of refusing to conform.

Winner of Best Scottish Short at SQIFF 2019.

View the trailer here.

Crypsis

Dir: Christopher McGill Year: 2019 Language: English Runtime: 9 minutes

After fleeing for his life, a gay refugee files for asylum in Scotland. Lacking evidence, he decided 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.

Learn more here.

Fuego

Dir: Alice Jane McKinney Year: 2017 Languages: English, Polish Runtime: 10 minutes

Fuego is a short documentary following Marta, a lesbian woman, as she returns to her small rural village in Poland after leaving in search of a better life.

Visit Fuego’s Facebook page here.

These Are My Hands

Dir: Evi Tsiligaridou Year: 2018 Languages: English Runtime: 8 minutes

These Are My Hands is a short documentary film-poem written and performed by radical British playwright, Jo Clifford. It is a deeply moving, personal account of transgender embodiment in a lifetime, speaking of wounds, challenges, victories and the journey towards self-empowerment. The poet’s voice is embraced by a lyrical, mesmerising soundtrack and together with the graceful and intimate visuals composes a profoundly tender piece.

View the IMDB page here.

VISIBLE

Dir: Campbell X Year: 2018 Languages: English Runtime: 20 minutes

VISIBLE digs in and shreds misconceptions that LGBTQ+ people of colour have no history - and no story to tell. Weaving together the tales of inspirational ancestors, contemporary artists, political activists, and community leaders - VISIBLE challenges mainstream perception and the sanitisation of LGBTQ+ legacies by celebrating complexity, multiplicity, and the myths, gossips, legends, and truths of QTIPOC histories.

View the trailer here.