Romford saw the success of the first East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival

International artists travel to Romford to celebrate diverse stories.  

 

Saturday November 4th saw the success of Romford’s very first East London LGBTQ+ Film Festival. The festival was held in Premiere Cinemas and had filmmakers from all over the world attending. From creatives who crowdfunded to fly from Canada, to young local LGBTQ+ teens.

 

The festival showcased an amazing variety of queer films with varied stories. Some focused on trans rights, others on young love between young LGBTQ+ couples. It created a welcoming space for everyone to freely express themselves and connect with other people in the community. The day included a red carpet for glamorous photos, cocktails themed on the films, and homemade merchandise.

 

The homemade merch was created by the local LGBTQ+ community to sell at the festival, and they flew off the shelves. Kaleidoscope hosted a merch making session to help create art for the queer community, by the queer community. Funds from the festival will go towards continuing to create a safe space for LGBTQ+ youth of Havering through the social group Kaleidoscope.

 

Special guest David McGillivray was presented with a lifetime achievement award for his continued work in writing including his work on the controversial short Trouser Bar, which also played on the big screen. He was interviewed on the night and spoke passionately about how things have changed for gay men over time. He lived through the illegality of his sexuality and spoke openly about the changing language and attitudes towards the gay community.

 

Cinema Manager Andrew said “It was great to see so many people from different parts of the world come and enjoy independent cinema and share personal stories. It goes to show how cinema is an all-inclusive community, much like the LGBTQ+ community, and we appreciate the support this new audience brought to the cinema and local businesses.

 

The night ended with Sarah Jane Potts virtually introducing Kinky Boots, while recalling her favourite moments on set, followed by an award ceremony for the best films, selected by the audience.

 

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