Watch LGBTQIA+ short films during Five Films for Freedom screenings
- The British Council and BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival launch the 9th edition of the world’s widest-reaching LGBTQIA+ digital showcase
- The British Council in the Philippines partnered with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) to run limited screenings of the films in Cinematheque locations throughout the country
- The films are also available for free across the world from 15-26 March through British Council Arts YouTube channel
The annual global digital campaign Five Films for Freedom, which promotes LGBTQIA+ rights, is set to return this March. In collaboration with the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), the British Council in the Philippines will organize free screenings of the films at various Cinematheque Centres across the country on March 21-22, 2023.
Five Films for Freedom
Public screening schedules
FDCP Cinematheque Centre – Manila
22 March 2023, 6:30 PM
FDCP Cinematheque Centre – Iloilo, Davao, Zamboanga, Nabunturan, Negros
21 March 2023, 4:00 PM
22 March 2023, 6:30 PM
In addition to the physical screenings, viewers can also enjoy the films online from March 15-26, which coincides with the BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival.
The films were curated by the British Council from the BFI Flare programme and tackle various themes, including violence and security, cross-border love, and evolving identities. The films for 2023 are:
- All I Know by Obinna Robert Onyeri (Nigeria/USA)
- Butch Up! by Yu-jin Lee (South Korea)
- Eating Papaw on the Seashore by Rae Wiltshire and Nickose Layne (Guyana)
- Just Johnny by Terry Loane (UK – Northern Ireland)
- Buffer Zone by Savvas Stavrou (UK/Cyprus)
Viewers worldwide are encouraged to support LGBTQIA+ communities in countries where equal rights and freedom are restricted by watching the films on the British Council Arts YouTube channel and other channels available in countries with access limitations.
Since its launch in 2015, Five Films for Freedom has garnered 20 million views from people in more than 200 countries and territories, including those where homosexuality is criminalized and the death penalty is enforced, despite having a limited availability of less than 100 days.
British Council Director of Film, Briony Hanson, said: The Five Films for Freedom campaign aims to raise awareness of LGBTQIA+ stories worldwide that are often unheard of and provide access to a global audience, especially those living in cultures where living and loving freely is restricted.
Using the hashtag #FiveFilmsForFreedom, people can support the campaign and emphasize that love is a basic human right, regardless of our identities or locations.
Michael Blyth, BFI Flare’s Senior Programmer said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with the British Council for the Five Films for Freedom initiative once again. This global campaign is a crucial component of the BFI Flare programme, and we are privileged to showcase the works of immensely talented filmmakers to millions of people worldwide, especially to those who have limited access to LGBTQIA+ films or are unable to freely express themselves. This year’s campaign retains its significance and urgency,” stated the spokesperson.
Watch the Five Films for Freedom campaign trailer on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3Inf1ka
The Five Films for Freedom campaign is part of the British Council’s efforts to foster connections, enhance comprehension, and establish trust between people in the United Kingdom and other countries via arts, education, and English language instruction. For this year’s programme, the five chosen films have been translated into 23 languages and made accessible with subtitles/closed captioning.
As part of BFI Flare, the Five Films for Freedom programme and its filmmakers are introduced at a unique reception event for policymakers held in Westminster.
