Taking place at the Garden Cinema, this year promises to showcase some of the best LGBTQIA films and shorts
From 24-28 April bang in the middle of Lesbian Visibility Week, DIVA will launch the inaugural DIVA Film Festival at the iconic Garden Cinema in the heart of Covent Garden. Lesbian Visibility Week has grown over the years to include a wide range of cultural events and activities. Now is the time to include an event dedicated to film and the moving image because if we can’t see it, we can’t be it.
In partnership with the Iris Prize and programmed by a team of queer women, DIVA Film Festival 2024 presents an eclectic programme of features and shorts, celebrating queer films from the UK and internationally, all of which are unapologetically skewed towards independent queer female and non-binary content.
Here is the full programme.
Wednesday 24 April
Life Of Riley
A candid and intimate film following the eventful life of activist, publisher and creator of diversity awards, Linda Riley. Combining interviews with fly-on-the-wall filming gives an insight into the ‘Head Lesbian of the World’ as she navigates the world of celebrity and politics. See more here: Life Of Riley.
dir. Jacquie Lawrence | UK | 2024 | 90mins
F*CKED (short)
When Dani tells Jess she might be interested in sleeping with guys again, it doesn’t go down too well. What really are the rules in an open relationship? Book now: F*CKED
dir. Sara Harrak | UK | 2023
Saturday 27 April
These short films all centre on different aspects of lesbian and queer women’s lives, in the UK, the USA and India. Ranging from futuristic queer parenting scenarios to an intimate documentary reflecting on 1990s black British tomboys, all of these films feature real conversations about living one’s life as your true self.
Afternoon slot
Unclaimed
Fiona Devers, a facilities-manager-and-wanna-be-performer, is curious to explore her kinkier side. She brings up the possibility of polyamory to her long-term girlfriend and receives a less than enthusiastic response. Book now: Shorts Programme
dir. Carolyn Ratteray | USA | 2023
Places I’ve Called My Own
Zee returns to India for the funeral of her father, during the middle of an IVF cycle. There she finds her mother is in denial about her sexuality, whilst her ex-girlfriend has rebuilt her life with a man. Book now: Shorts Programme
dir. Sushma Khadepaun-Parmar | France / India | 2023
Monitor
In an over-populated future, Jenna and Fi must raise a robot “baby” under observation before receiving a licence to start a family. But as this process unravels deep-set tensions between the couple, will they get the result they want, and deserve? Book now: Shorts Programme
dir. Margo Roe | UK | 2023
Some Girls Hate Dresses
Winner of the Iris Prize Documentary Film Fund, Some Girls Hate Dresses is a nostalgic and evocative look into the lives of Black British tomboys who wore the label with pride in the 1990s. Book now: Shorts Programme
dir. Mena Fombo | UK | 2024
Evening slot
Chuck Chuck Baby + Q&A
An ode to female friendship, love and resilience, Chuck Chuck Baby is intertwined with witty, observant humour and unforgettable spontaneous musical numbers. Set in industrial north Wales, Helen (Louise Brealey) lives with her ex-husband, his 20-year-old girlfriend, their new baby – and his dying mother Gwen. Her life is a grind and is spent mostly at work at the local chicken factory. The monotony of life is upended when Joanne (Annabel Scholey), Helen’s childhood infatuation and former neighbour, comes back to town. Book now: Chuck Chuck Baby
dir. Janis Pugh | UK | 2023 | 101mins
Scorpion Grass (short)
Yan Yan wishes to bring her girlfriend home during the Lunar New Year, causing shame and anger in her father. Rosario, a migrant from the Philippines, tries to intervene in the heated argument on the street. Not all is as it seems, and this encounter leads to an unlikely friendship and revelations. Book now: Scorpion Grass
dir. Jamie Chi | UK | 2023
Sunday 28 April
Matinee slot
Polarized + Q&A
Two women from the same town, but from very different worlds. When a white farm worker, Lisa, gets fired for racism by Dalia, her Palestinian boss, there seems to be no going back. Yet it is the start of an unexpected connection between the two. As the pair enjoy a growing friendship and attraction, they must break the barriers of race, class and religion that have kept them apart, or risk settling for the lives their families have laid out for them. Book now: Polarized
dir. Shamim Sarif | UK / Canada | 2023
Evening slot
Artist Unknown
An art heist playful comedy becomes a queer action rom-com in this witty and fast-paced debut feature from Cinder Chou. Juniper, an insecure martial artist, must find out the origins of a painting after two thieves try to steal it from her. When she meets Penny, another fighter, they become involved in the mystery, and they connect over what they’ve both been hiding inside. Nominated for the Iris Prize 2023 Best Feature, and winner of the Jury Award at the Art of Brooklyn Film Festival 2023. Book now: Artist Unknown
dir. Cinder Chou | USA | 2023
Stone (short)
When Tess learns of her estranged father’s death, she travels to the funeral hoping for nothing more than some closure. Blindsided by the revelation that her father was a transgender woman, Tess turns to her mother for answers. Book now: Stone
dir. Jake Graf | UK | 2023
DIVA magazine celebrates 30 years in print in 2024. If you like what we do, then get behind LGBTQIA media and keep us going for another generation. Your support is invaluable.
