Get ready for the new celebration of queer storytelling this November
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES PROVIDED
In a groundbreaking evolution from its bi-monthly beginnings at Genesis Cinema in East London, One Fluid Night (OFN) is now launching as the OFN LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. Scheduled for November 15-17 2024, this expanded edition will take over Soho’s iconic venues like Curzon Soho and the Courthouse Hotel Cinema, becoming a full-fledged celebration of queer cinema, live performance, and diversity.
The fifth edition not only offers short films but also features, documentaries, and live events, promising a weekend steeped in LGBTQIA storytelling.
Festival founder Lex Melony envisions the festival as “an inclusive rainbow umbrella” connecting queer filmmakers worldwide and London audiences. This year’s program, totalling 12 features and 113 shorts from 34 countries, delves into varied experiences, with works centred on sapphic romance, trans resilience, and LGBTQIA lives worldwide. Notably, the lineup emphasises international perspectives, with 18 awards set to honour outstanding contributions to queer cinema – the largest number of accolades for LGBTQIA films in Europe.
Opening the festival, the Austrian rom-com What A Feeling (dir. Kat Roher) offers a refreshing take on mid-life romance. Following Marie Theres, a recently separated doctor who encounters Fa, a vivacious bar owner, the film humorously explores the emotional journey of middle-aged queer women discovering new love. The evening also showcases the French short Embrasse-moi (dir. Hristo Todorov), adding a tender note to the gala event.
Festival highlights include Drip Like Coffee (dir. Anaiis Cisco), a European premiere about two Brooklyn baristas who fall in love while navigating life’s complexities. Films like Clan will resonate with trans audiences, depicting a young trans man’s self-discovery journey in a close-knit island community, while documentaries such as What Was Your Previous Name? will bring visibility to trans lives, blending humour with raw authenticity.
Other films to watch out for include: Digital Desires – a sci-fi drama centred on a woman haunted by an AI mimic of her ex-girlfriend’s voice, Develop – a film following a woman who struggles to reveal her relationship with her girlfriend while visiting her dying mother, and Iris Prize winner Sister Wives.
The festival’s Sunday Awards Ceremony at Soho Theatre crowns the weekend, celebrating diverse storytelling with 18 awards. Hosted by Debbie Del Rey, the ceremony combines glamorous red-carpet performances, including sets by cabaret artists, bringing the community’s spirit alive on and off the screen.
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