Queer East Film Festival 2021 – Focus Japan Programme

Applicant: Queer East CIC
Award: £1000
Field: Arts, Culture

Project:

Queer East is an LGBTQ+ film festival aiming to showcase rarely seen queer cinema both from and about East and Southeast Asia and amplify the voices of Asian communities in the UK.  The second edition of Queer East Film Festival took place from 15 to 26 September in 8 venues across London. The festival also hosted a UK Tour between October and December to 7 destinations in the UK including Nottingham, Manchester, Edinburgh, Birmingham and Sheffield.

The 2021 programme featured 36 films (Feature, Documentary and Short Films) from 16 countries across Asia, the UK, Europe, and the US, mixing classic retrospectives and new releases. This year, the festival centred Japan as it's focus country with a 10-film programme, highlighting Japan’s long-standing history of queer filmmaking.

The festival organised a series of online talks throughout the festival period, and invited film directors, activists, and academics to speak on topics about female filmmakers in the industry, queer film festivals, and LGBTQ+ movements in Asia.

Find out more the festival here.