It’s that time of year again where people come together to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer people across the world, with Pride Month – and London Film Academy is no exception. We’re marking the occasion with a programme of LGBTQIA+ cinema that speaks to filmmakers and non-filmmakers alike.
Curated by LFA staff and students, these Pride films will be shown to our BA Filmmaking, MA Filmmaking, and MA Screenwriting students every Tuesday in the LFA cinema from now until 8 July.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Céline Sciamma, 2019) - Tuesday, 10 June
Charting the impact of a brief but ever lasting relationship between French aristocrat Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) and the painter hired to take her portrait, Marianne (Noémie Merlant), this film is as life-affirming as it is devastating. Sciamma’s direction is stunning, bringing a subtle, surrealist beauty to the windy shores of Brittany, and her approach to the classic ‘forbidden romance’ template is remarkably singular. Although it was overlooked by the 2019/20 awards season, Portrait of a Lady on Fire has proven a defining film for an entire generation of queer cinemagoers – and will continue to do so for years to come.
Dating Amber (David Freyne, 2020) - Tuesday, 17 June
With its cinema release scuppered by the Covid pandemic, Irish coming-of-age comedy drama Dating Amber quietly launched on Prime Video to little fanfare. Unjustly so, as this film is one of the most joyful and refreshing takes on queer adolescence that 21st century cinema has served up. Freyne’s semi-autobiographical look at 1990s rural Ireland, through the eyes of closeted teens Eddie (Fionn O’Shea) and Amber (Lola Petticrew) is equal parts hilarious and searing. Highlighting just how recently Ireland was a deeply conservative place to come out, the film tackles universal themes with a disarming wit, making for one of the greatest indie gems in recent years.
The Watermelon Woman (Cheryl Dunye, 1996) - Tuesday, 24 June
Writer-director Cheryl Dunye stars in this era-defining, metatextual look at Black history in film through a queer lens. The film’s probing questions on prejudice, societal erasure, and legacy from Dunye’s perspective make for a mockumentary that goes far beyond its thesis of highlighting the lack of information surrounding the lesbian and film history of African American women. It is incredibly entertaining film, and you can look no further than the infantile controversies its release stirred up to prove its justified place in the annals of cinema history.
Bound (Lily & Lana Wachowski, 1996) - Tuesday, 1 July
Three years before they revolutionised action cinema forever with The Matrix (1999), the Wachowski Sisters served up a fiery, subversive, and riotously funny romp with Bound. Set over the course of a week and almost entirely in the confines of one apartment building, the film follows ex-con Corky (Gina Gershon) and ‘femme fatale’ Violet (Jennifer Tilly), who meet in the elevator and instantly fall for each other. Their romance quickly turns noir when they plan a crime of opportunity as Violet’s criminal boyfriend, Caesar (Joe Pantoliano) is trusted with a suitcase full of blood-stained Mob cash. Violence, deception, and paint-stained antics ensue.
Student Pick - Tuesday, 8 July
Is there a chapter in queer cinema you want to see revisited on the big screen? Have your say as an LFA student and share the experience with your filmmaking peers. Follow this link to suggest a film, and the winning choice will close out LFA’s Pride Month celebrations for 2025.
Outside of LFA, London is set to have its usual array of exciting Pride events, with the annual parade set for Saturday, 5 July. You can find more resources and information on Pride Month in London here.
Wishing everyone both inside and outside of LFA a Happy Pride Month.