BELFAST will host two free public screenings of international LGBTQIA+ short films next week, bringing together stories from the UK, Mexico, Brazil, Vietnam and France as part of the British Council’s global Five Films For Freedom campaign.
The events, taking place at the Queen's Film Theatre on 25 March and at The Black Box on 26 March as part of this year’s Imagine Festival and in conjunction with the Belfast Film Festival, will include post-screening panels with filmmakers, cultural leaders and LGBTQIA+ advocates.
Now in its 12th year, Five Films For Freedom aims to use cinema as a tool for visibility and cultural connection, making short films freely accessible to audiences worldwide. Since its launch in 2015, the programme has been viewed nearly 29 million times in more than 200 countries, including regions where LGBTQIA+ representation is still restricted or even criminalised.
The Belfast screenings will showcase a range of stories exploring identity, intimacy, gender and resilience. At Queen’s Film Theatre, audiences will see shorts including Sweat (Vietnam), which follows a farm worker on the eve of leaving rural Vietnam in search of refuge abroad, and Rag Dolls (Mexico/USA), a tender portrayal of love and care between a disabled couple navigating discrimination and social barriers. The French documentary Room 206 follows Clair after gender-affirming surgery, capturing a journey of self-recognition and renewal.
The following day at The Black Box, audiences will be treated to Theo (Brazil), following a seven-year-old navigating school life and rigid gender expectations during the 1986 World Cup, and I Hate Helen (UK), which captures the intensity and confusion of adolescent same-sex desire. The Troubles I’ve Seen, an LGBTQIA+ heritage documentary directed by Conan McIvor in partnership with The Rainbow Project and Cara-Friend, will explore queer experiences in Northern Ireland.
This screening also features Just Johnny, written by Belfast actor and former Hollyoaks star Gerard McCarthy, which was part of the global Five Films For Freedom campaign in 2023. The short tells the story of a young boy in Belfast whose wish to wear a dress for his Holy Communion sparks reflection and negotiation within his family. Told with warmth and humour, it explores themes of acceptance, identity, and the courage of children to embrace who they are. The film has already received international recognition, winning awards at the Giffoni International Film Festival and the Children’s Film Festival Seattle.
Alongside this, transmasculine narratives and queerness are further explored in Purebred, from Belfast-based, award-winning screenwriter and director Caleb J. Roberts.
Panel discussions at both venues will allow audiences to engage with the filmmakers and cultural leaders. Gerard McCarthy will join the Black Box panel alongside Joe Walsh and Cara McCann of the HEReNI – Northern Ireland LGBTQIA+ Heritage Project, while Briony Hanson, Director of Film at the British Council, will chair the Queen’s Film Theatre discussion with Michelle Devlin from the Belfast Film Festival, Cian Smyth of Ulster University, and Bronagh McAtasney from Northern Ireland Screen.
Colm McGivern, Director, British Council Northern Ireland, believes the Belfast screenings underline the campaign’s cultural and local significance. He said: “Five Films For Freedom promotes rarely heard LGBTQIA+ stories and makes them accessible to a worldwide audience. These events give people the chance to experience films that reflect courage, creativity and identity, while sparking conversation and connection in our communities. We hope they inspire the next generation of local filmmakers, writers and actors.”
The campaign runs online until 29 March, with all five films available to stream via the British Council’s digital platforms and on BFI Player in the UK.
The initiative continues to reach audiences in countries where same-sex relationships remain criminalised, emphasising the power of film to foster visibility, cultural dialogue and representation.
Find out more about Five Films for Freedom.
Tickets for the Queen’s Film Theatre screening on 25 March are available at: https://queensfilmtheatre.com/Whats-On/Five-Films-for-Freedom
Tickets for the Black Box event on 26 March can be reserved at: https://imaginebelfast.com/event/five-films-for-freedom-lgbtqia-film-open-conversation/
Watch the trailer here.
Five Films For Freedom continues the British Council’s work building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and overseas through arts, education and English language teaching.