BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival
The UK's most important LGBTIQ+ film festival, presented annually in March by the British Film Institute at BFI Southbank, celebrating queer cinema from the UK and around the world.
Overview
BFI Flare: London LGBTIQ+ Film Festival is the UK's most important queer film festival. Presented annually in March by the British Film Institute at BFI Southbank on the South Bank of the Thames, the festival has operated since 1986 and is one of the longest-running LGBTIQ+ film festivals in the world.
BFI's institutional backing gives Flare exceptional curatorial depth and access to BFI's archives, print collection, and programming expertise. The festival presents competitive and curated programming across narrative features, documentaries, and short films, and its BFI Southbank home -- one of the world's finest dedicated cinema complexes -- provides exceptional screening conditions.
Flare has been a consistent platform for films that have subsequently achieved wide distribution and cultural impact. The festival's combination of prestige, London location, and BFI institutional support makes it one of the most valuable LGBTIQ+ film platforms in Europe.
Key Sections
- Feature Film Competition -- narrative and documentary features competing for awards
- Short Film Competition -- LGBTIQ+ short films
- Flare Voices -- emerging filmmakers in the LGBTIQ+ community
- Special Screenings -- tributes and archival events
- Talks and Events -- filmmaker conversations and panel discussions
What Filmmakers Should Know
BFI Flare accepts open submissions. The festival's BFI backing provides access to significant press and industry coverage. For LGBTIQ+ filmmakers, Flare provides the most prestigious UK platform alongside Frameline in San Francisco and Outfest in Los Angeles as the world's leading queer festivals.
The BFI's connections with UK broadcasters and distributors create commercial opportunities for films programmed at Flare.
Major Awards
- Best Fiction Feature -- jury prize
- Best Documentary Feature
- Best Short Film
- Audience Award -- across categories
Festival History
BFI Flare was founded in 1986 as the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, one of the first LGBTIQ+ film festivals established outside the United States. The festival has operated continuously since then, expanding its scope to LGBTIQ+ with increasing comprehensiveness over the decades.
See Also
For LGBTIQ+ filmmaking, see Independent Filmmaking Strategies. For Frameline, see Frameline LGBTQ+ Film Festival.
