12 unmissable LGBTQ+ movies you need to see at the 2024 BFI London Film Festival
Layla and Queer are among the LGBTQ+ films screening at the London Film Festival. (London Film Festival)
The 2024 BFI London Film Festival is back for another year to screen some exceptional LGBTQ+ cinema.
From Queer to Layla, the 12-day 68th London Film Festival line-up is packed full of exciting premieres and screenings you won’t want to miss.
This year’s jam-packed schedule features 253 titles (including features, shorts, series and immersive works) that hail from 79 countries, and feature 63 languages.
The film festival runs from Wednesday 9th to Sunday 20th October and public tickets go on sale from Tuesday 17th September at 10am.
All Shall Be Well
Angie and Pat are two older lesbians who have lived peacefully in Hong Kong for over 30 years.
They’re inseparable and loved by their family and older lesbian friends but when Pat passes, Angie is left in a devastating state of mourning.
Sidelined by Pat’s relatives, Angie is left lost and searching for her new position in the world without her soulmate while still fighting for the recognition of their relationship.
You can buy tickets to All Shall Be Well here.
Baby
Marcelo Caetano’s exploration of São Paulo’s queer scene focuses on the relationship of Wellington and Ronaldo.
Wellington has returned home after spending time in juvenile prison to find his parents missing but when he meets older hustler, Ronaldo, their passionate relationship redefines what ‘family’ means to these men.
You can buy tickets to Baby here.
Four Mothers
Four Mothers is an Irish-set, English-language adaptation of the 2008 Italian comedy-drama Mid-August Lunch.
The Irish comedy follows a young, queer, up-and-coming novelist about to hit the big time but it balancing the rising success with having to care for his aging mother (Flanagan) and her friends.
Darren Thornton’s funny and heartwarming comedy drama is sure to be a crowdpleaser.
You can buy tickets to Four Mothers here.
I’m Your Venus
Venus Xtravaganza came to national attention after her appearance in Jennie Livingston’s 1990 documentary film Paris Is Burning; her life as a ballroom family member and performer was a focus of the film.
Now, Kimberly Reed’s I’m Your Venus zooms in on Xtravaganza’s legacy with her family (biological and ballroom) celebrating her legacy.
Xtravaganza’s House of Xtravaganza stars reunite, nearly 35 years after her murder, to find justice for her.
You can buy tickets to I’m Your Venus here.
Layla
Amrou Al-Kadhi‘s debut feature is a romantic drama between a Palestinian-British drag performer named Layla and their white, straight-laced new love interest, Max.
Though the pair are drawn together, their increasingly obvious differences threaten to disrupt the connection they are beginning to form.
Exploring non-binary identitiy and drag, Layla asks what it means to love someone and how much are you willing to compromise?
You can buy tickets to Layla here.
A Nice Indian Boy
Roshan Sethi’s delightful romantic comedy, starring Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff, follows the whirlwind romance of Naveen and Jay who are newly engaged.
Naveen is an Indian American doctor who is apprehensive about introducing his fiancé, a white photographer, to his traditional Indian parents.
Bringing a queer and Indian spin to the rom-com, A Nice Indian Boy is a fresh take on the genre.
You can buy tickets to A Nice Indian Boy here.
Queens of Drama
Alexis Langlois’ French musical drama chronicles the star-crossed romance between a lesbian punk and a pop princess.
The camp satire of pop culture fandom sees the two singers meet as competitors in a television singing competition.
As their breathless affair spans several years, their careers yo-yo all while obsessive fans are there to document everything.
You can buy tickets to Queens of Drama here.
Queer
One of the most anticipated films of the festival is Challengers director Luca Guadagnino’s Queer.
Starring Daniel Craig and Drew Starkey, Queer is an adaption of William S. Burroughs’ semi-autobiographical novel.
Set in Mexico City in the 1940s, the film follows an outcast American expat who becomes infatuated with a younger man.
You can buy tickets to Queer here.
Sebastian
Mikko Mäkelä’s film explores the world of sex work through the eys of Max, who uses the pseudonym Sebastian.
A 25-year-old London-based writer, Max has become a sex worker to research his debut novel but as he lives a double life and meets men via an escort platform his sense of self becomes blurry.
With newfound experiences and tests of his assumptions, Max becomes more and more in a world that inspires him.
You can buy tickets to Sebastian here.
Sex
Dag Johan Haugerud’s film questions what, if anything, sexuality has to do with cheating.
Two male colleagues, both in monogamous heterosexual marriages, share an experience that has them rethinking their views on sexuality and gender.
The fallout leads to provocative conversations with their family and friends when a casual confession upends their lives.
You can buy tickets to Sex here.
Three Kilometres to the End of the World
Emanuel Pârvu’s Cannes Queer Palm winner charts 17-year-old Adi in the wake of a homophobic hate crime.
Left bruised and bloody, Adi’s forced to come out but the suffocating family dynamics and pressure he faces leaves him under strain.
The Romanian drama sees how the tranquillity of small-town life can be shattered in a moment.
You can buy tickets to Three Kilometres to the End of the World here.
Viêt and Nam
Trương Minh Quý’s film follows two young underground coal miners, Viêt and Nam as they hope for a brighter future.
The romantic drama is set 1,000 metres underground where the pair’s romance can exist in the confines of the darkness.
The young men are about to part, with Nam soon to move abroad, but as the aftermath of the Vietnam war continues to haunt the country and this doomed past comes to haunt their optimism for the future.
You can buy tickets to Viêt and Nam here.
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