Eagerly anticipating the Leeds Queer Film Festival, Ben Fincher (@benCVTW) intern extraordinaire at Temple Works, met up with organising committee members Clare and Anne for the lowdown on the event and what we can look forward to. Coming to Temple Works for the first time on the 28th and 29th of March, and Wharf Chambers the following two days, the festival promises to screen a range of fictional and documentary films and shorts on the themes of sexuality and gender. And there will be popcorn. But no bunting…
TW: So, what is the Leeds Queer Film Festival?
Clare: We’re a collective of film makers, LGBT students…
Anne: And people interested in fostering a cultural queer scene in Leeds
TW: What’s the motivation behind it?
C: Leeds has a history of LGBT activism, there was a Gay Liberation Front here in the 70’s, and also a strong feminist movement. More recently In Leeds there used to be a very active queer scene, including Queer Mutiny, where people would put on free festivals, cinema events, exhibitions… A lot of the events used to be in empty buildings actually, unused spaces.
TW: So did that kinda evaporate?
C: Yeah, but not completely, there is still queer parties and gigs for example. I wasn’t living here at the time, I would come to Leeds for the queer events. It was one of the reasons I eventually moved to Leeds.
A: It’s a good way to support queer artists and cultural producers, to give a larger platform to work that is often on the margins, to build a sense of community, and to give people a chance to collaborate.
TW: What makes the films you’re showing particularly worth watching?
A: We’ve got some award winning films that haven’t been screened in the UK before.
C: I think some of the films are actually quite groundbreaking. One of the films we’re showing on the Friday, Normal, the director Nick Mai describes as a ‘creative documentary’, is based on actual interviews with migrant sex workers and traffickers, but is realised by using actors. I think really pushes the boundaries of what a documentary film can be, and the content is pretty incredible too.
TW: Where are the films from geographically?
A: There’s quite a global selection, but we’ve also given quite a lot of space to local films too.
C: The days we’re screening at Temple Works, we have films from Leeds and other parts of the UK, as well as Germany, Sweden and Brazil.
TW: Is there an active queer film-making community in Leeds?
C: I would say it’s a fledgling community here. It’s quite an exciting time really. I think that one of the ambitions of the festival is to encourage that to grow even more.
TW: Are there any films that stand out as personal favourites or that you’re particularly excited to screen?
A: I’m excited about screening the Audre Lorde film. It’s by Dagmar Schultz and it’s called Audre Lorde: The Berlin Years. Lorde was a pioneering black lesbian writer and feminist from the US. She wrote a lot on the marginalizations, exclusions, and the resistances of women, particularly black women. I think her writing has contemporary relevance.
C: I’m very excited about all the films we’re showing really. One of the highlights for me is a short experimental film called All That Sheltering Emptiness, by Gina Carducci and Mattilda Bernstein Sycamore. The cinematography and narrative is absolutely beautiful. Digital technology has transformed how films are made, in a positive and radical way, but it’s really special that we’re showing something on hand-processed 16mm film.
A: I’m excited about everything that Clare is excited about!
TW: Should I write that down?
A: Yep!
C: On Friday night we’re also showing one of my films, co-directed with Vincent Lee who’s also on the organizing committee. We’re very excited about showing it to Leeds for the first time.
TW: I didn’t know you were a film-maker! Do you think that your experience in making films has changed the way you think about and interpret them?
C: It has, in a very dramatic way. I love films, I think about film-making all the time. When I watch a film, I appreciate the difficulty of achieving certain effects, but also the social processes involved.
TW: Do you think that the very social nature of the queer community makes that aspect easier or more difficult? That is, does it make it more personal?
C: I think I could make films in this community for the rest of my life and never get bored of it, especially because it isn’t really just one community.
A: There is no single LGBT/queer experience of course. This plurality is one of the emphasis of the festival.
C: I mostly make documentaries and with that comes a lot of ethical considerations. There are a lot of advantages to being an ‘insider’ film-maker but you have to be even more aware of the consequences of what you are doing.
A: Yeah, you have to be accountable.
TW: What do you do at the festival that makes it different from, say, the cinema-going experience?
C: One thing is that on the Friday night there will be a panel discussion with local film-makers and there are people coming from a collective called Sex Worker Open University. Just generally though I think that what is special about our festival is that we’re trying to create a space which is informal and where there’s lots of time and space for discussion.
A: We want it to be sociable, which is one of the reasons we chose Temple Works. The space lends itself to the cozy atmosphere that we want to create.
TW: I think that Temple Works is a great venue for events like yours, I think they will complement each-other very well. But then, I’m obviously biased! What made you choose our venue?
A: I think that it’s the interest that Temple Works has shown in our festival and its aims that mean we are confident that it feels like a productive collaboration rather than an impersonal, sterile business relationship. We’re glad that (Temple Works director and my boss) Susan and yourself have been so accommodating to us. That’s all a bonus though, we’re very interested in the space itself and its uniqueness. We’re also on board with Susan’s ‘no bunting’ rule!
The Leeds Queer Film Festival’s showings at Temple Works will be on the 28th and 29th of March. Tickets are available on www.leedsqueerfilmfestival.co.uk, along with more information about the films to be shown. Thursday the 28th will be an alcohol-free night, with virgin cocktails on sale. Friday the 29th will have a bar serving a selection of wines. Popcorn and other nibbles will be available both nights.