REFRACTED LIGHTS – INTERNATIONAL SHORT FILM PROGRAMME 1

In this kaleidoscopic selection of short films from around the globe we look at contemporary queer lives through different social lenses, each reflecting the light in their very own way.

A GARDEN FOR ROSE - Michael de Lange (Australia)

Single mother Evelyn makes a fairy garden for their tomboy daughter to encourage them to reconnect with their childhood love of fairies however, through the garden Rose meets a non-binary fairy who helps them to find what kind of fairy they truly are.

A DIFFERENT HOME - Jules Lacave-Fontourcy (UK)

A Different Home asks what “home” means for queer people who live in a city but grew up in a rural place. Interviews layered on Scottish landscape shots explore the tensions between craving a rural life and thriving in an urban queer community. Interviewees share their sense of belonging to and alienation from both cities and rural spaces. Visually rooted to the land, this documentary reflects on what it means to grieve a space and a home which are still there but do not welcome us as who we are.

WALK ME HOME - Kaye Adelaide (Canada)

Axis, an anxious enby, braves a late night walk home alone where they encounter a supernatural swelling of fears.

LOVE IS MERELY A MADNESS - Ian Hopkins, Timothy Friend (US)

Unique dance-documentary hybrid explores the challenges of finding romantic connections among the gay community in the digital age.

UNRAVELLED - Sofia Bianca Chua, Maria Isabella Patricia Manaloto, Avryll Nartates (Philippines)

Struggling with his identity, anxious Rio has always sought acceptance but as his past haunts him, he struggles to see himself as human.

APNEA - Fabio Patrassi (Italy)

"Apnea" tells the story of Teo, a 25-year-old living in Milan who confides in an Artificial Intelligence as he struggles to come out. The AI is his confidante, guiding him through difficult times, but it raises the question: can AI positively impact such a deeply human issue? The story explores the conflict between a repressed identity and the desire for freedom.

I DON’T KNOW IF I’LL HAVE TO SAY EVERYTHING AGAIN - Vitória Fallavena, Thassilo Weber (Brazil)

Fernando meets his mother weekly at a café. Today, he's gonna tell her he's getting married. Ana, who suffers from Alzheimer's, has trouble remembering that her son is gay. Does she really forget, or would she rather not remember?