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# SPOTLIGHT ON: Dive into two seasons of queer films in October
- URL: https://www.scenemag.co.uk/spotlight-on-dive-into-two-seasons-of-queer-films-in-october/
- Published: 2023-10-02T13:00:26.000Z
- Updated: 2023-10-02T13:02:08.000Z
- Description: Brian Butler gives his top picks of queer films this October
- Author: Brian Butler
- Tags: Berwyn Rowlands, Russell T. Davies

There’s a delightfully wide range of queer films available this October at the international **Iris Prize Film Festival** and the **BFI** **London Film Festival** (LFF) too.

If you can‘t attend at either Cardiff or London’s **Southbank**, theres a lot being offered by both festivals online.

Here are my highlights: first at the LFF, which runs **October 4-15**.

***Housekeeping For Beginners*** tells the story of a queer Macedonian woman who goes to drastic means to hold her makeshift family together following a tragedy. ***The Queen Of My Dreams*** is set against the backdrop of grief and obsession with Bollywood fantasy films. A queer Canadian/Pakistani and her mother experience their coming of age across two eras.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/full_asog-02-clean-16x9-1.png)

Asog

Set in the wake of a destructive typhoon, ***Asog*** is a witty combination of road movie and documentary-drama that’s a marvel of trans cinema. ***All Of Us Strangers*** has star actors **Andrew Scott** and **Paul Mescal** in a story that focuses on screenwriter Adam, who strikes up an intimate relationship with mysterious neighbour Harry.

***I Am Sirat*** follows a trans woman living a double life as a man in New Delhi. Queer sisterhood and collective power lie at the heart of Power Alley, in which a promising volleyball player faces an unwanted pregnancy in Brazil. Two young men find love in a hopeless place – a youth correction facility – in **Zeno Graton**’s powerful directorial debut in ***The Lost Boys***.

**More details and tickets [HERE](http://whatson.bfi.org.uk/?ref=scenemag.co.uk)**

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/4445-jpg-e1696245003263.webp)

Russell T Davies

The **17th Iris Prize International Film Festival** is held in Cardiff from **October 10-15**. It’s the biggest and best LGBTQ+ festival that always delivers the goods. This year it has 50 short films, 12 features and talks, including from *It’s A Sin* and *Doctor Who* creator **Russell T Davies**.

Some 35 international short films are competing for the £30,000 Iris Prize, supported by the **Michael Bishop Foundation**. Festival Director **Berwyn Rowlands** said: “One of the USPs of Iris is that 30% of our audience identify as straight. We hope however you identify, if you love films and love a good story, you’ll join us.”

From **October 11-31** some elements of the festival are online. In the UK all 35 international shorts are available plus the 15 Best British Shorts. A full **online pass for £45** gets you all those plus some extras, including the wonderful comedy ***Cardiff***, starring the late **Ruth Madoc**.

![](https://www.scenemag.co.uk/content/images/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/picture-1-e1696244848641.jpg)

Femme

If you missed *The Queen Of My Dreams* at LFF, it’s screened here too. ***Femme*** is a hard-hitting feature, telling the harrowing tale of Jules, who is violently attacked by a gang of young men, whose ringleader is Preston. The homophobic attack causes Jules to retreat into himself until a chance encounter with Preston points him in the direction of revenge.

***Captain Faggotron Saves The Universe*** features a young priest intent on denying his homosexuality, but he’s not doing a very good job. Meanwhile, his alien ex-lover plots to turn the Earth into a homosexual planet. Sounds whackily hilarious. Norwegian ***Dream is about Queer*** love in a fish factory, and finally ***Eismayer*** deals with a strict disciplinarian vice-lieutenant training army recruits in Austria, who falls in love with one of his recruits.

**Tickets including online passes [HERE](http://irisprize.org/?ref=scenemag.co.uk).** Look out for reviews in *Scene.*