BFI Flare, the British Film Institute's annual LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, and a celebration of queer cinema, is soon returning to BFI Southbank for its 39th edition. Between the 19 and 30 March you will be able to see some of the best LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the world. La Fomo has read through the programme and prepared a list of the films we think you really shouldn't miss - so you know which tickets to grab when they are released at 12:00 on 27 February.

NIGHT STAGE

BRAZIL 2025, 119 MINUTES

Saturday 29 March 17:45 & 20:45

United by their shared fetish for alfresco fornication, an emerging theatre actor and a high-profile campaigning politician embark on a risky affair that threatens to destroy both of their dreams of success. A triumphant queering of a genre typically reserved for the heterosexuals, this deliciously dark erotic thriller is a playful celebration of sexual transgression in a conservative world, while also offering a reminder of the dangers that can come with it.

Find out more and book your tickets here.

DREAMS IN NIGHTMARES

USA-UK 2024, 128 MINUTES

23 March 20:25 & 24 March 14:50

Best friends Z, Lauren and Tasha are all going through one hassle or another and desperately need a change. On a much-needed night out they realise that nobody has heard from Kel, the final member of their quartet, for some time. Their solution? A spontaneous cross-country trip to find Kel. And maybe they’ll all uncover something about themselves along the way. Featuring star-making central performances from Denée Benton, Dezi Bing, Sasha Compère and Mars Storm Rucker, Shatara Michelle Ford’s riveting drama is a love letter to queer Black kinship that’s all too rarely seen on the screen.

All information and tickets here.

MEMORABILIA

USA 2024, 70 MINUTES.

24 March 20:40 & 25 March 20:50

From the confines of his hospital bed, a dying man sifts through his mind’s extensive archives, attempting to recall every one of his many lovers. Comprised entirely of Super 8 footage, either shot by Lum or by his longtime collaborator Todd Verow, this decade-spanning pornographic patchwork is as erotic as it is esoteric, at once a cum-soaked dreamscape, and a heartfelt lament to love, friendship and those we have lost.

Find all the details and your tickets here.

ONDA NOVA

BRAZIL 1983, 103 MINUTES.

25 March 20:25 & 29 March 18:45

The sheer existence of newly formed football team Gayvotas means defiance in a repressed society that despises them. For these women, modesty is a stranger, liberation reigns supreme and sexuality is fluid – their lives presenting a gloriously free alternative to the oppressive regime. Sex, sports and queerness abound in this anarchic, political manifesto, which was banned on its original release. Full of laughs and an unforgettable soundtrack, it is presented here in a dazzling 4K restoration.

All information and tickets here.

PEACHES GOES BANANAS

FRANCE-BELGIUM 2024, 73 MINUTES.

22 March 18:50 & 24 March 15:35

For nearly two decades, Marie Losier (Cassandro, the Exotico!) followed Merrill Nisker, known to the world as Peaches, with her 16mm camera. From sold-out concerts to family moments with her parents and sister, the passage of time brings loss but also provides liberation for an artist whose body is a canvas for artistic expression. A film as unique as Peaches herself – prepare to be moved and galvanised.

Find out more and book tickets here.

QUEENS OF DRAMA

FRANCE-BELGIUM 2024, 115 MINUTES.

21 March 20:30 & 26 March 15:00

It’s 2055 and Steevyshady, overfilled influencer and OG fan of forgotten diva Mimi Madamour, recounts the tumultuous love affair the star shared with lesbian punk renegade Billie Kohler. From hits to meltdowns, their chaotic romance proves to be one for the ages. Fun, camp and full of cheeky references, Alexis Langlois’ debut is a celebration of the divas who make our hearts flutter.

Details and tickets to be found here.

ENIGMA

USA-FRANCE-SPAIN-UK 2024, 93 MINUTES.

21 March 18:00 & 28 March 20:35

April and Amanda allegedly transitioned in the same era – the 1950s. But Amanda found disco lights while April faced the flashing lights of a transphobic press. Telling their story through the pair’s own inimitable words, Enigma pays a visit to Amanda’s Parisian mansion to explore the archive of April’s past. Their different paths reveal an intertwined legacy of sisterhood, survival and liberation.

More information and tickets here.

HOW TO LIVE

KENYA 2024, 108 MINUTES.

28 March 20:25 & 29 March 16:00

In a country where queerness often lives in the shadows, Njoroge Muthoni’s lens spotlights Nairobi’s radiant LGBTQIA+ youth creating their own ballroom culture. Through intimate portraits of drag performers and conversations with pioneers like artist Jim Chuchu, How to Live celebrates a community crafting spaces of liberation, defiance and pure African joy.

All details and tickets here.

TRUTH OR DARE

GERMANY 2024, 75 MINUTES.

22 March 20:15 & 23 March 19:55

Explicit and sensitively shot, Truth or Dare is a moving portrait of the breadth of sexualities. A session starts with introductory games, until it becomes a full exploration of each other’s bodies and desires. A series of ‘intimate encounters’ depicts different couples turning each other on. Consent and care are at the heart of this evocative and erotic film.

More information and tickets here.

A BODY TO LIVE IN

USA 2025, 98 MINUTES.

20 March 20:30 & 21 March 15:10

An uncompromising, no-holds-barred look at the agonies and ecstasies of Fakir Musafar (1930-2018), the infamous icon of BDSM performance art and body modification movements. Describing his gender as ‘between the cracks’, Musafar quested for enlightenment through transformative gender play and extreme piercing. Coining the term ‘Modern Primitives’ in 1979, he merged sexuality with spirituality via a controversial grab-bag of physically gruelling ceremonial practices from religions around the globe. Kink pundit and publisher, queer muse and mentor – his reputation was beyond hardcore.

Find out more and book tickets here.

BONUS EVENT:

SMALLTOWN STORIES

(TALK & SCREENING)

27 March 18:00

An evening of conversation and films from the London Community Video Archive and the BFI National Archive, plus an exclusive cinema screening of Matt Lambert’s Why?. The event will reflect on the radical queer political movements that surrounded the release of Bronski Beat’s seminal 1984 album The Age of Consent, with filmmakers joining us to connect the political message of the time to the continued fight for queer and trans liberation today.

Get your tickets here.

BONUS EVENT: 

FIRST THE QUEERS, THEN THE CANON!

(TALK)

27 March 18:00

From Judy Garland’s enduring icon status to the reappraisal of Showgirls and the success of podcasts like Las Culturistas, the wagging tongues of the LGBTQIA+ communities have uplifted artists, film and TV to the pantheon of culture. Flare Programmer Diana Cipriano presents an illustrated talk on the how, when and why we became the Watchers’ of culture’s Slayers.

Book your free ticket here.