Southsea Cinema & Arts Centre hosts PRIDE LGBTQ+ Film Festival as part of LGBTQ+ History Month
The Portsmouth Film Society’s 9th Pride LGBT Film Festival will take place at its new home, Southsea Cinema & Arts Centre throughout the month of February. The Festival will be showing a range of films, will have guest speakers, and aims to celebrate and raise awareness of the LGBTQ+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and other sexual identities) History Month. The opening of the festival (1st Feb) will be by Chris Chang, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement and Student Life) University of Portsmouth.
‘The University of Portsmouth is pleased to be sponsoring the 9th LGBTQ+ Film Festival, as part of LGBTQ+ History Month, which enables our communities to celebrate LGBTQ+ lives in their full diversity. This year’s LGBTQ+ History Month theme celebrates LGBTQ+ peoples’ contribution to cinema and film from behind the lens- animators, cinematographers, make-up artists, producers, screenwriters and beyond. As you take part in the events we also encourage you to look ‘Behind the Lens’ and listen to LGBTQ+ peoples’ lived experiences.’
Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement and Student Life) University of Portsmouth
The LGBTQ+ Festival will incorporate a series of films, talks and panels that will inspire, entertain and provide networking opportunities for our community and the local area. This year’s festival is supported by the University of Portsmouth’s Equality Diversity & Inclusion team, British Film Industry Film Audience Network, Portsmouth Pride and Talking Change.
Abigail Russell, LBGTQ+ Outreach Worker for Talking Change, NHS Solent said “As we become collectively more aware of the challenges that individuals face in caring for their mental wellness, it continues to be clear that LGBTQ communities maintain higher rates of mental health problems than those outside of their community. With “Behind the Lens” being the theme of this year’s LGBT History Month, Talking Change are excited to sponsor, be involved in, and embrace the confidence and pride that representation in film can provide for LGBTQ individuals. We look forward to seeing you there!”
Tally Aslam, Commercial Manager and Trustee Chair of Portsmouth Pride Trust added “Portsmouth Pride are excited that the Southsea Cinema is hosting its 9th LGBTQ+ Festival, the varied programme should help raise awareness of the LGBT History Month to the people of Portsmouth”.
The Chair of the Portsmouth Film Society, Aysegul Epengin said: “Our 9th PRIDE LGBTQ+ Film Festival taking place during February is to celebrate that queer cinema is back. The aim of the Portsmouth Film Society encourages our audience to watch and learn from specialised films and this is one of our core missions. We are working hard to keep our Southsea Community Cinema and Arts Centre alive and are very grateful for our local film and art lovers’ support. Many thanks to the festival sponsors BFI FAN, The University of Portsmouth, Talking Change, NHS Solent and Peccadillo Pictures”.
Portsmouth Film Society chair Aysegul Epengin said: “Our 9th PRIDE LGBTQ+ Film Festival is for February celebration of queer cinema is back. We, Portsmouth Film society encouraging our audience watch and learn from specialized films and this is one of our core missions.
We are trying our very best to continue our Southsea Community Cinema and Arts Centre and we are so grateful with our local film and art lovers’ support. Thank you so much to the festival sponsors BFI FAN, The University of Portsmouth and NHS- Talking Change and Peccadillo Pictures. “
LGBTQ+ History Month takes place across the UK and around the world every February. It celebrates the lives and achievements (and promotes awareness) of the LGBTQ+ Community.