Queer Animation overview

Queer was once used as a slur, and there are still those who consider queer people deranged and would do anything to restrict our existence. But we have been reclaiming the word queer for years, turning it into a symbol of resistance. We are still here. We are queer. And we aren’t going anywhere.

This retrospective carries that spirit forward by exploring queer animation. We aimed to bring together a diverse selection of films by LGBTQ+ filmmakers, films telling LGBTQ+ stories, and works that challenge traditional notions of gender, sexuality, and identity.

The retrospective unfolds across three themes: History, Pride, and Genderfuck. The first programme explores the evolution of queer animated worlds. The second is about the struggles and pleasures of becoming oneself. The last explores the endless possibilities of existing beyond binaries.

The retrospective also features Rainbows After Dark, a special midnight screening curated by Kate Jessop. This wild ride through sex positivity, club culture, and family relationships brings a colourful mix of flamboyance and filth to the more adult side of queer experience. Expect mystic lesbians, broken pipes and Howard Stern!

And perhaps animation itself has always been queer in spirit: weird, different, fluid, and shapeshifting. A third gender of its own. Unafraid to experiment, to deconstruct, to transform. To go beyond what is considered possible. This ability feels more important than ever in the face of today’s oppression and rising fascism. And if anyone thinks none of this concerns them, they are mistaken.

No one is free until everyone is free.
– Jakub Spevák and Kate Jessop

Dolžina: 73′