British Council and BFI Flare celebrate a decade of Five Films For Freedom

Five Films For Freedom, the world’s widest-reaching LGBTQIA+ digital campaign, returns on 13 March bringing five new films from the Philippines, India, Spain, the UK and USA to audiences across the world.

The film programme continues the British Council’s partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, with the short films selected from the festival line-up and promoted across the British Council’s global digital networks and BFI Player for free.

 Over the two weeks of the festival (13 to 24 March 2024) audiences worldwide are invited to dive into the world of LGBTQIA+ cinema from the comfort of their own homes and watch the films online for free. 

Since its launch in 2015 Five Films For Freedom have been viewed by 23 million people, in over 200 countries and principalities.

Our 10th anniversary edition showcases global LGBTQIA+ stories that resonate with strength and spirit, from the historic defiance of Compton’s 22 in San Francisco to the heartfelt journey of love and understanding on a Mumbai beach in Halfway. This year’s selection, including Little One, Cursive, and The First Kiss, dives deep into themes of family, identity, romance, and the universal quest for acceptance. 



Talking about the 10th anniversary of Five Films for Freedom, Briony Hanson, Director of Film at the British Council said: “When we launched our very first Five Films For Freedom programme back in 2015, the idea was simply to share some of the brilliant films curated by BFI Flare with as many people in as many places as we could. 10 years and 50 films later, we’ve found that people all over the globe are hungry to see queer lives on their screens; we’ve found audiences in extraordinary situations to be braver than we ever imagined they’d be; and we’ve realised that LGBTQIA+ filmmakers have the ability to change lives with their stories. Bring on the next 10 years!”

Kristy Matheson, Director, BFI Festivals, said: “For a decade Five Films for Freedom has allowed global audiences to encounter incredible filmmaking talents and celebrate LGBTQIA+ stories and communities. I would like to express my gratitude to the filmmakers for generously sharing their films and to the BFI Flare programming team and our friends at the British Council who’ve once again crafted an exceptional programme for us all.”

Directed by Clister Santos (Philippines – 9 mins)

A pregnant mother, unsure of how to raise a child, wants to chat with her two gay dads, but fate intervenes when one suffers a heart attack. Memories captured on an old camcorder help her reflect on their family’s history.

Directed by Kumar Chheda (India – 14 mins)

A turbulent couple ends up at different entrances of Mumbai’s Juhu Beach, forcing them to walk towards each other and meet halfway.

Directed by Isabel Steubel Johnson (UK – 9 mins)

When a woman on the verge of a breakup gets help to improve her handwriting from a mysterious stranger, she finds the inner voice she has always longed for.

Directed by Miguel Lafuente (Spain – 9 mins)

Today is a special day for Andi, heading to Madrid to have his first date with a boy he’s met online, but things don’t turn out quite as he expected.

Directed by Drew de Pinto (USA – 18 mins)

Three years prior to Stonewall, trans sex workers and drag queens revolted against police violence at Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco’s Tenderloin district. Compton’s 22 imagines what happened.