Queer East Film Festival (15 – 26 September) is delighted to unveil its full programme centred on queer storytelling and activism from East and Southeast Asia. This year’s programme includes a selection of 37 features, short films and artists’ moving image works from 15 countries, ranging from new releases to classic retrospectives, mainstream box office hits to radical independent works, accompanied by pre-screening introductions and filmmaker Q&As. A series of online panel discussions with international guests will run throughout the festival period, covering topics such as women in the film industry, queer film festivals, and the development of Asian LGBTQ+ movements.

Launched in 2020, Queer East is a new film festival that aims to amplify the voices of Asian communities in the UK, who have often been excluded from mainstream discourse, despite Asians being one of the country’s fastest-growing ethnic groups. Queer East seeks to facilitate a better understanding of the richness of queer Asian heritage, and to bridge the cultural distance between the UK public and the region. Featuring works made by international filmmakers and Asian diaspora communities, and looking to foster authentic voices, the festival explores a wide range of perspectives, showcasing stories that intersect with personal experiences, cultural norms, and socio-political transitions.

Japanese Film at Queer East 2021

Daughters (2020) -- Hajime Tsuda
Wednesday 15 September 2021 | 6.30pm
Genesis Cinema

Merry Christmas, Mr. Lawrence (1983) -- Nagisa Oshima
Sunday 19 September 2021 | 5.00pm
Catford Mews

Close-Knit (2017) -- Naoko Ogigami
Monday 20 September 2021 | 6.15pm
Curzon Hoxton

Hush! (2001) 35mm, 20th Anniversary -- Ryosuke Hashiguchi
Tuesday 21 September 2021 | 6.10pm
Genesis Cinema

Queer Japan (2019) -- Graham Kolbeins
Wednesday 22 September 2021 | 6.20pm
Bertha DocHouse

Shinjuku Boys (1995) -- Kim Longinotto, Jano Williams
Thursday 23 September 2021 | 6.20pm
The Horse Hospital

Ghost in the Shell (1995) -- Mamoru Oshii
Thursday 23 September 2021 | 8.45pm
The Lexi Cinema

Gohatto (Taboo) (1999) -- Nagisa Oshima
Saturday 25 September 2021 | 4.00pm
Genesis Cinema

Queer East 2021 is organised in partnership with the Japan Foundation, with support from Great Britain Sasakawa Foundation, Daiwa Foundation and Japan Society.