BFI Flare: Embrace the competition

BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival powers into its first weekend with a flurry of screenings and events that have turned BFI Southbank into the place to be in London. It's a great place to hang out, mingling with fans, filmmakers and actors. The audiences have been terrific in the cinemas, and it's been fun to see friends and colleagues who have been in hiding for two long years! Here are some more highlights...

The Swimmer
dir-scr Adam Kalderon; with Omer Perelman Striks, Asaf Jonas 21/Isr ***.
With a bracingly sensual aesthetic, this Israeli drama explores the strains experienced by top-level sportsmen, touching on pungent themes so subtly that you might miss them if you blink. Writer-director Adam Kalderon uses bright hues in costumes and sets, plus a lively score by The Penelopes, all of which quietly infuse scenes with a camp sensibility that plays on how the camera lovingly gazes at athletic men in speedos.

Boulevard! A Hollywood Story
dir Jeffrey Schwarz; with Gloria Swanson, Richard Stapley 21/US ****
A true story that echoes a classic movie, this documentary delves into the archives of screen icon Gloria Swanson. Ace filmmaker Jeffrey Schwarz lays out the events with a snappy pace that's hugely entertaining, especially since the tale is so packed with surprising twists and turns. Not only is the film a fabulous account of unknown Hollywood history, but it ripples with deeper themes that make it surprisingly resonant.

Boy Culture: The Series
dir Q Allan Brocka; with Derek Magyar, Darryl Stephens 22/US ***
Filmmaker Q Allan Brocka catches up with the characters from his 2006 movie in this comical six-part series, both based on the book by cowriter Matthew Rettenmund. Once again, the central focus is on a couple that finds it difficult to stay together due to their different views of sex. The dialog and characters are sharp and engaging, and scenes are infused with lustiness, even if it's mainly talk.

Charli XCX: Alone Together
dir Bradley & Pablo; with Charli XCX, Huck Kwong 21/US ****
A knowing exploration of the impact of the pandemic, this documentary unfolds through the eyes of the 29-year-old British pop artist as she reveals details of her life, career, relationships and family. And the film also includes her extended fan family, called Angels, as she invites their participation to create a new collection of songs and videos. It's a colourful, fast-paced film packed with surprisingly powerful moments.

BEST OF YEAR
Great Freedom
dir Sebastian Meise; with Franz Rogowski, Georg Friedrich 21/Aut ****
Earthy and understated, this Austrian prison drama tells a story of resilience amid harsh treatment of gay men in post-war Germany. Filmmaker Sebastian Meise keeps the film tightly focused on its characters, which makes it sometimes startlingly warm as it explores deeper connections between men who are prohibited from being themselves. Starting with Nazi persecution of homosexuality, the film's narrative covers the extension of those laws into the late 1960s... REVIEW >

Full reviews will be linked to Shadows' BFI Flare ANCHOR PAGE 
For tickets and information, visit BFI FLARE 

Flare: Be yourself tonight

Well, another year of BFI Flare came to a close last night with the premiere screening of Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy, attended by director Justin Kelly and writer Savanna Knoop, whose story the film recounts. This was followed by another roaring party night. At this year's Flare, I saw 23 features (plus 10 features I'd seen before the festival) and 24 shorts. Here are a few more highlights, and then below that are my best of the fest lists...

Jeremiah Terminator LeRoy
dir Justin Kelly; with Kristen Stewart, Laura Dern 19/Can ****
After the terrific 2016 documentary Author: The JT LeRoy Story, these true events get a dramatic feature with knock-out performances from Kristen Stewart and Laura Dern in the central roles. Director Justin Kelly keeps the pacing brisk, never wallowing in the melodrama as he explores issues of identity and connection from fresh angles. It's still a rather mind-boggling story, but this film cleverly humanises the characters, revealing their flaws without vilifying them.

From Zero to I Love You
dir-scr Doug Spearman; with Scott Bailey, Darryl Stephens 19/US ***
An ambitious romantic comedy with hints of deeper themes, this bright and watchable movie is loaded with good-looking people who remain likeable even when they do something stupid. Writer-director Doug Spearman orchestrates the twisty story with some flair, although the story can't help but feel somewhat simplistic and predictable, especially with an uneven collection of side performances. But even if the film is somewhat arch, it's easy to identify with the central characters.

Man Made
dir T Cooper; scr T Cooper, Allison Glock-Cooper
with Mason Caminiti, Dominic Chilco, Kennie Story, Rese Weaver, Tommy Murrell, T Cooper, Rufio Bell, Cody Harman, Sebastian Roy Noriega 18/US 1h33 ****

Ostensibly a documentary about an unusual body-building competition, this film is actually a much more profound exploration of masculinity, community and self-acceptance. It's powerfully moving all the way through, as filmmaker T Cooper takes an intimate approach to the stories of five competitors, each of whom recounts his extraordinary story with humour, honesty and an open heart. The competition is Trans FitCon in Atlanta, which accepts anyone who identifies as a trans man, regardless of physical presentation. From Minneapolis, Dominic is a lively 26-year-old rapper who is just having his first surgery (yes, there's footage of it). He has also just connected to his biological mother and heads off to meet her (this scene is amazing). In Cleveland, Mason is 40 and married, competing in mainstream bodybuilding meets, where no one knows he's trans. His biggest frustration is what to wear in the tanning booth, because the tiny bikini reveals too much. Rese is in Atlanta, a 23-year-old single parent rejected by his family and exorcised by his pastor. He's eventually taken in by his grandparents, then marries a trans woman who also has a child. Kennie Story is 34 from Conway, Arkansas, a university fitness coach whose girlfriend worries about him starting on testosterone, because it will make him too masculine. And in Miami, the hulking Tommy is a 40-year-old heavyweight whose parents refused to kick him out even though their church told them to. Cooper includes interviews and scenes with a wide range of family and friends, each openly discussing their feelings. "I don't understand," Kennie's mother admits, then adds, "but that's my kid! I love her and that trumps everything." And their body-builder colleagues are hugely engaging too, revealing strong backstage camaraderie. All of this makes the film deeply endearing, a profile of people who are hugely likeable, with big personalities and the same hopes as everyone else. And the way they face their challenges also reveals them as heroes. "I've been called every name you can imagine," one says. "But I don't care, I'm being my authentic self."

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B E S T   O F   T H E   F E S T

Features...

1. WE THE ANIMALS (Jeremiah Zagar, US)
2. THE BLOND ONE (Marco Berger, Argentina)
3. RAFIKI (Wanuri Kahiu, Kenya)
4. JOSE (Li Cheng, Guatemala)
5. SOCRATES (Alex Moratto, Brazil)
6. MAN MADE (T Cooper, US)
7. CONSEQUENCES (Darko Stante, Slovenia)
8. NEVRLAND (Gregor Schmidinger, Austria)
9. MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFT (Robert Clift/Hillary Demmon, US) 
10. THE GOSPEL OF EUREKA (Michael Palmieri/Donal Mosher, US)

Special mention: JEREMIAH TERMINATOR LEROY, TRANSMILITARY, MAPPLETHORPE, TUCKED, GIRL

Shorts...

1. PARKING (Ahmad Seyfipour, Iran)
2. HIGH TIDE (Claire Zhou, Netherlands)
3. RENOVATION (Fabio Leal, Brazil)
4. BREAK ME (Irasj Asanti, Norway)
5. RUBBER DOLPHIN (Ori Aharon, Israel)
6. INFINITE WHILE IT LASTS (Akira Kamiki, Brazil)
7. OCTOBER BOY (Soren Green, Denmark)
8. ISHA (Christopher Manning, UK) 
9. BLACK HAT (Sarah Smith, US)
10. BLACK LIPS (Adrian Chiarella, Australia)