This Year’s London GFEST – Gaywise FESTival Programme Announced For 10th-22nd November

While there are quite a few LGBT film festivals and events for the likes of gay writers and performance artists, not that many bring together all sorts of queer artists from across the cultural spectrum under one umbrella dedicated to promoting LGBTQI art. However The GFEST Gaywise Festival does just that.

The event was founded in 2007 by London-based arts charity, Wise Thoughts, and has since become a major annual event in UK’s cultural calendar and a key commissioning platform for emerging and established LGBTQI artists.

This year’s event runs from 10th-22nd November in venues across London, with a world-class programme of film, dance, art and performance, this year responding to the festival theme of Myths and Mythology.

Highlights of this year’s line-up include an exclusive British screening of Brazil’s 2015 BAFTA submission, The Way He Looks by Daniel Ribeiro; the global premiere of a newly commissioned work by renowned South-Asian dance guru, Justin McCarthy; the London premiere of Brace by acclaimed independent-British filmmaker, Jake Graf; award winning cabaret from Bird La Bird and Mizz Kimberly; and newly commissioned works form the UK’s foremost feminist artist, Sadie Lee, among others.

The Myths and Mythology theme seeks to explore the commonly held ideas and misconceptions surrounding LGBTQI communities across the globe. The long-term goal of the festival is to provide LGBTQI artists with a platform for expression while developing audiences for LGBTQI among both Gay and Straight audiences.

The festival’s Artistic Director Niranjan Kamatkar comments, “GFEST 2014 brings together an inspirational line-up of film-makers, artists, and  performance dancers, each united in their aim to dispel the modern  myths and stereotypes surrounding LGBTQI cultures. Working with the commissioned artists to showcase their work at this year’s festival has been truly inspirational. The GFEST platform for expression demonstrates that arts can be used to build bridges between gay and straight communities for generations to come.”

You can find out more over at the Gaywise Festival website, and you can take a look at a showreel preview below. Alternatively click here to download a full brochure.