The organisers behind the Fringe Gay Film Fest are a bunch of volunteers who came together to do Fringe in 2011. They were really devastated that the funding for the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival had been topsliced. So they took matters into their own hands and set up our own DIY film weekend. The funding is back for 2012, but the need for vibrant fun queer culture in a time of austerity is as pressing as ever. Plus it was really fun to do and they just decided to do it again. Come out and join them! Fringe is a non-profit event that aims to provide a great weekend of cheap film-based fun for London gays and their admirers and as much of a platform as possible for new work and new film-makers. In 2011 they collaborated with some fabulous people including Holestar, Hot Laser, Club des Femmes, Little Joe Magazine, The Italian Film Society, Dalston Superstore, Soda Pictures, The Aubin Cinema and Gallery, The London Consortium MA in Film Curation, Switch, The Rio, Jonathan Keane, Peccadillo Pictures, The Book Club, Off Broadway, Twat Boutique, Vogue Fabrics, Stav B & The Great Cake Escape.
Fringe! is an audio-visual arts adventure rooted in London’s gay creative community and welcoming everyone. From feature films to fashion shows, workshops to interactive walks and a weekend full of wild parties, we’ll be hosting over 20 diverse events to tickle every one of your senses. With our signature blend of grunge and glamour, the thoughtful and the strange, we’ll be packing out plush cinemas, art galleries, teashops, basements and err the Stoke Newington cemetery.
Cinema is the core of Fringe! and we’ll be showing powerful new films, old classics and provocative shorts. All our big film showings are enhanced – whether that’s because they’re set in an intellectual context by the director, or because a drag queen bursts out of papier mache and shouts at you. We’re all about suprises.
The 2011 Fringe was planned in 8 weeks and pulled in 2000 attendees, three critics’ choice reviews in Time Out and positive coverage across the film and gay press.The funding is back this year, but the need for more vibrant fun queer culture in a time of austerity is as pressing as ever. Come out and live it up!
Planned highlights for 2012
– late night Madonna film marathon + beauty pageant
– a guided walking tour of east London’s finest homo cruising spots
– a whistle-stop of tragic deaths and passionate kisses in lesbian cinema: 20 films in 40 minutes
– screenings in the sauna, with disreputable short films in private booths
In 2012 they’ll be running an even bigger events programme pulling in fashion, performance and music collaborating with the cream of London’s alt arts scene and reaching deep into local communities. They’re also launching a music video competition to harness hot new film-making talent in collaboration with a big name artist.
Fringe 2011 was a roaring success, so cancel that city break, rearrange your wedding and block out the weekend of April 12-15th 2012: make sure you make it down to the four day east London extravaganza of film, art and parties.
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