CARDIFF will host a special event next Tuesday, 24 March, celebrating international LGBTQIA+ storytelling as part of the British Council’s global LGBTQIA+ Five Films For Freedom campaign.
The free screenings will take place at the University of South Wales Atrium and are delivered in partnership with the Iris Prize, Cardiff’s international LGBTQIA+ film festival.
Audiences will see three films from this year’s programme – I Hate Helen (UK), Room 206 (France) and Theo (Brazil) – followed by a panel discussion chaired by Welsh comedian and writer Leila Navabi, featuring Michael Blyth from the Five Films For Freedom team at the British Council, writer and actor Leo Drayton, and Rosie Brear, producer of I Hate Helen.
Now in its 12th year, Five Films For Freedom uses cinema to share LGBTQIA+ stories with audiences around the world. Since launching in 2015, the initiative has received nearly 29 million views and reached viewers in more than 200 countries, including places where LGBTQIA+ representation remains restricted or contested.
I Hate Helen, directed by Katie Lambert, captures the intensity of adolescent same-sex desire through the story of Priya, a schoolgirl struggling to understand her feelings for a classmate. The French documentary Room 206, directed by Laurie Bisceglia, follows Clair after gender-affirming surgery, tracing a journey towards self-recognition and renewal. Theo, directed by Monica Palazzo and Joana Galvão, is set during the 1986 World Cup in Brazil and follows a seven-year-old quietly challenging rigid gender expectations at school while inventing their own way of existing.
The screening will be introduced by Berwyn Rowlands, Director of the Iris Prize, and Elena Schmitz, Head of Arts at British Council Wales.
Berwyn Rowlands, Iris Prize Festival Director, said: “In a world full of challenges, the Five Films for Freedom project is a reminder of how we can find hope in different situations all over the world.
"We are reminded in Wales to 'do the small things' and these beautifully crafted stories are a reminder that humanity has the power to offer hope in the most unexpected places.
"Team Iris is delighted to be working in partnership with the British Council to celebrate Five Films for Freedom.”
Elena Schmitz, Head of Arts at British Council Wales, added: “Five Films For Freedom shows how powerful film can be in bringing global stories to local audiences. Events like this give people in Wales the opportunity to experience powerful international storytelling together and to hear directly from the creatives behind the work.
“At a time when LGBTQIA+ voices are still marginalised in many parts of the world, sharing these films helps create space for visibility, conversation and understanding. We’re proud to work with the Iris Prize - Wales’ own international LGBTQIA+ film festival celebrating its 20th anniversary this year. Together, we’re delighted to bring these stories to audiences in Wales and connect Cardiff with a global celebration of LGBTQIA+ creativity.”
The Five Films For Freedom campaign runs online until 29 March, with all five films available to stream worldwide via the British Council’s digital platforms and on BFI Player in the UK.
The initiative continues to reach audiences in countries where same-sex relationships remain criminalised, emphasising the power of film to foster visibility, cultural dialogue and representation.
Tickets for the Cardiff event can be booked for free here:
https://irismembership.eventive.org/schedule/69a84e46a04ff3f9185dae06
https://irismembership.eventive.org/schedule/69a84e46a04ff3f9185dae06
Find out more about Five Films for Freedom. Watch the trailer here.