Whether you attended the festival in person, watched the brilliant shorts available online, or missed it totally, I wanted to share with you some of the films I got to see as part of the 2024 edition of the BFI Flare Festival that I think you should watch!
The Summer with Carmen
A seductive and smart gay comedy which dissects filmmaking, friendship and sex. The Summer with Carmen had me laughing and in awe of how it cleverly put this tale on screen. The colours, the graphics, it felt so familiar yet so fresh in its brilliant choices.
Unicorns
In this moving romance between an Essex mechanic and a South Asian drag queen, Unicorns shows us the bright lights and glitter of love, but doesn’t shy away from reality. It stars Ben Hardy and Jason Patel who are fantastic in their roles.
Cara Mamma
An aerial performer and her young adult son grapple with her understanding of his transition via letters and physical performance in this gorgeous documentary. Filmed over several years and incorporating family archive, I was blown away by this short film, in how it handled alternating sides and flaming feelings with deep respect.
We Forgot to Break Up
A trans musician is caught in a love triangle with his bandmates as they rise to fame in Toronto’s 2000s music scene. Based on a book, which I now need to read, We Forgot to Break Up is so cool and punk rock in every aspect, I need the soundtrack on Spotify ASAP.
Cab Ride
Two queer lovers share a cab journey to figure out whether they are truly a match. Comedy writing at its finest, it was so fun getting to laugh along with an audience, and see if this couple would end up together.
These are just a few of the films I was able to see across the festival, meaning there are so many I didn’t get to watch, so unfortunately can’t add them to my list. If you saw anything at Flare that you think people should look out for, let me know!