This June, celebrate Pride by diving into the best LGBTQIA+ films and tv shows with Film East’s newest book, Queer Projections. The award-winning organisation’s third film criticism anthology explores the representation of queerness on screen.
This book’s 16 original articles range from humorous to serious and philosophical to personal, utilising both classic and contemporary queer masterpieces to discuss how sexuality and gender are portrayed through the visual arts. Essays feature conversations on Netflix’s Sex Education, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire, as well as looks at queerness associated with pop stars like Harry Styles, Taylor Swift and David Bowie, plus so much more.
Contributors for Queer Projections include Oscar Brett Archibald, Niamh Brook, Shelby Cooke, Niamh Dann, Jem Dryer, Jessica Ann Evangelista, Rebecca Grenham, Ishnoor, Sára Lapinová, William Schofield, Elle Short and Billy White.
This anthology also includes the PROUD collection — a curated selection of 18 inspiring and uplifting LGBTQIA+ films and TV shows that depict the vast spectrum of queer identities and experiences. Film East is thrilled to be partnering with cultural institutions around Norwich and London to showcase some of the films featured in this collection.
In Norwich, Film East will be showing Céline Sciamma’s 2011 feature, Tomboy, at Cinema City on Monday 5 June at 18.15. Next, they will be screening Zaida Bergroth’s biographical film, Tove, a film following the creator of the Moonins, at the Norwich Arts Centre on Tuesday 6 June at 19.30. They will finish their collection tour in London with the Black queer classic The Watermelon Woman, directed by Cheryl Dunye, at The Garden Cinema on Sunday 11 June at 16:00. Tickets for all screenings are available via the venues’ websites.
Shelby Cooke, head curator at Film East and editor of Queer Projections, says: “In a world full of so much animosity, we want to spread love and positivity. We want to champion diverse storytelling and unique perspectives, allowing all voices to be heard. And Queer Projections is our attempt at doing that. I’m honoured to have worked with these passionate writers and institutions throughout this process. It’s so wonderful to know that we will be able to share all these queer stories with cinemagoers and fans not just around the UK but the world!”
Film East is an award-winning film programming group based in Norwich, UK. Since its inception in 2019, the group has provided a platform for young audiences to experience and interact with film.
Run by a group of young people, Film East aims to educate and inspire the next generation of film enthusiasts by offering unique opportunities to connect through thought-provoking cinema. Some of the ways they achieve this is via their online film and television blog — which is open to up-and-coming film journalists and critics; their podcast “Film East Chats” — which is broadcast monthly on BBC Radio Norfolk; and their in-person events — which aim to encourage young audiences to attend the cinema and experience the community of public screenings.
The group’s previous publications include Eating the Screen, a book that decodes the various ways food is depicted on screen, and SCREEN DREAMS, a zine that explores the many ways music can manifest on screen and how it impacts our viewing experience.
Preorders for print copies of Queer Projections are now open, with e-book preorders opening on 29 May. The publication is set to be released on 2 June 2023. Print books will be £20 and e-books will be £15.
