SQIFF
P H O T O : J O N A T H A N J O H N S O N
SQIFF, the annual celebration of queer fi lm and media, returns for its third year. Arusa Qureshi takes a closer look at what’s in store for 2017
F ollowing two excellent and highly successful years, the Scottish Queer International Film Festival is back with its third programme, featuring 40 events at venues across Glasgow. The annual festival celebrates the best in queer i lm and media, showcasing bold i lmmaking from around the world while creating an inclusive and accessible environment for widespread
discussion and engagement.
This year’s programme has been expanded over i ve days to allow for a wider range of events, with the festival set to include premieres, documentaries, workshops, parties and more. To kick things off, queer i lmmaking hero Bruce LaBruce (pictured, above) will be introducing his latest i lm The Misandrists on Wed 27 Sep, while the festival will close with the Scottish premiere of Jennifer Reeder’s SXSW hit Signature Move, which explores the queer Muslim experience and the world of female Mexican wrestling. The festival in general aims to place queer lives centre stage, with highlights including a host of documentaries that examine what it means to be LGBTQ+ in different communities around the world. Chavela (28 Sep) looks at the life of Mexican ranchera singer and lesbian icon Chavela Vargas, while in the Queer Revolution strand, Carlos Jáuregui: The Unforgettable Fag (29 Sep) is the story of the i rst leader of the pioneering Argentine Homosexuality Community. Jacqueline Gares’ documentary FREE CeCe (1 Oct) is about the experiences of trans woman CeCe McDonald, who was incarcerated for defending herself against a hate crime. The story is narrated by Orange is the New Black star Laverne Cox and examines some of the realities of life as a trans woman of colour. >>
1 Sep–31 Oct 2017 THE LIST 23