Queer Media Festival – Evolving queer storytelling in digital

 

Saturday 3rd to Sunday 4th November 2018

 

• UK’s only queer digital arts festival returns for its fifth year in Manchester, UK

• Discover how you can become an innovative storyteller creating LGBTQ stories using virtual reality, mobile filmmaking and podcasting at The Sharp Project

• Celebrate the life of Freddie Mercury; the week the Queen biopic is released; at a drag inspired event cinema screening at HOME arts centre

 

• UK premiere of work in progress documentary Deep In Vogue about the Northern vogue dance scene during the two day festival

 

• The festival asks the question: Are you growing increasingly frustrated by the under-representation of many voices in society – large groups of people growing up having no value attached to their perspectives – so why don’t you decide to do something about it?

 

Organisers of the Queer Media Festival have announced details of their fifth festival to be held for the first time over two days with interactive workshops, performances, and films in Manchester, England.

 

Jamie Starboisky, Queer Media’s Festival Director, commented:

 

“Learn hands on, from industry experts how to utilise digital to tell your story. Enjoy a creative mix of inspiring talks and engaging workshops aiming to encourage and inspire you with the skills to refresh representation and the way that LGBTQ narratives are told.”

 

Events at The Sharp Project, Thorp Road, Manchester, M40 5BJ

 

09.30 to 17.00 – Why Don’t You…? – Sat 3 Nov

 

Their event Why Don’t You…? at The Sharp Project will have three workshops with one focusing on podcasting facilitated by Emma Goswell (Gaydio Radio) and Chrystal Genesis (STANCE podcast)

 

Hear how Chrystal launched Stance Podcast on Trump’s Inauguration day with the aim of giving a larger array of people the same amount of space, creativity and intellectual weight as others, and how Emma, Gaydio’s Drive Time presenter, this Autumn, is set to launch her own podcast series – Coming Out Stories.

 

Queer Media’s MobDoc Mobile Filmmaking Workshop, which has been held earlier this year in Dublin and Cardiff returns home to Manchester with a session facilitated by Deirdre Mulcahy (BBC Academy).

 

MobDoc involves practical exercises focused on learning how to tell LGBTQ stories utilising mobile filmmaking technologies. The aim is to teach people how to begin to challenge the narrative in LGBTQ films by developing skills to create a film during the workshop. With two workshops aimed at beginner and advanced filmmakers ultimately they hope to empower participants to tell their own stories using their smartphone.

 

Future Artists deliver the third workshop at Why Don’t You…? focusing on virtual reality where participants meet Rosie and Clay two pioneers in virtual reality production and creation. It is an exciting chance to ask them anything about creating in VR and have a go on a variety of demos that they have set up – by the end of the demo, you will have created something in virtual reality!

 

Presented by Queer Media UK in partnership with The Sharp Project.

 

Registration is from 9.30 am and participants are free to pop down to any of the drop-in workshops throughout the day. Tickets for Why Don’t You…? : £15, £12/£10 concessions.

 

More details about Why Don’t You…? here:  https://queermediawhydontyou.eventbrite.co.uk

 

This project is supported by a grant from Superbia. Superbia Grants provide financial support for LGBT events as part of Manchester Pride’s commitment to the quality and diversity of cultural events taking place throughout the year in Greater Manchester.

 

 

Events at HOME arts centre, 2 Tony Wilson Place, Manchester, M15 4FN

 

18.30 – Work in Progress: Deep In Vogue – Sat 3 Nov

 

 

Work in Progress: Deep In Vogue – Directed by Amy Watson & Dennis Keighron-Foster, a Spaniels in Heels production

 

Introduced by Darren Pritchard, Mother of the House of Ghetto and includes short film Femme (Director: Alden Peters)

 

Trailer: https://youtu.be/1yefZdob2TI

 

Deep In Vogue celebrates the colourful, queer, emotional and political stories of Northern Vogue and its people. Synonymous with the black, gay ballrooms of 1980s New York this documentary asks why we need Vogue in Manchester now more than ever.

 

 

 

20.40 – Battle Of The Freddies: Black & White Ball – Sat 3 Nov

 

Includes drag performances from Jack the Lad and Vin Dicktiv as Freddie Mercury and short film Missed Conceptions (Director: Ruby Parker-Harbord)

 

Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender Director’s Cut

2012 ‧ Documentary ‧ Director: Rhys Thomas

Freddie Mercury was one of the most charismatic, complex and fascinating characters in British rock music. Using extensive unseen archive footage, this film celebrates the man who was very different to his flamboyant onstage public persona, the week the Queen biopic is released. Dress to impress in black and white!

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Na5DhC-rEKw

 

Events at Tribeca Manchester, 50 Sackville Street, Manchester, M1 3WF

 

17.00 – Shakedown Documentary – Event Cinema – Sun 4 Nov – in collaboration with Black Gold Arts Festival (Director: Leilah Weinraub)

 

The festival closes with a screening of the film – Teddy Award nominated documentary – Shakedown (2017) that chronicles explicit performances in an underground black lesbian club in Los Angeles. Filmed from 2002 – 2015 the story functions as a legend where money is both myth and material. The hostess for the evening, Hip Hop artist extraordinaire Onye OneDa Ezeh and House Of Ghetto, Manchester’s premier Vogue house, will bring a unique and special live performance experience complimenting the documentary.

 

 

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Tickets for the festival are available at: https://queermedia.org.uk/