A showcase of the best Mancunian shorts submitted to SCENE's first ever LGBTQ+ short film competition.
SCENE’s brand new queer shorts competition in partnership with Queer Filmmakers Network showcases the best new queer shorts featuring Mancunian talent or made in our great city region.
Vote on your favourite at the end of each screening and the winner will be awarded the first ever SCENE Queer Shorts Audience Award.
ASL
RULF (19) meets ZIGGY (38) in his car to have sex. The attraction is promising until ZIGGY’s homophobia crashes into RULF's progressive ideals. After RULF points out ZIGGY’s self-contradictions, a boner-killing unease surfaces and ZIGGY slips into a guilt spiral.
The pair question their predicament. A flamboyant radio ad lifts the tension as they laugh into one another. They reconsider their mutual attractions before finally testing the car's suspension.
HIV + ME- PAUL
Forty years since HIV charity George House Trust first opened its doors, one of its founders recalls the lovers and friends he lost whilst fighting and campaigning from a grotty basement in Manchester during the early part of the epidemic.
BEFORE I DO
On the morning of her wedding day, Mona, a British-Indian woman, questions her rushed marriage and reflects on a period of self-discovery from her past.
DO YOU WANT TO
Under the sheets, Connor and Jake’s domestic bliss is put to the test. It’s bedtime, and someone’s in the mood – but do they actually know each other back to front, inside and out?... Porn, Plato, and power tools feature as they seek the answer in this silly, heartwarming romcom short.
JOY
JOY is a journey through the mind of a 65-year-old autistic lesbian who's addicted to sugar and can't stop thinking about her ex-girlfriend from youth. She lives with her partner - a mannequin that she's built to look like her ex. The tragicomic piece delves deep into moments of intimacy, loneliness, sexuality, joy, and the desperate longing to be loved.
(JOY is the sequel of the queer feminist short film Wake Up! It's Yesterday filmed in New York in 2020)
OUTLASTING
A celebration of the resilience of Jeffrey Dudgeon and Northern Ireland’s queer activists who bravely faced the courts and police to pave the way for a more open and progressive Northern Ireland.
This is a free ticketed event.
MORE information
Content guidance: To be confirmed when shorts programme announced 24th July
Age rating: 18+
TIMINGS
11:30 - Doors
12:05 - Feature starts
13:20 - Feature finishes
WHY NOT MAKE A NIGHT OF IT?
Manchester is the place to be for pride celebrations. And the city’s hotels are joining the party.
From vibrant parades and dazzling drag shows, to inspiring exhibitions, fabulous film festivals (That’s Us!) and epic parties, the city is ready to celebrate in full force.
When you book to stay over, enjoy exclusive offers and celebrations for SCENE and Pride.the action and enjoy exclusive Pride perks, including:
🔥 Up to 30% off your stay
🍳 Fabulous drag breakfasts & brunches - because glitter goes great with pancakes
🍸 Limited-edition Pride cocktails - sip something special in celebration
🎁 Freebies and surprises - because who doesn’t love a little extra?