Content Guidance Summary
SCENE Festival 2026 – Age Ratings & Content Guidance
TUESDAY 18–SUNDAY 30 AUGUST
Manchester LGBTQ+ History Trail: Guided Tour
6pm Tuesday 18 August - Whitworth Locke Hotel
6pm Wednesday 19 August - Whitworth Locke Hotel
6pm Thursday 20 August - Whitworth Locke Hotel
1pm Saturday 29 August - Whitworth Locke Hotel
1pm Sunday 30 August - Whitworth Locke Hotel
Age rating: All ages
Content guidance: Discussion of historical homophobia, discrimination, criminalisation of LGBTQ+ people and LGBTQ+ activism.
THURSDAY 20–MONDAY 31 AUGUST
Dragged to the Movies – The Exhibition
9am Thursday 20 August (runs to Monday 31 August) — KAMPUS
Age rating: All ages
Content Guidance: Exhibition features images of drag performance, gender expression and performers recreating characters from film and television.
THURSDAY 20 AUGUST
Opening Film: Bitter Christmas
5.50pm Thursday 20 August — HOME
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Grief, infidelity, sexual scenes.
SCENE Northern Shorts Showcase
6pm Thursday 20 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, sexual content and nudity, discrimination, violence, substance use, mental health themes and other adult subject matter. Content varies between individual films.
Moonlight – 10 Year Anniversary
7.30pm Thursday 20 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Strong language, racial and homophobic slurs, sexual content and references, drug use and dealing, and moderate violence, including bullying and assault.
NOFX: 40 Years of Fuckin' Up
7.30pm Thursday 20 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, sexual scenes, discussion of kink, discussions of addiction, drug use.
SCENE Opening Event: The Traitors
8pm Thursday 20 August — Aviva Studios
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Betrayal, interpersonal conflict, suspense and elimination from The Traitors. The event is followed by an adult party where alcohol is served. Contains spoilers for previous series.
Opening Night Film: Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma
8.30pm Thursday 20 August — HOME
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Strong bloody violence, sex, drug misuse, discrimination, threat, language.
FRIDAY 21 AUGUST
SCENE Northern Shorts Showcase
6pm Friday 21 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, sexual content and nudity, discrimination, violence, substance use, mental health themes and other adult subject matter. Content varies between individual films.
Queer As Punk
6pm Friday 21 August — HOME
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Harassment; transphobic language.
High School Musical
7pm Friday 21 August — First Street
Age rating: U
Content Guidance: Very mild bullying and social pressure. No significant violence, sex or strong language.
GASP Presents: The Serpent's Skin + Queer Horror Shorts
7.30pm Friday 21 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Depiction of self-harm, gore/body horror, sexual content and transphobia. The accompanying queer horror shorts may also contain violence, threat, disturbing imagery and other horror themes.
Tip Toe – Screening and Panel
8pm Friday 21 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Shocking scenes of violence that some viewers may find distressing, strong language from the start, offensive and discriminatory attitudes, and scenes of a sexual nature.
25 Years of Hedwig and the Angry Inch
8pm Friday 21 August — HOME
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Explicit discussion and depiction of a botched gender-affirmation surgery, strong sexual content and language, drug use, nudity, and themes of identity, abandonment and abuse.
Speed and Strike Present Drinking and Driving
10.15pm Friday 21 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Alcohol misuse, drink driving, drug use, smoking/vaping, strong language and themes of emotional dependency.
SATURDAY 22 AUGUST
Iris Prize Best British Shorts Announcement
12.30pm Saturday 22 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Includes strong language, sexual content and references, discrimination, mental health themes, violence and other adult subject matter. Content will vary between individual films.
TITE Trans Shorts Showcase
1pm Saturday 22 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Sexual content and references, trans bodies and sexuality, masturbation, fertility and pregnancy themes, alcohol references, fetishised or experimental sexual situations and hallucinatory imagery.
Angus, Thongs & Perfect Snogging
1pm Saturday 22 August — First Street
Age rating: 12A
Content Guidance: Teen sexual curiosity and innuendo, mild crude humour, bullying/body-image themes and mild language.
October Crow
3pm Saturday 22 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Sex work, BDSM (whipping, pinching), strong language, brief nudity, office culture. Positive representation of sex work and intergenerational friendship.
Low Rider
3.30pm Saturday 22 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Prejudice relating to gender and race, grief.
High School Musical 2
4pm Saturday 22 August — First Street
Age rating: U
Content Guidance: Very mild romantic content and innuendo, mild language and themes of friendship conflict and manipulative behaviour.
Puppygirl
5pm Saturday 22 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Explicit sexual scenes, depiction of fetishism, strong language.
Kiss & Tell... The I Kissed A Boy/Girl Story
5.30pm Saturday 22 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Discussion of dating, relationships, kissing, sex and sexuality, LGBTQ+ identity, rejection and experiences of appearing on reality television. May include strong language and candid discussion of discrimination and public scrutiny.
Stop! That! Train!
6pm Saturday 22 August — HOME
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.
Clueless
7pm Saturday 22 August — First Street
Age rating: 12
Content Guidance: Teen drug references, including a house party with drugs, sexual references, alcohol use, mild language and a scene involving unwanted sexual advances in a car.
The SCRUFF Screening: Paris 05:59: Théo & Hugo
8pm Saturday 22 August — Treehouse Hotel
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Unsimulated explicit sex scenes and discussions around sexual health.
Castration Movie Chapter III: Junior Ghosts—Premorphic Drift; a Fragmentary Passage
7.30pm Saturday 22 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Scenes of graphic violence or injury and sex, themes of suicide, and homophobic and transphobic attitudes and language.
The Ab Fab A-Thon
8pm Saturday 22 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, sexual references, nudity, smoking, and frequent comic alcohol and drug misuse. Also includes slapstick violence, mild peril, and some outdated or discriminatory humour presented satirically.
Fatt Butcher's Congregational
8.30pm Saturday 22 August — Aviva Studios
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Some strong language and references to substance use.
I Want Your Sex
8.30pm Saturday 22 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong sexual content, graphic nudity and pervasive strong language.
SUNDAY 23 AUGUST
Rebel Without A Cause
12pm Sunday 23 August — First Street
Age rating: PG
Content Guidance: Teen drinking, a fatal knife fight, gun violence, dysfunctional and abusive family dynamics, and death.
Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders
1pm Sunday 23 August — Treehouse Hotel
Age rating: 18+
Content Guidance: Discussion of murder and death, homophobic language, violence, sexual scenes and strong language.
Aks: Trans Stories Across South Asia
1pm Sunday 23 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance:Provisional guidance: Transphobia and discrimination, societal and family pressure, gender and sexuality, erotic and relationship themes, migration, marginalisation and discussion of oppression and trans rights.
Heartstopper Forever – In Conversation with Alice Oseman
2pm Sunday 23 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 14+ (anyone under 14 must be accompanied by an adult)
Content Guidance: Discussion and clips may include homophobia and homophobic bullying, mental health difficulties, eating disorders, references to self-harm, relationships and sexual themes. The overall tone includes positive LGBTQ+ representation and themes of recovery and support.
SCENE Northern Shorts Showcase
2pm Sunday 23 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, sexual content and nudity, discrimination, violence, substance use, mental health themes and other adult subject matter. Content varies between individual films.
High School Musical 3: Senior Year
2.30pm Sunday 23 August — First Street
Age rating: U
Content Guidance: Very mild romantic themes and emotional themes around graduation, family expectations, change and separation.
Bouchra
3.30pm Sunday 23 August — HOME
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Sexual scenes, strong language.
Out Now – Talking Queer TV from 90s to Now with Scott Bryan
4pm Sunday 23 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 14+
Content Guidance: Discussion of homophobia, Section 28, LGBTQ+ identity, neurodivergence, growing up queer and changing representations of LGBTQ+ people on television. Clips and discussion may include sexual references, discrimination and strong language.
It's A Sin – Full Series Screening and Panel
4pm Sunday 23 August — Aviva Studios
Age rating: 15
Content Guidance: Strong sex, nudity, sex references, language, discrimination, drug misuse and upsetting scenes, including illness, HIV/AIDS and death.
Satisfaction
5pm Sunday 23 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Sexual scenes, depiction of sexual assault, nudity, strong language.
Wolf
5.30pm Sunday 23 August — Treehouse Hotel
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Discussion of death and drug use, grief, strong language.
Scream Queens Cinema Club: The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
6pm Sunday 23 August — VADA VADA
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong violence and horror, sustained threat and disturbing imagery.
Devdas
6pm Sunday 23 August — First Street
Age rating: PG
Content Guidance: References to alcoholism, class/caste prejudice and mental health issues.
Maddie's Secret
6.15pm Sunday 23 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Heavy references to eating disorders, strong language.
Celebrating Caroline Aherne
7pm Sunday 23 August — New Century Hall
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Moderate and strong language, crude humour, sexual references, smoking, alcohol use, and humour reflecting outdated attitudes around class, gender and family life.
It's Dorothy!
7pm Sunday 23 August — Cruz 101
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, scary scenes and depictions of violence.
Black Burns Fast
7.30pm Sunday 23 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Racist micro-aggressions and discrimination. Positive lesbian representation, Black joy and friendship.
MONDAY 24 AUGUST
Hairspray
6pm Monday 24 August — First Street
Age rating: PG
Content Guidance: Themes of racism and segregation, mild innuendo, a brief jail scene and some bullying/body-shaming content.
Blue Film + Q&A
6pm Monday 24 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Explicit sexual content, grooming/paedophilia themes, slurs and strong language.
ORIGINS x SCENE Northern Shorts Showcase
7pm Monday 24 August — COLONY King Street
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, sexual content and nudity, discrimination, violence, substance use, mental health themes and other adult subject matter. Content varies between individual films.
TUESDAY 25 AUGUST
Bend It Like Beckham
6pm Tuesday 25 August — First Street
Age rating: 12A
Content Guidance: Family conflict around cultural and religious expectations, mild language, sexual references and references to racism and homophobia.
Sincerely, Adam
6.30pm Tuesday 25 August — Aviva Studios
Age rating: Under 14s must be accompanied by an adult aged 18+
Content Guidance: Queer identity, homophobia and LGBTQ+ discrimination, forbidden love, family and societal pressure, migration and displacement, and experiences of LGBTQ+ people in North Africa.
Rivals: Behind The Drama
8.15pm Tuesday 25 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Discussion and clips may include strong sexual content and references, nudity, strong language, infidelity, alcohol and smoking, discrimination and outdated attitudes, and themes of power, manipulation and abusive relationships.
WEDNESDAY 26 AUGUST
SCENE Northern Shorts Showcase
6pm Wednesday 26 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Strong language, sexual content and nudity, discrimination, violence, substance use, mental health themes and other adult subject matter. Content varies between individual films.
Grease
6pm Wednesday 26 August — First Street
Age rating: PG
Content Guidance: Teen smoking and drinking, sexual innuendo and references to teen pregnancy, mild language and some outdated attitudes.
Barbara Forever
6pm Wednesday 26 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Explicit sexual content, nudity, illness, death, discussion of the AIDS epidemic, homophobia and discrimination.
She's The He
7.30pm Wednesday 26 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Transphobic and homophobic language, sexual references and pointed satire of anti-trans politics.
The Post Credit Club
7.30pm Wednesday 26 August — To Be Frank
Age rating: 18+
Content Guidance: Discussion of Teenage Sex & Death at Camp Miasma, including its themes of strong bloody violence, sex, drug misuse, discrimination, threat and strong language. Conversation may contain spoilers for the film.
PROTEST! – CONDENSATION Short Film Premiere
8pm Wednesday 26 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Themes of homophobia and LGBTQ+ discrimination, censorship, historical prejudice and the impact and legacy of Section 28.
THURSDAY 27 AUGUST
The Wizard of Oz
6pm Thursday 27 August — First Street
Age rating: PG
Content Guidance: Frightening witch and tornado sequences that may scare young children, fantasy threat and mild peril.
Closing Documentary: Hunky Jesus
6pm Thursday 27 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Partial nudity and disparaging material relating to the LGBTQ+ community.
Filmmaker Mixer + SCENE Shorts Announcement
6pm Thursday 27 August — Campfield
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Short screenings may include strong language, sexual content and nudity, discrimination, violence, substance use, mental health themes and other adult subject matter. Content varies between individual films.
Channel 4 Presents: First For Funny – Live Comedy Night
7pm Thursday 27 August — Aviva Studios
Age rating: 18+ only
Content Guidance: Live stand-up comedy may include strong language, sexual references, adult themes and provocative or challenging material, including discussion of relationships, identity, politics and discrimination.
St Trinian's (2007) Party Screening
7.30pm Thursday 27 August — CULTPLEX
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Moderate sex references, comic violence, drug references and use, alcohol, mild language and comic criminal behaviour.
Liberation Pride Pageant
8pm Thursday 27 August — Aviva Studios
Age rating: 18+ only
Content Guidance: Adult drag performance featuring sexual references and innuendo, strong language, provocative performance and themes around race, sexuality and gender identity.
SCENE 2026 Closing Party
8pm Thursday 27 August — Campfield
Age rating: 18+ only
Content Guidance: Adult nightlife environment with alcohol, loud music and dancing. May include strong language.
Closing Film: Chatlines
8.15pm Thursday 27 August — HOME
Age rating: 18
Content Guidance: Discussion of death, grief, strong language and sexual scenes.