Queer Media Festival is a one day event on Saturday 18th November at HOME, Manchester’s £25 million combined arts centre with tickets starting from £10.
After last year’s sell-out event, Queer Media Festival returns for the festival’s fourth year, to commemorate fifty years since homosexuality was partially decriminalised, by celebrating the amazing range of LGBTQ stories in all forms of media. The festival pays tribute to Corrie superfan Martyn Hett, who was killed in the Manchester terrorist bombing in May, and his love of Deirdre Barlow with an interactive drag queen hosted, archive Coronation Street screening to raise money for charity.
During the day hear from inspiring live speakers who are creating LGBTQ stories using the new digital platforms of virtual reality, online storytelling, interactive games or mobile filmmaking. Discover who mixes digital with traditional media like theatre making, journalism, playwriting, TV, radio and film, in their storytelling. Enjoy a creative mix of engaging talks, performances, workshops and films aiming to refresh the way that LGBTQ narratives are told and explore the queer rainbow of diverse stories.
One of the highlights of the Queer Media Festival will be the workshop in mobile filmmaking led by BBC Academy Video/Mobile Journalism trainer Deirdre Mulcahy, who will demonstrate how the smartphone can be the vital tool for new budding filmmakers and help tell the stories of marginalised communities. The festival is also delighted to announce that the keynote speaker will be John McGrath, Artistic Director of Manchester International
Festival.
In the evening following the talks will be Hilda vs Deirdre: Queer Corrie Spectacular a fabulous interactive experience to celebrate the camp heritage of Coronation Street, through four archive episodes of the soap opera featuring the iconic characters of Hilda Ogden and Deirdre Barlow. The event is inspired by Corrie superfan Martyn Hett, whose favourite character was Deirdre and who was killed in May at the Ariana Grande concert terrorist bombing. The event will be attended by Martyn’s mother and step dad and hosted by Manchester drag queens Anna Phylactic and Miss Blair, as they take on the roles of the two characters. Join them as they look back at the Ogden’s second honeymoon, Hilda’s lost washing drama, Deirdre’s Christmas Day revelation of Ken’s affair and the day she went to prison. Episodes are from: 1977, 1981, 1989, 1998. With thanks to the BFI National TV Archive and ITV Archive. Profits from the event will be split evenly between three great charities chosen by Martyn’s family, that have a special place in their lives: Kidscan, Beacon Counselling, and Beechwood Cancer Care Centre.
To close the festival is Queering Animation a celebration of the medium of animation in telling queer narratives. Expect an amazing array of twelve LGBTQ animated short films created from live action, hand drawn illustrations, computer generated to stop motion techniques exploring the queer colourful cartoon rainbow of diverse stories. The festival, after party will be held at
Tribeca, 50 Sackville St, Manchester M1 3WF. 11pm to 2pm. Free entry.
Find out more by visiting the festival’s website at queermedia.org.uk, following them on Twitter and Instagram at @QueerMediaUK and liking their Facebook page at facebook.com/qmfuk
