Queer cinema has always lit the way for this dramatic soul. The films watched with adolescent blushes as I hoped my mother wouldn’t note my interest in the lives of Oscar, Orton, Arnold, Quentin, or Maurice doing their queer thing on our Radio Rental. The unbridled joy of digging into Go Fish or the heat of Desert Hearts as I worked out my passions in life. The goosebumps as Almodóvar rolled his opening credits. The defiance of Jarman’s Orlando, the kook of Loot, the tears of Pride. Those moments you see a soul like yours on the big screen and you feel seen. Really seen. Oh, how I shall always celebrate those queer celluloid wonders who lit up the dark and led me to my tribe.

And so it is with a sense of real pride and pleasure that Queenie and I will be skipping the cinematic light fantastic this February at Lewes Depot’s first annual QueerFest closing cocktail party. Join us for a session of disco-infused tunes as tasty as the bar’s creative concoctions as we celebrate the queer cinema that showed us the way and the communities it reflected. One tale at a time, popcorn optional.

QueerFest Closing Party Cocktail Night – Friday 24th February 7pm-11pm. Depot, Pinwell Road, Lewes, East Sussex BN7 2JS For more info and to book your Queer Fest film tickets click here