The Love Unbound: Five Films For Freedom Festival is set to make a comeback this March. For the second year of the festival, we are expanding our reach with activities in both Thessaloniki and Athens.
The festival is committed to exploring and delving into a variety of LGBTQIA+ and gender equality experiences by harnessing the transformative influence of arts and culture.
The festival is co-organised by the British Council and Parenthesis, in collaboration with Technopolis City of Athens.
The festival focuses on our global programme Five Films For Freedom, which includes a collection of short LGBTQIA+ films from around the world. Through film screenings, panel discussions, empowerment workshops and mentoring sessions, the festival aims to open unbiased discussion on current equality gender issues based on ‘real life’ experiences through artistic outputs.
In the parallel programme of the Love Unbound festival, there will be a series of discussions and workshops hosting leading UK professionals from the film and media industries including:
- Melanie Hoyes (she/her) – Director of Inclusion, Inclusion / CEO Office, British Film Institute
- Clare Reddington (she/her) – CEO at the Watershed, Bristol
- Anna Smith (she/her) – Film Critic and Broadcaster
Thessaloniki
At Ypsilon in Thessaloniki, we are hosting an exhibition of KERKIS, the book by Dimitris Tairis, a poignant and personal photographic narrative of the photographer’s personal life.
On the top floor, we will deliver an interactive workshop entitled Stronger Together for Gender Equality: The transformative power of female leadership, which aims to explore the significance of gender equality in leadership roles, addressing daily challenges and fostering inclusive practices through personal reflection, experience exchange and practical tools.
| When | Thursday 21 and Friday 22 March 2024 |
| Where | Ypsilon 5 Edessis Street 546 25 Thessaloniki |
Download the full programme in the ‘Documents’ section below.
Athens
In Athens, we invite you to join the Cultivating Creativity – Speed Mentoring Session for Women and Femininities in Creative Industries session. Women On Top are hosting an engaging speed mentoring session tailored for women and femininities, whether they’re aspiring to work in or are already employed in the creative sector.
For our young friends, Rainbow Families Greece invite you to join Paramythosalata, a workshop for families and children (aged 4–12) that uses storytelling as a medium to break stereotypes and help them to envision alternative, inclusive social structures in a fun way. The day will close with networking drinks and music.
| When | Saturday 23 March 2024 |
| Where | Technopolis City of Athens 100 Pireos Street 118 54 Athens |
Download the full programme in the ‘Documents’ section below.
This second edition of the festival is geared towards sparking a meaningful dialogue on the challenges of gender identity, promoting understanding and empathy, and encouraging action for a more inclusive and equal society, with a strong emphasis on the values of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) in the creative industries.
Five Films For Freedom
Dive into the world of LGBTQIA+ cinema!
In partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, we’re celebrating global LGBTQIA+ stories in support of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, intersex and asexual people across the world.
These are the five films we are championing in 2024:
- Little One directed by Clister Santos (Philippines – 9 mins)
- Cursive directed by Isabel Steuble-Johnson (UK – 9 mins)
- Halfway directed by Kumar Chheda (India – 14 mins)
- The First Kiss directed by Miguel Lafuente (Spain – 9 mins)
- Compton’s 22 directed by Drew de Pinto (USA – 18 mins)
We will also screen the documentary AKOE/AMFI: The story of a revolution (*Sleeping on his chest ...) by Iosif Vardakis.
Information
For further information, please contact Maria Papaioannou:
| Maria.Papaioannou@britishcouncil.gr | |
| Telephone | 210 369 2336 |