A selection of queer movies from South Africa, the UK and the USA, culminating in three short films by gay African American filmmaker Edward Owens, with a new live score.

In a decade where same-sex sexual activity was illegal in most countries around the world, including the UK and the USA, LGBTQ+ lives were seldom shown on film. Queer artists would instead shoot underground films, designed to be shown to private audiences, while amateur filmmakers shot home movies, never intended to be shown on the big screen.

In this collection of queer rarities, with a new live score by students from the Electronic and Produced Music Department at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, we explore a rich variety of films showcasing LGBTQ+ people in front of and behind the camera, including a drag home movie from South Africa, a powerful British short about a gay couple experiencing societal oppression, and a wonderful trio of works by gay African American filmmaker Edward Owens, all made before he turned 21.