The Queer East Midlands (QEM) Film Festival is an innovative LGBTQ+ festival hosted in the heart of the East Midlands at Loughborough University. We are interested broadly in stories related to LGBTQ+ lives, experiences, and ways of viewing the world.
The theme this year is LGBTQ+ history. We encourage filmmakers to interpret this theme broadly and welcome applications across all genres and forms and artists of all skill and experience levels, especially those new to the medium of film or those who have never had a silver screen premiere.
We believe in the strength of community and the healing and transformative power of storytelling. We hope that our festival can be a space to explore and discuss LGBTQ+ positionalities and intersectionalities especially in our local context here in the East Midlands. We believe that art at it’s core should be collaborative and open, and therefore, we encourage those who may be teetering on the edge of submission to reach out for a coffee or a chat. We are dedicated to grow and support your vision and provide feedback in whatever way we can to help make your art come to life and reach new audiences.
It is important for us to recognise films which not only exemplify the theme of LGBTQ+ history but also exhibit extraordinary calibre, creativity, and innovation in their production.
To accomplish this goal, we are granting an award in each broad category of Best Short and Best Feature with a cash prize of £150, made possible through the generous support of LU Arts. Certificates of special mention are also to be awarded across various categories and signed by festival directors and key Loughborough University administrators.
