There's an LGBTQ+ film festival you can attend without even leaving the house
Not everyone has the ability to jet off to Cannes or Venice to attend glittering film festivals, but there's an LGBTQ+ event that you can watch from the comfort of your own home.
Soho Horror Film Festival began in 2018, presenting three days of spine-tingling genre offerings right in Central London.
When the COVID-19 pandemic sent us into lockdown in 2020, Sohome Horror Pride was born, a virtual festival allowing film fans to enjoy a slate of new films as well as live events from the comfort of their own home while also celebrating Pride Month.
Sohome Horror Fest also takes part every November following the annual in-person weekend festival at the Whirled Cinema. Despite many film festivals going virtual during the pandemic and ditching at-home events once lockdown lifted, Soho Horror Film Festival has maintained its online event in a bid to make film festivals more accessible.
The 2025 addition of Sohome Horror Pride is set to take place from June 13 to 15, with feature films, shorts, and special events, including a live presentation on the Queerest moments in horror history, a live commentary for Scream 3 from podcast Horror Queers, and a 40th anniversary celebration of A Nightmare on Elm Street Part 2.
'During the first national lockdown in 2020, we pioneered with the first virtual genre festival in the UK, and the response from it was so overwhelmingly positive that we simply had to forge a follow-up,' festival director Mitch Harrod tells Metro.
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'Supporting LGBTQ+ filmmakers and narratives has been a cornerstone of the festival since its inception, so it was only natural to host our take on Pride celebrations, especially at a time when they weren't allowed to happen.
'Since then queer horror has grown from strength to strength, both in quantity, quality, brazenness and nuance to the degree that these horror films cover a spectrum as wide as that of the LGBTQ+ community.'
What's more, Sohome Horror Pride runs on a donate-what-you-can basis, eliminating the sky-high costs that price out many film fans when it comes to attending film festivals.
'Accessibility has always been a major focus of our festival. What we found through the advent of the pandemic and virtual events is that there is a community of people who desperately want to attend film festivals, but due to reasons such as medical or financial constraints, had never been able to,' Mitch continued.
'The virtual festival created such a sense of community during the periods of isolation and lockdown, and we couldn't shut the door on those people that found refuge and entertainment with it, just because the rest of the world went 'back to normal'.'
As for what to expect from Sohome Horror Pride, the festival runs much like any other – screening after screening, with a little break in between to chat with fans about what you thought. There are also introductions hosted by Mitch as well as the creatives behind the films, and a fun-filled afterparty to get to know other festivalgoers.
Films are shared via an online screening portal accessible through computers and mobile devices, while live introductions and events are hosted through a private Facebook group.
Screening blocks go live according to the Sohome Horror Pride schedule, but will be accessible until June 22 for those who can't join in as it happens.
While it's a fun-filled weekend for all involved, it takes months of organisation on Soho Horror Film Festival's behalf to pull off an entire virtual event.
Mitch runs Soho Horror Film Festival as a solo operation – so every film, short, event, social media post, or party throughout the year is solely down to him.
Despite the stress of programming on average 50 films, including shorts and features, he describes the positive reactions from attendees both in person and online as 'very rewarding.'
And it comes at a time when LGBTQ+ rights are under threat, following the Supreme Court ruling, meaning trans women are not considered women under the Equality Act 2010.
Black Theta, screening with Gender Reveal and Tapped – European premiere
FriGay The 13th: Queerest Moments in Slasher History
Bystanders, screening with Bath Bomb – special preview
There's A Zombie Outside, screening with Rat! and Perfect Boy Next Door – special preview
A United Queerdom: Short Film Showcase
Psychonaut, screening with Restore and Last Night – European premiere
The Premiere, screening with I Hope He Doesn't Kill Me – European premiere
Horror Queers: Scream 3 Live Commentary
The Brooklyn Butcher, screening with Knock Off and Demonboy – International premiere
Hauntology, screening with Spookable and The Shroud – special preview
Sunset on the River Styx, screening with I'm In Love With Edgar Allen Poe and Traditional Family Vampires (25th Anniversary) – UK premiere
The Judgment, screening with The Boy Was Found Unharmed and Broad Daylight – UK premiere
Binary, screening with Gummies and Dead Body – UK premiere
Jesse's Revenge: A 40th Anniversary Homage
The Rebrand, screening with Blue Violet and Belly Belly – special preview
The festival was born out of a desire to be an inclusive, safe space for minority or marginalised filmmakers and film fans, with both the virtual event and in-person fest at the Whirled Cinema championing LGBTQ+ creatives and themes.
'We wouldn't have it any other way. It's become a bit of our mantra but horror is -always has been and always will be queer. From the clandestine guised movies of James Whale made during the height of the Hays Code, through the queer coded delights of Clive Barker, to the recent co-opting of gay icons like The Babadook, or even better, the brazen queer celebration of the Chucky franchise,' Mitch explained. More Trending
'Horror is Queer. The intersection between LGBTQ+ and horror is fascinating, centuries deep, entirely natural, and extensively written about. I implore everyone to check out the book It Came From The Closet by Joe Vallese as a brilliant starting point.'
The festival founder said we are living in an 'incredibly difficult and regressive time' for LGBTQ+ people, but Sohome Horror Pride and the festival's other events will continue to fly the flag for Queer horror filmmaking.
Mitch concluded: 'Pride has always been both a celebration and a protest, and we will always use our platform for solidarity and allyship to those being oppressed and marginalised, and a lighthouse of how truly fervent and excellent the genre of queer horror filmmaking is.'
Soho Horror Pride will take place virtually from June 13 to 15 on a donate-what-you-can basis, Film blocks will be available to watch until June 22. For more information, visit the Soho Horror Film Festival website
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