See LGBTQ+ screenings all summer and beyond

The Electric Palace cinema is marking Pride this month with a collection of films with gay, lesbian, trans and LGBTQ+ characters, themes or subjects at their core, says Annie Waite, before the launch of a new, regular ‘Out on Tuesday’ series of screenings coming soon.

Noël Coward grew up in poverty and left school when he was only nine years old. He was queer in a very straight world. By the age of 30, he was the highest paid writer in the world, and a star on the Broadway stage.

Later this week see the first ever feature documentary about one of the most talented, accomplished and multi-faceted artists of the 20th century, profiled in Mad About The Boy: The Noel Coward Story at the Electric Palace cinema on Thursday.

“Romantic, sexy and provocative”

Following next in the cinema’s Pride screenings is the sell-out BFI Flare hit that had audiences laughing and crying in equal measure: Lie With Me. It’s a moving meditation on the intoxicating force of first gay love, adapted from the best-selling novel by Philippe Besson. Stephane is a novelist who is forced to confront the painful ghosts of a gay love affair when he returns to his hometown.

Described as “a stunning exploration of love found, lost and found again” by Cinerama, and “romantic, sexy and provocative” in another 4-star review from Shadows on the Wall, Lie with Me is a new release, screening at the Electric Palace on the eve of Hastings Pride.

Tom Abell from Peccadillo Films, the UK’s first ‘original and best’ queer distribution company will provide an introduction and Q&A at the screening.

Book now for Lie with Me + Q&A at Electric Palace on Saturday 26 August.

Pretty Red Dress

Orlando, starring Tilda Swinton, and Rebel Dykes headed up the Electric Palace’s 2023 Pride series earlier this month, and Brit hit Pretty Red Dress follows in September.

It’s an intensely likeable, big-hearted feature that spins an exhilarating story out of the unexpected effect of a pretty red dress, starring singer Alexandra Burke belting out glorious Tina Turner hits along the way.

Fancy going ‘Out on Tuesday’?

Launching on Tuesday 19 September, with the hilarious New York-set Codependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same, is a regular Tuesday evening set of screenings that celebrate the power of storytelling and the rich tapestry of LGBTQ+ experiences.

Out on Tuesday is presented in partnership with Peccadillo Pictures, a pioneering force in UK film distribution, bringing ground-breaking LGBTQ+ stories to screens since 2000. Its diverse catalogue provides a kaleidoscope of bold, moving and thought-provoking cinema that often pushes boundaries and challenges norms.

Occurring bi-monthly, each event is complemented by conversations with filmmakers, producers, and industry experts as they share their inspirations and delve into the stories behind the films.

Coming up in October in the Out on Tuesday series you can enjoy Punch, a moving story about finding queer love and identity in the face of overwhelming odds, starring Tim Roth, and Stud Life, an authentic and “hot” snapshot of lesbian sexuality from UK director Campbell X.

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