Authentic, unapologetic, and fiercely celebratory; this programme amplifies queer voices refusing to be silenced.
From intimate letters to younger selves in Margate, to a trans football team making history against rising hostility, to a fashion designer’s creative response to grief, to a vital protest film demanding trans safety—these stories refuse erasure.
Made by and within LGBTQ+ communities, this collection holds pain and power together, insisting on visibility, joy, and collective survival. In times of increasing fear and exclusion, these films are acts of resistance and love—reminders that queer lives are not debates, but beautiful, complex realities deserving of celebration and protection.
Free Entry, donations welcome via the booking link.
https://www.tickettailor.com/events/margatefilmfestival/1926436
Screening times:
Weds 26th – Fri 29th Nov: 7pm
Sun 30th: 12pm, 2pm, 4pm.
ROBERT AND GEORGIE, 2024 (16 mins)
Director: Clare Richards
Robert George Sanders is a Central St Martins fashion design graduate who is in a constant battle to both artistically define himself yet remain label free. He creates flamboyant and fantastical costumes that challenge our perception of gender—showcased in different landscapes from the Turner Contemporary in Margate to woods in Kent. In this film, Robert explores his identity as an artist, a trans woman and a son. Mum Georgie has always empowered him to be true to himself, so when she’s given a terminal diagnosis, Robert turns to his art as a coping mechanism.
A NOTE TO MY YOUNG, QUEER SELF, 2025 (25 mins)
Director: Kate Malyon
What if you could go back and meet your younger self? What would you say? What would you want them to know? Queer writer-performers from Margate bravely share short, heartfelt letters addressed to their younger selves. Through these personal notes, they revisit pivotal moments of self-discovery, struggle, resilience and joy, offering a candid glimpse into the journey of embracing their queer identities.
WE’LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY, 2025 (25 mins)
Directors: Cameron Richards & Charlie Tidmas
WE’LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY tells the story of TRUK United, a grassroots, proudly trans football club. Filmed over two years, it captures the team’s highs and lows on and off the pitch as they create a safe haven for their community in the face of rising transphobia.
KINDER THAN CUTS, 2025 (4 mins)
Directors: Kate Jessop & Sarah Gomes Harris
An AniJam protest animation against the devastating cuts to PIP and disability benefits. Animators from across the UK created 5-15 second pieces each responding to the theme of kindness against cuts. The PIP and disability cuts will be deadly for some of the most vulnerable in society and are projected to force 400,000 people into poverty.
SAFE, 2025 (3 mins)
Director: Keerti Gedela
SAFE is a short film centred on trans, queer, and non-binary lives—an unapologetic act of presence, resistance, vulnerability, and joy. Set to an original poem Safe by trans contributor Jason Potts and music by trans artist Margomool, it moves with reverent rhythm, hazy light, and courage, refusing to bow to shame. In a world where safety is a privilege and refuge fragile, the film holds pain and power together, insisting that trans rights are human rights, and that public culture must carry public care and safety for all.