Five Films For Freedom returns on 19 March, bringing five bold LGBTQIA+ short films from filmmakers from Indonesia, New Zealand, China, Switzerland and the UK to global audiences, celebrating queer storytelling and the freedom to love.
The film programme continues the British Council’s long-standing partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, working with filmmakers from around the world to spotlight powerful queer stories.
A selection of short films screening at BFI Flare will be showcased and made available for free online on BFI Player (for UK audiences), with global access across the British Council’s digital platforms for the duration of the festival.
From 19-30 March 2025, audiences everywhere are invited to experience the richness of LGBTQIA+ cinema, streaming these films from the comfort of their homes - completely free.
Since its launch in 2015 Five Films For Freedom has reached 26 million people, in over 200 countries and principalities – in just over 100 days online each year.
This year’s programme presents a bold selection of global LGBTQIA+ stories that celebrate resilience, identity, and the power of community.
From an animated journey of self-discovery in DragFox to the real-life struggles and triumphs of trans football club TRUK United in We’ll Go Down in History, these films offer fresh perspectives on love, acceptance, and belonging.
If I Make It to the Morning explores family tensions and self-reflection, while NGGAK!!! brings a heartfelt look at young queer love in the face of tradition. Meanwhile, Wait, Wait, Now! captures the magic of childhood friendship and self-expression.
Briony Hanson, Director of Film at the British Council said:
“Five Films For Freedom has always been about more than just showcasing great LGBTQIA+ films - it’s a commitment to creating a space where stories that are often marginalised can thrive. This year’s selection reflects a diversity of voices and experiences that continue to challenge assumptions about identity, love and belonging. As we enter our 11th year of partnership with BFI Flare, we’re excited to see how these films will spark conversations and inspire action in the face of growing challenges to LGBTQIA+ rights worldwide.”
Kristy Matheson Director, BFI Festivals said:
"BFI Flare is a place for community, thought and discussion through films and over the last decade it’s been a privilege and a joy for our team to work with filmmakers and the British Council to expand this space across the globe. As we embark on the 11th edition of Five Films For Freedom, we continue to be inspired by the enormous creativity of LGBTQIA+ storytelling and the power of the short film medium to spark connection and conversation."
This year’s five films:
DragFox
Directed by Lisa Ott (UK – 8 minutes)
Eleven-year-old Sam, struggling with their gender identity, feels lost—until a mischievous fox (voiced by Ian McKellen) leaps through their window, leading them on a musical journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
If I Make it to the Morning
Directed by Andre Shen 沈天扬 (USA/China - 9 minutes)
On the final night of her college tour, Chinese teen Ziyi stays with her cool aunt in New York, dreaming of studying there—until an unexpected revelation stirs tension.
NGGAK!!!
Directed by Oktania Hamdani and Winner Wijaya (Indonesia – 8 minutes)
While gaming online, girlfriends Sekar and Bebi share laughs and memes—until Sekar's mother calls, arranging a match for her. Can she make her mother see she’s already found the one?
We’ll Go Down in History
Directed by Cameron Richards and Charlie Tidmas (UK – 25 minutes)
A heartfelt two-year documentary following TRUK United, a proudly trans football club founded in 2021, as they battle challenges on and off the pitch to build a safe, inclusive community amid rising transphobia.
Wait, Wait, Now!
Directed Ramon Te Wake (New Zealand – 12 minutes)
Left home alone, best friends Alex and Sam raid Mum’s wardrobe, embracing a fantasy world where they feel safe—until their parents catch on. Is their bubble about to burst?
Biographies for this year's five films Writers and Directors
- DragFox – Lisa Ott, Director
Lisa Ott is a Swiss animation director based in London. They moved to the UK nine years ago to pursue a career in film and fell in love with stop-motion in the process.
Lisa studied Model Making before joining the puppet team at Mackinnon & Saunders, helping to create puppets to bring other people’s stories to life. Most recently Lisa worked on projects including Oscar and BAFTA-winning Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio and Netflix’s The House.
Eager to see more LGBTQIA+ stories being told in animation, they decided to take a leap into directing by attending the Directing Animation course at the National Film and Television School. There, Lisa was able to find like-minded creatives and directed the debut stop-motion short, Dragfox.
- If I Make it to the morning – Andre Shen 沈天扬, Writer-director
Andre Shen 沈天扬 is a Shanghainese writer-director and graphic designer currently based in New York. His work centres around cross-cultural queer experience exploring femininity and whimsy with a melancholic twist.
Andre’s short ‘One Way Trip Like an Arrow’ was selected to be presented with live performance by the NYU Symphony Orchestra at the Iris Cantor Theatre, New York in 2024. His latest short 月亮总在照顾大地 ‘If I Make it to the Morning’ premiered at MiX International Festival of LGBTQIA+ Cinema and Queer Culture (2024) in Milan, Italy and is now selected to be at BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival in 2025. Sunday Matinée, the 150-second 2-part commercial campaign that he wrote and directed for Peter Pan Donuts & Pastry Shop is available online now.
- NGGAK!!! – Oktania Hamdani, Film Critic; Winner Wijaya, Filmmaker
Oktania Hamdani is a film critic, journalist, and the founder of 'WatchmenID,' one of the largest film media platforms in Indonesia on X. She is very active in covering film news and festivals across the country.
Passionate about issues related to gender-based violence and queer rights in Southeast Asia, Oktania’s debut project, NGGAK!!!, holds deep significance exploring her personal concerns and based on her own story. It marked her first experience as a director, writer, and producer. She is currently working on a documentary that focuses on the lives of queer women in South East Asia.
Indonesian filmmaker, Winner Wijaya, fell in love with cinema at an early age. Inspired by their elementary school teacher, Winner would spend their childhood weekends making movies on a MiniDV camcorder. Years later, their short documentary Ojek Lusi was nominated for Piala Citra and won the Best Short Documentary Award in Festival Film Dokumenter 2017. In 2020 they won Minikino Best Begadang Filmmaking Competition for the film Hey Guys Balik Lagi Sama Gue, Tuhan! and were nominated for Best Short Fiction Film at Festival Film Indonesia 2020. Winner is currently in the process of editing their first feature documentary.
- We’ll Go Down in History – Charlie Tidmas, writer and director; Cameron Richards, director and producer
Charlie is a writer and director whose work focuses on intersectional masculinities. He has a feature project in early development with BFI NETWORK and is currently in production co-directing a Doc Society short. Charlie was selected to be a BFI Flare x BAFTA Mentee for 2024 and is a BAFTA Connect member. He has received short film commissions from BFI NETWORK and Channel 4’s Random Acts. His previous works have placed in the Academy Nicholl Fellowship and screened on Short of the Week. Alongside writing and directing he works as a script editor and a script reader for the BBC and BFI.
A director and producer with an extensive portfolio of work for creative and corporate clients including CocaCola and the Pret Foundation. Cameron’s short films have played at Oscar/BAFTA-qualifying festivals worldwide, and in 2020 Cameron released The Sea in partnership with Alzheimer’s Research UK, a personal short film starring Anna Friel & Russell Tovey which won plaudits across the worldwide festival circuit. Cameron is also an experienced script developer having graduated from the National Film & TV School.
- Wait, Wait, Now! – Ramon Te Wake, Director
Ramon Te Wake is a dynamic force in the world of film and storytelling, known for her bold and unapologetic approach to exploring complex narratives that centre around identity, culture, and queerness. As a trans Māori creative, Ramon brings a deeply personal and authentic lens to her work, making her a standout in the industry. Her ability to seamlessly blend cultural insight with cutting-edge creativity has earned her a reputation as a visionary director. Ramon’s projects, such as the much-anticipated short film Wait, Wait, Now!, showcases her talent for tackling important social issues while maintaining a powerful sense of artistry. She is fearless in challenging conventions and pushing boundaries, making her work not just a reflection of her own journey but a platform for marginalised voices.
Find out more about Five Films for Freedom: https://film.britishcouncil.org/about/work/fivefilmsforfreedom
Watch the films: https://www.britishcouncil.org/five-films
Access images here: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1vlJpGEmzpfejSn7ypmeSiDlLbytMPnkl...
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