These films have all been selected as they each highlight various issues and discussion points surrounding LGBTQ+ characters, stories, history and representation from around the world.
As the visibility of LGBTQ+ characters in cinema increases, we feel these films help contribute to awareness, empathy and understanding of LGBTQ+ issues for young people, as well as forming part of a proud beacon through which to celebrate equality and diversity.
All of the films below are available to stream via Into Film+ but some of them (labelled) are only available to Into Film+ Premium users. Find out more here.
Cert
Age group14+
Duration99 mins
Uplifting tale of Manuela, a mother who decides to relocate to Barcelona after her son's sudden death.
Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar is one of the most distinctive filmmakers working today. Many of his films are lavish, colourful representations of femininity, gay identity and gender fluidity. This film is arguably his masterpiece, an unashamedly melodramatic, profoundly moving depiction of grief and those on the margins of mainstream society.
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Cert
Age group16+
Duration97 mins
Inspiring documentary featuring rare footage of LGBTQ+ led protests in the UK throughout the years.
This archive-led documentary uses historical footage and interviews with key figures to focus on significant moments in the fight for LGBTQ+ equality. It includes discussion of notable movements such as the Stonewall riots and the launch of Gay Pride marches, as well as highlighting prejudice faced by other minority groups in the UK and around the world.
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Cert
Age group16+
Duration102 mins
Two best friends who are about to graduate high school attempt to fit in four years of fun into one night.
This coming-of-age comedy is about friendship, fitting in, and learning to navigate your own path through adolescence. Amy has been out and proud for years, but never had a girlfriend or significant kiss. Her experiences resonate with young people across generations and sexualities, and provide an all-to-rare, but inspirational role model for young lesbians in mainstream cinema
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CertUnclassified
Age group11–16
Duration5 mins
Alicia sits down to watch her favourite video game streamer – but what is it about him that is so important to her?
This Spanish language short film is an accessible introduction into LGBTQ+ narratives for teenage audiences, focusing on a relationship between a woman and her seemingly estranged son, showcasing the positive power of video games and modern technology and their ability to connect people with one another.
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CertUnclassified
Age group7–14
Duration12 mins
Portuguese-language animation about a transgender child who is magically transported through their bedroom mirror.
This sweet Portuguese-language animation offers a gentle and accessible exploration of friendship, family and LGBTQ+ issues for young audiences, as a young Brazilian child struggling with their gender identity battles with the scary outside world trying to barge its way in.
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Cert
Age group11–16
Duration109 mins
Benedict Cumberbatch stars as pioneering mathematician and codebreaker Alan Turing, who was highly influential, but persecuted for being gay.
This biopic of code breaker Alan Turing largely draws on his stellar professional achievements, but does not shy away from presenting the shockingly callous treatment he was subjected to as a result of his homosexuality. It provides a sobering reminder to young people of discrimination and persecution seen in our recent history, and which remains relevant today.
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CertUnclassified
Age group11+
Duration67 mins
A collection of five shorts from the Iris Prize film festival around trans issues, inclusion, and acceptance.
The Cardiff based Iris Prize Film Festival is one of the longest established short film festivals in the UK, with a long tradition of showcasing LGBTQ shorts and filmmakers. Into Film collaborated with The Iris Prize to curate a rich and accessible selection of some of their shorts, together with an accompanying resource, that focus on trans characters and experiences.
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Cert
Age group11–16
Duration8 mins
Ffilm am gariad a goresgryn heriau / A film about love and overcoming barriers.
With rich visual metaphors and warm playfulness, this Welsh-language animation celebrates LGBTQ+ love and relationships and frames life as a brilliant journey to be embraced, as two youngsters get to know each other whilst exploring a seaside town together.
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Cert
Age group11–16
Duration110 mins
A closeted gay teenager strikes up an online relationship with one of his peers, helping both towards coming out to their friends and families.
A welcome addition to the high school genre and notably the first film by a major Hollywood studio to star a gay teenage romance, this humorous and heartfelt story questions the clichés of the ‘coming out story’, following its young character as he builds the confidence to share his true self with those around him.
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CertUnclassified
Age group14+
Duration60 mins
Pop star and actor Olly Alexander explores the mental health issues faced by members of the LGBTQ+ community.
Actor and Years & Years frontman uses his own experiences to focus on many of the alarming statistics related to young LGBTQ+ people and mental health, talking to young people across the UK and putting forward a passionate argument for more positive LGBTQ+ inclusion in sex and relationships education in schools.
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Cert
Age group16+
Duration84 mins
A lesbian teenager, on a journey to be her authentic self, struggles with heartbreak and her family relationships.
This trailblazing film is a much-needed story from the perspective of a Black lesbian girl which explores the importance of friendship and creative outlets in growing up and finding self-acceptance, asking the question ‘Who do you become when you can’t be yourself?’.
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CertUnclassified
Age group14+
Duration72 mins
A collection of shorts about LGBTQ+ experiences in the UK and around the world created in partnership with distributor Peccadillo Pictures.
Chronicling various aspects of the LGBT experience amongst young people, this shorts package highlights difficult themes such as bullying and political persecution but also celebrates romance, solidarity and the importance of representation.
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Cert
Age group11+
Duration120 mins
Powerful drama made in 1993 when it was daring to make a Hollywood film about AIDS, about a top lawyer sacked when his firm learns he has the disease.
At the time of its release, this film was the first major Hollywood title to directly deal with the issue of HIV/AIDS. Through the canny casting of A-listers to help lend accessibility, this courtroom drama is ideal for exploring sensitive issues around homophobia (both overt and more subtle), as well as human rights more broadly, using audiences emotions to provoke debate.
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Cert
Age group14+
Duration115 mins
Uplifting comedy about an unlikely moment in recent British history when, in 1984, gay rights activists offered to support the striking miners.
Set in the 1980s, Pride tells the true story of a group of lesbian and gay activists who supported a community of striking Welsh miners in a show of unity and strength. Crowd-pleasing, and with a rocking soundtrack, the film powerfully demonstrates the importance of political protest, adding a poignant story about a young lad struggling to come out to his parents to the mix.
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Cert
Age group11+
Duration106 mins
Classic 1950s drama about a moody teenager who is the new kid in town and all too soon gets into all kinds of trouble, much to his parents' despair.
When this iconic teen film was released, homosexuality was rarely discussed directly in films. But watching it now reveals a clear romantic longing from Sal Mineo’s Plato towards James Dean’s Jim. The film tenderly hints at a love that could not at the time speak its name. Unfortunately, the bullying Plato is subjected to ensures that the film remains all too topical today.
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Cert
Age group16+
Duration86 mins
A transgender street worker, recently released from prison, attempts to track down the boyfriend who has cheated on her.
Shot entirely on a mobile phone, this imaginative film set in Hollywood follows two transgender women, Sin-Dee and Alexandra, on a mission to set things right just before Christmas. Compassionate yet hilarious, the film offers refreshing and much needed representation.
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Cert
Age group11+
Duration79 mins
A beautifully understated, naturalistic drama about childhood gender identity confusion that’s both touching and gently humorous.
A touching French film about a 10 year-old girl living a dual existence as a boy, Tomboy is ideal for introducing young people to issues around gender identity. The film is quiet and gentle in tone and does not presume to make any further assumptions about the character, beyond an initial exploration of identity and self-discovery, presented in a universal, sensitive way.
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CertUnclassified
Age group14+
Duration58 mins
Gold medallist Tom Daley visits some of the most homophobic countries across the Commonwealth to explore how gay athletes are facing persecution.
Since coming out on YouTube in 2013, Tom Daley has become one of the most visible LGBTQ+ figures in the UK. This illuminating documentary sees Daley harnessing that profile to highlight the alarming plight of LGBTQ+ communities and individuals across the Commonwealth, as well as looking back on his own experiences of homophobic bullying at home in England.
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CertUnclassified
Age group16+
Duration43 mins
Investigative documentary in which activist Charlie Craggs meets transgender teenagers to hear about their experiences.
Trans activist Charlie Craggs fronts this documentary in which she interviews transgender teenagers across the country to hear their experiences, specifically related to medication. As NHS waiting times rise, the cost of private treatment increases, many young trans people find their mental health severely affected and begin looking for alternative, often dangerous treatments.
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Cert
Age group11+
Duration93 mins
Brazilian romantic drama about a blind student whose relationship with his best friend is threatened by the arrival of a handsome new boy in school.
This young love story from Brazil focusses on a blind teenager whose close bond with his best friend is disrupted when handsome new boy Gabriel arrives at their school. With the two boys taking their developing sexuality in their stride, the tentative exploration of romance is played out with excruciating accuracy, and the conclusion is one of quiet defiance.
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