The newly created LGBTQ Pink Lobster film festival will run Feb. 16 to 18 and showcase some St. Thomas University film-making talent.
The festival will feature St. Thomas student Elijah Matheson’s Daisy Chain and Victoria Clowater and St. Thomas professor Aj Ripley’s Babes. Along with local talent, the festival will also show films on LGBTQ themes from India, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Australia and Sweden.
“I feel honoured to have Daisy Chain playing alongside so many other great films,” said Matheson. “I think anytime there’s exposure to media which focuses on LGBTQ issues it’s bound to help foster understanding.”
Matheson, who’s film was made during the 48-Hour Film Competition, is hopeful this festival will become an annual event.
Short films from around the world will begin playing at 7 p.m. in Tilley Hall at the University of New Brunswick and will be followed by a feature film at 9 p.m.
Tickets for individual screenings cost $7. A festival pass costs $20.
UNB professor, writer and filmmaker Robert Gray came up with the idea for the film festival while attending other LGTBQ film festivals across Europe and North America in 2016.
“I was at all these film festivals seeing so many great films that I wanted to share with filmmakers and people back home in New Brunswick,” said Gray. “We’re hoping this will bring out LGBTQIA+ communities, supporters and people who love films and give them a little break from winter.”
The festival was created by Gray, Jon Dewer and Matt Rogers through their film productions company, Frictive Pictures. Gray, Dewer and Rogers also run the 48-Hour Film Competition held in Fredericton and the high school documentary film-making program, What’s up Doc?
