Rentals

LGBT Britain

This colourful and challenging collection explores screen representations of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender lives over the past century.

British cinema boasts a long history of carefully coded queerness, but for much of the 20th century explicit depictions of gay life in drama or documentary were more or less taboo. Gay men were subject to vicious state-sanctioned persecution, while lesbians were socially ostracised and the transgender community ignored and misunderstood. Cinematic and small-screen breakthroughs in the 1950s and 60s played their part in the public debate. Finally acting on the recommendations of the Wolfenden Committee a decade earlier, the 1967 Sexual Offences Act partially decriminalised male homosexuality in England and Wales, between two men over 21, in private. As those caveats suggest, the legislation remained problematic. But it was a step forward, paving the way for further battles - some yet to be won. From early glimpses of 'queer' characters, this collection charts the path towards '67 and beyond, through responses to the AIDS crisis to diverse reflections on queer life today.

Read more Close
Rent for £3.50

The Pass The Pass

Drama 2016 86 mins Director: Ben A. Williams

Russell Tovey stars as a Premier League footballer who shares a fumbled pass (of the sexual kind) with a teammate (Arinzé Kene), changing everything - both on and off the pitch.

Rent for £3.50

50 Years Legal 50 Years Legal

Documentary 2017 77 mins Director: Simon Napier-Bell

Five decades on from the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality, a range of LGBTQ+ stars (including Sir Elton John and Stephen Fry) reflect on Britain's history of prejudice, persecution and liberation.

Rent for £3.50

The Book of Gabrielle The Book of Gabrielle

Drama 2016 79 mins Director: Lisa Gornick

Lisa Gornick's funny and frank drama sketches the relationship between a sex-obsessed lesbian illustrator and a randy hetero author, who bond over their favourite subject.

Rent for £3.50

Wild Flowers Wild Flowers

Romance 1989 68 mins Director: Robert Smith

Robert Smith's Wild Flowers is an exquisite drama set at the funeral for a daughter, where her mother remembers the passionate yet painful affair she once had with another woman in Scotland.

Rent for £3.50

Entertaining Mr Sloane Entertaining Mr Sloane

Comedy 1970 94 mins Director: Douglas Hickox

Joe Orton’s delicious slice of suburban perversity, in which Beryl Reid’s lascivious landlady and her gay brother attempt to seduce their psychopathic tenant.

Currently unavailable

Entertaining Mr Sloane Entertaining Mr Sloane

1968 81 mins Director: Peter Moffatt

Surprisingly risqué TV adaptation of one of Joe Orton’s best known plays, filmed shortly after his murder.

Subscribe to watch

Sebastiane Sebastiane

Historical drama 1976 85 mins Director: Derek Jarman and Paul Humfress

A distinctly bold and sensual reclaiming of gay history, Jarman here tells the sexually intense story of the 4th-century martyr.

Subscribe to watch

Jubilee Jubilee

Drama 1978 106 mins Director: Derek Jarman

The mythological past and a soon-to-be bleak future converge on the sparse, grey streets of London in Jarman’s personal vision of the punk movement.

Currently unavailable

The Tempest The Tempest

Drama 1980 96 mins Director: Derek Jarman

Derek Jarman’s brooding and darkly symbolic third feature is considered by some to be the most evocative Shakespeare adaptation ever to reach the screen.

Subscribe to watch

Caravaggio Caravaggio

Biopic 1986 93 mins Director: Derek Jarman

Derek Jarman’s unique biopic of the 17th century Italian artist Michelangelo da Caravaggio is a powerful meditation on sexuality, criminality and art.

Subscribe to watch

The Angelic Conversation The Angelic Conversation

Animation & Artists Moving Image 1985 81 mins Director: Derek Jarman

The Angelic Conversation sees Derek Jarman conjure an evocative and radical visualisation of Shakespeare’s love poems.

Currently unavailable

Derek Jarman: Life As Art Derek Jarman: Life As Art

Documentary 2004 60 mins Director: Andy Kimpton-Nye

Documentary on the life and work of experimental filmmaker, who died in 1994. Contributors including Tilda Swinton recall Jarman's peculiar genius.

Rent for £2.50

A Bit of Scarlet A Bit of Scarlet

Documentary 1996 71 mins Director: Andrea Weiss

Billed as 'a kind of post-modern queer soap opera for Britain', Andrea Weiss' documentary tells a sharp story.

Rent for £1.00

Baby Baby

Drama 2000 12 mins Director: Wiz

A teenager (Ben Whishaw) pays a sexually charged visit to the swimming pool.

Rent for £1.00

The Chocolate Acrobat The Chocolate Acrobat

Fantasy 1995 38 mins Director: Tessa Sheridan

An elderly woman in a care home strikes up a sensual, nostalgic relationship with a young nurse.

Subscribe to watch

Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon Love Is the Devil: Study for a Portrait of Francis Bacon

Biopic 1998 87 mins Director: John Maybury

Derek Jacobi and Daniel Craig star as artist Francis Bacon and his muse George Dyer in John Maybury’s darkly exquisite biopic.

Rent for £3.50

Orlando Orlando

Fantasy 1993 93 mins Director: Sally Potter

Tilda Swinton stars in Sally Potter's dazzling interpretation of Virginia Woolf's novel.

Currently unavailable

Pride Pride

Comedy 2014 120 mins Director: Matthew Warchus

The smash culture-clash comedy tells the incredible true story of how miners and a Gay Pride support group come together to fight a common cause.

Subscribe to watch

Weekend Weekend

Drama 2011 97 mins Director: Andrew Haigh

Andrew Haigh's internationally acclaimed tale of a brief encounter between two gay men.

Rent for £3.50

Lilting Lilting

Drama 2014 86 mins Director: Hong Khaou

Ben Whishaw stars in an intimate portrait of two strangers brought together by the common language of grief.

Currently unavailable

Lesbians Lesbians

Documentary 1965 26 mins Director: John Phillips

What is lesbianism? What causes it? ITV's This Week attempts to demystify lesbian sexuality.

Rent for £3.50

Loot Loot

Comedy 1971 102 mins Director: Silvio Narizzano

Silvio Narizzano adapts Joe Orton’s extraordinarily funny satire on police corruption and the conventions of detective fiction.

Rent for £2.50

3 Steps to Heaven 3 Steps to Heaven

Drama 1995 87 mins Director: Constantine Giannaris

Edgy mixture of black comedy and urban drama about a woman uncovering the hidden truths about her dead lover.

Currently unavailable

Yellow Fever Yellow Fever

Comedy 1998 27 mins Director: Raymond Yeung

A gay British-Chinese man refuses to date Chinese men. But then Jai Ming moves in next door.

Currently unavailable

Chemsex Chemsex

Documentary 2015 80 mins Director: William Fairman and Max Gogarty

A hard-hitting and often graphic documentary about the 'chemsex' sub-scene in London’s gay community.

Rent for £2.50

Greek Pete Greek Pete

Drama 2009 70 mins Director: Andrew Haigh

Acclaimed filmmaker Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years) made his feature debut with this bold, sexually explicit drama-documentary about London rent boys.

Rent for £1.00

One in Five One in Five

1982 52 mins Silent Director: Ken Howard

Endearingly right-on concoction bringing together lesbians and gay men for dancing and debate at Heaven nightclub

Currently unavailable

Dressed as a Girl Dressed as a Girl

Documentary 2015 101 mins Director: Colin Rothbart

An in-depth, behind-the-scenes look at London’s finest drag performers. Warning: extreme use of make-up and glitter.

Rent for £2.50

Madagascar Skin Madagascar Skin

Drama 1995 91 mins Director: Christopher Newby

John Hannah stars as a painfully shy gay man who escapes the city in Chris Newby’s extraordinary second feature.

Rent for £3.50

The Comedian The Comedian

Drama 2013 79 mins Director: Tom Shkolnik

Touching drama about a thirtysomething comedian looking for happiness.

Rent for £3.50

Departure Departure

Drama 2016 108 mins Director: Andrew Steggall

Andrew Steggall’s deft and delicate drama about a teenage dreamer who falls for the rough beauty of a local boy while staying in France.

Rent for £1.00

More than a Journey More than a Journey

1986 52 mins Director: Caroline Mylon

From Sudan to the Greek islands via the East Midlands - a young gay woman seeks love, happiness and fulfilment

Rent for £1.00

Tall Dark Stranger Tall Dark Stranger

1986 48 mins Director: Paul Oremland

Are you ready to strut your stuff? Take a bracing, sexy cruise around the diverse 1980s gay scene.

Rent for £1.00

A Boy Called Mary A Boy Called Mary

1986 52 mins Director: Paul Oremland

The fabulous life and times of queer writer Kris Kirk, who became one of the UK’s most influential music journalists.

Rent for £1.00

Tides of Laughter Tides of Laughter

1986 49 mins Director: Paul Oremland

A female ‘end-of-the-pier’ double act find out a surprising secret about their landlady - and about each other.

Rent for £2.50

Remembrance of Things Fast Remembrance of Things Fast

Animation & Artists Moving Image 1993 62 mins Director: John Maybury

John Maybury’s dark, queer state of the nation film starring Tilda Swinton and Rupert Everett

Rent for £1.00

Andy the Furniture Maker Andy the Furniture Maker

1986 53 mins Director: Paul Oremland

How did a cute, gay Essex boy go from oyster fishing to becoming the toast of the London arts scene?

Currently unavailable

Homosexuals Homosexuals

Current affairs 1964 23 mins Director: James Butler

Current affairs series This Week offers a non-judgmental report on homosexuality

Rent for £1.00

Closets Closets

Science Fiction 2015 18 mins Director: Lloyd Eyre-Morgan

Tommy Knight (The Sarah Jane Adventures, Waterloo Road, Young Victoria) stars in this light-hearted drama as Henry, a teenager struggling with his sexuality in 1986.

Rent for £3.50

The Crying Game The Crying Game

Drama 1992 112 mins Director: Neil Jordan

Neil Jordan's acclaimed 1992 drama-mystery tells the story of Fergus (Stephen Rea), who looks after the lover (Jaye Davidson) of a British soldier he once knew. But what is Dil hiding?

Subscribe to watch

Beautiful Thing Beautiful Thing

Comedy 1996 91 mins Director: Hettie Macdonald

Hettie MacDonald’s 1996 comedy tells the story of two classmates and neighbours who fall in love over one summer in South East London.

Rent for £3.50

The L-shaped Room The L-shaped Room

Drama 1962 126 mins Director: Bryan Forbes

Bryan Forbes directs the Oscar-nominated story of a French woman (Leslie Caron) moving to London while unmarried, pregnant, and alone.

Subscribe to watch

Wittgenstein Wittgenstein

Biopic 1993 72 mins Director: Derek Jarman

Wittgenstein is a bold, offbeat biography, exploring the politics and sexuality of the great, troubled philosopher.

Rent for £2.50

Boys and Girls Together Boys and Girls Together

Sex comedy 1979 55 mins Director: Ralph Lawrence Marsden

Extraordinary 1970s sexploitation film, groundbreaking in its portrayal of interracial and homosexual sex.

Subscribe to watch

Scrubbers Scrubbers

Drama 1982 93 mins Director: Mai Zetterling

1980s borstal drama – billed as the female Scum – featuring Amanda York and Kathy Burke as inmates in a ruthless women’s prison.

More LGBT Britain films in our Subscription collection.

More LGBT Britain films in our Free collection.

More related films in our Rentals collection, BFI Flare Presents