Lesbian Visibility Week: Supporting Queer Film Makers

Queer artist-filmmaker and co-founder of  Other People’s Films Antonia Luxem is working on her next project, On Falling.

The film explores what it means to fall: “To fall in love, to fall from grace, to fall to death. It plays with the myth of Sisyphus, from the perspective of a lesbian falling slowly through a dark sky. The film is an exploration of what it looks and feels like to be denied an identity and existence, but also of how time can slow down when falling, and how answers to existential questions can suddenly arise,” shared Antonia.

  Image credit: Other People's Films

The London-based female and queer-led production company produces ambitious films and moving image work that sit at the intersection of experimental and narrative, and helps develop the careers of women, non-binary and trans moving image artists and film directors. “May Ziadé and myself came together to build a film and art production company last year. We both felt that there was a great disparity between our enthusiasm and the commitment we felt towards the films we were working on and stories we wanted to champion, and the disillusion that weighted us down when confronted to the system we were a part of.”

However, they faced two major stumbling blocks in their quest to produce relevant and diverse stories about the LGBTQ+ community. “One is the dire state of public funding for the arts, which is facing major cuts globally,” highlighted Antonia. “Secondly, in terms of the stories that were being told, we both wanted to tell and see lesbian, queer and female stories that we, or the lesbians around us, didn’t seem to find. We wanted more representation.”

So they set up Other People’s Films to help change the status quo. “Other People’s Films was founded as a direct response to a system that excludes female, lesbian and queer voices,” explained Antonia. “We have two main aims. The first is to develop the careers of people of marginalized genders who make films that sit at the intersection of experimental and conventional cinema with a strong artistic voice. The second is organizing regular events and workshops for film directors of marginalized genders, providing them with the necessary tools to navigate the industry and as a meeting space for connecting with like-minded individuals.”

Antonia’s exhibitions and films have already been featured both in the UK and internationally. The first film, Neo Nahda (directed by May and produced by Antonia), which tells the story of a young woman who becomes obsessed with archival images of women cross-dressing in the 1920s in the Middle East, enjoyed its world premiere at London’s BFI Flare.

Antonia Luxem, Co-founder of Other People's Films. Image credit: Marika Kochiashvili.

“It’s currently having great success on the film festival circuit with a soon to be announced exciting International Premiere,” shared Antonia. “While we have been humbled by the tremendous support that our first film Neo Nahda received – with support from the BFI Network, British Council, British Arab Centre, Arab Image Foundation and Institute for Global Prosperity, a World Premiere at the BFI Flare in London and currently on the festival circuit with a soon to be announced exciting International Premiere – there is a large gap between funding available and funding required to tell these stories in a way that is compelling and ethical.”

Public funding for The Arts is facing major cuts globally, with emerging artists bearing the brunt. “This is why we are pivoting to an innovative funding model, looking to work with people from our communities who are interested in becoming patrons of the Arts,” she explained.

Antonia and May are calling for patrons to support their next film On Falling, and hoping to raise an additional £15,000 through fund-raising. “We are looking for financial contributions between £300 and £5,000. You can make a standalone donation or choose to receive a range of rewards including signed limited prints, paintings, attending a special screening or becoming a 'friend of OPF’.” More information is available here on this link. You can also connect with Antonia here.