BlackTrack @ BFI Flare
As BFI Flare Film Festival 2026 has come to a close, running from the 18th to the 29th of March, let’s look back at the programme with BlackTrack’s suggestions!
Black Burns Fast
Sanduela Asanda
It’s Luthando’s final year of high school. She and her best friend Jodie, two of the school’s scholarship students, are content to be viewed as studious and chronically uncool. However, the arrival of fiery Ayanda in their class dramatically changes things. Luthando is introduced to the ‘cool’ scholarship set and her rebellious side soon starts to bloom. But what is she meant to do about her confusing feelings for Ayanda? And how is she going to juggle new and old friendships – and those sexual desires – while remaining a top student and ensuring she lives up to her mother’s high expectations of her? Turning high-school movie tropes on their head, Black Burns Fast is a refreshing and creative love letter to queer Black girlhood that announces Asanda as a major new cinematic voice. It’s impossible to leave this film without a broad smile on your face. Grace Barber-Plentie (BFI Flare)
What’s On?
Out Laws
Lexi Powner, James Lewis
In June 2022, Friedel Dausab filed a lawsuit against his government, aiming to protect many other citizens like himself, who suffer under the yolk of anti-LGBTQIA+ laws. His journey takes him all the way to England and traces the history of homophobia in the Global South to Tudor-era laws and present-day US evangelism. Wemma Mumma (BFI Flare)
Low Rider
Campbell X
When her mother passes away, London-based millennial Quinn travels all the way to Cape Town in search of her father. What she initially imagined would be a straightforward trip instead turns into a wild goose chase for her estranged parent, involving sexy club nights, cosy campfires and unexpected company from a charming stranger. Wemma Mumma (BFI Flare)
ìFé: The Sequel
Pamela Adie
Pamela Adie’s film catches up with Adaora and ífé after both have moved on. Adaora settled into comfortable domesticity with her husband, while ífé found love in South Africa. But when they unexpectedly cross paths at a Lagos bookstore, old flames ignite, threatening to upend everything they’ve built. Wemma Mumma (BFI Flare)
When the Rainbow is Enuf- Programmed by Wemmu Mumma
A joyful twist on Ntozake Shange’s 1976 play, this programme celebrates queer Black girlhood across the spectrum: playful, romantic, chaotic and unapologetically free.
This programme includes:
Kanekalon- Sara J Asprilla
Newbies- Kimiko Matsuda-Lawrence, Megan Trufant Tillman
Notice Me- Amy Williams
Seek No Favour- Elle Clay, Leilah Weinraub
The Fling- Jemma Cotter
Fish & Chips- Macadie Amoroso
You and Me Makes Three- Emmalie El Fadli
Dreamers- Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor
Dreamers
Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor
When undocumented immigrant Isio is discovered by the British authorities, she is remanded to Hatchworth Removal Centre, where deportation looms. The gruelling environment would be unbearable were it not for Farah, her roommate. What begins as a begrudging friendship soon blossoms into something much more profound. Wema Mumma (BFI Flare)
The Broken R
Ricardo Ruales Eguiguren
Ricardo and his father have Treacher Collins syndrome. Weaving together archive footage, interviews and animation, Ricardo attempts to understand his relationship to his family, his condition and his sexuality. Grace Barber-Plentie (BFI Flare)
Baby
Marcelo Caetano
Wellington returns to São Paulo, following a stint in juvenile prison, only to discover his parents have disappeared. Adrift and unsure of his next step, he meets Ronaldo, an older hustler. The two embark on a fluid, passionate and caring relationship, allowing Wellington, selfname Baby, to experience different sides of hustling life and, more importantly, to redefine what ‘family’ means to him. Diana Cipriano (BFI Flare)
Skiff
Cecilia Verheyden
Adolescence is proving a challenge for Malou – whether it’s their parents’ divorce, gender identity or bullying by peers. But more trouble lies ahead when Malou’s infatuation with their brother’s girlfriend becomes all too clear. Wemmu Mumma (BFI Flare)