Filmmaker Bill Hughes celebrates 25 years of the GAZE International LGBT Film Festival, celebrating LGBT storytelling from across the globe.
It's fair to say that gay people in Ireland in 1992 were not generally accepted by society, so many of us resorted to playing an elaborate game of hiding in plain sight.
It was all a bit nudge nudge wink wink, which is never a good thing. Since it was still illegal at that time to be homosexual, many young gay and trans men and women made the tough decision to emigrate to countries where they could live openly as their true selves, rather than join in this charade. As a marginalised community we had discos dotted around Dublin and Cork where we could dance the night away to the latest floor fillers, and as the evening came to a close we became a sea of same-sex couples wrapped around each other for the slow set, hidden away from the judgement of the world outside. That was our lot. But we didn't like it. We hoped things would get better. Change was bubbling under. It just took a long time.
For those of us who chose to make Ireland our home, we were about to be decriminalised in 1993, and the anticipation that such a thing could happen in our lifetimes was mind-blowing and extremely liberating. Thanks to the tireless work of gay pioneers and their allies, there was a seismic shift in the public's attitude toward gays that seemed to happen overnight, and a new era of confidence and self assuredness among the LGBT community was ushered in.
And so, twenty five years ago, into this uncertain atmosphere full of possibility, The Dublin Lesbian and Gay Film Festival came into being. In that Ireland of 1992, this was brave, it was fearless and it put down a marker that the gays were coming out of the shadows and taking their rightful place in the full glare of Irish public life.
I was there in the IFI for the first screenings of this fledgling event. And I have been there almost every year since, if not in person, then as a Friend of the GAZE International LGBT Festival, as it is now known. The August Bank Holiday means only one thing in our house, that we move in to the Lighthouse Cinema in Smithfield for the weekend to be dazzled, enthralled, intrigued and entertained by the rich programme of documentaries, dramas, romantic comedies and short films, the programmer Roisin has so carefully selected from around the world.
In those daring first years, many of the films were mostly inspirational 'coming out' stories, darkly subversive dramas or emotionally raw depictions of living with AIDS, which would otherwise never have been seen by an Irish audience. They were of their time. They were important works. Seeing them was worthwhile and necessary.
But we've come a long way since then. These days, just as the LGBT community and society have evolved, and the Church has lost it's controlling grip, the next generation have developed without many of the hang-ups that emotionally crippled so many of us in the repressed era pre 1993 Ireland.
It's a new dawn, it's a new day and we're feeling good.
When dreams come true and #westlife (1 of 5) @MarkusFeehily shows up @AccentureDock for @GAZEfilmfest 25th anniversary celebration #GAZE25 pic.twitter.com/2QbvvcG3zw
— Heather McCormick (@heyahev) June 15, 2017
GAZE now proudly screens positive representations of queer life and culture for an audience whose expectations are high and who won't tolerate anything that is less than authentic. What could be better than taking our seats in the Lighthouse, with our partners, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands, wives and our friends, together with like minded strangers, who have all gathered to share these cinematic experiences. And it's not all about uplifting and feel good films. GAZE also screens challenging and provocative works that divide audiences and trigger debates that can last way past the weekend.
That's the beauty of this gorgeous and much loved festival. It hits all the right notes. There is something for everyone. It makes you laugh and it makes you cry and at it's best it makes you think.
Over the course of it's twenty-five year history, it has survived and thrived against a backdrop of massive social and economic upheaval. GAZE opens a window to the world and in particular to the lives and experiences of our LGBT brothers and sisters in every corner of the globe.
This year I can't wait to see the opening film The 34th – The Story of Marriage Equality in Ireland and the much heralded closing film, God's Own Country. And in between there are over 30 films to choose from as well as exciting selections of Short Films from some of the most talented emerging young Directors. They are the next generation after all and their voices should be heard. I am so proud to serve on the Board of GAZE and to be part of this important jewel in Ireland's cultural landscape. I look forward to seeing the unflappable Noel Sutton steering the ship and to the smiling faces of the volunteers who work so hard to make the weekend the success it is. Come and see for yourself. You'll have a great time.
The 2017 GAZE International Film Festival runs from 3rd-7th August - more info here.
