In New York City, LGBTQ youth-of-color gather out on the Christopher Street Pier, practicing a performance-based artform, Ballroom, which was made famous in the early 1990s by Madonna’s music video Vogue and the documentary Paris Is Burning. Twenty-five years after these cultural touchstones, a new and very different generation of LGBTQ youth have formed an artistic activist subculture, named the Kiki Scene. KIKI follows seven characters from the Kiki community over the course of four years, using their preparations and spectacular performances at events known as Kiki balls as a framing device while delving into their battles with homelessness, illness and prejudice as well as their gains towards political influence and the conquering of affirming gender-expressions. With a post-screening talk from artist Kamari Romeo in collaboration with The Otherness Archive, this is one not to miss! Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london.

Dracula, who operates a high-end resort away from the human world, goes into overprotective mode when a boy discovers the resort and falls for the count's teenage daughter. With themes such as found family, a feeling of being an 'outcast' and coming out allegories, the film offers meaningful queer-coded representation within a family fantasy adventure. This event is a relaxed screening, designed to be welcoming and accessible for neurodivergent audiences, and will be followed by an origami workshop where you can make your own castle or bat. with artist Toshiko Kurata. Toshiko Kurata is a member of British Origami Society and founder of Happy Origami Wonderland. She teaches origami to adults and children through her own workshops as well as teaching in schools and private events, also working with Samuel Tsang's Mindful Origami company. Her recent origami artwork "Hana no Oto - Sound of Flowers" was displayed at the exhibition called "Spirit of Invention" at The National Archives in London and Discovery Museum in Newcastle. For more information on Toshiko and her work, please visit her Instagram page, @origamihappywonderland. Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london.

João, an actress from Lisbon, stars in a biopic about Liberada, a gender-nonconforming figure persecuted by the Portuguese Inquisition in the 18th century. The film’s production becomes a battleground as João clashes with the director over how Liberada’s legacy should be portrayed. These tensions deepen as João’s dreams are increasingly haunted by Liberada’s ghost, blurring the lines between past and present. When the director succumbs to a mysterious paralysis, leaving the film unfinished, João is left to navigate the unfolding chaos. She faces unanswerable questions, not only about the film’s future but also about her own connection to Liberada’s spirit and story. With a post-screening Q&A from film scholar Lu Etienne, this is a one-off special you don't want to miss. Lu Etienne is an independent film scholar and curator. For over a decade, they have introduced audiences to innovative films in essays, on podcasts, and at cinemas and universities. Recent long-term projects have explored oppositional trans filmmaking and decolonial film curation. Lu’s work is driven by curiosity about the role of visual media in spurring change and building futures. Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london.

Raised a boy in East Berlin, Hedwig undergoes a traumatic personal transformation in order to emigrate to the U.S., where she reinvents herself as an 'internationally ignored' but divinely talented rock diva. Based on the trailblazing musical from writer-director-star John Cameron Mitchell and composer lyricist Stephen Trask, Hedwig and the Angry Inch tells Hedwig’s life through her music, an eclectic assortment of original punk anthems and power ballads a tribute to the transcendent power of rock and roll. Singalong led by Rebelle Voices, London’s only choir for LGBTQ+ women, trans & non-binary people! Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london.

Confined in a mansion in 1930s Korea, Lady Hideko is a bird in a gilded cage - and a seemingly easy target for a duplicitous Count, who hires Sook-hee, a talented young pickpocket, to act as her handmaiden (and help in his plan to seduce her). But Sook-hee may have a different plan in mind, and a tangled web soon begins to weave around the handmaiden, her charge, the Count, and Hideko's domineering uncle. Winner of Best Film Not in the English Language at the BAFTAs in 2018, The Handmaiden is a ravishing puzzle box filled with mystery and melodrama from director Park Chan-wook. Stay around post-screening to grab a bespoke typewriter poems by poet-on-command Mikayla Elias. Mikayla Elias is a typewriter poet based out of London, England. Bring them something on your heart, and they'll write you a custom poem on the spot. Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london.

PJ (Rachel Sennott) and Josie (Ayo Edebiri) start a fight club as a way to lose their virginities to cheerleaders. The fight club gains traction and soon the most popular girls in school are beating each other up in the name of self-defense. But the pair find themselves in over their heads and in need of a way out before their plan is exposed. With an intro from queer drag wrestling legends Fist Club, this is one boisterous event not to miss. Fight, fight, fight, fight. Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london.

The Castle is delighted to present this groundbreaking comedy from director Mike Nichols. The Birdcage is adapted from the farcical French play, and its subsequent film adaptation, La Cage aux Folles. It follows cabaret club owners and lovers Armand (Robin Williams) and Albert (Nathan Lane) receiving word that their son is intent to marry the daughter of a controversial conservative politician (Gene Hackman). To accommodate, the couple make sincere attempts to hide their true selves and pass as a traditional family for the fiancée’s conservative parents abruptly come to visit. But as their stay increases, the truth must eventually win out. The Birdcage is a fierce and uncompromising celebration of love in all its forms. With a post-screening Drag Tea Party (ft. tea, biscuits & prosecco), this is one not to miss! Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london

Last year we rounded out our pride programme with the queer world's favourite trans-allegory, The Matrix. This year, it's time for round two of the Wachowski sisters cyberpunk sci-fi masterpiece. Neo, Trinity and Morpheus, now fully immersed into the world of The Matrix, continue to lead the revolt against the Machine Army in The Matrix: Reloaded the second part of the original trilogy. Revealing their arsenal of extraordinary skills and weaponry and letting all loose against the systematic forces of repression and exploitation. In their quest to save the human race from extinction, they gain greater insight into the construct of The Matrix and Neo's pivotal role in the fate of mankind. Followed by a DJ set & with delicious beers provided by Queer Brewing - come see Pride Month out in style! Event supported by Film Hub London, managed by Film London. Proud to be a partner of the BFI Film Audience Network, funded by the National Lottery. www.filmlondon.org.uk/film-hub-london.