Venus Drowning

Director: Andrew Parkinson

Year: 1999

Mark, a botanist, is bitten by a sick woman while on a field trip. He is infected with a virus that makes him crave fresh human meat. On returning to London, he takes a new flat and lives a life of isolation where he can satisfy his need for flesh. Repulsed by his own violent behaviour, he takes a series of victims, eats them, and disposes of their remains as best he can. As his illness progresses he becomes weaker and more disorientated. His girlfriend Sarah is shattered by his vanishing, but slowly rebuilds her life with the support of friends. Mark is obsessed with Sarah and determined to see her again. He anaesthetises and kidnaps her, taking her back to his new flat. He starts to hallucinate and aware of his own volatile condition, returns her safely to live her new life. He is getting weaker, and after dragging the body of one of his victims, his leg breaks. Unable to seek medical help he screws a metal plate onto the side of his broken leg. The boundaries between reality and his increasingly disturbing hallucinations become more blurred. The flesh on his face is starting to ulcerate. He can no longer leave the flat. While masturbating, his decaying penis falls off in his hand. All that remains is to attempt as dignified a death as possible.

Director: Adrian Maganza

Year: 2025

A rescue dummy gets forgotten at the bottom of a swimming pool. Behind his single expression, a whirlwind of emotions flood his plastic carcass as he fantasies about being picked up and brought to the surface in the strong and reassuring arms of a swimmer. Official Selection London Short Film Festival 2026

Director: Wapah Ezeigwe

Year: 2025

The film narrates the complex journey of a young woman as she is promised in an arranged marriage to a wealthy aristocrat. As she navigates this new social landscape, she unexpectedly finds herself drawn towards another woman from her town. This secret affection creates a conflict within her, torn between fulfilling her marital duties and following her heart. Through its poignant portrayal of love in the face of societal expectations, the movie explores themes of identity, independence, and the struggle for authentic connection amidst tradition-bound constraints. As the protagonist grapples with these competing forces in her life, viewers are drawn into a captivating tale of self-discovery and the courage to embrace one's own desires. Official Selection BFI Flare LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 2025