Manchester’s LGBTQ+ Film and TV Festival, SCENE, returns this August with a bold first wave of programming featuring cult classics, iconic creators, musical tributes, and a very special reunion marking 10 years of Russell T Davies’ Cucumber.
Running from Friday 15th to Thursday 21st August 2025, SCENE returns with a vibrant, city-wide celebration of queer storytelling. Following its breakout debut in 2024, this year’s edition offers another week of powerful screenings, industry conversations and unforgettable events as part of Manchester Pride 2025.
On Wednesday 20th August at New Century Hall, fans can celebrate the 10-year anniversary of Channel 4’s Cucumber with creator Russell T Davies (Queer as Folk, It’s A Sin), alongside cast members Vincent Franklin and Cyril Nri. Together they will reflect on the show’s legacy, cultural impact, and lead character Henry’s (played by Franklin) journey through Manchester’s dating scene. The event will include a selected episode screening and audience Q&A, and additional guests are yet to be announced.
The opening night will feature opening film Lesbian Space Princess at HOME, a genre-bending sci-fi romance that sets the tone for a week of bold queer cinema.
Jonathan Harvey, writer of Gimme Gimme Gimme, Beautiful People and Beautiful Thing will be “in conversation” at New Century Hall, with favourite clips from across his career and a screening of much-loved queer classic Beautiful Thing.
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The ground-breaking producers behind RuPaul’s Drag Race, Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato, will be joining us for a conversation on queer storytelling, how their fiercely independent spirit took them on the journey to creating their own platform, WOW Presents Plus, and the importance of honouring queer cultural history, followed by a screening of one of their seminal films, Party Monster (2003), starring Macaulay Culkin as notorious club kid Michael Alig.
Waterloo Road producer Adam Leatherland, director Lloyd Eyre-Morgan, and cast members Miya Ocego and Sonya Nisa (Aleena and Lois) will be at New Century Hall for a conversation on LGBTQ+ representation in schools and on screen, hosted by social media icon Thomas Duke (@SteppingThroughFilm).
Manchester Camerata and Aaron Akugbo will be hosting a moving concert celebrating LGBTQ+ composers, featuring works by Meredith Monk and Aaron Copland, followed by Monk in Pieces – a Teddy Award-nominated documentary about Monk’s trailblazing life and legacy.
Join us for the 4K re-release of this camp classic with in-screen drag queen performances inspired by Nomi Malione herself.
The festival will also feature the “Best of Sheffield DocFest” at the Printworks, six days of free screenings at First Street, from an Oz-themed celebration (including The Wizard of Oz and a Wicked sing-along) to cult comedies like To Wong Foo, Mean Girls and more, a curated showcase of fiction features from around the world, many screening in the North for the first time, including: Drive Back Home (starring Alan Cumming), Plainclothes (with Russell Tovey & Tom Blythe) and Dreams in Nightmares at Printworks, the Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot + SCENE’s Lesbian TV Quiz at New Century, where filmmaker Regan Latimer will present a witty, personal deep-dive into lesbian TV tropes and why queer representation matters too, and input from partners including Cultplex, Gaze, Iris Prize, and GASP!, and will unveil additional events and strands including Queer As Jokes and NightLives as part of the final programme announcement on 24th July. With more guests, premieres, and parties still to come, SCENE 2025 is shaping up to be a joyful celebration of LGBTQ+ screen culture.
Tickets start at just £2.50, with many events free of charge. Profits from ticket sales, along with booking fees from ticketing partner Skiddle, will be donated to Manchester Pride Charity.
For festival attendees looking to make an extended visit, a range of exclusive hotel offers, rewards, and packages will be available from participating city centre hotels throughout the duration of the festival. Perks include Up to 30% off your stay, fabulous drag breakfasts & brunches, limited-edition Pride cocktails, freebies and surprises. More details can be found here – Scene & Stay.
