From Heartstopper star Yasmin Finney to the legendary director Danny Boyle, Greater Manchester is renowned as the birthplace of LGBTQ+ talent, both on and off screen.
So it seems only fitting that the city region is now home to SCENE – Manchester’s LGBTQ+ film and TV festival – which returns this summer after a successful debut in 2024.
Running from Friday 15 August to Thursday 21 August, the week-long festival takes place alongside Manchester Pride with a jam-packed programme spanning multiple venues.
Expect a reunion marking 10 years of Russell T Davies’ cult hit Cucumber, a showcase of standout queer documentaries from Sheffield DocFest, Channel 4 Presents: An Altogether Different Comedy Night, and a special screening and panel celebrating the hit BBC drama What It Feels Like for a Girl, to name just a few highlights.
READ MORE: SCENE Festival unveils full 2025 programme
“SCENE is Manchester Accommodation BID’s contribution to expand Manchester Pride and create more chances to engage with the LGBTQ+ community, presenting our stories in different ways,” says Gary Williams, head of events at CityCo – producers of SCENE Festival.
“We’re the home of TV in the North. We have lots of great films being made here and Coronation Street was created by Tony Warren, a gay man, 64 years ago. So it feels very natural to be both a film and TV festival.”
As an official partner event of Manchester Pride, the festival first launched in 2024 with a Queer as Folk 25-year reunion, reuniting the cast and creator Russell T Davies.
“It was probably the queerest and most Mancunian way to launch a film and TV festival,” he laughs.
“The festival is about giving people something different to do in the lead-up to Manchester Pride and that traditional four-day weekend. We have parties and lots of fun, but it’s something positive you can do if you don’t necessarily want to go to parties but you want to engage in LGBTQ culture in a different way.”
As for how the festival is amplifying underrepresented Northern voices, Williams says SCENE is working more closely with Manchester creatives this year.
Among the standout showcases is a special preview screening of Departure, the first feature from Punk Spirit Films – a collective of working-class LGBT+ filmmakers based in the city.
“We’ve also got our shorts programme this year to celebrate Manchester queer filmmakers. There will be an audience award for that too, so you can watch these films every day and then vote on your favourite.”
The festival also reaches beyond Manchester, teaming up with Sheffield DocFest to present some of its standout LGBTQ+ documentaries.
“It’s really important for us, as a festival and as a city, to invite other collaborators into the festival and showcase some of the stuff happening elsewhere,” he explains.
“Channel 4 is also doing our launch event. They just moved in – I can literally see them in St Michael’s as they’ve boosted their presence in the city.”
But ultimately, the festival is about uplifting those underrepresented voices. “We’ve made sure we have a real selection across the full LGBTQ+ spectrum and giving a voice to underrepresented communities — and that we’re giving access to those communities too.”
Accessibility is a key focus this year. For the first time, a community ticket has been introduced for LGBTQ+ attendees, alongside subsidised free tickets, and all profits will be donated to the Manchester Pride charity.
“The celebrations Manchester Pride is doing – from its cultural arm Superbia, the vigil, the parade and the new Mardi Gras party that’s new this year – should mean you’ve got a compelling reason to come to Manchester and stay a bit longer.”
Among the many highlights, Williams says one “unmissable” event will be the festival’s closing night: a live performance from Manchester Camerata with a 23-piece orchestra, followed by a screening of Monk in Pieces.
There will also be a special panel with the cast of What It Feels Like for a Girl, but what he’s most looking forward to is The Victoria Wood-A-Thon, taking place at New Century Hall with the potential appearances of some “special guests.”
“We’ve had sign-off from the BFI TV Archive to show lots of episodes from TV shows featuring Victoria Woods. We’re encouraging people to come dressed up with yellow berets. It’ll be hosted by Anna Phylactic and Banksie from RuPaul’s Drag Race UK. It’s a real celebration of Manchester talent. She wasn’t LGBT, but she was beloved by the community.”
