Head down to the picture house for the monthly Queers in Shorts eventFLICKR: TRASH WORLD

The best thing about the Queers in Shorts events is the fantastically inclusive and friendly atmosphere. Piled into the Picture House café, which is only just about big enough to hold the crowd, there is a mix of local LGBT groups, students, and couples enjoying the chance for a cheap cinema date.

The term ‘queer’ has been coined in an attempt to remove the divisions that demand we define ourselves by our gender identity. Instead of strict definitions, the term ‘queer’ tries to reflect the idea of gender and sexuality as performances that can change and display themselves in different ways at different times. Although often dealing with serious issues, the films shown at Queers in Shorts retain this playful tone often with a wink to each other and the audience. The idea is less about subverting expectations than refusing to assume expectations in the first place.

The opening short, Memories for Sale, which deals with the fictional tale of a comedian negotiating the writing of his memoirs, is the only film that centres around a gay ‘revelation’ and although the dialogue was witty, the overall effect felt dramatised and somewhat clumsy. The rest of the shorts were delicate, often funny and touching, with less an idea of revelation than a sort of pre-assumed acceptance and diversity which was refreshing and allowed the films to stand out for their artistic merit rather than the sole merit of their presentation of minority groups.

As it was phrased in the opening short film, “I’m not a cause, I’m a man!”, is a feeling that holds true through the rest of the evening. The tendency is to see films at events such as this as ‘alternative’, but if there’s one thing shown by Queers in Shorts its that the films screened here may well be more authentic than the latest hetero-normal rom-com you went to see.

There was a great mix of films, with some clear stand out favourites. A short film about two nomadic lesbian friends who tackle moving out for the first time was ingeniously shot on next to no budget. Using hand drawings, superb voice over effects and witty, well-timed dialogue The Drive North by Tess Ernst shows the complexities of friendship, the fears of stepping out into adulthood, and the horror at moving into a new flat after a 13-hour drive only to find the mattress is covered in rat droppings and the lounge is littered with the debris of people you’ve never met.  

The most delicate and touching film of the night had to be My Person, directed by Antony Osso. This short documentary allows a trans family to tell their story, with honesty, humour and affection. They are not a cause; they are a family feeling their way through their lives and identities and, as the lead explained to his nephew, living in the bodies that make them happy.

From February next year, the group will be having a feature film night one Thursday every month. Queers in Shorts is gathering momentum, and through Facebook or a visit to the Arts Picturehouse anyone can get involved.