July 1, 2021

Contemporary Ireland is a vibrant kaleidoscopic ensemble of peoples and cultures. Yet this rich sense of diversity is often absent from both the big and small screen. If film is a medium in which we get glimpses into the lives and experiences of others different from ourselves, then it is an ideal platform for LGBTQ storytelling and representation. Watch some of the leading names in Irish and UK film in this special ‘in-conversation’ event speak about current examples of best practice and how mainstream film can be more inclusive.

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Pradeep Mahadeshwar is from Mumbai, India but is now based in Dublin. He is Senior Art Director at Groupon, is a visual artist and writer with past exhibitions in Mumbai, New Delhi, London and Dublin. He is a regular contributor to Gay Community News (GCN) and has written on the experiences of first and second generation queer people of colour (QPOC) living in Ireland.

Seán McGovern is the Creative Director of GAZE: Dublin International LGBTQ+ Film Festival. He has previously worked in the Programming team for Fringe! Queer Film and Arts Fest and the BFI London Film Festival and independently in London's Cinema Museum. Outside of film festivals, he is a Heritage Project Manager for the London Borough of Islington.

Rico Johnson-Sinclair is Race Equality Lead for the BFI, working to change cultures and biases in the film industry. After working with Flatpack Festival in Birmingham, he went on to build CineQ (Birmingham's Queer Film Festival that prioritises Queer and Trans People of Colour) which is now in its fourth year. He's also a new BAFTA Voting Member.

Outside of programming and exhibition, Rico consults with organisations around events that focus on Inclusion and Diversity.