This year, Hungary banned the Pride parade, and the situation is no better in neighboring Serbia or Turkey where the LGBT+ community has traditionally been subjected to harassment and discrimination. Against this backdrop of growing far-right and homophobic sentiments in the region, it is even more important that Sofia Pride Fest will go ahead on 14 June for the 18th consecutive time, uniting the community under the motto "We are people, not propaganda."
As everywhere else in the world in June (the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969), the festival is not only a celebration but also an important platform with clear messages - the rights of LGBTI+ people are fundamental human rights. The organizers remind the public that "behind every story and cause are real people-with their feelings, families, friends, pursuit of happiness, and right to a dignified life."
This time, the concert will take place after the parade, which will start at 16:00 from the Knyaz Alexander I Square. In the week before the parade, there will also be a film festival featuring the best queer films from the past year.
All screenings are at the Cinema House, and some of the titles have won awards at Berlin, Cannes, Venice, Sundance, BFI Flare, and others. This year, 11 feature films and 13 short films will compete for the audience awards. Emmy Award-winning director Christina Constantini tells the story of Sally, the first American woman to fly into space, in Sally. In the documentary (4 June) about Sally Ride, her partner Tam O'Shaughnessy appears on camera, revealing for the first time the difficulties faced by the astronaut through the prism of their love and the sacrifices they had to make.
Another film not to be missed is Bird (7 June) by Oscar-winner Andrea Arnold, known for Fish Tank and American Honey. The main character is 12-year-old Bailey, who lives with her father and brother in a commune in North Kent. Also interesting is The Soul of the Desert (8 June) - about Georgina, a transgender woman from the Wayuu ethnic group in Colombia, who decides to change her life at retirement age.
The short films in the program are no less profound and provocative: from the first film about an intersex person from Pakistan, Bably and Babar, to the Bulgarian film Aunt Vaska about the sculptor Vaska Emanuilova. The screenings are on 9 June. The film festival ends on 12 June with the Korean comedy The Wedding Party. The next day is the dance performance Angriff at Toplozentrala, part of the cultural program of Sofia Pride Fest. Director William Cardoso delves into the themes of violence, desire, and rebellion.
An important part of the accompanying events is The Shift business forum at the Grand Hotel Millennium Sofia, which will convene citizens and companies that demonstrate the evolution in approaches to diversity, equality, and inclusion (DEI) on 13 June. Among the keynote speakers is Catherine Vaughn from EY, who is known as a long-time advocate for LGBTI+ equality. For the sixth year, she has been included in the OUTStanding 100 Global Executives ranking.
The full program of Sofia Pride Film Fest is available at: https://www.sofiapridefilmfest.org/. For other events, follow the event's Facebook page.
This year, Hungary banned the Pride parade, and the situation is no better in neighboring Serbia or Turkey where the LGBT+ community has traditionally been subjected to harassment and discrimination. Against this backdrop of growing far-right and homophobic sentiments in the region, it is even more important that Sofia Pride Fest will go ahead on 14 June for the 18th consecutive time, uniting the community under the motto "We are people, not propaganda."
As everywhere else in the world in June (the anniversary of the Stonewall riots in New York in 1969), the festival is not only a celebration but also an important platform with clear messages - the rights of LGBTI+ people are fundamental human rights. The organizers remind the public that "behind every story and cause are real people-with their feelings, families, friends, pursuit of happiness, and right to a dignified life."
