Mishcon de Reya and PGIM are partnering with the British Film Institute (BFI) on BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, one of the world’s most significant and long-standing LGBTQIA+ film events.
The partnership includes hosting a special film screening of French film Winter Boy on Wednesday 22 March 2023 as part of the festival.
In Winter Boy, Christophe Honoré’s richly textured, semi-autobiographical teen drama, a young man in emotional freefall embarks on a journey of sex and self-discovery. After an unexpected tragedy turns his world upside-down, 17-year-old Lucas is left to deal with an all-consuming grief he does not understand. At odds with his grieving mother (Juliette Binoche, on top form), the lost teen accepts an offer from his older brother to stay with him in Paris for a week. Away from the fraught emotions of home, Lucas finds solace and distraction in casual sex, slowly embarking on a journey of physical and emotional self-discovery. Propelled by a star-making turn from Paul Kircher, acclaimed filmmaker Honoré (Love Songs, Sorry Angel) draws on real-life experience to present a coming-of-age tale that is at once painfully raw yet disarmingly tender, and perhaps most importantly, refreshingly free of cliché.
Claire Manches, VP, Corporate Counsel at PGIM Real Estate, said: “Diversity and inclusion matters in our thinking, in our investments and in our people. We are delighted to have the opportunity to partner with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival 2023 and together with Mishcon de Reya give a platform for such a personal and engaging film."
Mishcon de Reya partner Emma Woollcott, who leads the LGBTQIA+ strand of the firm's Equity, Diversity and Inclusion Committee, said: "At Mishcon de Reya, we have always embraced our role in public life and supported causes and campaigns driven by our people. We see BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival as a valuable platform and resource within the LGBTQIA+ arena – film can be a powerful medium to provide a voice to overlooked communities, provoke thought and generate discussion around important issues, and showcase talent. It's a privilege to once again partner with the BFI on the festival, and to support a film that feels both contemporary and deeply personal in its portrayal of LGBTQIA+ youth."
To find out more about BFI Flare, please click here.
For more information, please contact Stephen Rowe.