HISTORY

The Palace International Film Festival is an LGBTQIA+ film festival experienced through multi-disciplinary performances, workshops and panels from local Bristol and international queer artists, ocurring through 8th – 12th September at Bricks in Bristol. In line with our tagline: ‘elevating experimentation and creating conversation’, PIFF aims to spotlight emerging talent and bring together LGBTQIA+ artists, communities and allies. PIFF celebrates the individual and collective identities that we share through the power of queer culture. The 2021 programme invites Bristol: to experience the pop-up outdoor cinema and indulge in the variety of queer cinema on offer through over 100 short and feature-length films; to dive into the immersive 3D world of queer virtual reality; and explore the PIFF virtual platform for those staying at home – all experienced alongside multisensory performances and workshops where inspiring conversations are created and ideas are shared.
 

PRODUCERS NOTE

We are excited to present to you The Palace International Film Festival 2021! This year's edition is louder than ever, celebrating a diverse array of intricately woven queer stories for all shades of queer life. This year our key aims have been to improve accessibility and interactivity, and to create a safe(r) space into which festival guests can immerse themselves - you can find the safe(r) space Palace Manifesto on our website. Interact and engage with film and queer ideas through panels, workshops, Q&As, and our community party, Reestablishing Connection. We have also expanded our programme to include queer immersive experiences: VR is a medium which is always prodding and poking around ideas about identity and storytelling; it is important that we share our voices there too! We are also excited (and a bit nervous) to introduce our new sliding ticket scale that aims to be as inclusive as possible by not excluding those who are struggling financially from sharing the film festival experience! When you pay more for a ticket, you are helping someone less fortunate than yourself enjoy the festival too! And last but not least, for those wanting to enjoy the 2021 edition of PIFF from home, we are also streaming our extensive shorts programme along with live Q&As online.

 

THE PALACE COLLECTIVE 

We are a collective of inquisitive minds, focused on developing confidence and creative expression in individuals and communities. Motivated by the lack of opportunity available for emerging creatives, we build networks and physical spaces that offer a supportive alternative to the traditional structures often found in the creative industries. We are an ever evolving international network of diverse art-forms, industries, backgrounds & levels of experience, united by cross discipline collaboration and collective support. 

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OUR MISSION

 

* Change the world through the power of queer cinema

* Build an inclusive and accessible safe space for the Bristol LGBTQIA+ community to appreciate queer culture

* Provide a unique community and intimate space for queer filmmakers to make creative connections and showcase their work​

* Activate emerging queer identities in our local communities

* Celebrate and discover emerging local & international talent​

* Nurture a creative community that will forge future collaboration for non-commercial filmmakers

* Bridge a cultural connection between the cities of Bristol, Berlin and Wroclaw

* Appreciate film with a unique and intimate exhibition space

* Connect with The Palace Collective Residency community - sharing our skills, knowledge and resources for future collaborations

* Create a sense of togetherness with our filmmakers and audiences in response to the Covid 19 pandemic