Beijing Queer film festival cancelled after harassment from authorities

Briefing by News4U · First published

Beijing's annual independent queer film festival, due to begin on Friday, has been cancelled after what is understood to have been a campaign of sustained harassment from authorities, The Guardian reported. In an Instagram statement late on Thursday, organisers said the Love Queer Film Week had been cancelled and apologised to those who planned to take part. Police had increased pressure through repeated phone calls in recent weeks, it is understood. Founded in 2001, the festival was described as mainland China's only public forum of its kind for LGBTQ+ films and discussion; Human Rights Watch's Maya Wang said overlapping pressures on civil society, LGBT communities and independent film-makers had intensified. [1]

Sources

  1. Beijing Queer film festival cancelled after police harassment

    The Guardian · · Full text

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