The story of the discovery of the AIDS virus, from the early days in 1978, when San Francisco gays began dying from unknown causes, to the identification of the HIV virus. Bigots spoke of a gay plague, scientists fought for the kudos of being first to identify the cause, and disagreements beset San Francisco's gays over the closure of the bathhouses. The film, quite rightly, deals with these issues. find out more...

 

Oliver meets the irreverent and unpredictable Anna only months after his father Hal has passed away. This new found love floods Oliver with memories of his father, who, following the death of his wife of 45 years, came out of the closet at age 75 and rocks it to the full. By turns touching and witt find out more...

Derek Jarman faces up to AIDS, the loss of loved ones, the breakdown of the body, blindness and his own approaching fall into the void. The constant blue screen provides a backdrop for Jarman's words, which are delivered by a host of famous voices. His eloquence, and unsentimental account of his own plight are deeply moving. A challenging and abstract film. The dvd contains Glitterbug, a 60 minute collage of Jarman's super 8 footage which he shot between 1970-1986. find out more...

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Kline and Judd combine well in this delightful homage to the life and times of Cole and Linda Porter, man and wife, composer and muse, a couple who led a life of glamour and indulged eccentricity. There's no shortage of the man's music, which is unfortunately sometimes murdered by using a series of unsuitable singers; "It's De-Lovely" by Robbie Williams, "Let's Do It (Let's Fall In Love)" by Alanis Morissette, "Begin The Beguine" by Sheryl Crow, "Let's Misbehave" by Elvis Costello, "Be a Clown" find out more...

The Witnesses tells the turbulent tale of a group of friends and lovers in 1980s Paris. Handsome young Manu arrives in the city and befriends the older Adrien, who introduces Manu to his circle of friends including a harried and married cop called Mehdi with whom Manu embarks on a passionate and ultimately destructive relationship. find out more...

Eighteen year old Brian Lackey is missing something, five hours to be precise, five hours from his childhood that he cannot account for and that he has become convinced is the work of aliens. Moving to New York Brian meets a young hustler, depressingly wise beyond his years and though seemingly at complete odds with each other the two form a bond. Together the young lads recognise the need to acknowledge what has happened to them and in each other see the opportunity to lay their demons to rest. find out more...

LA businessman Max (Snipes) is Mr Happily-Married-Nice-Guy, until he goes to New York to visit his HIV-positive best friend, Charlie, a towering performance from Robert Downey Jr. There he meets Nastassja Kinski, cops off with her for a night of passion, and returns to LA racked with guilt, whence his once blissful marriage begins to crumble. Returning to New York a year later to comfort the now dying Charlie, Max's monumental indiscretion comes back to haunt him when Kinski reappears. Soul-sear find out more...

Hanks deservedly won an Oscar for his portrayal of a brilliant young lawyer with AIDS, is sacked for "incompetence", and sues his bosses. Denzel Washington is superb as the homophobic brief who helps him fight the system. Excellent and thought-provoking. find out more...

Brit Kotwal was born with brittle bone disease in a Parsee community in Bombay, and as he grows into a man, helped and hindered by his eccentric and dysfunctional family, Brit becomes keen to the point of obsession to facilitate his sexual awakening. Sixth Happiness is based on Firdaus Kanga's (who also stars) acclaimed autobiography and it's a witty, acerbic, touching and thoughtful portrayal of a remarkable human, beautifully shot and unsentimentally visualised. find out more...