Fringe! bills itself as “London's DIY queer film & arts fest”. It was launched in 2011 by a group of queer creatives as a community response to cuts in arts funding, and has stayed true to that start: an entirely volunteer-run festival where many screenings and events are free or cheap.
The programme is an eclectic mix of films, art and performance celebrating LGBTIQA+ stories from around the world — eye-opening features next to DIY and experimental work — spread across cinemas, art galleries, pop-up venues and basement clubs, mostly in east London. It is, in the organisers' words, by queers for queers, with a DIY spirit that isn't afraid to get a little messy.
