“It’s a big year for women,” said GAZE programmer, Roisín Geraghty as she launched the Dublin International LGBT Film Festival programme at Accenture’s Dock last night.

The event, which featured a rooftop barbeque looking over the Dublin skyline, was attended by a number of guest directors, including Sonya Mulligan, whose documentary on the history of the lesbian movement in Ireland, Outitude, will screen at the festival.

“This year’s programme, while including something for all audiences, is also a reflection of what a year it has been for women – in portrayals on screen, behind the camera, and social shifts in the feminist movement,” said Geraghty.

Included in this mix of strong female-led movies are Sebastián Leo’s follow-up to his Best Foreign Film Oscar-winning A Fantastic Woman, Disobedience, starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams as lesbians trying to negotiate their love for each other in an Orthodox Jewish community, and Sundance Grand Jury prize-winner The Miseducation of Cameron Post (pictured above), which stars Chloe Grace Moretz as a teenager who is sent to a gay conversion therapy center after getting caught with another girl in the back seat of a car on prom night.

The festival will also feature a number of big titles from Australia, including opening film, Riot, a heady documentary about the beginnings of the Sydney Mardi Gras; Pulse, a coming of age drama about a disabled trans teenager; and Remembering The Man, a moving documentary exploring the relationship between Tim Conigrave and John Caleo, who have also been the subject of the hit feature film and stage play, Holding The Man.

Other anticipated films include A Moment in The Reeds, which explores the growing intimacy between a young Finnish man and a Syrian refugee; Coby, a documentary following a trans teen who decides to share his transition journey with the world via YouTube; and Every Act of Life, a critically acclaimed documentary about the life and times of maverick gay playwright, Terence McNally.

GCN’s presence at the festival will include an exhibition celebrating the publication’s relationship with GAZE over the past 25 years, and a very timely Townhall Talk, with a panel exploring ways forward for LGBT+ rights in Northern Ireland.

“We really hope that audiences will come to support the festival and enjoy the selection of films and discussions on offer,” Geraghty said.

GAZE takes place at the Light House Cinema in Dublin’s Smithfield from August 2 to 6, www.gaze.ie for more.