FiveFilmsForFreedom (previously FiveFilms4Freedom) is a free, online, 10-day LGBTQ+ film programme from the British Council and the British Film Institute originally supported by the UN Free & Equal campaign. It launched in 2015 as the first global, online LGBT film programme of its kind.^[1] The programme is a celebration of international LGBTQ+ short films selected from BFI Flare: London LGBTQ+ Film Festival, shared in a global campaign run by the British Council, which invites people all over the world to watch a movie and show that love is a human right. FiveFilms4Freedom was founded by Alan Gemmell and Briony Hanson, British Council Director of Film, in partnership with Tricia Tuttle, Artistic Director of BFI Festivals .^[2][3][4]

FiveFilms4Freedom launched in 2015 and ran from 19–27 March. The festival screened five short films by American, British, Canadian and Danish Directors in 135 countries.^[5] A 24-hour social media campaign on Wednesday 25 March asked people to watch one of the festival films and show that love is a human right.^[2][6] The festival achieved a total social media reach of 75m.^[7][8]

FiveFilms4Freedom 2016 ran from 16–27 March with a 24-hour social media campaign day on Thursday 17 March. The festival screened five short films by Directors from Brazil, Spain, the Philippines, and the UK.^[9] FiveFilms4Freedom 2016 achieved a total digital reach of 140.5 million people with more than 1.5 million film views.^[10][1]

FiveFilms4Freedom 2017 ran from 16–26 March with a 24-hour social media campaign day on Tuesday 21 March. The programme screened five short films by directors from the UK to mark the 50th anniversary of the UK's 1967 Sexual Offences Act, which partially decriminalised homosexuality.^[15] The films were viewed by over 1.7 million people in 202 countries including Afghanistan, China, Iraq, Russia, Uganda, and Yemen.^[16]

Source:^[18]

FiveFilms4Freedom 2018 ran from 23–31 March. The programme screened five short LGBTQ+ films online, selected from BFI Flare, made by directors from all over the world to support the message 'Love is a human right. It achieved views from 152 countries.

FiveFilms4Freedom 2019 ran from 21–31 March. In 2019 the programme was linked as part of Anyone//Anywhere: the web at 30, the British Council's global season looking at the impact of this invention on every aspect of our lives. It achieved 3.8 million views.