Could These Two Coming-of-Age Films Define BFI Flare’s 40th Anniversary?

What better way to mark four decades of fearless storytelling than with two bold, emotionally honest coming of age films? The 40th edition of BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival (18th–29th March 2026) has announced its Closing Night Film and Special Presentation and both feel perfectly suited to a milestone year.

Closing the festival on 28th March at BFI Southbank is the UK premiere of Black Burns Fast, written and directed by Sandulela Asanda. The film centres on Luthando, a studious scholarship pupil at an elite South African boarding school whose carefully ordered world begins to unravel when a new girl arrives. What follows is a tender, electric exploration of first love, suppressed desire and the complicated thrill of self-discovery. Fresh from premieres in Durban and Berlin, the film promises joy, awkwardness and heart in equal measure.

Earlier in the festival, on 26th March, Big Girls Don’t Cry receives its UK premiere as a Special Presentation. Directed by Paloma Schneideman, the film traces one transformative summer in rural New Zealand for 14 year old Sid Bookman. Caught between childhood and adolescence, Sid’s longing to belong pulls her toward a glamorous group of visitors with messy, sometimes painful consequences. Premiering first at Sundance, the film is described as gentle yet unflinching, built from quiet, intimate moments.

Together, these two debuts capture the spirit of BFI Flare itself: curious, courageous and deeply human. As the UK’s largest queer film event celebrates its 40th anniversary, these stories of youth, identity and longing feel not just timely but essential.