Micro Shorts

SLANGBANG

In gay male slang, ‘bears’ and ‘cubs' refer to body shapes and age groups, a ‘bear’ usually refers to a hairy plus size man whilst a ‘cubs a younger bear. An ‘otter’ is a slimmer hairy man whilst a ‘wolf’ is an older daddy A kaleidoscope of gay male bodies - Busby Berkeley style, SLANGBANG explores the idea of being codified by a set of occularcentric taxonomic principles that are meant to determine who you are as a person and how you function in a relationship. It reflects on the kinds of role gay men are expected to conform to, where identity becomes something detached or external and how you can fit into that. What function does stereotyping or strict boundaries to certain kinds of labels serve? Maybe it’s about being seen. If I can say that I am ‘this’ very definite thing. I can be seen through this kind of role whereas otherwise … We always think there’s a certain kind of playfulness with these roles, but its boundaries are policed so rigidly.

DIRECTOR:

Lee Campbell

RELEASE YEAR:

2023

2 Minutes

Dr Lee Campbell is an artist, performance poet, experimental filmmaker, writer, Senior Lecturer at University of the Arts London (UAL) and curator/founder of Homo Humour, the first of its kind project on contemporary queer male film and moving image practices that explore humour and LGBTQ+ storytelling and has screened all over the world since 2020.  In 2023, Lee’s poetry films ‘Rufus’ and ‘Slang Bang’ have been selected as Finalists at the Iris Prize LGBTQ+ Film Festival, Cardiff, Wales.,‘Bears with Bananas and Bubbles in Their Boxers’ was a Finalist in The Artists Spoken Word Competition, NYC, USA and ‘Rufus’ won Best Animated Short at The Rooster Film Festival, Portland, USA. His film SEE ME: A Walk Through London’s Gay Soho 1994 and 2020 (2021) has won numerous accolades including winning Best Experimental Film at Ealing Film Festival, London 2022, shortlisted for BEST POETRY FILM at the Out-Spoken Poetry Prize 2023, Southbank Centre, London and receiving Honorable Mentions at Los Angeles Underground Film Forum and Experimental Forum, Los Angeles both in 2023. Other film accolades include his film ‘Apple of my Eye’ (2022 version) as finalist in the Deanna Tulley Multimedia Prize 2022 and an Honorable Mention for ‘Let Rip: Teenage Scrapbook’ at REELPOETRY INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL 2023, Houston, Texas, USA and for ‘Juniper Park’ at Experimental Forum, Los Angeles in 2023.

 

https://filmfreeway.com/LeeCampbell

Insta, Twitter+Facebook: leejjcampbell

lee.campbell@arts.ac.uk