Documentary about gay Hollywood star gets biggest buzz at BFI Festival

The BFI Flare Film Festival 2015 may have come to a close, but it’s left us with plenty of gay cinema to get excited about over the coming months.

The annual event generated 7,328 mentions across Twitter, forums, blogs, and news sites over the last few weeks, officially making it the most social film festival in Europe with an emphasis on LGBT cinema.

Handily, digital agency Way To Blue have broken down those statistics to show us just which films were generating the biggest buzz, with the clear winner being Tab Hunter Confidential, a documentary offering insight into life as a gay actor in the 1950s. The film, directed by I Am Divine’s Jeffery Schwartz, examines the life and career of Return to Treasure Island star and then-closeted Hollywood heartthrob Tab Hunter.

Hunter starred in a string of Hollywood movies between the 1950s and ’80s, finally acknowledging he was gay in 2006 after years of speculation about his sexuality. Before settling down with his partner of 30 years, Alan Glasser – who co-produced the film – the the 83-year-old was in secret long-term relationships with notable public figures including champion figure skater Ronnie Robertson and Psycho star Anthony Perkins.

Meanwhile, Justin Kelly’s much-hyped I Am Michael was the runner-up in terms of social media buzz. Starring James Franco, Zachary Quinto and Desperate Housewives’ Charlie Carver, the film tells the story of one-time gay rights activist Michael Glatze, who renounced his identity and the community and became an anti-gay conservative pastor.

Charlie Carver recently teased details of a threesome scene between the trio of stars, correctly describing it as “hot as hell”.

The closing night gala screening, Out To Win – which documents the reality of homosexuality in the context of competitive sports – also made it into the top ten most-buzzed about films, rounding off the list at number ten.

Check out the 10 most buzzed-about films below:

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