Film has long been a critical force for exploring and bringing visibility to queer identities. With the New Queer Cinema movement that started in the 90s, filmmakers kicked down the door of classical filmmaking with new narrative forms, themes, and styles. Not only did they open an outlet for expression – they created space for the realities and concerns of their community to live on screen. To be seen is to be validated, and these pioneering filmmakers cracked open the medium so that they could be seen on their own terms and in their own reality. 

In honour of – and to continue – this legacy, Calvin Klein has partnered with Dazed to present “Queer Lens,” a series of four original short films from five queer filmmakers across the globe who are at the cutting edge of a new wave of talent: Justice Jamal Jones, Heather Glazzard and Nora Nord, Monica Lek, and Adam Munnings aka Adam Love. One short film will be released each week on Dazed Digital every Thursday at 8pm BST, starting July 14.

Inspired by Calvin Klein’s Pride campaign “This is Love”, each filmmaker has been invited to explore what the idea of “chosen family” means to them and their community. But beyond this overarching theme, “Queer Lens” celebrates the wildly unique creative visions of each of these filmmakers as they advance their perspectives on queer identities and family structures within the LGBTQ+ community.

What is family? And how do we ‘choose’ our family? These are the kinds of questions so artfully tackled by the talented filmmakers. Each of the four absorbing narratives looks at how the love and support of not just biological families, but friends, lovers, mentors, allies, and the memory of those who walked in our path before us can shape queer identities and family structures. But above all, the films recognise the importance of chosen family for the LGTBQ+ community – and how love, in all its crazy forms and textures, can both embrace and unsettle us.  

Whether chosen or biological, family can have an indelible impact on our growth and experiences as queer people. With Queer Lens, Calvin Klein and Dazed empower these exceptional filmmakers to explore these unique connections and tell the stories that matter most to them.