EXCLUSIVE: The third Scene: Manchester festival will feature the likes of Russell T. Davies and Alice Oseman, along with a host of preview screenings.

The LGBTQIA+ film and TV event will run in Manchester, UK, from August 20-27 and comprise screenings, panels, comedy, parties and premieres. We’ve got news of the full program.

Tip Top, It’s a Sin and Queer as Folk writer Davies will appear alongside frequent production collaborator Nicola Shindler. They will talk about buzzy Channel 4 miniseries Tip Top and revisit It’s a Sin on its fifth anniversary, ahead of a stage adaptation premiere at Aviva Studios in Manchester this year.

Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman will appear in an “intimate” conversation about the impact of her books and the subsequent Netflix adaptation on the LGBTQIA+ community worldwide.

There will be a behind the scenes look at Disney+’s 1980s-set series Rivals with cast members Gary Lamont and Hubert Burton, alongside executive producer Alexander Lamb, and BBC series I Kissed a Boy and I Kissed a Girl will be celebrated in a talk led by Charley Marlowe, who will be joined by cast members. Elsewhere, Channel 4’s An Altogether Different Comedy Night returns.

On the preview screenings front, Pedro Almodóvar’s Bitter Christmas, Jane Schoenbrun’s Cannes Queer Palm-winning Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, Gregg Araki’s I Want Your Sex, and Neil Ely and Lloyd Eyre-Morgan’s Closing Night film Chatlines will all feature, along with a special screening of Adam Shankman’s upcoming drag comedy Stop! That! Train!.

Documentaries will include features from Patrick Wolf, Barbara Hammer and NOFX, while there will also be an announcement of Iris Prize Best British Short nominees, along with Scene’s own Northern host programme and guest programmers TITE, Aks, Queer Filmmakers Network and IAP:MCR.

Gary James Williams, Head of Events at CityCo, which produce Scene, said: “We’re thrilled that Scene is back for a third edition, and after doubling our audience last year, the festival is going from strength to strength with thousands of fans from all over the UK and across the world coming to Manchester for the ultimate celebration of queer screen culture.

“We’ve always wanted Scene to be a festival where audiences can discover their next favourite film alongside celebrating the shows and stories they already love. This year’s programme is our biggest and most ambitious yet – from Almodóvar to Ab Fab, Barbara Hammer to I Kissed A Girl, old classics, new stories, shorts, docs, live comedy, dance shows, parties and exhibitions there’s something for everyone.