A new documentary, *Queer Edward II*, will world-premiere out of competition at the Venice Open section of the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on 4 September. Directed by Theo Rollason, it is built from more than 30 hours of previously unseen behind-the-scenes footage shot in 1991 by cinematographer Seamus McGarvey on the set of Derek Jarman's film Edward II, offering an intimate look at Jarman's filmmaking process and his refusal to separate art from politics at a time of intense hostility towards queer people in Britain.

The footage sat unused for over three decades until Rollason, making their feature directorial debut, uncovered it while looking for material for a short film. The documentary is produced by Lightborn Films with March 13th and John Gore Studios, with 20After Hours and Cinephil handling sales, and features Jarman collaborators Tilda Swinton and Sandy Powell as executive producers. It touches on Jarman's newly diagnosed HIV status, his ties to activist group OutRage!, the row over Ian McKellen's knighthood, and a tabloid scandal involving a British pop star rehearsing nearby, with Rollason framing the film as a timely reminder of collective queer resistance amid renewed anti-trans rhetoric.