Lois Warrington, from Bohemia Euphoria, which began life at The Apple Tree

STREAMING giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime and Disney+ may think they can define the film industry and the movies we watch, but an independent LGBT+ platform argues smaller operators still have a vital role to play in fostering talent from underrepresented groups.

Bohemia Euphoria is a film-streaming site set up by Phil Hunt and Lucy Fenton, owners of the LGBT+ venue The Apple Tree in Clerkenwell. The pub is currently closed for refurbishment.

According to the site’s head of tech, Lois Warrington, the platform “came out of the Apple Tree”, which she described as “a safer and inclusive space for all people from all kinds of groups – people who are queer, ethnically diverse, and disabled people”.

The platform, which employs members of the LGBT+ community, curates work by those from “marginalised groups” in an effort to give them a head start in what has always been a notoriously competitive industry.

“We want to make it so it’s not just about the film, it’s about who’s making the film,” Ms Warrington said.

“Nothing is off the table for us as long as it’s a good story that we connect to. We have first films, we do a lot of short films and archive films with the British Film Institute. As we go into the next phase of the platform, we’re looking for new types of film, we want to do it all.”

The Apple Tree pub in Mount Pleasant should be reopening this year after refurbishment works. It is one of the few remaining spaces dedicated to the LGBT+ community in north London. A pop-up version of the venue in Clerkenwell Green was closed in November

Founded during the pandemic, Ms Warrington hopes to see Bohemia Euphoria expand over the coming year.

“In some ways we want it to be an online companion to the Apple Tree, but we also want it to be an entertain­ment platform – not just a film streaming platform,” she said.

“We want all kinds of media. What we’re aiming to do is have things like exclusive Q&As with directors.”

But jostling alongside huge streaming giants like Netflix, NOWTV and Paramount isn’t always easy.

“We do feel the presence of the bigger streaming plat­forms,” said Ms Warrington.

“Now they have so much content, and there’s so many reasons you’d go there, so we’re finding a better way that you can feel included and curated for films about underrepresented groups. We have to find our niche.”

She added: “I guess it’s like shopping at Tesco when you could support your local – there are so many smaller streaming sites that serve a community and have a better handle on what people would actually want to see.

“The importance of these stories being accessible is to make everyone feel included or seen in these film, not just for one day when it matters but all year round and every day.”

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