Brian Robinson, a longtime champion of queer cinema at the British Film Institute (BFI) and its annual LGBTQ+ film festival, has died of brain cancer aged 67. Robinson, who worked at the BFI for over three decades, was known for his flamboyant stage presence and mischievous rapport with film-makers and audiences at the BFI Southbank.
A Career Dedicated to Queer Cinema
Robinson joined the BFI in London as a press officer in 1987, later becoming communications manager for archive and heritage in 2000. That same year, he joined the programming team of the BFI’s London Lesbian & Gay film festival, which was retitled BFI Flare in 2014. He stepped down only in 2024 after being diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of brain cancer.
Over the decades, Robinson became an elder of London’s LGBTQ+ film community, celebrated for his curatorial vision and larger-than-life personality. His work at the festival helped elevate queer cinema to mainstream prominence, and he was instrumental in bringing diverse LGBTQ+ stories to British audiences.
Early Life and Personal Background
Born in Portadown, County Armagh, Northern Ireland, to Sophia (née Hewitt), a primary schoolteacher, and Robert Robinson, who owned a pharmaceuticals company, Brian attended the Royal School, Armagh. He studied law and French at Sussex University, graduating in 1981. That year, he met Pas Paschali, a journalist, at a party in Islington, north London. They began a relationship, becoming civil partners in 2007 and marrying in 2017.
Before joining the BFI, Robinson worked at the Greater London Council information centre on Shaftesbury Avenue and as a press office assistant with the Association of London Authorities (now London Councils).
A Curator of Film, Objects, and People
Robinson had a deep love of art and design, transforming his London home in Waterloo into a shrine to 1960s pop art aesthetics. When the Design Museum mounted its Stanley Kubrick exhibition in 2019 and needed a Djinn red chair and sofa to recreate the space station set of 2001: A Space Odyssey, Robinson was able to loan the rare items. His home was also the scene of numerous parties, sometimes coinciding with the BFI Flare festival, where he delighted in mixing guests young and old, local and international, from different creative disciplines and across all sexualities.
Robinson was at heart a curator—of film, objects, and people—and he was also a well-informed and enthusiastic tour guide, especially in Paris and Venice, where he also owned apartments. He served on juries selecting the best LGBTQ+ films at major film festivals, including the Teddy award at the Berlinale, the Queer Palm at Cannes, and the Queer Lion at Venice, as well as the jury for the UK’s Iris prize.
Final Years and Legacy
Robinson’s brain tumour and resulting treatment caused aphasia, a cruel blow for such a supremely entertaining talker, celebrated equally for his wit and recondite knowledge. He is survived by Pas, and by his brother, Mark, and sister, Linda. His legacy at BFI Flare and in the wider LGBTQ+ film community will endure through the many films and filmmakers he championed.
