Shedding the niche tag

You can say what you like about queer cinema (actually you can't, people might get offended) but one thing's for certain: there are some cracking titles in the London Lesbian And Gay Film Festival's 20th outing. Anyone fancy seeing Rugburn? What about Filthy Gorgeous: The Trannyshack Story? Or perhaps The Dykes Of Hazzard?

Since its first appearance on the cultural scene in 1986, the LLGFF has shed the niche tag and stepped beyond what some may have seen as out-and-proud hectoring. In these days of Jake and Heath, it's as good a place as the London Film Festival when it comes to catching future box office hits, alongside undiscovered gems.

Tonight's opening night gala screening (Odeon Leicester Square, 8pm), sees director Don Roos reunited with his Opposite Of Sex actress Lisa Kudrow for Happy Endings, a typically offbeat ensemble piece that features Laura Dern, Steve Coogan and Maggie Gyllenhaal in a tale of abortionists, sperm donors, crooked filmmakers and a father and son dating the same woman.

Other films to watch out for include a preview of Francois Ozon's Time To Leave (NFT1, Apr 8 8.45pm) and Gypo (Odeon West End, Apr 12 8pm), a portrait of a Czech refugee family that is the first official British film made within
the conditions of the Dogme-95 school.

There are also gems from the vaults of the LLGFF chosen by the festival's previous programmers, plus shorts, documentaries and a batch of classic Hollywood Westerns that have their own fun and games with gender roles.

Today until Apr 12, various venues and times, £8.20, £5.25 to £7.20 concs, gala screenings £15. Tel: 020 7928 3232. www.llgff.org.uk