A Santa costume, bathroom sex and praise from iconic actor Ian McKellen, the BAFTA-qualifying queer short film Meat Raffle has captured our attention.
The 90s-set black comedy follows a closeted dad who is terrified that he’s turned his son gay. Set during a Cumbrian pub’s Christmas turkey draw, Meat Raffle offers a fresh new spin on the coming out narrative.
The film stars The Duke’s Michael Hodgson as a closeted father, Rich. Opposite him, international model Will Latimer makes his acting debut as Rich’s son Jackson.
The chemistry between Hodgson and Latimer is at the heart of Meat Raffle, their strained but tender connection playfully navigated by writer-director Stuart Armstrong.
Alongside the pair’s great acting chops, Meat Raffle’s commentary on toxic masculinity in the nineties still resonates today. Expertly building with bubbling tension, Armstrong’s film erupts with a flying turkey and also a heartwarming scene of personal confrontation.
The short film serves as a reminder that queer British cinema is at its best when it goes beyond just stories from the capital.
The film has drawn praise from legendary Ian McKellen, who has family ties to Carlisle. He shared: “Meat Raffle is full of surprises and the excellent cast are beautifully photographed by Stuart Armstrong.”
Furthermore, Meat Raffle has been nominated for Best British Short at the 2025 Iris Prize. The Iris Prize is the UK’s most prestigious LGBTQ+ film festival.
‘I hope the film finds its heart in exactly the same place’
The film was shot in Carlisle with a local film crew. According to the press release, “the film offered crucial access to film industry opportunities in an area ordinarily deprived of them.”
This is a topic close to home for Armstrong. “I wanted to make the antithesis of a film about a teenager coming out in a big city and instead to capture the queer world I grew up in, which I’ve never really seen reflected on screen,” the director stated.
Armstrong furthered that in Cumbria, “apps like Grindr are full of middle-aged, married blokes hiding behind faceless profiles.
“So, with Meat Raffle, I tried to draw comedy from the absurdity and contradictions of that world, and build the story around a character clinging to what he thinks masculinity and fatherhood should be.
“And if comedy and tragedy really are two sides of the same coin, I hope the film finds its heart in exactly the same place.”
Produced by Harry Shaw and Samantha Locock of Everyday, the film was backed by BFI NETWORK’s Film Hub North. Additionally, the short was shot by Australian Cinematographer of the Year 2024 Ben Cotgrove.
Meat Raffle will be broadcast on Film4 and have a year-long streaming home on Channel 4 from November.
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