Described as ‘The home of authentic sapphic movies,’ “Lesflicks” is a global lesbian-owned streaming platform. It curates and showcases feature-length films, documentaries, shorts, and shows with lesbian and bisexual characters in the lead, all created by independent filmmakers from across the world (with new releases every Friday).
In this interview, we talk to Naomi Bennett, Founder and CEO of this innovative streaming platform. She discusses her motivations behind developing a streaming hub that extended beyond the mainstream perception of sapphic cinema, opening the eyes of audiences. She also discusses what this means for underpaid and lesser-known creatives too in terms of distribution and royalties.
*Note: this interview has been edited for clarity.
Vidal D’Costa for The Movie Buff: How did the idea for “Lesflicks” stem? What sets your platform apart from other streaming venues?
Naomi Bennett: I set up “Lesflicks” after attending festivals and watching great lesbian films and then realising they ‘disappeared’. I wanted to provide an easy way for audiences to find and watch lesbian films and as none of the existing platforms catering to the LGBTQIA+ community were doing a good job representing the excellent quality and quantity of lesbian films, I decided to do it myself.
VD: What liberties does it afford to filmmakers?
NB: “Lesflicks” is proud to be one of the few streaming platforms that is actually paying makers for their work based on the performance. [This means] filmmakers are receiving regular, and often higher royalty payments than most independent streaming platforms that either do not pay—since there is no money for performance-based pay out, due to high costs and/or not enough customers—or fix a very small upfront fee that does not reflect the true value of the film and how much it is watched. We are proud to offer a platform that works for all parties – audiences and filmmakers alike.
We currently are the largest independent curated subscription streaming platform for lesbian films with over 360 titles.“
Naomi Bennett
VD: Apart from the obvious competition from bigger names like Amazon Prime, Netflix, etc., what are some other hurdles/setbacks you’ve encountered in your journey of creating this innovative service?
NB: I wouldn’t really say that we have competition from bigger mainstream platforms. Many of the films we offer via “Lesflicks” will never be on those aforementioned big names because they’re too authentic, too low budget or just unknown. Mainstream platforms are really ideal for lesbian stories that are palatable to mainstream audiences. If you want depth; authenticity, and realism then you need to look at a platform focused on more niche stories. If you were vegan, you wouldn’t dine at a restaurant known for non-veg cuisine/not known for offering vegan options; and audiences need to realise the same applies for films.
VD: There have been issues regarding pay disparity in the industry and unpaid royalties for a filmmaker’s hard work (especially writers). Does your platform offer a solution to the same and will it ensure that creatives are paid their dues in the long run?
NB: We absolutely do. I set up “Lesflicks” in order to disrupt a broken system. I was tired of hearing from filmmakers who never got paid. I found it frustrating to hear from audiences who were limited to movies like “Carol” and “Better than Chocolate” (thinking this was the extent of works catering to lesbian audiences/sapphic movies). We’re proud to be different and whilst I will never be rich, the platform is successful, the filmmakers get paid and audiences can discover more films and watch them with ease.
VD: Going forward, how do you plan on improving or developing “Lesflicks” further?
NB: We currently are the largest independent curated subscription streaming platform for lesbian films with over 360 titles. We’ve more lesbian films than all other independent streaming platforms; as well as platforms like Netflix, as well as release a new title every week and we already pay above industry rates more than most independent streaming platforms.
More Coverage: click here for our full BFI Flare coverage.
What we need to do now is continue to grow our audience and thus, raise the low bar further. Filmmakers and audiences still deserve more. We strive to improve for everyone—not only for audiences to broaden their horizons and access more films but so that there will be more money in the pot to pay the filmmakers too. It is really exciting; we’ve set up a sustainable model designed for growth and as we grow our audience, the sky is the limit and we can really make a difference to Lesbian Film.
*Visit “Lesflicks” and start bingeing here: https://www.lesflicks.com/
*To help better the platform, feel free to fill out this survey: https://airtable.com/appr7AshhBjYaI0Cj/pagmYf20WvLJmdLN3/form
The 2026 BFI Flare film festival runs from March 18, 2026 to March 29, 2026 at BFI Southbank, UK. Follow us for more coverage.
