Northern UK premiere of acclaimed gay documentary coming to Leeds for ‘Football Pride’
‘The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel’ will be screened with a Q&A at Hyde Park Picture House in Leeds on Saturday 18 July, 2026 (1.15pm); special ‘Football Pride’ event on Leeds Pride weekend organised by Football v Homophobia and Leeds Queer Film Festival; tickets on sale now…
An extraordinary documentary film about a lost gay footballer is set to receive its northern U.K. premiere in Leeds this month.
Football v Homophobia (FvH) is teaming up with Leeds Queer Film Festival (LQFF) and Hyde Park Picture House (HPPH) for a special screening and Q&A event for the highly acclaimed “The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel”.
Happening on Leeds Pride weekend, the event doubles as FvH’s annual “Football Pride” summer get-together.
It will take place on Saturday, July 18, 2026, with a 1.15pm start time at HPPH (73 Brudenell Road, Leeds, LS6 1JD). After the Q&A in the cinema (approximately 3.45pm), a social will be held at a nearby venue (tbc).
The moving documentary chronicles the double life of former Norwich City FC star Tony Powell.
More than 40 years after he commanded English top-flight football pitches as a no-nonsense centre-back who was named Norwich’s Player of the Year, Powell is found living in Los Angeles, serving as the manager of the dilapidated Holloway Motel in West Hollywood.
Powell’s life took a drastic turn in 1981 when he moved across the Atlantic to continue his playing career in the North American Soccer League (NASL). Shortly after the move, he vanished, abandoning his wife and family.
The documentary reveals the heartbreaking truth behind his sudden disappearance. Powell chose to build a completely new life in gay-friendly L.A. rather than face the devastating personal and professional repercussions of coming out at the absolute height of his British football career.
@thelastguestdoc Tony Powell was a hall of famer and player of the year in 1979 for @norwichcityfc & @afcb He was closeted at time when being gay could still get you arrested in England. 45 years after his disappearance, he is discovered at the Holloway Motel and is ready to tell his incredible story. Playing in Los Angeles @lumierecinemala starting TODAY. #weho #mystery #soccer #history #heatedrivalry ♬ original sound – tamz
Co-directed by Ramiel Petros and Nicholas Freeman, the film has a powerful local connection, having been co-produced by former Leeds United player Robbie Rogers.
Alongside Powell, Rogers stands as one of only very few footballers to have played in the professional men’s game in the U.K. and come out publicly as gay or bisexual.
The premiere and Q&A event forms the latest edition of “Football Pride”, an FvH project and community designed to bring together LGBTQ people from all communities who share a passion for the beautiful game.
The first “Football Pride” was a virtual festival held online during summer 2020. The event was re-imagined as an in-person celebration of queer football culture and held in Manchester (2023), London (2024) and Leicester (2025) with great success.
This year’s event is being kindly sponsored by the Premier League. “The Last Guest of the Holloway Motel” is yet to receive a U.K. release, either in cinemas or on streaming, so the screening in Leeds represents a rare chance to see the documentary outside of the U.S.
It previously screened in the U.K. at the BFI Flare Film Festival in London in March 2026.
FvH and LQFF are keen for the Northern U.K. premiere to be accessible to everyone in the community.
While standard tickets are now on sale directly through the HPPH website, a limited number of complimentary tickets have been set aside for those facing financial barriers.
Individuals who require a complimentary ticket are encouraged to message LQFF directly.
Following the film, attendees will have the opportunity to participate in an insightful, live Q&A session exploring Powell’s legacy and the broader, evolving culture of LGBTQ+ inclusion in men’s football.
Tickets are available now via the Hyde Park Picture House box office.
Further reading…
‘I just wanted to be who I am’: the extraordinary story of Tony Powell, the secretly gay footballer (The Guardian, March 2026)
Directors Ramiel Petros And Nicholas Freeman Talk ‘The Last Guest Of The Holloway Motel’ – “Feel the fear and do it anyway” (Filmhounds, April 2026)
Justin Fashanu was the 1st out gay soccer pro. He had a gay teammate, a new film confirms. (Outsports, July 2025)
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