10 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS WE LOVED IN 2024

10 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS 

WE LOVED IN  2024 

We are excited to share a selection of queer feature films, shorts, documentaries, and animated queer stories we absolutely loved in 2024 from around the world. 

Stay tuned for new gem reveals every week until the end of December, 2024.

SHARE YOUR fave QUEER CINEMA GEMS of 2024!

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THE LAST YEAR OF DARKNESS (2023) 

dir. Ben Mullinkosson | USA, China 

LOVE LIES BLEEDING (2024) UK, USA 

dir. Rose Glass

HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS (2023) 

NORTH MACEDONIA dir. Goran Stolevski 

SOMETHING BLUE (2024) CHINA  dir. Chen Li

HURRICANE SEASON (2023) MEXICO 

dir. Elisa Miller

20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (2023) SPAIN 

dir. Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

CROSSING (2024) dir. Levan Akin 

Sweden, Denmark, Georgia, Turkey, France

A nuanced take on love and family and a nostalgic love letter to Istanbul, Crossing follows Lia, a retired teacher from Georgia who is looking for her long-lost transgender niece in the city that once was the capital of empires and where “people go to disappear”. While searching for her niece in the trans community of Istanbul, Lia must face her own prejudices and rely on the kindness of strangers and serendipity. Forgiving and finding forgiveness across generations is rarely explored so delicately and artfully as in this film elevated by unforgettable performances by Mzia Arabuli, Deniz Dumanli and Lucas Kankava. An ode to love, Istanbul and soulful Turkish music, Crossing is a true gem of queer cinema and an absolute must see.

MORE HERE

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THE LAST YEAR OF DARKNESS (2023) 

dir. Ben Mullinkosson | USA, China 

The underground is simultaneously metaphorical and soberingly literal in Ben Mullinkosson's vibrant, beautifully photographed documentary. A visual and emotional wild ride from a metropolitan, neon-lit, queer corner of Chengdu (largest city of Sichuan, China), this pulsating yet intimate film follows the regulars of an underground club called Funky Town, a queer haven in the middle (and in the way) of booming urban development. A euphoric yet nostalgic look at contemporary Chinese youth, DJs, ravers, drag performers, and floaters holding on to each other through exhilarating nights and bleak mornings on the edge of sobering realities (and an imminent subway station). 

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LOVE LIES BLEEDING (2024) 

UK, USA 

dir. Rose Glass

A passionate, steroid- and violence-infused sapphic love story with retro vibes set in the late ‘80’s in a rural town somewhere in New Mexico, USA. The story follows Lou, a reclusive gym manager whose life is turned upside down by the ambitious new bodybuilder who passes through town headed to Las Vegas for a bodybuilding competition. The two fall hard for each other, but their love ignites violence and chaos as Lou’s criminal family gets involved. Love Lies Bleeding skillfully fuses the gut-wrenchingly real with the surreal in this vibrant queer revenge story. A wild ride of love, lies, and bleeding. 

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HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS (2023) 

NORTH MACEDONIA, CROATIA, SERBIA, KOSOVO, POLAND, AUSTRALIA, USA 

dir. Goran Stolevski 

A queer family portrait like no other. Housekeeping for Beginners explores the concept of family and the bonds we inherit and those we create in life through the story of Dita, a middle aged woman, who, after a tragedy, has to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters. An unlikely and very queer family forms to provide a sanctuary for them. As they struggle to stay together against all odds, a riveting modern family is born Macedonian style: with heart, chaos and above all else, love. 

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SOMETHING BLUE (2024) CHINA 

dir. Chen Li

On the eve of her wedding, a young woman's old flame takes her on a last freezing hike into the wild where the two head towards the China-North Korea border on a seemingly absurd adventure.  With terrific performances by Ma Ximan and Chen Yusha, Chen Li's moving short is soulful tale of queer longing.

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HURRICANE SEASON (2023) MEXICO

dir. Elisa Miller

Based on the novel of the same name by Fernanda Melchor, this harrowing crime thriller exposes the toxic machismo and violence that plagues a rural community in Veracruz, Mexico. When La Bruja (the Witch), the enigmatic trans woman who was the core and pariah of the community is found brutally murdered, the story investigates the events leading up to her murder from four different perspectives. Hurricane Season is a lustful, violent, sweat-drenched journey into the heart of darkness where machismo eats the soul and the hurricanes of destiny offer no absolution. An absolute must see (and read). Streaming globally on @netflix

MORE HERE

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20,000 SPECIES OF BEES (2023) SPAIN

dir. Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren

Basque director Estibaliz Urresola Solaguren’s soulful feature debut follows an eight-year-old (the extraordinary Sofía Otero awarded the best leading performance at the 2023 Berlinale) who spends the summer with family in Basque Country (Spain) where she navigates the gender binary and connects with family, nature, and bees. An empathic and organic story of self-discovery, this film is a complex and humane exploration of femininity, gender, sexual identity and generational trauma without giving in to pathos or the clichéd tropes of coming-of-age stories.

MORE HERE

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