FILM FESTIVALS IN FOCUS 2025

37TH NEW YORK LGBTQ+ FILM FESTIVAL 

OCTOBER 9-21 NEW YORK, USA 

IN PERSON & VIRTUAL (USA)

A DEEPER LOVE: THE STORY OF MISS PEPPERMINT (2025) USA｜dir. Oriel Pe'er

An intimate documentary about radiant NYC nightlife icon and rising trans activist, Miss Peppermint. New York Centerpiece 

In person October 12, 6:30PM @svatheatre

WE ARE FAHEEM & KARUN (2024) India

dir. Onir Dhar

When a border patrol guard accepts an apple from a man crossing from Kashmir into India, a forbidden romance begins across borders and against tradition.

In person October 17, 7:15PM @svatheatre 

Virtual (USA) October 9-21

ONLY GOOD THINGS (2025) Brazil

dir. Daniel Nolasco 

A farmer and a lonely motorcyclist cross paths in 1980s Brazil igniting a transformative romance. Bold queer (hi)stories from Brazil. 

Virtual exclusive / streaming (USA) October 9-21

SUMMER’S CAMERA (2025) South Korea

dir. Divine Sung

Coming-of-age romance about loss, first love and a camera that brings it all together. A first crush, a camera, and a hidden past that changes everything. In person October 12, 12:45 PM at 

TWO BLACK BOYS IN PARADISE (2025) UK

dir. Baz Sells

This inspiring animation based on Dean Atta’s eponymous poem follows the blossoming relationship of two unapologetic Black queer teens. SHORTS: AVANT QUEER / In person October 15, 7:30 PM @bamfilmbrooklyn  / Virtual (USA) October 9-21

THE CELLULOID CLOSET (1995) USA

dir. Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman 

30th anniversary screening of the queer documentary classic exploring the hundred-year history of LGBTQ+ representation in film. Based on the landmark book of the same title by Vito Russo.

In person October 16, 7:15PM @svatheatre

FULL LINEUP 

Image © A DEEPER LOVE dir. Oriel Pe'er

HONG KONG LESBIAN & GAY FILM FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 12-27

HONG KONG

CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG (2025) Germany, USA

dir. Zhou Hao

Can a grandmother’s rituals purge the “demon girl” living in her grandson? A deeply personal documentary about the filmmaker’s family struggling to accept their sexuality.

 International Gay Shorts: Mirage de Noir

CAVE (2025) Hong Kong

dir. Owen Tang Kwan Yeung 

Two young men connect in the steamy dark hues of a sauna: one is struggling with his queerness, the other with sex addiction. Neither wants to go home, so they talk. Program: Hong Kong Stories

WHEN THE PETALS FALL (2025) Hong Kong

dir. Tsoi Ka Hin

A compelling short about an elderly man struggling with pedophilia who takes in the boy next door left alone by his working single mom. Program: Hong Kong Stories

ABRAHAM (2024) Iran

dir. Elnaz Ghaderpour, Reza Gamini

A quietly suspenseful story of the brutal murder of a trans youth in rural Iran, the main suspect being his religious father. International Queer Shorts: Bitter Sweet Symphony 

CONCERNING MY DAUGHTER (2024) South Korea dir. Lee Mi-Rang

A muted yet profound exploration of queering family and the complexities of coexistence. In this case, a mother, her daughter and her lover. Program: Asian Focus

FULL LINEUP 

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Image © CORRECT ME IF I’M WRONG dir. Zhou Hao

5 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS AT

CINEMA QUEER MÉXICO

SEPTEMBER 3-12  MEXICO CITY 

BALLROOM BY TREMENDA (2024) Mexico

dir. Omar Mejía Robles

An intimate look into the life of Sebas who discovers the liberating space of ballroom dancing. SHORTS 

INTERVAL (2025) Mexico

dir. Roberto Fiesco 

An uneasy night ride across Mexico City as Carlos desperately searches for his disappeared boyfriend in the company of a cab driver. SHORTS 

TRANS MEMORIA (2024) Sweden

dir. Victoria Verseau 

In this poetic journey of exploration and self-discovery, the filmmaker and her friends reflect on their transition and navigate womanhood while weaving past regrets and future aspirations. INTERNATIONAL FEATURES

MY AUNT PEQUE (2025) Mexico 

dir. Claudia Loredo

A personal documentary about the filmmaker’s aunt, writer and screenwriter Josefina Vicens or "Peque" whose legacy contributed to building the country's film and literary industry. 

MEXICAN FEATURES

LET THE BODY GROW (2018) Mexico

dir. Andrea Gudiño

A visually original stop-motion animation/ documentary exploring sexual binarism via six testimonies of people with non-binary identities. SHORTS

FULL LINEUP 

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Image © BALLROOM BY TREMENDA 

dir. Omar Mejía Robles

QUEER SCREEN FILM FEST

AUGUST 27-31 SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

DANDELION (2025) USA｜dir. Fiona Obertinca 

In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen Margaret thrown out of yet another foster placement and finds herself in the company of a mysterious social worker. Queer foster parenting for real. Mixed Shorts

MANOK (2025) South Korea｜dir. Lee Yu-jin

A brash comedy about a middle-aged lesbian bar owner who, after learning that the Pride afterparty she’s hosted for decades is moving to a rival bar, moves back to her hometown and stirs things up. Intergenerational queer friendship and allyship at its best. 

NIÑXS (2025) Mexico, Germany

dir. Kani Lapuerta

Eight years of footage weaved into a complex and inspiring coming-of-age story and journey of self-discovery of Mexican teen Karla. Trans stories by trans filmmakers.

SABAR BONDA (2025) India, UK, Canada｜dir. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade

When a young man returns to his rural hometown to mourn his father, he reconnects with a childhood friend and as their  romance blossoms, they bond over grief, tradition, and societal pressures. Emerging Narrative Feature Competition

A BIRD HIT MY WINDOW AND NOW I'M A LESBIAN (2024) USA｜dir. AJ Dubler & Carmela Murphy

A heartwarming stop motion animation about a dead pigeon, an impromptu bird funeral, and a chance encounter that changes everything. 

Mixed Shorts

FULL LINEUP 

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Image © DANDELION (2025) dir. Fiona Obertinca 

NEW YORK ASIAN FILM FESTIVAL

JULY 11-27

NEW YORK, NY, USA

FLOWER GIRL (2025) the Philippines 

dir. Fatrick Tabada 

This candy-colored queer extravaganza from the Philippines is one woman's hilarious journey to learning how to be whole without her, well, hole or "poochy", as she calls it, magicked away by a trans fairy for being a bathroom bitch.

1 GIRL INFINITE (2024) USA｜dir. Lilly Hu

A color-drenched portrait of queer desire following a relationship transformed by opportunity, jealousy and the ever-consuming obsession to hold on to the illusion of someone. 

BEL AMI (2024) France｜dir. Geng Jun

Black comedy about queer realities in frozen northeast China: a closeted husband; a lesbian couple who recruits a gay hairdresser as a sperm donor and a restaurant owner who dreams of uniting all the town's gays. 

THE RED ENVELOPE (2025) Thailand

dir. Chayanop Boonprakob

A hilarious Thai remake of Taiwanese hit ”Marry My Dead Body”  about an ex-mugger turned police informant who is accidentally betrothed to a ghost. 

SKIN OF YOUTH (2025) Vietnam, Singapore, Japan, USA｜dir. Ash Mayfair

This gritty romance set in Saigon in the 1990s follows a transgender woman and her devoted cage fighter lover who get tangled up with a manipulative oligarch infatuated with her. 

QUEERPANORAMA (2025) USA, Hong Kong

dir. Jun Li

A candid and provocative exploration of identity and intimacy about a gay man who impersonates men he has had sex with. Urban alienation and Hong Kong hookup culture in poetic monochrome. 

FULL LINEUP 

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Image © FLOWER GIRL dir. Fatrick Tabada 

XPOSED QUEER FILM FESTIVAL

MAY 29-JUNE 1, 2025

BERLIN, GERMANY

WE WILL BE WHO WE ARE (2025) Sierra Leone 

dir. Priscillia Kounkou Hoveyda

A poetic, visually captivating experimental short about two friends who decide to marry each other in an attempt to escape society's pressures to conform. OPENING SHORTS

PONAY (OR YOU ARE NOT F***ING WELCOME) (2024) Thailand dir. Hesome Chamamah

In order to get a gender identity exemption from military draft, Cherry has to travel from Bangkok to their family home in Thailand’s deep south to get a document and face their conservative family. SHORTS 7 – IT’S NOT SO EASY

HOW TO LIVE (2025) Kenya 

dir. Njoroge Muthoni 

An inspiring documentary feature debut which explores Nairobi's vibrant ballroom scene and the thriving queer spaces of the Kenyan capital.  OPENING FEATURE

TRIPOLI / A TALE OF THREE CITIES  

(2024) Lebanon  dir. Raed Rafei

A queer filmmaker returns to Tripoli, Lebanon to reconnect  with the hometown that once rejected him. Through conversations with locals, he learns and unlearns the memory of this vibrant, forbidding yet welcoming city. 

TCHINDAS / (2015) Cape Verde & Spain

dir. Pablo García Perez de Lara & Marc Serena

A touching portrait of Tchinda Andrade, queer icon, activist and the first trans woman (tchinda) in Cape Verde to come out publicly.

FULL LINEUP 

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Image © We Will Be Who We Are  

Priscillia Kounkou Hoveyda

SUNNY BUNNY FILM FESTIVAL

APRIL 18-25, 2025

KYIV, UKRAINE

LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS (2025) Australia 

dir. Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese

A candy-coloured, animated queer space adventure about an introverted princess on a galactic quest to save her bounty hunter girlfriend. NEW COLORS

QUEENS OF JOY (2024) Ukraine 

dir . Olga Gibelinda

An inspiring story of drag, war and glamour about three Ukrainian drag queens who courageously fight for the freedom of their country and their community. OPENING FEATURE

ENDLESS (2024) Poland｜dir. Wojciech Puś

An experimental dreamscape of performance, music, and sex exploring non-binary, transgender, and queer experiences via a complicated affair and a game of emotions. A uniquely hypnotic visual, sensory sound(e)scape. COMPETITION

THE BELLE FROM GAZA (2024) France

dir. Yolande Zauberman 

This documentary follows a group of Arab trans women in Tel Aviv, Israel while investigating the story of  a trans girl who, in fear for her life, walked on foot from Gaza to Tel Aviv. PANORAMA

A BIT OF SCARLET (1997) UK｜dir. Andrea Weiss

Narrated by Sir Ian McKellen, this documentary explores how gay and lesbian people have been depicted (yes, the cliches and the stereotypes) in mainstream British film and television. UK QUEER RETROSPECTIVE

FULL LINEUP 

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Image © @lesbianspaceprincessfilm

BFI FLARE 

LONDON LGBTQIA+ FILM FESTIVAL

MARCH 19-30, 2025 LONDON, UK

AFTER THE SNOWMELT (2024) 

Taiwan-Japan｜dir. Yi-Shan Lo

The filmmaker investigates the death of a close friend, delivering a moving testament to their life and legacy amongst their chosen family.

STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (2024) Taiwan

dir. Deborah Devyn Chuang

Reality and dreamscape become increasingly blurred in an uncomfortable, Lynchian and violent Freudian loop for teenage Lolo and her mother.

IF I DIE, IT’LL BE OF JOY (2024) France

dir. Alexis Taillant

Following the lives of three elderly activists, this moving documentary gives a voice to members of the queer community who are often invisible.

POWER ALLEY (2023) Brazil｜dir. Lillah Halla

Queer sisterhood and collective power lie at the heart of this arresting Brazilian debut, in which a promising volleyball player faces an unwanted pregnancy.

THE ASTRONAUT LOVERS (2024) Argentina-Spain dir. Marco Berger

Argentinian filmmaker Marco Berger explores contemporary masculinity, sexuality and sexual curiosity in this comedy-drama about two men who enter into a fauxmance.

FULL LINEUP HERE

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Image © STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (2024) 

5 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS AT 

SOUTHEAST ASIA QUEER CULTURAL FESTIVAL / SEAQCF 2.0 

DEC 16, 2024 - MAR 30, 2025

CAMBODIA / VIETNAM / INDONESIA / THAILAND / THE PHILIPPINES

CALABAI WILL ALWAYS DANCE (2023) Indonesia

dir. Kerukunan Waria Bissu Sulawesi Selatan 

A documentary about the journey of a transgender woman (calabai) as she traces the legacy of Pajoge Angkong, a folk dance performed traditionally by calabai.

WE (2024) Thailand ｜dir. Oat Montien 

Shot on a hot summer day in Bangkok, this visual collage - inspired by a poem by Sammy Kim - explores polyamorous desire.

THE SAPPHO PROJECT: FRAGMENT 147 (2024) The Philippines

dir. Sari Katharyn

A collaborative project of queer women from around the world, this animated short evokes one of the most famous lyrical poems of ancient Greek poet Sappho of Lesbos: Fragment 147.

OUT (2023) Malaysia｜dir. Justice Khor 

Expelled from Malaysia, the first person to receive asylum in the UK on the grounds of LGBTQ+ identity recounts a journey marked by ousting, disownment, and a quest for acceptance.

THE VISIBLE (2024)  Brunei｜dir. Atikah Zainidi 

Three women share queer realities in Brunei where same-sex relationships are a criminal offense.

WATCH all films HERE

EXPLORE OTHER PROGRAMS at SEAQCF 2.0 

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 Image © CALABAI WILL ALWAYS DANCE (2024)

TEDDY AWARD, BERLINALE

FEB 13-23, 2025

BERLIN, GERMANY

STARS (2025) UK, Germany | dir. STARS Collective

An Afrofuturist space odyssey about the Nommo - extra-terrestrial Afro-hermaphrodite anthro-amphibian migrants. Forum Expanded

DREAMERS dir. (2025) UK｜dir. Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor

While battling the labyrinthine UK asylum system, a Nigerian migrant finds a kindred spirit whose support and affection offers a glimpse of hope for a new life. Panorama

HOUSES (2025) Germany, Israel｜dir. Veronica Nicole Tetelbaum

Haunted by memories of transient homes, a non-binary teen revisits the houses they used to live in before they moved to Israel from the Soviet Union. A soulful meditation on home as a house and a body. Forum

QUEERPANORAMA (2025) USA｜dir. Jun Li

A gay man impersonates men he has had sex with and adopts a new persona for each new hook-up. By pretending to be someone else, he can he be truly himself. Panorama

SILENT SPARKS (2024) Taiwan | dir. Ping Chu

Freshly released from prison, a young man plunges back into the world of gangsters and his much-awaited reunion with his former cellmate also falls short of his expectations. Can they start a new life and hold on to each other? Panorama

FULL LINEUP HERE

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Image © STARS (2025)

MARDI GRAS FILM FESTIVAL

FEB 13-27 (cinemas) FEB 28-MAR 10 (online) 

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

AMMA'S PRIDE (2024) India｜dir. Shiva Krish

A trans woman’s fight to claim her right to marry her partner in Tamil Nadu, the southernmost state of India.​​ QueerDOC Shorts

THE PARADISE OF THORNS (2024) Thailand｜dir. Boss Kuno

When a young man’s partner suddenly dies and he finds himself unprotected by laws that do not recognize same sex relationships, he decides to fight for their love and their cherished durian orchard. Features

BLOOD LIKE WATER (2023) Palestine｜dir. Dima Hamdan

The turmoil of a Palestinian family as the closeted son’s secret affair drags them into a trap where they face impossible choices. Gay Shorts

THREE KILOMETRES TO THE END OF THE WORLD (2024) Romania

dir. Emanuel Pârvu

Winner of the Queer Palm at Cannes, this feature is the touching story of a gay teen navigating the aftermath of a homophobic assault in a conservative community in Romania. Features

DRAGFOX (2024) UK｜dir. Lisa Ott

A moving stop-motion animation about a child struggling with their identity and a charismatic fox (voiced by Ian McKellen) who learn to embrace their differences. Trans & Gender Diverse Shorts

FULL LINEUP HERE

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Image © Amma's Pride (2024) dir. Shiva Krish

5 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS AT SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL

JAN 23-FEB 2, 2025 

PARK CITY & SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH, USA

INKWO FOR WHEN THE STARVING RETURN (2024) Canada

dir. Amanda Strong

A stop-motion animation about Dove, a gender-shifting warrior who uses  Indigenous medicine (Inkwo) to protect their community from terrifying creatures. / Animated Shorts

SABAR BONDA  (2025) India / UK / Canada

dir. Rohan Parashuram Kanawade

When a young man returns to his rural hometown to mourn his father, he reconnects with a childhood friend and as their  romance blossoms, they bond over grief, tradition, and societal pressures. World Cinema Dramatic Competition

STRANGER, BROTHER. (2024) Australia｜dir. Annelise Hickey

When a self-absorbed, queer millennial finds his estranged little brother on his doorstep one morning, he must face the family he’s been running away from. / Short Film Program 4

THE WEDDING BANQUET  (2024) USA｜dir. Andrew Ahn

In this remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 film of the same title, a gay man makes a deal with his lesbian friend: a green-card marriage in exchange for IVF treatments. Things get complicated when the grandmother surprises them with a Korean wedding banquet. / Premieres

GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES (2025) Cambodia / France

dir. Chheangkea

A dead grandmother sneaks back from the afterlife when she learns that her queer grandson is about to get engaged to a woman. / Short Film Program 2

Explore MORE QUEER CINEMA at Sundance

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 Image © Inkwo For When The Starving Return