FILM FESTIVALS IN FOCUS 2026

5 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS AT QUEER FILM FESTIVAL KATHMANDU

15-24 JANUARY｜KATHMANDU, NEPAL

QUEER AS PUNK (2025) Malaysia, Indonesia｜dir. Yihwen Chen 

A punky documentary about Shh..Diam!, an openly queer punk band in Malaysia who use their music to fight for LGBTQ+ rights in a conservative Muslim society. Documentary feature

SILENT FLOW (2024) Nepal｜dir. Pushpa Joshi

A poignant documentary about two trans men navigating the emotional and physical realities of menstruation across gender norms and identities. Documentary feature

THE MARTIAL FOREST (2025) Taiwan｜dir. J Triangular

A dystopian queer kung fu flick about a secret training ground (the Martial Forest) for trans and queer fighters for survival, resistance, and chosen family.  Narrative shorts

GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES (2024) Cambodia, France, USA｜dir. Chheangkea 

An endearing comedy about a dead grandmother who sneaks back from the afterlife to help out her queer grandson who is about to get engaged to a woman. Narrative shorts

MY CHEST IS FULL OF SPARKS (2025) Mexico｜dir. Gal Castellanos

An intimate account of the journey of the filmmaker and their mother reinventing themselves after the loss of the father/ husband and becoming their new selves worlds apart via video messages: one in Turkey experiencing new love, the other in Mexico, transitioning into a new body and identity. Documentary feature

FULL LINEUP

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Image © QUEER AS PUNK dir. Yihwen Chen