

GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES
(2025) DIR. CHHEANGKEA
Love and support sometimes come from the place you least expect it and when urgent, one must act, even from the afterworld. Meng is a queer young man about to be married to a girl from a respectable family but when his dead grandmother sees her favorite grandson being forced into a life that isn't his, she decides to help the best way she can. A tender drama that blends tradition, karaoke and humor to explore queer Cambodian hopes and (fantastical) realities.
WATCH HERE
DANDELION (2024)
DIR. FIONA OBERTINCA
Set in the 1970’s LA (& inspired by true events), Dandelion follows rebellious teen Margaret (Ava Lalezarzadeh) who is kicked out of yet another foster placement and thus posing a real challenge to her social worker (Vic Michaelis) to find her a new home. When unsuccessful, she comes up with a desperate last minute solution offering Margaret a flicker of hope that running might not be her only option.
WATCH HERE
SUNDAY (2020)
DIR. ARUN FULARA
The weekly highlight of a middle-aged man’s life is going to the barber shop on Sundays to get a shave and some tender care from the handsome barber he has a secret crush on. Surrounded by an unforgiving heteronormative world, his desire allows for no more than platonic queer longing and a moment of daring fantasy: imagining himself without a mustache because someone he likes told him that it would look amazing. This beautifully shot short with a soulful performance by Shrikant Yadav as Kamble captures the sensuous intimacy of a barber shop encounter and closeted queer longing.
WATCH HERE
QUEER METROPOLIS
curated by @globalqueercinema
Beirut, Lahore, Montréal, Istanbul, Chengdu, Buenos Aires, Lagos, New York, Nairobi, Mumbai, Moscow, Paris, Santiago, Mexico City, Tokyo, Hong Kong. Which METROPOLIS tells your favorite queer story? Check out our genre- and geography-diverse curated lists on LETTERBOXD.
@GLOBALQUEERCINEMA
on LETTERBOXD
Check out our genre- and geography-diverse curated film lists on Letterboxd.
FREE GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA
curated by @globalqueercinema
In an ocean of content, check out our curated selection of brilliant global queer cinema available FREE (legally) on platforms like VIMEO, NOWNESS, YOUTUBE, SHORTOFTHEWEEK, BANG BANG, etc. We find these gems and share them here and via curated, thematic lists on Letterboxd.
5 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS
QUEER UNBOUND AT THE NYAFF
10-26 JULY|NEW YORK, USA
10S ACROSS THE BORDERS (2025) Philippines, Singapore, Germany|dir. Chan Sze-Wei
A vibrant documentary following three trailblazers of Southeast Asia’s underground ballroom scenes, from Manila to Bangkok to New York, where voguing becomes chosen family and fearless self-invention.
Sunday July 19, 7:00 PM (SVA Theatre)
In attendance: Chan Sze-Wei, cast & New York-based ballroom Icons
SPA NIGHT (2016) USA|dir. Andrew Ahn
Andrew Ahn’s feature debut is still steamy hot as it returns ten years after its Sundance premiere. It follows a Korean American teenager caught between tradition and desire as he takes a job at a Korean spa where passion awakes.
Saturday July 25, 4:00pm (SVA Theatre) In attendance: Andrew Ahn, Q&A moderated by Bowen Yang
Image © 10S ACROSS THE BORDERS dir. Chan Sze-Wei / @newyorkasianfilmfestival
5+1 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS AT FRAMELINE50
17–27 JUNE|SAN FRANCISCO, USA
UN CHANT D’AMOUR (1950) France|dir. Jean Genet
A must-see short for queer cinephiles, this black and white ode to homoerotic longing was banned in France before becoming an iconic work or queer cinema. Two prisoners in isolation separated by thick walls, improvise a sensual means to communicate their desires. OBJECTIONABLE CONTENT: BANNED RETRO SHORTS
DREAMBOI (2025) Philippines|dir. Rodina Singh
A neon-lit journey of self-discovery, Dreamboi is a bold fever dream of trans sexuality. It follows a trans woman as she becomes entranced by the voice of an audio porn star. QUEER PREMIERES AT FL50
Image © UN CHANT D’AMOUR (1950) dir. Jean Genet
5 GLOBAL QUEER CINEMA GEMS AT ALT* FILM FESTIVAL
28-31 MAY|CDMX, MEXICO
IMPULSE, SWEAT AND ECSTASY (2025) Ecuador|dir. Luisin Ponce
An immersive experience of queer identity and community, this documentary is an ecstatic glimpse into the ballroom culture of Guayaquil, Ecuador. SHORTS SELECTION 1
THE SOCIAL SIN (2024) Peru|dir. Juan Carlos Goicochea
A gay man seeks justice for himself and his trans sister kidnapped and murdered by the guerrilla army during the turbulent times of the 1990’s in Peru.
Image © IMPULSE, SWEAT AND ECSTASY dir. Luisin Ponce
GIRLFRIENDS (2025)
Macau, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand dir. Tracy Choi
An intimate drama about a Macau-born filmmaker living in Hong Kong who, when faced with the pressure of commitment and a critical career dilemma, revisits the cities and loves that shaped her. Three loves and three formative life stages of a queer artist making sense of themselves and the meaning of their art.
MORE HERE
GRANDMA NAI WHO PLAYED FAVORITES (2025) Cambodia, France, USA
dir. Chheangkea
Love and support sometimes come from the place you least expect it and when urgent, one must act, even from the afterworld. Meng is a queer young man about to be married to a girl from a respectable family but when his dead grandmother sees her favorite grandson being forced into a life that isn't his, she decides to help the best way she can. A tender drama that blends tradition, karaoke and humor to explore queer Cambodian hopes and (fantastical) realities.
WATCH HERE
INKWO FOR WHEN THE STARVING RETURN (2024)
Canada|dir. Amanda Strong
"Are you a girl? Are you a boy?" the toad asks Dove. "I'm not attached to either of those", says Dove. "I'm both."
They are both walrus - protector of water and caribou - protector of the land. This visually singular stop-motion animation is based on the short story Wheetago War by Richard Van Camp. It follows Dove, a gender-shifting warrior who uses Indigenous medicine (Inkwo) to protect their community from terrifying, possessed creatures that crave human flesh.
MORE HERE
MARK PEREGRINO or @mick.pilgrim
Creative producer by day, movie hypeman after dark
Based in Singapore, @mick.pilgrim’s platform is one of the most eloquent and fun movie micro universes on any social media. Beyond ambitious, month-long marathon movie recs and reviews like the brilliantly curated 30 DAYS OF ASIAN HORROR FILMS, @mick.pilgrim curates ASIAN QUEER CINEMA with a unique touch.
Don't miss @mick.pilgrim's amazing film merch finds either!
🫶🌏🏳️🌈🎥
Image© @mick.pilgrim
ACCENTED CINEMA
Asian and world cinema
Run by Chinese-Canadian filmmaker and photographer Yang Zhang, Accented Cinema is a rich and diverse platform for insightful film essays focusing on Asian and world cinema, including some real queer gems. Check out the channel's excellent essay on Leslie Cheung & Hong Kong LGBTQ+ Cinema or 3 LGBTQ+ Films from Conservative Countries.
🫶🌏🏳️🌈🎥
Image© @AccentedCinema
THE QUEER MOVIE PODCAST
The best (and worst) of LGBTQ+ cinema - one genre at a time
Hosted by Rowan Ellis and Jazza John, The Queer Movie Podcast explores the queer film canon one genre at a time from rom-coms to slashers, contemporary arthouse cinema to comedy classics. New episodes every other Thursday.
Nimona - Queer Animation
🫶🌍🏳️🌈🎥
Image© @QueerMoviePod
GAZE FILM FEST
28 JULY - 3 AUG
DUBLIN, IRELAND
The 34th annual GAZE International LGBTQIA Film Festival showcases a rich program of Irish and international features, short films, panels, and filmmaker development initiatives across Dublin. The festival opens with Pedro Almodóvar’s new film Bitter Christmas (2026). The lineup features a selection of Irish and international features, including Ian de la Rosa’s Teddy Award winner debut feature Iván & Hadoum (2026), New Irish Shorts, documentaries, and Café au GAZE, a festival forum for talks and panels exploring queer cinema.
🫶🌍🏳️🌈🎥
QUEER UNBOUND @NYAFF
10-26 JULY
NEW YORK, USA
Each year, the New York Asian Film Festival (NYAFF) presents a specially curated program celebrating Asian queer cinema. This year's QUEER UNBOUND lineup brings together an exceptional selection of stories from Thailand, Malaysia, the Philippines, South Korea, Hong Kong, Macau, Taiwan, and beyond showcasing bold, unforgettable features, documentaries, and short films that capture the diversity of LGBTQ+ experiences across Asia.
🫶🌎🏳️🌈🎥
Image © 10S ACROSS THE BORDERS dir. Chan Sze-Wei
RIO LGBTQIA+ FESTIVAL
2-8 JULY
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
The 15th edition of RioLGBTQIA+ Festival showcases over 200 films from across the world in a celebration of the diversity of contemporary queer storytelling. The lineup includes features and shorts, docs, animation, local gems, filmmaker events, parties and much more. RioLGBTQIA+ is a competitive festival offering awards for best Brazilian and best international feature, best short and best animation.
🫶🌎🏳️🌈🎥
Image © @uyrasodoma
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