Globalqueercinema

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

MORE HERE

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 candy-colored, neon-lit journey of self-discovery, Dreamboi explores the sexual desires of trans women.  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 

MORE HERE

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. 

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Image ©  IMPULSE, SWEAT AND ECSTASY dir. Luisin Ponce

COYOTES (2025) 

France, Jordan, Palestine, UK

dir. Said Zagha

A neo-noir thriller about a Palestinian woman with a secret, whose life is upended by an ostensibly chance encounter with an enigmatic stranger. After a long shift as a surgeon, Lubna's car breaks down on a deserted West Bank road at night. The man who stops offers to help on one impossible condition. A story of queer desire, blackmail, and the moral codes that govern coyotes, boars, and humans alike, this poignant short examines weaponized vulnerability and the desperate choices it leaves.  

WE’LL GO DOWN IN HISTORY (2025) 

UK ｜dir. Cameron Richards, Charlie Tidmas

A heartfelt documentary about TRUK United, a UK-based football club for trans and non-binary players. Through candid conversations with the players, coach, and rising talents, the film explores the realities of increasing transphobia alongside the safety and belonging the club provides. “When you got football in your feet, you forget about everything else in the world.” This inspiring documentary is a testament to the resilience of the trans community and the power of belonging. 

WATCH HERE

LEVITICUS (2026) 

Australia｜dir. Adrian Chiarella

"You shall not lie with a male as with a woman" (Leviticus 18:22). Adrian Chiarella’s feature debut scrutinizes a verse in the Bible that has served as the origo of condemning homosexuality as an abominable sin for hundreds of years. Set in a tight-knit religious community of a grey, industrial town, this supernatural horror confronts the evils of conversion therapy. 

MORE HERE