38° LFF

PUNCH
by Welby Ings

Country: New Zealand, Year: 2022, Duration: 98'

Seventeen-year-old Jim is a promising young boxer, training under the relentless attention of his alcoholic father Stan. Jim’s life outside the ring gets complicated when he befriends Whetu, a gay Maori who spends his days near the beach. Their friendship starts to grow into something more, making them the target for the hate of their small, macho, intolerant town. Suddenly, Jim’s mapped-out future is jeopardized. A story about love, loyalty, and redemption, in which the beauty of the setting intensifies the harsh emotions of the plot. With Tim Roth.

LOVING HIGHSMITH
by Eva Vitija

Country: Switzerland, Germany, Year: 2022, Duration: 83'

Patricia Highsmith è considerata la regina della letteratura thriller: dai suoi romanzi sono stati tratti, o liberamente ispirati, alcuni dei più grandi capolavori del cinema classico e contemporaneo, quali L'altro uomo (1951) di Alfred Hitchcock, Il talento di Mr. Ripley (1999) di Anthony Minghella e Carol (2015) di Todd Haynes. Loving Highsmith, partendo da un incredibile lavoro d’archivio e sui suoi diari, restituisce un ritratto intimo ed emotivamente coinvolgente non solo dell’artista ma anche della persona, grazie anche alle interviste a chi l’ha conosciuta.

PASSING THROUGH
by Mike Doyle

Country: USA, Year: 2023, Duration: 70'

After experiencing the loss of many patients, front-line health professional Mike feels exhausted to the point he’s reached his limit and he can’t stand living with this pain. So, he decides to travel across the US to find himself and what he has lost during the past distressing months. Travelling all alone through the boundless American plains, Mike begins to have strange encounters and wonders if he is losing his mind or if something more sinister is going to overwhelm him. He will deal with the past by breaking the chains that imprison him, but...

ARRETE AVEC TES MENSONGES
LIE WITH ME
by Olivier Peyon

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 98'

Novelist Stéphane Belcourt has agreed to sponsor the bicentenary of a famous cognac: it’s the perfect opportunity to go back in time to where he grew up. After meeting Lucas, the son of his first love, he will have to relive a fundamental part of his life. He will be overcome by a stream of memories: an uncontrollable desire, bodies that come together, a passion that must be silenced. And this is because when they were 17 they couldn’t express their love for each other. Inspired by Philippe Besson’s masterpiece, Lie with me, a heart-breaking tale of a painful past, where memory recalls a long-lost youth.

BITTERSWEET BECOMING
by Polina Teif

Country: Canada, Year: 2023, Duration: 87'

After years spent dealing with her family’s rejection, Karla Rae James, 60, is finally ready to transition from male to female. Polina Teif followed her for three years, the duration of her journey. The bond between the director and Karla allows us intimate access to a very complex process, full of pain and struggle. Showing her operations and the importance of time passing, Bittersweet Becoming is an incredible portrait of affirmation of identity and intergenerational dialogue.

BREAKING THE ICE
by Clara Stern

Country: Austria, Year: 2022, Duration: 102'

Mira is the captain of the local hockey team. She is forced to run her late grandmother’s farm because her grandfather is severely ill. Her mother and brother have a hostile relationship where she feels the need to mediate. When Theresa joins the team, the world that Mira has built with great difficulty seems to fall apart...Clara Stern’s debut film is a coming-of-age story which teaches us that you can lose the balance in your life and find it again in a different form, closer to the idea of who you think you are.

DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY
by Nancy Buirski

Country: USA, Year: 2022, Duration: 101'

Midnight Cowboy was the first R-rated movie to win an Oscar, thus ushering in the New Hollywood Era. An absolute cult film, portraying the lives of the aspiring gigolo Jon Voight and conman Dustin Hoffman, who move against the background of a nocturnal and desperate New York. The must-see documentary explores the history behind this dark and difficult masterpiece to describe a revolutionary time, when a brand-new generation of filmmakers tore up the outdated rules of the Dream Factory with the help of brave, unique movies.

LOS AGITADORES
HORSEPLAY
by Marco Berger

Country: Argentina, Year: 2022, Duration: 102'

Artur invites some friends to his luxurious villa for Christmas. Their days go by swimming, sunbathing, with jokes, games, drugs and alcohol. There is a lot of companionship, but the joyful camaraderie is often tinged with an oppressive machismo: gratuitous comments, homophobic jokes... and a feeling of something more. Something they can't fully accept and that must be kept hidden. Marco Berger is back, after the movie Taekwondo (2016). Through his unashamed voyeurism and keen gaze, he describes the interactions of a group of allegedly straight men, often problematic and unresolved.

ARRETE AVEC TES MENSONGES
LIE WITH ME
by Olivier Peyon

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 98'

Novelist Stéphane Belcourt has agreed to sponsor the bicentenary of a famous cognac: it’s the perfect opportunity to go back in time to where he grew up. After meeting Lucas, the son of his first love, he will have to relive a fundamental part of his life. He will be overcome by a stream of memories: an uncontrollable desire, bodies that come together, a passion that must be silenced. And this is because when they were 17 they couldn’t express their love for each other. Inspired by Philippe Besson’s masterpiece, Lie with me, a heart-breaking tale of a painful past, where memory recalls a long-lost youth.

A MIA IMMAGINE
IN MY OWN IMAGE
by Giuseppe Bucci

Country: Italy, Year: 2023, Duration: 14'

THEIR OWN LIFE
by Tim Dekkers

Country: Netherlands, Year: 2023, Duration: 80'

Data collected by the Netherland emergency number, 113 Suicide Prevention, show that nearly half the members of the Dutch LGBTQI+ community have had suicidal thoughts during their lives. This is an alarming number, significantly higher than that of the heterosexual population. Through the words of the three protagonists, Tim Dekkers tries to cancel the taboo on suicide, highlighting the terrible consequences that growing up in a homotransphobic society can have.

CLASSMATES
by Shôko Nakamura

Country: Japan, Year: 2016, Duration: 61'

Brilliant and reserved Rihito Sajō is going to sing in the choir at the music festival of the Tōichikō all-male high school. Hikaru Sasakibe, one of his classmates, plays the guitar in a band. When Sasakibe finds out that Sajō sings in secret to perfect his vocal skills, he decides to help him practice. This is the first time they speak to each other and thanks to the moments they share together, far from the world, they really get to discover their true selves.

ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE
by Babatunde Apalowo

Country: Nigeria, Year: 2023, Duration: 93'

Bambino and Bawa are going through a tough time in their relationship. While Bambino is dealing with his doubts and insecurities, Bawa is sure that their feelings are more profound than they seem. After Bambino has an accident, he has to rely on Bawa and starts questioning his own sexuality. As their bond gets stronger, the situation comes to a head; Bambino is overcome with confusion and anger and in the end he pushes Bawa out of his life. But that won’t be the last time he does this. This is the first Nigerian LGBTQI+ film, and the winner of the 2023 Teddy Award.

FLORES DEL OTRO PATIO
by Jorge Cadena

Country: Switzerland, Year: 2022, Duration: 15'

In northern Colombia, a group of queer activists challenges heteropatriarchal standards. With extravagant performances, they fight the injustices that afflict the area and expose the devastating exploitation of the country's largest coal mine.

COME CLEAN
by Sal Bardo

Country: USA, Year: 2022, Duration: 12

A young gay man is getting ready for a Grindr hookup. Things are made harder by his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Can the longing for social relations, lust and personality disorders coexist?

JUMEAUX
TWINS
by Ines Clivio

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 16

It’s a stormy July 14th. During a car journey, Madoche, her twin and her sister, a real pain in the neck, run out of gas. Lost in the countryside, with a jerry can on her back, she meets a horsewoman. Her horoscope said it: destiny will bring you lust.

POLYWOOD
by Alessio Mineo

Country: USA, Year: 2023, Duration: 15'

Clayton, who has an unlucky love life, is on his first date with August, a guy he met on Grindr. When he meets him his anxiety fades, as he is fascinated by how easily they form a connection. The idyll is broken when August mentions his partner…

UN CORPS BRULANT
A FREE RUN
by Lauriane Lagarde

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 14'

Lina and Inès do parkour together. Jumping from one roof to the other, from a wall down to a flight of steps, they get closer and closer both physically and emotionally. They both long to get to know each other, but how can they possibly do that while everybody is always looking at them?

NUIT BLONDE
BLOND NIGHT
by Gabrielle Demers

Country: Canada, Year: 2022, Duration: 15'

Victor lives in a residence for autistic adults. A disco night is planned like every Friday, but he, for once, chooses to walk through the neighbourhood, alone and free. An escape that will lead him to meet a young rentboy...

JEANNETTE
by Maris Curran

Country: USA, Year: 2022, Duration: 78'

A painful, but necessary documentary that begins in the immediate aftermath of the Orlando massacre in 2016: one of the worst terrorist attacks against the LGBTQI+ community, where 49 people died. Jeannette was present at the Pulse nightclub and survived the attack. Jeannette is a Hispanic, lesbian single mother who works as a professional bodybuilder. She does her best to manage her life as a survivor, moment by moment, without heroics, in order to build a community for herself and her family.

LE PARADIS
THE LOST BOYS
by Zeno Graton

Country: Belgium, France, Year: 2023, Duration: 83'

In a youth detention centre, Joe is preparing to go back into society, not knowing what life will be like on the other side. However, when the new boy, William, is transferred to the cell beside him, Joe's desire for freedom quickly turns into a different kind of craving. Working together during lessons of photography, drawing, dancing and rap, Joe and William undertake a two-way journey. A journey of emotional and expressive emancipation, which will lead them to increasingly revolve around each other. Because, behind those walls, passion outweighs the desire for freedom.

BREAKING THE ICE
by Clara Stern

Country: Austria, Year: 2022, Duration: 102'

Mira is the captain of the local hockey team. She is forced to run her late grandmother’s farm because her grandfather is severely ill. Her mother and brother have a hostile relationship where she feels the need to mediate. When Theresa joins the team, the world that Mira has built with great difficulty seems to fall apart...Clara Stern’s debut film is a coming-of-age story which teaches us that you can lose the balance in your life and find it again in a different form, closer to the idea of who you think you are.

LOVING HIGHSMITH
by Eva Vitija

Country: Switzerland, Germany, Year: 2022, Duration: 83'

Patricia Highsmith è considerata la regina della letteratura thriller: dai suoi romanzi sono stati tratti, o liberamente ispirati, alcuni dei più grandi capolavori del cinema classico e contemporaneo, quali L'altro uomo (1951) di Alfred Hitchcock, Il talento di Mr. Ripley (1999) di Anthony Minghella e Carol (2015) di Todd Haynes. Loving Highsmith, partendo da un incredibile lavoro d’archivio e sui suoi diari, restituisce un ritratto intimo ed emotivamente coinvolgente non solo dell’artista ma anche della persona, grazie anche alle interviste a chi l’ha conosciuta.

EISMAYER
by David Wagner

Country: Austria, Year: 2023, Duration: 87'

Sergeant Major Eismayer is the toughest and most feared NCO drill officer in the Austrian army. He is ruthless with recruits and relentlessly enforces both discipline and order with macho toughness. But when, Falak, a new recruit who has unashamedly embraced his homosexuality joins the army, it shakes Eismayer's existence to its very core. To love another man does not fit in with the idea of what a perfect soldier should be like. Falak becomes his target, but simultaneously triggers an overwhelming attraction.
Based on an incredible true story.

CHRISSY JUDY
by Todd Flaherty

Country: USA, Year: 2022, Duration: 96'

We all have that friend who is “too much”, always over the top, a drama queen. We can’t help loving them, though. If this friend also happens to be a drag queen, then it is a real Chrissy and Judy situation. An ironic comedy, that looks deeply into queer culture (mainly American), analyzing its unique features and the relations between its members, which can be annoying (but also humorous). A glance at the challenges that gay men have to overcome in their search for love, social acceptance, romance, identity and at their triumphs.

LEILA
by Fariba Haidari

Country: Sweden, Year: 2023, Duration: 25'

The daily life of a 64-year-old transgender teacher struggling to keep her job in a hostile world. The movie was shot before the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan.

THE FENCE
by Tomasz Wolski

Country: Poland, Year: 2022, Duration: 19'

The arrival of an unusual couple creates chaos in the ordinary life of a rural village in Poland. Will these two men manage to protect their relationship from people’s judgmental gaze?

IT'S A GRAY, GRAY WORLD
by Seyed Mohsen Pourmohseni Shakib

Country: Iran, Year: 2022, Duration: 6'

In a completely gray world, a young man’s true colors are accidentally revealed by a playful child. People are terrified and they call the police. He manages to save himself, only to come back the following day with a precise plan.

HÁBLAME DE TI
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
by Edu Cortés

Country: Mexico, Year: 2022, Duration: 97'

Chava is not lucky in love. Everything seems to change when a mysterious admirer, Brujita, starts sending him messages. With Carlos, a boy from his swimming class, he tries to uncover the truth about Brujita. During his quest, he will learn unknown sides of his family, his friends, and even himself, which will allow him to determine who he is and who he wants to love. A coming-of-age story about adolescence, and the doubts and thrills of the first serious love story. A light-hearted romantic comedy, already a great success in Mexico.

I AM LEO
by Tajo Hurrle

Country: Germany, Year: 2022, Duration: 17'

Leo, who is twelve, is spending the autumn holidays in the countryside, having a great time with a sister and a cousin. Everything changes when the grandma says, “This is big news: you are a real woman now”. But is that what Leo feels?

PAPER PLANES
by Michael Glover Smith, Alyssa Thordarson

Country: USA, Year: 2023, Duration: 17'

December is coming and Christmas is already in the air. A young, agoraphobic woman begins to exchange letters with the guest of the Airbnb next to her. Will this relationship develop into something more by the time the holidays arrive?

CLAUSE
by Scott Hurran

Country: UK, Year: 2022, Duration: 6'

Lunch break: Manny and Guy teach in a school about to hold a meeting to discuss the ongoing protests against LGBTQI+ topics in class. What can you do when you are the school principal but you live with the man you love?

COMBIEN DANSERONT SUR TA LANGUE
DRINKING AT A STREAM
by Louis Barthelemy Rousseau

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 19'

Alice is a doctor at the STD centre. Everyday she asks her patients about their intimate activities and takes blood samples. At home, physically weak Bianca is waiting for her. At the right moment, Alice pours some blood on Bianca’s tongue and starts talking...

PARAMORE
by Andrea Lamedica, Francesco Mastroleo

Country: Italy, Year: 2023, Duration: 20'

Thomas is a young man, who was born in a female body that he does not feel is his own. Among the buildings of the outskirts of Milan, Elisa notices him. The scooter rides, then a party and a kiss: these are moments that will change his life forever.

ROMANA GIOVENTÙ!
by Federico Cianferoni

Country: Italy, Year: 2022, Duration: 10'

Luke is a millennial, an aspiring filmmaker with a creative block. He’s looking for new sources of inspiration in the city where he lives, Rome. In this city, electrifying and stale at the same time, friends and lovers become his only form of distraction, analysis and awareness.

LA AMIGA DE MI AMIGA
GIRLFRIENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS
by Zaida Carmona

Country: Spain, Year: 2022, Duration: 85'

30-year-old Zaida comes back to Barcelona after a breakup. She is an aspiring director who would like to shoot her first film, but she spends her evenings in queer clubs, as if she were 20. One evening she meets her ex-girlfriend's new girlfriend and falls madly in love with her. This multi-faceted pop comedy is an autofiction story, a tribute to the films of Éric Rohmer. The plot develops in Barcelona's lesbo-queer scene, exploring and describing its bedrooms, bathrooms and streets.

BONES AND NAMES
by Fabian Stumm

Country: Germany, Year: 2023, Duration: 104'

Boris and Jonathan are at the point in their relationship where they spend their evenings together, yet apart. One lies in bed reading scripts, and the other works in the next room. Deep in the rehearsals for a film with an ambitious director, for Boris the lines between reality and imagination begins to blur, while Jonathan struggles to redefine his voice as a writer. Then too, we find Josie, Boris’s niece, who, flitting about like Shakespeare’s Puck, is testing their limits. With humour and tenderness, Fabian Stumm ponders cleverly and playfully on relationships and their possible outcomes.

LABOR
by Tove Pils

Country: Sweden, Year: 2023, Duration: 95'

Hanna leaves Sweden for her dream city: San Francisco. With the intention of exploring and fully experiencing the city’s queer scene, she meets Chloe and Cyd, a dominatrix and a trans guy, who will help her get close to the world of sex work. Labor is a film diary, a box full of interviews and experiences, a way for Hanna to keep track of her sexual awakening and identity discovery, to hold together the pieces of the person she was before leaving and the one she is becoming.

PUNCH
by Welby Ings

Country: New Zealand, Year: 2022, Duration: 98'

Seventeen-year-old Jim is a promising young boxer, training under the relentless attention of his alcoholic father Stan. Jim’s life outside the ring gets complicated when he befriends Whetu, a gay Maori who spends his days near the beach. Their friendship starts to grow into something more, making them the target for the hate of their small, macho, intolerant town. Suddenly, Jim’s mapped-out future is jeopardized. A story about love, loyalty, and redemption, in which the beauty of the setting intensifies the harsh emotions of the plot. With Tim Roth.

LE PARADIS
THE LOST BOYS
by Zeno Graton

Country: Belgium, France, Year: 2023, Duration: 83'

In a youth detention centre, Joe is preparing to go back into society, not knowing what life will be like on the other side. However, when the new boy, William, is transferred to the cell beside him, Joe's desire for freedom quickly turns into a different kind of craving. Working together during lessons of photography, drawing, dancing and rap, Joe and William undertake a two-way journey. A journey of emotional and expressive emancipation, which will lead them to increasingly revolve around each other. Because, behind those walls, passion outweighs the desire for freedom.

I AM LEO
by Tajo Hurrle

Country: Germany, Year: 2022, Duration: 17'

Leo, who is twelve, is spending the autumn holidays in the countryside, having a great time with a sister and a cousin. Everything changes when the grandma says, “This is big news: you are a real woman now”. But is that what Leo feels?

PAPER PLANES
by Michael Glover Smith, Alyssa Thordarson

Country: USA, Year: 2023, Duration: 17'

December is coming and Christmas is already in the air. A young, agoraphobic woman begins to exchange letters with the guest of the Airbnb next to her. Will this relationship develop into something more by the time the holidays arrive?

CLAUSE
by Scott Hurran

Country: UK, Year: 2022, Duration: 6'

Lunch break: Manny and Guy teach in a school about to hold a meeting to discuss the ongoing protests against LGBTQI+ topics in class. What can you do when you are the school principal but you live with the man you love?

COMBIEN DANSERONT SUR TA LANGUE
DRINKING AT A STREAM
by Louis Barthelemy Rousseau

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 19'

Alice is a doctor at the STD centre. Everyday she asks her patients about their intimate activities and takes blood samples. At home, physically weak Bianca is waiting for her. At the right moment, Alice pours some blood on Bianca’s tongue and starts talking...

PARAMORE
by Andrea Lamedica, Francesco Mastroleo

Country: Italy, Year: 2023, Duration: 20'

Thomas is a young man, who was born in a female body that he does not feel is his own. Among the buildings of the outskirts of Milan, Elisa notices him. The scooter rides, then a party and a kiss: these are moments that will change his life forever.

ROMANA GIOVENTÙ!
by Federico Cianferoni

Country: Italy, Year: 2022, Duration: 10'

Luke is a millennial, an aspiring filmmaker with a creative block. He’s looking for new sources of inspiration in the city where he lives, Rome. In this city, electrifying and stale at the same time, friends and lovers become his only form of distraction, analysis and awareness.

BONES AND NAMES
by Fabian Stumm

Country: Germany, Year: 2023, Duration: 104'

Boris and Jonathan are at the point in their relationship where they spend their evenings together, yet apart. One lies in bed reading scripts, and the other works in the next room. Deep in the rehearsals for a film with an ambitious director, for Boris the lines between reality and imagination begins to blur, while Jonathan struggles to redefine his voice as a writer. Then too, we find Josie, Boris’s niece, who, flitting about like Shakespeare’s Puck, is testing their limits. With humour and tenderness, Fabian Stumm ponders cleverly and playfully on relationships and their possible outcomes.

BEFORE I CHANGE MY MIND
by Trevor Anderson

Country: Canada, Year: 2022, Duration: 89'

Alberta, Canada, 1987. After moving from another city, Robin starts the school year in a new class. Being non-binary, Robin draws the attention of both the school bully and the most popular girl. Trevor Anderson’s directorial debut is a funny and painful dramedy which pays homage to the visual style of ‘80s US cinema, while changing its narrative style. According to IndieWire it is “one of the 10 must-see films presented at the 2022 Locarno Film Festival”.

ESSERE LUCY
BEING LUCY
by Gabriella Romano

Country: Italy, Year: 2011, Duration: 68'

The Lovers Film Festival's tribute to Lucy Salani shortly after her death. Based on her autobiographical book (Il mio nome è Lucy. L'italia del XX secolo nei ricordi di una transessuale), this documentary gives us an intimate portrait of the author herself, who endured the years of Fascism and the dreadful experience of being interned in Dachau. The only Italian trans woman who survived the horror of Nazi-Fascism. She became a symbol of the Italian Transgender movement thanks to the inestimable political value of her life.

FLORES DEL OTRO PATIO
by Jorge Cadena

Country: Switzerland, Year: 2022, Duration: 15'

In northern Colombia, a group of queer activists challenges heteropatriarchal standards. With extravagant performances, they fight the injustices that afflict the area and expose the devastating exploitation of the country's largest coal mine.

COME CLEAN
by Sal Bardo

Country: USA, Year: 2022, Duration: 12

A young gay man is getting ready for a Grindr hookup. Things are made harder by his obsessive-compulsive disorder. Can the longing for social relations, lust and personality disorders coexist?

JUMEAUX
TWINS
by Ines Clivio

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 16

It’s a stormy July 14th. During a car journey, Madoche, her twin and her sister, a real pain in the neck, run out of gas. Lost in the countryside, with a jerry can on her back, she meets a horsewoman. Her horoscope said it: destiny will bring you lust.

POLYWOOD
by Alessio Mineo

Country: USA, Year: 2023, Duration: 15'

Clayton, who has an unlucky love life, is on his first date with August, a guy he met on Grindr. When he meets him his anxiety fades, as he is fascinated by how easily they form a connection. The idyll is broken when August mentions his partner…

UN CORPS BRULANT
A FREE RUN
by Lauriane Lagarde

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 14'

Lina and Inès do parkour together. Jumping from one roof to the other, from a wall down to a flight of steps, they get closer and closer both physically and emotionally. They both long to get to know each other, but how can they possibly do that while everybody is always looking at them?

NUIT BLONDE
BLOND NIGHT
by Gabrielle Demers

Country: Canada, Year: 2022, Duration: 15'

Victor lives in a residence for autistic adults. A disco night is planned like every Friday, but he, for once, chooses to walk through the neighbourhood, alone and free. An escape that will lead him to meet a young rentboy...

LUCKY
by Loren Denis, Anthony Vibert

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 87'

Lucky (aka Luc Bruyère) is a 28-year-old artist, performer, model, dancer and drag queen, living his life between Paris and Berlin. Lucky is a tale of finding a true identity and of self-care. The protagonist shows us many sides of his life: disability, drug addiction, mental health, and divorce-related issues. Despite all this, Luc keeps on shining bright and walking tall.

UNA GIORNATA PARTICOLARE
A SPECIAL DAY
by Ettore Scola

Country: Italy, Year: 1977, Duration: 106'

On 6 May 1938, Hitler is visiting Rome. Antonietta (Sofia Loren), wife of a state employee and mother of six, lives in a working-class apartment building. On that day, the family’s bird escapes through the window to reach the apartment of a neighbor, Gabriele (Marcello Mastroianni). Once a radio broadcaster, the man is now about to be exiled to Sardinia because of his homosexuality. While everyone is absorbed in the parade, Antonietta and Gabriele share their experiences, with a sense of bitterness and unexpected intimacy. In memory of Maurizio Costanzo, who co-wrote the screenplay.

LA AMIGA DE MI AMIGA
GIRLFRIENDS AND GIRLFRIENDS
by Zaida Carmona

Country: Spain, Year: 2022, Duration: 85'

30-year-old Zaida comes back to Barcelona after a breakup. She is an aspiring director who would like to shoot her first film, but she spends her evenings in queer clubs, as if she were 20. One evening she meets her ex-girlfriend's new girlfriend and falls madly in love with her. This multi-faceted pop comedy is an autofiction story, a tribute to the films of Éric Rohmer. The plot develops in Barcelona's lesbo-queer scene, exploring and describing its bedrooms, bathrooms and streets.

ASTRO
by Nicky Lisa Lapierre

Country: Belgium, Year: 2022, Duration: 80'

It’s been 7 years since non-binary director Nicky L. Lapierre told the troubled love story between Baby and Charlie. This story is the perfect starting point for a broader conversation on the creation of your own identity. It’s an experimental and non-conventional documentary, which combines fictional elements, real life images, personal experiences and unfiltered thoughts. The result is Astro: a queer and nostalgic road trip which doesn’t follow the traditional LGBTQI+ narratives, just like the lives of its two main characters.

ALMAMULA
by Juan Sebastian Torales

Country: France, Argentina, Italy, Year: 2023, Duration: 94'

Nino is considered a bad influence on the other boys of his neighbourhood and has to face homophobic attacks on the street. For that reason, Nino and his parents temporarily move to the countryside. Far from the city, Nino wanders in a forest that is thought to be haunted by Almamula, a monster which kidnaps those who commit sexual sins and impure acts. Nino’s curiosity and impulses emerge in a world of whispers, untold desires and prayers. The sensual mysteries, hidden among the trees, become more and more alluring. A tense and magical debut film by Juan Sebastian Torales.

FIN
THE END
by Fernando Reinaldos

Country: Spain, Year: 2022, Duration: 10'

Over the last few years, Carmen has dedicated her whole life to taking care of her wife Rosa, who suffers from Alzheimer. Carmen hopes that Rosa will look at her again as she used to when they were young.

PENSADERO
OVERTHINKER
by Matías Dinardo

Country: Argentina, Year: 2022, Duration: 15'

Marco obsessively analyzes every detail of his life and has just broken up with his girlfriend. But what happens the day he meets handsome, carefree Galo? All the certainties of his existence are shaken.

THE SHIFT
by Amalie Maria Nielsen

Country: Denmark, Year: 2022, Duration: 18'

In a refuge for struggling girls, Milo is secretly transitioning. Nicki, a care worker, is the only one who knows, and the only one who supports them through the difficulties of the process. But when Milo hears something they shouldn’t have, Nicki’s care is no longer enough….

ASSASSINO AMERICANO AMNÉSICO
by Mark Blane

Country: Portugal, Year: 2022, Duration: 28'

You wake up in a B&B in Portugal but you don’t remember who you are. Your university card reads Georgios. The plane ticket next to it, Jonathan. You have flashbacks. A T-shirt in your suitcase reminds you that Britney is the Princess of Pop. And this good-looking João, who is he?

ACCEPTANCE
by Mik Stolz

Country: Canada, Year: 2022, Duration: 9'

The film features a group of teenagers at a house party: Kenna is the nerdiest of them all, with her weirdly-shaped glasses. One of her friends tells her that Matt likes her, but her mind is only set on Claire, her best friend. Who has left her too soon.

NONO PIANO A DESTRA
9TH FLOOR TO THE RIGHT
by Andrea Romano

Country: France, Italy, Year: 2022, Duration: 16'

One evening, Lorenzo is getting ready to receive, for the first time, Marvin, a boy he really likes, in his apartment in Belleville. Marvin shows up with Thomas, a homeless man who needs a place to take a shower. Lorenzo doesn't dare say no...

HÁBLAME DE TI
TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF
by Edu Cortés

Country: Mexico, Year: 2022, Duration: 97'

Chava is not lucky in love. Everything seems to change when a mysterious admirer, Brujita, starts sending him messages. With Carlos, a boy from his swimming class, he tries to uncover the truth about Brujita. During his quest, he will learn unknown sides of his family, his friends, and even himself, which will allow him to determine who he is and who he wants to love. A coming-of-age story about adolescence, and the doubts and thrills of the first serious love story. A light-hearted romantic comedy, already a great success in Mexico.

EISMAYER
by David Wagner

Country: Austria, Year: 2023, Duration: 87'

Sergeant Major Eismayer is the toughest and most feared NCO drill officer in the Austrian army. He is ruthless with recruits and relentlessly enforces both discipline and order with macho toughness. But when, Falak, a new recruit who has unashamedly embraced his homosexuality joins the army, it shakes Eismayer's existence to its very core. To love another man does not fit in with the idea of what a perfect soldier should be like. Falak becomes his target, but simultaneously triggers an overwhelming attraction.
Based on an incredible true story.

SOFT
by Joseph Amenta

Country: Canada, Year: 2022, Duration: 87'

Three queer adolescent friends find themselves in a difficult situation when they decide to sneak into a gay club in Toronto. To enter this promised land, insolent runaway Julien, lively Tony, and timid Otis decide to commit a minor crime, unaware of its indirect consequences: the disappearance of Dawn, Julien’s guardian. The three young boys start to investigate, and make unexpected, disturbing discoveries about Dawn’s life. This short debut film is intended as a sincere love letter to teenage friendship and a powerful proof of how persevering and adaptable the queer community can be.

STRANGE WORLD – UN MONDO MISTERIOSO
STRANGE WORLD
by Don Hall

Country: USA, Year: 2022, Duration: 102'

Avalonia, faraway land surrounded by an impervious mountain chain, is dying because of its stillness and its impossibility to grow. Jaeger and Searcher, explorers, father and son, have been trying for years to pass through the mountains. During an expedition, Searcher discovers a mystery plant that is capable of generating electricity. While Jaeger goes on alone to find a way out of the mountains, the son decides to return to Avalonia with the plant, which will become the driving force for the renaissance. After 25 years, the plant’s energy seems to be fading away: it is time for a new adventure!

SOFT
by Joseph Amenta

Country: Canada, Year: 2022, Duration: 87'

Three queer adolescent friends find themselves in a difficult situation when they decide to sneak into a gay club in Toronto. To enter this promised land, insolent runaway Julien, lively Tony, and timid Otis decide to commit a minor crime, unaware of its indirect consequences: the disappearance of Dawn, Julien’s guardian. The three young boys start to investigate, and make unexpected, disturbing discoveries about Dawn’s life. This short debut film is intended as a sincere love letter to teenage friendship and a powerful proof of how persevering and adaptable the queer community can be.

FIN
THE END
by Fernando Reinaldos

Country: Spain, Year: 2022, Duration: 10'

Over the last few years, Carmen has dedicated her whole life to taking care of her wife Rosa, who suffers from Alzheimer. Carmen hopes that Rosa will look at her again as she used to when they were young.

PENSADERO
OVERTHINKER
by Matías Dinardo

Country: Argentina, Year: 2022, Duration: 15'

Marco obsessively analyzes every detail of his life and has just broken up with his girlfriend. But what happens the day he meets handsome, carefree Galo? All the certainties of his existence are shaken.

THE SHIFT
by Amalie Maria Nielsen

Country: Denmark, Year: 2022, Duration: 18'

In a refuge for struggling girls, Milo is secretly transitioning. Nicki, a care worker, is the only one who knows, and the only one who supports them through the difficulties of the process. But when Milo hears something they shouldn’t have, Nicki’s care is no longer enough….

ASSASSINO AMERICANO AMNÉSICO
by Mark Blane

Country: Portugal, Year: 2022, Duration: 28'

You wake up in a B&B in Portugal but you don’t remember who you are. Your university card reads Georgios. The plane ticket next to it, Jonathan. You have flashbacks. A T-shirt in your suitcase reminds you that Britney is the Princess of Pop. And this good-looking João, who is he?

ACCEPTANCE
by Mik Stolz

Country: Canada, Year: 2022, Duration: 9'

The film features a group of teenagers at a house party: Kenna is the nerdiest of them all, with her weirdly-shaped glasses. One of her friends tells her that Matt likes her, but her mind is only set on Claire, her best friend. Who has left her too soon.

NONO PIANO A DESTRA
9TH FLOOR TO THE RIGHT
by Andrea Romano

Country: France, Italy, Year: 2022, Duration: 16'

One evening, Lorenzo is getting ready to receive, for the first time, Marvin, a boy he really likes, in his apartment in Belleville. Marvin shows up with Thomas, a homeless man who needs a place to take a shower. Lorenzo doesn't dare say no...

DESPERATE SOULS, DARK CITY AND THE LEGEND OF MIDNIGHT COWBOY
by Nancy Buirski

Country: USA, Year: 2022, Duration: 101'

Midnight Cowboy was the first R-rated movie to win an Oscar, thus ushering in the New Hollywood Era. An absolute cult film, portraying the lives of the aspiring gigolo Jon Voight and conman Dustin Hoffman, who move against the background of a nocturnal and desperate New York. The must-see documentary explores the history behind this dark and difficult masterpiece to describe a revolutionary time, when a brand-new generation of filmmakers tore up the outdated rules of the Dream Factory with the help of brave, unique movies.

ALMAMULA
by Juan Sebastian Torales

Country: France, Argentina, Italy, Year: 2023, Duration: 94'

Nino is considered a bad influence on the other boys of his neighbourhood and has to face homophobic attacks on the street. For that reason, Nino and his parents temporarily move to the countryside. Far from the city, Nino wanders in a forest that is thought to be haunted by Almamula, a monster which kidnaps those who commit sexual sins and impure acts. Nino’s curiosity and impulses emerge in a world of whispers, untold desires and prayers. The sensual mysteries, hidden among the trees, become more and more alluring. A tense and magical debut film by Juan Sebastian Torales.

HE.SHE
by Yana Kyrychenko

Country: Ukraine, Year: 2022, Duration: 7'

Artem shows the two sides of his existence: everyday life, in which he is a boy just like others, and his experience on stage, where, as drag queen B, he creates a seductive, enchanting show.

I AM MICHELLE
by Olena Siyatovska

Country: Ukraine, Afghanistan, Netherlands, Year: 2022, Duration: 20'

A transgender girl would like to become a model: despite being quite popular on social media, she begins to feel more and more alone. During a trip to her home town, she realises what she really wants.

SIMEIZ
by Anton Shebetko

Country: Ukraine, Year: 2022, Duration: 18'

Simeiz is a village on the southern coast of Crimea, currently occupied by the Russian army. In the Soviet era, however, it became an “underground” resort for the gay community with a small nudist beach and a popular night club.

UKRAINIAN QUEER FIGHTERS FOR FREEDOM
by Rebel Queers

Country: Ukraine, Year: 2022, Duration: 30'

February 24, 2022. 6:31 am. A warning on the phone: "They have started bombing Kyiv. Don't panic". It is the beginning of new era, filled with fear and horror. A terrifying scenario, here seen from the point of view of queer people.

MYRA BRECKINRIDGE
IL CASO MYRA BRECKINRIDGE
by Michael Sarne

Country: USA, Year: 1970, Duration: 94'

A Cult Movie from 1970, based on the novel of the same name by Gore Vidal that follows the life of the transgender woman Myra Breckinridge (born as Myron). After a gender reassignment operation, she claims to be the widow of her past self. She manipulates her uncle in order to obtain a job in his acting school, where she tries to overturn Hollywood's social agenda by introducing the concept of Femdom (female domination on male). In memory of Raquel Welch, the star and eternal icon, with John Huston, Mae West, Farrah Fawcett, and Tom Selleck in his first role, as a toy boy.

PRAYERS FOR BOBBY
by Russell Mulcahy

Country: USA, Year: 2009, Duration: 89'

In this film based on a true story, devout Christian Mary Griffith (Sigourney Weaver) fights to “heal” her gay son, Bobby. Even though the boy wants to please her, he can’t change: he becomes more and more depressed until he commits suicide. Devastated, Mary questions her faith. But the Church doesn’t help her to deal with Bobby’s death and, as a result, she tries to understand, on her own, her real thoughts about homosexuality. A painful journey leading Mary to become an advocate of gay rights. Even today, a devastating and heart-breaking film.

LOS AGITADORES
HORSEPLAY
by Marco Berger

Country: Argentina, Year: 2022, Duration: 102'

Artur invites some friends to his luxurious villa for Christmas. Their days go by swimming, sunbathing, with jokes, games, drugs and alcohol. There is a lot of companionship, but the joyful camaraderie is often tinged with an oppressive machismo: gratuitous comments, homophobic jokes... and a feeling of something more. Something they can't fully accept and that must be kept hidden. Marco Berger is back, after the movie Taekwondo (2016). Through his unashamed voyeurism and keen gaze, he describes the interactions of a group of allegedly straight men, often problematic and unresolved.

TROIS NUITS PAR SEMAINE
THREE NIGHTS A WEEK
by Florent Gouëlou

Country: France, Year: 2022, Duration: 103'

Baptiste is a photographer living in Paris with his girlfriend Samia. Working on a project on drag queens, he meets Cookie Kunt, the queen of a popular cabaret, where she performs with other fabulous queens. Enchanted by a world he knows nothing about, he will discover Quentin, hidden behind Cookie, who will change his way of loving. This fascinating picture of a night-time world, without prejudices, depicts a personality, a way of being – a whole universe – and the “sisterhood” that underlies it. It is a story about love and friendship, seductive illusions but also real feelings.

ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE
by Babatunde Apalowo

Country: Nigeria, Year: 2023, Duration: 93'

Bambino and Bawa are going through a tough time in their relationship. While Bambino is dealing with his doubts and insecurities, Bawa is sure that their feelings are more profound than they seem. After Bambino has an accident, he has to rely on Bawa and starts questioning his own sexuality. As their bond gets stronger, the situation comes to a head; Bambino is overcome with confusion and anger and in the end he pushes Bawa out of his life. But that won’t be the last time he does this. This is the first Nigerian LGBTQI+ film, and the winner of the 2023 Teddy Award.