by FilmInk Staff

Queer Screen has just dropped the explosive full program for the 13th Queer Screen Film Fest (QSFF26). Get ready for a week-long celebration of LGBTIQ+ stories on the big screen, followed by a curated on-demand season for the whole community nationwide from 9 to 16 September 2026. 

The program features 28 films (12 features and 16 shorts), the return of the Queer Screen Pitch Off Competition and Emerging Narrative Feature Competition, and, for the first time, Queer Screen Studio — a high-octane day of masterclasses, practical panels, and elite networking, from mastering the perfect investor pitch to navigating global festival circuits and post-production secrets.

Opening the festival on Wednesday 2 September is the fresh off the Cannes and Sydney Film Festival sensation Jim Queen. Directed by Marco Nguyen and Nicolas Athané, this neon-soaked, animated French/Belgian odyssey weaponises queer iconography in a hilarious, disco-fueled apocalypse where a virus threatens to turn queer people straight.

Closing the festival on Tuesday 8 September is the NSW Premiere of Sweet Milk Lake, a tender and one of a kind journey of Australian drama exploring brotherhood, belonging, and trans identity in a hyper-masculine rural town. Written, directed by, and starring Harvey Zielinski (Deadloch) in a tour-de-force dual performance, the film features an exceptional local cast including Hunter Page-Lochard (Cleverman), Kieran Darcy-Smith (Animal Kingdom), and Nic Cassim (The Correspondent). Zielinski will be in attendance for a special Closing Night Q&A.

“It’s an exciting, strong year for LGBTIQ+ cinema,” says Benson Wu, CEO of Queer Screen. “From major festival hits straight out of Cannes and Sydney Film Festival to groundbreaking Australian debuts, Queer Screen is showcasing a wealth of new, creative LGBTIQ+ cinematic styles and storytelling. We want audiences to walk away with a lasting impact and a genuine excitement for what’s next.”

EMERGING NARRATIVE FEATURE COMPETITION

This year’s competition highlights bold new voices in international and domestic cinema:

  • Big Girls Don’t Cry (New Zealand) – Executive produced by Jane Campion, this Sundance hit from Paloma Schneideman delivers a tender, pre-smartphone dose of 2000s nostalgia and teenage queer angst.
  • The Education of Jane Cumming (UK/Germany/Switzerland) – Starring Fiona Shaw (Killing Eve) and Mia Tharia, director Sophie Heldman delivers a tense, lensed period piece based on the true 19th-century Scottish trial that inspired Lillian Faderman’s Scotch Verdict.
  • Montreal, My Beautiful (Canada) – Screen icon Joan Chen (Saving Face, Dìdi) delivers a career-defining performance as a mother navigating late-in-life queer discovery within Montreal’s Chinese diaspora.
  • Test (USA) – Winner of Outstanding First Feature at Frameline 2026, screenwriter-star Brock Yurich (Succession) and Emmy-winner Tammy Blanchard star in a sexy, visceral drama about bodybuilding, faith, and suppressed desire.
  • Jim Queen (France/Belgium) – Opening Night Film. This neon-soaked animated odyssey weaponises queer iconography in a hilarious, disco-fueled apocalypse.
  • Sweet Milk Lake (Australia) – Closing Night Film. Harvey Zielinski stars in this tender exploration of brotherhood and trans identity in a rural town.

PANORAMA & GLOBAL GEMS

  • La Bola Negra (Spain/France) – Starring Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close, this Cannes Best Director-winning epic from directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (Veneno) spans 85 years of Spanish history, interweaving three generations bound by desire, memory, and the poetry of Federico García Lorca.
  • Coward (Belgium) – Directed by Lukas Dhont (Close, Girl), this WWI epic won a shared Best Actor prize at Cannes 2026 for its lead performers, following a moving romance born in the trenches.
  • Body Blow (Australia) – Sydney director Dean Francis (Drown) returns with an erotic, neon-soaked thriller set amidst the underground bars of Oxford Street.
  • Hunky Jesus (USA) – A riotous documentary chronicle of San Francisco’s legendary Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, featuring interviews with Sister Roma and Saint Honey Mahogany.
  • Bound (30th Anniversary Screening) – A special anniversary presentation of the Wachowskis’ iconic 1996 neo-noir sapphic masterpiece starring Gina Gershon and Jennifer Tilly.
  • Our Effed Up World (Australia) – Indie underground master Alice Maio Mackay’s retro sci-fi horror produced by Jane Schoenbrun (I Saw the TV Glow), featuring Sara Thompson (One of Us Is Lying), Brandon Flynn (Fucktoys), Annapurna Sriram, Jack Haven, and a cameo from Leela Varghese (Lesbian Space Princess).

SWEET, CHEEKY, FEARLESS – SHORTS PROGRAMME

Spanning countries, cultures, and genres, this curated collection dives headfirst into the hilariously awkward and deeply moving realities of contemporary life. 

  • Dr. Poppers (France) – Directed by Arthur Morard, a casual hookup turns chaotic when Antoine accidentally spills poppers into a stranger’s nose, forcing the two to bond over an unwanted trip to the ER.
  • Eyeliner (UK) – Directed by Aisha Boudjillouli, trans teen Nina discovers how differently society treats her journey into womanhood after stealing eyeliner with her best friend.
  • G.O.A.T (Australia) – Directed by Kimberley Benjamin, Lilah falls hard for her new coworker but isn’t sure she’s queer, sparking a chaotic, heartfelt race to find out before she misses her chance to ask her to the NAIDOC Ball.
  • Kiloran Bay (UK) – Directed by Michael Bruce, a gay man returning to Scotland for a wedding confronts long-buried memories alongside his partner in this joyous queer musical starring Alan Cumming.
  • Souvenir (Australia) – Directed by Renée Marie Petropoulos, a young closeted teen on a family vacation must confront the unnerving hold her girlfriend has over her after she takes unwarranted photos of her during sex.
  • Spiders on my Lashline (Australia) – Directed by Grace Tan, genderqueer pole dancer Ash takes shelter in a church following an attack, where childhood memories resurface and help them find strength again.
  • Sunday Lunch (UK) – Directed by Lyndon Henley Hanrahan, a closeted lesbian brings her girlfriend to Sunday lunch to come out to her Catholic family, but her relatives find increasingly absurd ways to stop her from saying the words.
  • Talk Me (Spain/USA) – Executive produced by Spike Lee and directed by Joecar Hanna, a Spanish village outsider must choose between a loveless marriage and true connection with a stranger in a world where words replace intimacy.

SHORTS BEFORE FEATURES

  • Bottlecap (Germany) – Directed by Kaytie Nielsen (5 mins). At a Berlin rave, a shy club-goer works up the nerve to approach their crush. Narrated by musician John Grant. Screens with Big Girls Don’t Cry.
  • Choked (UK) – Directed by Travis Alabanza (10 mins). Shakona, a trans woman seeking sexual fulfilment, needs a night of self-care from the chaotic and violent outside world. Turns out, self-care for Shakona can look just as messed up. Screens with Body Blow.
  • Fish & Chips (UK) – Directed by Macadie Amoroso (13 mins). Fab plans a surprise for Cassie on their first anniversary, but Cassie’s rough day, coupled with a party popper mishap, leads to a heated argument over dinner options. Screens with The Education of Jane Cumming.
  • SUPERCOCKERS: The Real Bad Boys of Badminton (Australia) – Directed by Michael Sean Walters (11 mins). A mockumentary follows a weekend crew of misfits trading catty barbs, hitting shuttlecocks and occasionally each other. Screens with Test.
  • Fishy (USA) – Directed by Milo Richards (17 mins). A trans pageant queen returns to the spotlight to reclaim her throne after fleeing, but as pressure begins to mount, the shadows of self-doubt around her womanhood begin to blur reality. Screens with Our Effed Up World.
  • Lesbian Mud Wrestling (Australia) – Directed by Kirsty Wilson (15 mins). Every night, Kit dreams of the golden strap — the prize for Lesbian Mud Wrestling, an event that regularly takes place to raise funds for gender-affirming surgeries for legends like Kit. Screens with Bound.
  • Lin’s Laundromat (Australia) – Directed by Hannah Feneley & Kalliopi Nicholas (6 mins). Non-binary teen Charlie is content working at their local laundromat, until their estranged father arrives wearing blue eyeshadow and holding a dress bag. Screens with Jim Queen.
  • Queering Sydney (Australia) – Directed by Lynn Lee (10 mins). A poetic documentary following young queer people of colour navigating identity, freedom and nighttime sanctuary in Sydney. Screens with Hunky Jesus.

BEYOND THE SCREEN: Panels, Pitch-Offs & Masterclasses

  • Queer Screen Pitch Off Competition @ Event Cinemas George St (Sat 5 Sept, 10:30am): Pitching finalists compete live on stage for a $10,000 cash grant to fund their next short film.
  • Queer Screen Studio @ AFTRS (Sun 6 Sept, 10:30am – 5:00pm): Supported by Screen NSW and AFTRS, Sydney’s dedicated LGBTIQ+ film conference brings together filmmakers, industry panels, and masterclasses to empower the next generation of storytellers.

THE ESSENTIALS: Dates, Tix & Where to Be

  • Dates: 2 – 8 September 2026 (In-cinema at Event Cinemas George St) | 9 – 16 September 2026 (On-demand)
  • Tickets On Sale:
    • Member Pre-Sale: Tuesday 4 August 2026
    • General Public On Sale: Wednesday 5 August 2026
  • Passes & Single Tickets:
    • Single Tickets: $25 Adult | $22 Concession | $21 Queer Screen Member
    • Opening Night Film + Party: $60 Adult | $56 Member/Concession
    • Flexi Passes: Flexi 5 ($110 / $90 Member) | Flexi 10 ($180 / $170 Member)
    • Full Program & Bookings: queerscreen.org.au
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