Kicking off the festivities is ‘Plainclothes’, a tense, romantic thriller about a closeted undercover cop, torn between duty and living his truth. It stars Russell Tovey (‘Looking’) and Tom Blyth (‘The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes’).
Then, bringing everything to a close is ‘Really Happy Someday’, an intimate, empowering drama about a trans masculine musical theatre performer who loses vocal control after starting testosterone.
QSFF will hold a special 10th anniversary screening of ‘Holding The Man’, marking the 40th anniversary of ACON and 30th anniversary of the cult-classic Australian memoir by Timothy Conigrave.
This year, QSFF will introduce the inaugural Emerging Narrative Feature Competition. It’s a juried competition awarding a $2,500 cash prize to one of six nominated filmmakers. Plus, the festival will also continue its support of emerging talent through Queer Screen Pitch Off, with a combined prize pool of $20,000.
Audiences can expect, as always, a curated selection of new queer cinema, including 14 Australian premieres and the return of Mixed Shorts.
“It is an exciting new chapter for Queer Screen,” CEO Benson Wu says. “This new team has worked tirelessly to bring this festival to life in a short timeframe, and we are proud of the strength, diversity and heart that this year’s programme delivers. We look forward to welcoming audiences back into cinemas to share in the joy of queer storytelling.”
The 2025 programme spans continents and genres, showcasing highlights like ‘Twinless’ – a whip-smart, wholly original dark comedy starring Dylan O’Brien and writer-director James Sweeney. Plus, there’s ‘Cactus Pears’ – a tender, slow-burn romance from India which took home the World Cinema Dramatic Jury Prize.
Audiences can also expect ‘Love Letters’, a touching French drama highlighting the blurring of the personal and the political, and ‘Niñxs’, a joyful and quietly revolutionary coming-of-age doco told through the eyes of a Mexican trans child.
Other anticipated titles include ‘Outerlands’ starring Asia Kate Dillon and Lea DeLaria following a cash-strapped non-binary nanny navigating complex emotional terrain.
Check out the full programme.
Queer Screen Film Fest 2025 is on at Event Cinemas George Street (Sydney) 27-31 August.
