DISTANCESami KaliSwitzerland – 14 min – fiction (2025) – ov : French, Arabic – st : French, EnglishOver a meal, Nadim talks with his parents about their difficulty accepting his homosexuality when a power outage interrupts the conversation. The dim light proves conducive to more intimate exchanges. A glimmer of hope. YONNEJulietta Korbel and […]
Jeanne and Marie—one a student craving adventure, the other a saleswoman—are on their way to her rural hometown. They meet while hitchhiking in French-speaking Switzerland and decide to continue the journey together. But soon, they are attacked by two men, fight back fiercely, and are forced to flee. Another adventure begins. Now armed with a […]
“Sisterhood is freedom.” How can a woman survive in a megacity like Lagos, Nigeria marked by inequality and violence? Must we always dream of somewhere else?Lady lives on the outskirts of the capital; she is one of the few female taxi drivers and crisscrosses the city with complete independence. Soon, Pinky, her childhood friend, reappears […]
Namibia, Sri Lanka, and Barbados—three territories on three continents, former colonies of the British Empire. Friedel, Rosanna, and Raven are LGBTIQ+ rights activists born in these countries and criminalized by current laws. Have we forgotten that many of these laws were introduced and imposed by colonialism?While London celebrates its annual Pride in complete freedom, queer […]
In a coastal town in New Zealand, life picks up again during the summer. Time for 14-year-old Sid to reinvent herself among the vacationers. From behind her bangs, her bucket hat, and her placid expression, she observes the young adults as role models to emulate, bodies to desire, and fantasize relationships. Her boldness, impulsiveness, and […]
Tereza, 77, has spent her entire life in a small industrial town in the Amazon, until the day she receives an order from the government to move to a “senior colony.” Other wise known as an isolated place where the elderly will “enjoy” their final years. But Tereza refuses to accept this imposed fate. She […]
Joyce’s home, a joyful community of transgender women, welcomes 19-year-old Kitkat, who finds a new family there. This is a haven of safety and solidarity for individuals scarred by the rejection and cruelty of Philippine society. For most of them, freedom inevitably requires a costly gender reassignment surgery so they can finally live in harmony […]
Misogyny has been gnawing away at us since childhood. It subjugates us, it drenches and overwhelms us, it corners us, imprisons us, and locks us away. And it has been doing so for centuries. Drawing on the words of Ovidie, who, in *La chair est triste hélas* (2023), denounces the diktats of heterosexuality and puts […]
Lennart and Ronnie, two young men bound by a strong friendship, are at the heart of Amsterdam’s most electrifying gay club. Amid the hedonistic atmosphere of the 1980s, a DJ runs the club, while the other, the Don Juan of the dance floor, falls in love with a young artist. A heavenly era that quietly […]
“The Refugees’ Journey” (rêya penaber in Kurdish) emerged from numerous encounters between trans and non-binary artists, LGBTIQ+ activists, and the filmmaker, who is herself in exile in Switzerland. Moving beyond the usual narratives of victimization, the film explores how displaced communities transform trauma into creativity and solidarity.Oscillating between memory, collective rituals, and artistic expression — […]
A young Mexican couple is overjoyed as they welcome their first child. However, when the baby is born, the medical staff, family, and colleagues turn on the newborn. The pressure to define the baby is overwhelming, as if the world depended on it. The baby is intersex which means their anatomy does not allow the […]
Discussion with Céline du Chéné, author of the book *Cabarets* in conversation with Magali Le Mens (art historian, researcher, and co-author of “Allures dissidentes”) and Gaëlle Nydegger (Ph.D. candidate, author of a dissertation on queer spaces in French-speaking Switzerland in the early 20th century) cabaret! Every year, cabaret takes center stage at the festival. […]
Modeled after philosophy cafés, the Everybody’s Perfect café cinéma are a novelty this year! Come discuss and share insights about films. Led by a facilitator, the discussion allows participants to gather and discuss. Come and exchange ideas so that the lasting power of film does not end once you vacate your seat. How has cinema […]
A screening of three short films showcasing Barbara Hammer’s work—filming, loving, and aging. This is a window into her short-film oeuvre, in which the question of touch is central. Her lesbianism led her to create images a particular way and she was determined to make viewers active participants. DYKETACTICS (1974)DOUBLE STRENGTH (1978)VITAL SIGNS (1991) […]
The 1970s: San Francisco’s gay bars, leather, free love, and hot, kinky nights. Then, mysterious disappearances and murders occur…sometimes without bodies. Is it a serial killer? The police however aren’t rushing to solve these cases.When a Variety reporter is found unconscious in his home, an investigation finally begins. In 1979, when the successful director William […]
Oh, the sweetness of Ivo Dimchev’s voice… His music with its powerful vibrations, his provocative and funny lyrics, his simplicity mixed with extravagance: Ivo is an intriguing and endearing figure. He pushes boundaries and defies societal norms. During the 2020 pandemic, he chose to perform in people’s homes either their balconies, their kitchens, or their […]
doors open at 8:30 pm 9:00 pm – 10:00 pmCONCERT · GENEVA CAMERATA X DIAMANDA CALLASLove at first sight! The orchestra that reimagines the conventions of classical music meets Diamanda Callas for the first time—a gothic, egotistical drag singer, a pop diva with an edge, and a cabaret tragedienne. The promise of an exceptionally […]
Yuri, an architect, recently got a divorce. Meanwhile, Yoriko, an artist, is haunted by a past romance. As a sculptor who works with life-size wooden blocks, she chooses Yuri as her model, spending long hours together as they discuss loss and emotions. In a sub-plot, two teenagers, friends of Yoriko’s, develop a bond so strong […]
27Flóra Anna BudaHungary, France – 11 min – fiction (2023) – ov : Hungarian –st : French, EnglishAlice, 27, feels suffocated living with her parents; faced with bleak prospects for the future, she throws herself into perilous adventures. A psychedelic and colorful fable about a young woman on the brink of collapse.palme d’or for best […]
To be or not to be… in the closet. Life is good for Vicente, 76, in Maspalomas, a seaside resort in the Canary Islands. Its nudist beaches, its nightclubs with tempting backrooms, its inviting sand dunes, its refreshing cocktails, and all those gay men… Paradise, in short. But for how long? When age catches up with […]