Feature films
AMANTES
Thursday Oct 16 | 8:30 PM
With three love stories intertwined through friendships and acquaintances, the film explores the contradictions of desire and love in an appreciative and humorous way. Nour and Camille feel strongly attracted to each other, and their sex life is intense. However, Nour’s impatience quickly causes their budding relationship to falter. Laura attempts a threesome with Rebecca and Ophélie, but is plagued by insecurities. Will the suggestion of having a child together calm the emotions between the three women? Gabrielle, a renowned psychologist, discovers feelings for one of her patients, while her wife Ruby puts all her energy and time into her successful podcast. In a ritual of the spiritual Gloria, all the threads finally come together.
O melhor Amigo (THE BEST FRIEND)
Friday Oct 17 | 8:30 PM
Colorful, playful, and full of rhythm: The Best Friend is a queer musical comedy with heart, humor, and hip-swinging dance moves. After an embarrassing public marriage proposal, Lucas flees his everyday life to the coast of Brazil – and promptly runs into his old friend Felipe, who now describes himself as a “professional lover.” Between dunes, drag shows, and unexpected escapades, an old feeling flares up again. Brazilian songs, flamboyant performances, and absurd musical moments make the film a camp extravaganza with nostalgic charm. But behind the glitzy surface, the film also deals with class differences, longings, and queer self-discovery. And if you listen closely, you’ll take away a new motto for life: “The twink is alive.”
Chuck Chuck Baby
Saturday Oct 18 | 3 PM
Helen is in her late 30s and single. During the day, she cares for her ex-husband’s mother, and at night she earns money packing chicken in a factory. Her dreary everyday life suddenly gets a breath of fresh air when Joanna, her secret teenage crush, reappears in town. The two rediscover their love for each other. But then there are the old wounds from Joanna’s past and the complicated circumstances in Helen’s present! However, the two women do not give up—with humor, realistically depicted life circumstances, and a great deal of affection for the characters, Janis Pugh tells a story about love, friendship, and female empowerment in the musical Chuck Chuck Baby.
“Accompanied by the enchanting soundtrack of Neil Diamond and others, not only do chicken feathers fly through the air, but also big emotions.” [salzgeber.de]
OBEN OHNE (Where You Find Me)
Saturday Oct 18 | 6 PM
Alex and Beatrice meet in a kinky club. One runs the club with confidence, but is expecting a child with her partner and is struggling to find a good balance between nightlife and family. The other escapes her stressful everyday life as a future gynecologist and is confronted with the illness and death of her aunt. Although they couldn’t be more different, a close friendship develops between the two. Each fights for the right to self-determination over her own body in a seemingly tolerant society, for different reasons and in her own way. Social expectations, conventions, and the system push both women to their limits, and so they become increasingly important sources of support for each other.
Un Mundo Para Mí (NEWBORN)
Saturday Oct 18 | 8:30 PM
When their baby is born with ambiguous sex characteristics, Maria and Nicholas are faced with a decision that will change their lives. While he pushes for a quick operation, Maria begins to have doubts: about medical routines, gender norms, and family expectations. She finds support in an intersex person who speaks openly about their experiences, as well as in another family who has already gone through something similar.
Un Mundo Para Mí impressively shows how expectations and beliefs clash and how relationships threaten to break apart as a result. This debut film captivates with its powerful dialogue and keen sense of social nuances.
La Cage aux Folles
Saturday Oct 19 | 11 PM
At La Cage aux Folles, everyone is a little different. A little crazy, a little weird, a little flamboyant. The legendary nightclub is famous and notorious for its drag shows, glamour, glitter, and unbridled joie de vivre. Albin is the pivotal figure of the entire story. He is the partner of club owner Georges and, as Zaza, the star of the cage full of fools. When Renato’s son Jean-Michel, whom he fathered in a drunken stupor long ago, announces his wedding, he causes utter chaos, because his future in-laws are anything but liberal…
This comedy, which combines “slapstick, farce, wicked social satire, and lachrymose soap opera”, won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1979 and received three Oscar nominations.
NATA PER TE (Born for You)
Sunday Oct 19 | 3 PM
“Alba has Down syndrome and is given up at the hospital immediately after her birth. Thirty families reject her before the court decides to entrust her to Luca Trapanese. He is gay, a practicing Catholic, and socially engaged—and he is not afraid. Luca has fought many battles, he knows pain and has learned to transform it and break down walls. He doesn’t do this out of pure charity: Luca simply wants a family. And to defend this wish, he has to make a decision…
Based on a heartbreaking true story, the film adaptation of the Italian bestseller of the same name tells a story of despair and hope in the fight for equality and social tolerance. A film about fearless love that knows no boundaries.” [Cinemien]
Kenraaliharjoitus (Sudden Outbursts of Emotions)
Sunday Oct 19 | 8:30 PM
This outstanding drama begins with conventional images and a stereotypical starting point, captivating viewers with charming moments and surprising twists. A heterosexual couple attempts to breathe new life into their relationship by opening up their sex life. Jana, initially uncertain and rule-abiding, encounters Valma, a polyamorous woman who shatters her worldview. Between insecurity, desire, and self-awareness, Jana feels her way through emotionally unstable terrain. Even though queer identity is primarily used as a dramatic device, it contributes to the film’s complexity—especially through the impressive development of the main character.
Lesvia
Monday Oct 20 | 7 PM (Limited seating in the Akademiesalon: don’t forget to reserve your spot!)
The island of Lesbos has long been a place of longing for lesbians from all over the world. Tzeli Hadjidimitriou, who grew up on Lesbos herself, sensitively depicts the history of the village of Eressos from the perspective of these women and the locals. Using images and films spanning several decades, she recounts 40 years of community, love, times of conflict, and phases of rapprochement between the locals and the women.
“Her documentary is rich in never-before-seen archive material and personal testimonies, which the director combines with footage from today and excerpts from her diary. The history of the lesbian community of Eressos is lesbian cultural history, which the film reconstructs, records, and passes on.” [salzgeber]
Trei kilometri până la capătul lumii (Three kilometres until the end of the world)
Monday Oct 20 | 8:30 PM
An idyllic village in Romania’s Danube Delta, but violence lurks behind the reeds. Seventeen-year-old Adi is seen kissing another boy and is brutally beaten shortly afterwards. A collective witch hunt follows: his parents lock him up, a priest is called in to “cure” him, the police cover it up, and the village elite remain silent and incite hatred. This precise drama shows with painful clarity how homophobia, corruption, and religious fanaticism shape village life. Between attempts at exorcism and systemic powerlessness, only the solidarity of Adi’s best friend shines through. An unexcited but all the more haunting film—a cry against intolerance that lingers long after viewing.
QUIR
Tuesday Oct 21 | 7 PM (Limited seating in the Akademiesalon: don’t forget to reserve your spot!)
Massimo and Gino have been a couple for forty-two years and run Quir, an unusual shop in Palermo. The small leather goods store has become the center of life and a meeting place for local LGBTQI+ people. Here they discuss their love stories, seek advice, are cared for, and live in resistance to mainstream society. They have all been through a lot, such as former actor Charly Abbadessa, who had a past in Hollywood, or musician Ernesto Tomasini, who shares his life with his aging mother. Nicola Bellucci invites us into their homes, letting us witness love, difficulties, moments of grief, and existential thoughts. His film is quirky and colorful, but above all respectful.
Ruas da Glória (Streets of Glória)
Tuesday Oct 21 | 8:30 PM
Ruas da Glória invites viewers into the vibrant world of Rio, where Gabriel, a young literature teacher, longs for a relationship. His adventure begins at The Glória, a lively bar where he befriends its alluring owner Monica and her diverse crew. Everything changes when he meets Adriano, a charming male escort, and an intense love affair begins. However, when Adriano mysteriously disappears, Gabriel’s infatuation turns into an obsessive search for the truth. As he explores Adriano’s hidden life, he is confronted with the dangerous consequences of his desire and the dark reality that love can lead to self-destruction. “Set against the captivating backdrop of Rio, this daring film explores themes of passion, sex work, and the path to self-acceptance.” [Milani Perera]
Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-Shero
Wednesday Oct 22 | 6 PM
Shy barista Simon is turning 21, and despite the support of his best friend Jae, he still finds it difficult to ask his crush out on a date. Enthused by the drag club he visits for the first time on his birthday, Simon and Jae celebrate exuberantly. Unexpectedly, the fabulous and spirited drag queen Maxxie LaWow appears, captivates everyone—except her rival Dyna Bolical. Maxxie LaWow and Jae gradually discover what this has to do with Simon, older ladies, a magical pink wig, kidnapped drag queens, and tears on a courageous mission. Drag queens known from RuPaul’s Drag Race lend their voices to the queens in the film!
„A love letter to queer resilience, chosen family, and the power of personal transformation“ [Las Vegas Pride Magazine]