Memory-ish: An Oral History of QueerFest(2025)

Madonna: The Celebration Tour in Rio(en)

Madonna celebrates her four-decade career in a special concert for over 1.6 million people at the Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro.

One Wedding and a Revolution(en)

This short film reveals the inspiration, motivation and political challenges at San Francisco City Hall during the frantic days leading up to the first government-sanctioned same-sex marriage.

My Name Is Violeta(es)

Violeta leads a normal life in a well-off family, with loving parents, surrounded by everything the heart of an eleven-year-old girl might wish for. But she hasn’t always been the pretty girl she is today; she was born a boy. At age 6, she baffled her parents (the famous adult movie stars Nacho Vidal and Franceska Jaimes) when she told them she wanted to be called and dress as a girl. After the initial shock, they decided to give her all their support on the long and tough road that will lead to her becoming a woman someday. Violeta faces many challenges, medical (such as deciding whether or not to take hormone-blockers to stop the development of masculine features as soon as puberty kicks in) and legal (obtaining an ID card with her new name and gender). Later, she may consider getting a sex reassignment procedure, or the possibility of becoming a mother through adoption.

Crying of Angels(sk)

Crying of Angels is the first documentary film about the gay community in the history of Slovak cinema. The collage of stories from the lives of the protagonists does not attempt to objectively portray this minority in post-communist society, but is an author's testimony about the existence of a people in conflict with social norms and with themselves.

Siamo qui(it)

Activists of the LGBTQ+ association Rain Arcigay Caserta come back living in a property given to them in concession, confiscated from the Camorra in Castel Volturno. The goal is to reconnect with the local inhabitants and propose a new idea of ​​sharing and regenerating the park.

A Tight, Warm Hug(en)

Lucy Rose, a transgender woman, shares her journey of self-love and empowerment since starting hormone replacement therapy three years ago. The film is part animation, part documentary and part VHS archive footage.

Letter Beyond the Walls(pt)

Letter Beyond the Walls reconstructs the trajectory of HIV and AIDS with a focus on Brazil, through interviews with doctors, activists, patients and other actors, in addition to extensive archival material. From the initial panic to awareness campaigns, passing through the stigma imposed on people living with HIV, the documentary shows how society faced this epidemic in its deadliest phase over more than two decades. With this historical approach as its base, the film looks at the way HIV is viewed in today's society, revealing a picture of persistent misinformation and prejudice, which especially affects Brazil’s most historically vulnerable populations.

Drag Queens em Cena: A Expressão de Almas Artísticas(pt)

SHRED(en)

A group of queer Latinx skaters struggle with crippling mental health and societal expectations in Southern California. In their local skate community, they find cathartic release, chosen family and mastery of empowerment.

The Times of Harvey Milk(en)

Harvey Milk was an outspoken human rights activist and one of the first openly gay U.S. politicians elected to public office; even after his assassination in 1978, he continues to inspire disenfranchised people around the world.

MUTANT DOLL(fr)

Pursuit of Equality(en)

By issuing marriage licenses to same gender couples, San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom uproots the status quo and attempts to change the way the nation looks at life, love, and marriage.

Demétrios(en)

Performative and expository documentary, which highlights the contrast of experience among transgender men in Brazil. The short film brings five characters - Kenai, Caetano, Augusto, Pietro and Daniel -, each one reflecting a different reality.

AYOR(nl)

In 1970, during the annual Dutch national commemoration of those fallen in World War II, two men try to make a statement against gay discrimination. In the moments before and after the incident, their doubt, fear and firm belief becomes clear.

Guanajuato: Dissent and Diversity(es)

In Guanajuato, Mexico, sexual and gender diversity activists, who have been fighting for two decades for rights such as marriage equality and the recognition of trans identities, face their greatest obstacle in a conservative society and a political party that has ruled for over 30 years, keeping the LGBTIQ+ community invisible.

Serving in Secret: Love, Country, and Don't Ask, Don't Tell(en)

Tracing the U.S. military's long history of discrimination against the gay community and one couple's personal journey for acceptance.

Beyond the Straight and Narrow(en)

How did the rise of LGBTQ visibility, political progress, and digital technologies in the 2000s come together to offer the abundance of complex queer and transgender representations we see today? Media scholar Katherine Sender shows how LGBTQ visibility and political progress have combined with new digital media technologies and television platforms to produce an increasingly complex range of queer and transgender representations.

Trans & Pregnant(en)

Two men undertake a thought-provoking journey to parenthood. Not by adoption or surrogacy, but by Frankie, a trans man, carrying their baby. Made with support from NZ on Air.

Do Ask, Do Tell: The Linda Campbell Story(en)

Set against the backdrop of the repeal of the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, the film chronicles the journey of Lt. Col. Linda Campbell, an Air Force veteran who grappled with hiding her true self during her service tenure. While the national policy shift towards LGBTQ+ rights marks a progressive era, Linda's personal story serves as a powerful testament to the individual battles fought in the shadows of such policies. Subjected to suspicion, prejudice, and threats from her comrades due to her perceived homosexuality, Linda's resilience remain undeterred. Her unwavering love and commitment to her partner, Nancy Lynchild, culminate in a poignant milestone: their eternal rest together in Willamette National Cemetery. Intertwined with this narrative is the account of Linda's brother, Bob Campbell, who delves into their family's conservative roots, Linda's tumultuous coming out, and the eventual familial reconciliation that showcases the transformative power of love and understanding.

È pericoloso esporsi(it)

During the women's demonstration on March 8, 1972, Mariasilvia SPOLATO was there with a placard: Liberazione omosessuale. A month later, Simone de Beauvoir came to Rome to give an interview, and this placard illustrated her article. Mariasilvia could no longer teach, ended up homeless and spent her life on the trains.