40th BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival Unveils Lineup

BFI Flare LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, celebrating its 40th Anniversary March 18-29, 2026, at BFI Southbank, revealed the full programme of 65 features and 62 shorts from 47 countries.

BFI Flare is divided into four thematic programme strands: Hearts, Bodies and Minds, alongside Treasures, a new strand for the 40th edition celebrating the history of LGBTQIA+ films.

The festival opens with the World Premiere of Jennifer Kroot’s documentary Hunky Jesus, with Paloma Schneideman’s Big Girls Don’t Cry as a Special Presentation.

The festival’s Closing Night film is the UK premiere of Sandulela Asanda’s romance Black Burns Fast. Following the adorkable and studious Luthando, who is on track for a normal academic year at the prestigious South African boarding school she attends on scholarship, the arrival of a new girl in her class ignites Luthando’s suppressed desires, which threaten her relationships and everything she thought she knew about herself.

World Premieres presented at the festival include Madfabulous, Celyn Jones’ quirky period drama based on the life of Henry Cyril Paget, the dancing Marquess of Anglesey, starring Callum Scott Howells, Ruby Stokes, and Rupert Everett. Directed by Hiroaki Matsuoka, Beyond the Fire: The Life of Japan’s First Pride Parade Pioneer dives deep into Japan’s queer history, highlighting the incredible life of Teishiro Minami, who pioneered the country’s first Pride march. Two queer best friends are forced to confront the gradual dissolution of their friendship when they go on an annual hiking trip in Ethan Fuirst’s Can’t Go Over It. In this bold new chapter of Louise Weard’s trans epic, Castration Movie Chapter III. Junior Ghosts – Premorphic Drift; a fragmentary passage, a heterosexual couple are upended by an abrupt transition. A T4T couple move in together and are forced to face their differences in indie romantic drama Daniel Ribeiro’s touching tale I Am Going to Miss You, featuring an all-trans cast. Pamela Adie’s anticipated sequel to Nigeria’s first lesbian film, ìfé: (The Sequel), reunites former lovers ífé and Adaora years after their separation. Enter the lewd, rude, and completely silly world of erotic dancer Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White, in Lady Champagne from D’Arcy Drollinger. In the offbeat comedy by Nick Butle, Lunar Sway, a bi guy in a desert town receives a surprise visit from his con-artist birth mother with chaos ensuing. Lexi Powner and James Lewis’ Out Laws chronicles the battle of one gay Namibian man to stand up for the rights of same-sex couples. In To Dance is to Resist, two Ukrainian dancers seek life and artistic freedom following Russia’s invasion of their country by Julian Lautenbacher, while Isabel Daly’s Cornwall-set drama Washed Up finds a struggling artist falling in love with a mythical selkie.

The 4K restoration of Pink Narcissus (1971) is presented in the program. Directed by James Bidgood, this milestone of experimental cinema and a landmark of queer representation, presenting the erotically charged dreamscape of a young hustler, is a celebration of the male body and has gone on to influence artists such as John Waters, Pierre et Gilles, and Charli XCX.

Other documentary titles include Barbara Forever by Brydie O’Connor – a striking portrait of trailblazing experimental filmmaker Barbara Hammer. Sze-Wei Chan’s 10s Across the Borders soulful documentary takes a deep dive into Southeast Asian ballroom culture. Ricardo Ruales Eguiguren’s film THE BROKEN R reflects upon his rare genetic condition and his sexual identity, while Efraín Mojica and Rebecca Zweig’s captivating, dreamlike documentary JARIPEO journeys into the world of Mexican rodeos. A frank portrait of Richard Bernstein aka 1980s porn star Mickey Squires, by Ryan A. White in MICKEY & RICHARD. Based on the book Trans* Histories from Beirut’s Forgotten Past, TREAT ME LIKE YOUR MOTHER is a contemplative journey through the lives of five Lebanese women by Mohamad Abdouni. WE ARE PAT examines an androgynous character on Saturday Night Live in Rowan Haber’s uproarious, thoughtful film that invites trans comedians to recreate and reclaim Pat.

Additional highlights include MONTREAL, MY BEAUTIFUL, with Joan Chen delivering a stunning turn as a Chinese immigrant in her fifties, tentatively awakening to long-suppressed lesbian desire. SATISFACTION, directed by Alex Burunova, offers a tender and finely observed study of intimacy and creative tension between two British composers, while QUEEN OF COAL offers a defiant portrait of self-determination through the story of Patagonia’s first female coal miner, indelibly played by Lux Pascal, in a world shaped by tradition, labour, and masculinity. In Ramiel Petros’ documentary feature debut THE LAST GUEST OF THE HOLLOWAY MOTEL, a former British soccer star reflects on his past and the family he abandoned to hide his true identity. MYSTERIOUS SKIN, Gregg Araki’s haunting and uncompromising drama, is newly restored by the Academy Film Archive and the UCLA Film & Television Archive, in collaboration with the Sundance Institute. THE WATERMELON WOMAN is the first feature directed by an African-American lesbian, and Cheryl Dunye’s film is as funny, thought-provoking, and original as it was 30 years ago. Finally, Campbell X’s second feature LOW RIDER, takes us on a fun ride across South Africa.

Trans narratives include DEATH AND LIFE MADALENA, Guto Parente’s dryly witty eleventh feature, in which a heavily pregnant woman takes the reins of a kitsch B-movie juggernaut following the death of her father, an eccentric film industry legend. In I AM MY OWN WOMAN, German trans icon Charlotte von Mahlsdorf recounts her own semi-fictionalised story in this landmark doc-drama classic, screening in memory of director Rosa von Praunheim. Punk queer horror THE SERPENT’S SKIN delivers a visceral mix of lesbian goths and vampiric trade, unfolding like a Gen-Z answer to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, while WHAT WILL I BECOME? offers a vital memorial to the often-silenced vulnerabilities of trans masculine youth, and an urgent call for trans-led support and education. Completing the selection is WOUBI CHÉRI, Africa’s first transgender film, which made a significant impact on release in the 1990s, collecting Best Documentary awards at festivals across New York, Italy, and London.

Asian cinema features prominently across the programme, including IMPURE NUNS, a transgressive 1950s treasure, previously unseen outside Japan, which chronicles an affair between two nuns at a boarding school. In THE DEEPEST SPACE IN US, an aromantic asexual woman seeks connection among people who repeatedly misunderstand her, while WARLA, directed by Kevin Alambra, is a provocative socio-realist drama in which a group of vigilante Filipino trans women kidnap foreign businessmen to fund gender-affirming surgeries. WHISPERINGS OF THE MOON, Lai Yuqing’s handheld debut feature, is a vivid portrait of an actress returning to Cambodia following a bereavement and reconnecting with her former lover.

South American stories also feature strongly across the programme, including BABY, in which Marcelo Caetano follows his debut Body Electric with a complex and loving relationship between two men, set against a vibrant exploration of São Paulo’s queer scene. CHERRI offers a poignant, melancholic character study that challenges pigeonholing and prejudice while promoting respect for diverse body types, while KEEP COMING BACK, directed by Sergio De León, follows an 18-year-old navigating grief, financial pressures, and uncontrollable hormones as he transitions into adulthood. Additionally, PERRO PERRO is a boldly absurdist fairy tale from Marco Berger that playfully reimagines the idea of pet ownership.

BFI Flare will also screen four of the best queer films from the past 12 months, including Harry Lighton’s PILLION; Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor’s feature debut DREAMERS; Marcelo Caetano’s BABY, and Urška Djukić’s LITTLE TROUBLE GIRLS.

BFI FLARE: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival, 2026 Full Program

BFI Flare is divided into three core thematic strands: HEARTS, BODIES, and MINDS. Alongside this, encompassing the festival’s 40th-anniversary celebrations, this year BFI Flare has an additional thematic strand: TREASURES.

HEARTS

HEARTS includes films about love, romance, and friendship.

HEARTS Feature Films

AMANTES – Actor Caroline Fournier’s fun romcom explores the complexities of lesbian dating in Paris.

ANOTHER MAN – Marc’s dissatisfaction with his settled existence sees him unexpectedly attracted to a new neighbour, in this delicate exploration of thirtysomething life.

DRUNKEN NOODLES – Lucio Castro’s third feature blends magical realist elements in this intimate character study.

JONE, SOMETIMES – First love and looming parental mortality indelibly shape one young woman’s summer of festivities.

LOVE LETTERS (DES PREUVES D’AMOUR) – In this examination of the complexities of maternal love, a lesbian couple navigate pregnancy and legal hurdles to achieve legitimacy.

MONTREAL, MY LOVE – Joan Chen stuns in this powerful story of a Chinese immigrant in her 50s exploring her hidden lesbian desires for the first time.

ON THE SEA – A moving tale of the powerful attraction between a local hand raker, who works on the mussel beds of North Wales, and an itinerant deckhand.

SATISFACTION – Alex Burunova movingly explores the complex relationship between two British composers.

SKIFF – A young rower struggles to balance family life, self-expression, and taboo crushes.

STRANGE RIVER – Jaume Claret Muxart’s poetic debut feature is a sensitive and lyrical coming-of-age drama.

THE DEEPEST SPACE IN US – In this touching, introspective drama, an aromantic asexual woman seeks an honest connection with other people.

THE LITTLE SISTER (LA PETITE DERNIERE) – In Hafsia Herzi’s drama, French-Algerian teen Fatima navigates her nascent sexuality, Muslim identity, and her family’s expectations for her life.

Features also screening in HEARTS are: MADFABULOUS, CAN’T GET OVER IT, I AM GOING TO MISS YOU, ÌFÉ: (THE SEQUEL), LADY CHAMPAGNE, LUNAR SWAY and WASHED UP.

HEARTS Short Films

A LETTER FOR TOMORROW – In a multi-generational matriarchal household, a woman embraces her authentic lesbian identity after her divorce.

DOUG + ME – Cecile Fountain-Jardim explores the life of the uncle that she never got to meet.

FISH & CHIPS – On Fab and Cassie’s anniversary night, an innocent dinner choice sparks a heated debate over whose Black card should be revoked.

GRAND DANDY (FOR EZRA) – A stop-motion animation in which a grandparent tries to explain their gender identity to their newborn grandchild.

HILLS DON’T DANCE ALONE – Sachin finds a surprising ally when he is bullied for wanting to wear female clothing during a dance performance.

I HATE HELEN – Priya loves to hate her schoolmate, Helen. Or does she…?

KANEKALON – Teyo, a young trans girl in Quibdó, Colombia, wanders around her hometown on her last day before school.

NEVER NEVER NEVER – A heartwarming love story, set in a Welsh fishing village, about a Shirley Bassey impersonator and a fisherman.

NEWBIES – This lyrical short finds two teenage New Yorkers navigating their fears and desires as they move through the city in a dreamlike haze.

NO ADAMS ALLOWED – A couple finds themselves in hot water when they kidnap a client who owes them money.

NOTICE ME – After getting fired from her radio show, Em moves to East London and instantly develops a crush on AJ, her hot neighbour.

PAKKA – A group of gay Indian friends living in Holland spends a final night together before one of them returns home.

QUEER & CONFUSED – A night out with bestie Dolly leaves Charlie on the verge of a revelation about their gender identity.

RECONNECTION – Over the course of an evening, a splintered Deaf couple gradually edge towards reconciliation.

SEEK NO FAVOUR – Anxious millennial by day, local vigilante by night, Monroe Malone’s nemesis is Big Baby and his weave-snatching cartel.

THE FLING – In this stop-motion romantic horror, two bisexual aliens are on the hunt for love. Will their unsuspecting dates sate their appetite?

THEO – Theo, a seven-year-old often excluded from games and the rules of childhood, moves through a world that refuses to see them as they are. Between silence and rebellion, they begin to carve their own path.

THREE TIMES MINA – There’s Mina the performer, Mina the lover, but also Mina the Italian singer from the 70’s, whom she evokes on stage every night.

UNCANNY WATERS – A record of a radical art project by Deptford’s Heads Bodies Legs Collective.

YOU AND ME MAKES THREE – Married couple Amara and Alannah try for a baby – a chaotic journey involving cautionary tales, sperm deliveries and ejaculating toys.

YOU CAN CALL ME LOU – Travel back to the 1980s and 1990s club scene through this portrait of trans dancer Louise.

BODIES

Bodies includes stories of sex, identity, and transformation.

BODIES Feature Films

A SWEETNESS FROM NOWHERE – Ester Bergsmark ruminates on trans violence and healing, in this evocative and personal film.

BEARCAVE – In this gorgeously shot drama, a friendship between two girls soon reveals hidden depths.

BODY OF OUR OWN – Filmed over the course of six years, this documentary shows the resilience and sisterhood of three Hijra women.

CHERRI – This poignant, melancholic character study promotes respect for diverse body types.

DON’T COME OUT – In Victoria Linares Villegas’ gory and gloriously fun film, a queer medical student grapples with her sexuality as deadly forces pursue her.

KEEP COMING BACK – Emilio, who has inherited his pigeon trainer mother’s coop, is preoccupied with erotic fantasies. He embarks on a journey that will hopefully help him find a sense of purpose and honour his family’s pigeon training tradition.

MASPALOMAS – This portrait of elder queer desire highlights the importance of reconciling all parts of ourselves.

PERRO PERRO – Argentinian filmmaker Marco Berger presents a boldly absurdist fairy tale.

QUEEN OF COAL – In this defiant portrait of self-determination, a woman yearns to work in a male-dominated world.

THE SERPENT’S SKIN – Lesbian goths and vampiric trade abound in this punk, trans-led queer horror.

WARLA – In Kevin Alambra’s provocative drama, a group of vigilante Filipino trans women kidnap foreign businessmen to fund gender-affirming surgeries.

Features also screening in BODIES are 10S ACROSS THE BOARDERS, THE BROKEN R, JARIPEO, LOW RIDER, MICKEY & RICHARD, TREAT ME LIKE YOUR MOTHER and WE ARE PAT.

BODIES Short Films

0004NGEL – An intimate character study that explores the life of Angel, a Mexican immigrant living in Montreal, who makes a living as a webcam model and dancer at a bar.

AMERICA – The threat of deportation hangs over undocumented Brazilian Tom, as he navigates love and connection while facing the harsh realities of Trump-era immigration policies.

ATTAGIRL! – Pose star Leyna Bloom goes on a vengeful, high-heeled rampage through Brooklyn, featuring cameos by Amanda Lepore and Violet Chachki.

BREAKING THROUGH THE FEAR – After falling victim to a hate crime, a gay man struggles to reclaim life with support from his loving partner.

COCKROACH – A Black trans man dipping his toe into the world of sex work is scuppered by a wise-talking roach, in this playful two-hander.

DOLLS – A trans girl investigates a cult of dolls in this genre short produced by Lilly Wachowski.

DON’T ASK DON’T TELL – A solitary man lives a measured and almost ritualistic life on his quiet farm, until a young couple, stranded by a broken-down motorbike, knock at his door and shift the stillness of his world.

EVERY TIME I SEE A YELLOW CAR – When Olly confides in his older brother after being raped, it sets off a chain reaction of events that ends in tragedy.

FISHY – A trans drag queen contends with being a fish and growing scales, in this thought-provoking short, featuring Nicole Paige Brooks.

FLASH SALE – Tony can’t stand another New York summer in a binder, so he hatches a sassy plan to rake in some dough.

KILORAN BAY – After decades away from his homeland, a gay man returns to Scotland with his partner to attend a wedding cèilidh, only to recall memories he spent a lifetime avoiding.

MAGID / ZAFAR – Inside a busy British Pakistani takeaway, Magid and Zafar confront tensions, as Magid is forced to face truths about his relationships, identity, and future.

MỒ HÔI (SWEAT) – Blending the tranquil beauty of Vietnam’s countryside with the tenderness of the relationships around us, Sweat unveils the multi-faceted nuances and struggles of queerness, displacement, and the nation.

ON QUEER AGING AND ENDINGS

ONE DAY THIS KID – Hamed, a gay Afghan/Iraqi living in Canada, navigates both his queer and Muslim identities, always conscious of the shadow his father casts over his life.

ORIGINAL SIN – The curse of intergenerational trauma stands between a Muslim drag queen and her mother.

RAG DOLLS – Rosalinda and Diana are Mexican women living together with disabilities. For both wheelchair users, their lives on the outskirts of the city of Puebla are challenging. Despite difficult circumstances, they find ways to love and take care of each other.

RAINBOW GIRLS – Three high-fashion Black trans women turn robbers, targeting gentrified San Francisco’s most exclusive luxury brands.

ROOM 206 – Share in Clair’s joie de vivre as his wait for gender affirming surgery is finally over.

SALTY – Lily drags lovelorn romcom addict KeKe out to a club after a break-up – but is she ready for romance this soon?

THE DYSPHORIA – A trans woman turns to a satanic ritual to get a vagina, but unwittingly invites a demonic presence into her home.

THE MOTORCYCLE – Luca, a shy young man, becomes fixated on Valerio, an older man with a passion for motorcycles, and pursues a desire that escalates into an obsession.

THEY, WITH AN AXE – In this barmy binary buster, set in an old-fashioned Spanish bar, an enigmatic outsider lays down the law after wagging tongues spread rumours.

THIS LOVE ISN’T TAUGHT – Jordan, a bisexual dad, reunites with a past gay love at a lively London party, forcing him to confront identity, desire, and truth.

UBIQUITOUS – A young black man battles internalised homophobia and unrequited love, navigating identity and isolation through poetic visuals.

YELLOW BUCKET – Gay teen Connor worries his supportive parents might use a bizarre, scientific ‘gay trigger’ to shape his younger brother’s future sexuality.

MINDS

MINDS includes reflections on art, politics, and community.

MINDS Feature Films

DEATH AND LIFE MADALENA – Guto Parente’s dryly witty film sees a heavily pregnant woman take the reins of a kitsch B-movie juggernaut, with startling results.

JULIAN – Executive produced by Lukas Dhont, Cato Kusters’ feature debut is a stirring depiction of a Belgian couple’s fight for marriage equality.

KRIZALIT – Set in the heart of a rapidly changing Turkey, Deniz navigates love, loss, and finding her identity.

THE LAST GUEST OF THE HOLLOW MOTEL – In this impressive feature debut, a former British football star reflects on his past and the family he abandoned to hide his true identity.

UCHRONIA: PARALLEL HISTORIES OF QUEER REVOLT – This bold, daring cinematic essay explores revolutionary politics, queer history, and art.

WHAT WILL I BECOME? – A vital memorial spotlighting the all-too-silent vulnerabilities of trans masculine youth.

WHISPERINGS OF THE MOON – Lai Yuqing’s debut feature is a vivid portrait of an actor returning to Cambodia following a bereavement and reconnecting with her ex-lover.

Features also screening in MINDS are: TO DANCE IS TO RESIST, BEYOND THE FIRE: THE LIFE OF JAPAN’S FIRST PRIDE PARADE PIONEER, CASTRATION MOVIE CHAPTER III. JUNIOR GHOSTS – PREMORPHIC DRIFT; A FRAGMENTARY PASSAGE, OUT LAWS and BARABARA FOREVER.

MINDS Short Films

ABSTRUCTION BELONGS TO US – Queer Palestinians in London and Paris navigate the intersections between their national identity and sexuality.

ARAMIZDA KALAN HER SEY (EVERYTHING BETWEEN US) – A bullied girl finds solace in an unlikely place and a new ally.

BOTTLECAP – Musician John Grant narrates this humorous number on a Berlin dance floor, tackling the age-old quandary of how to break the ice.

COYOTES – A doctor’s commute home to Ramallah takes a turn when a ‘good Samaritan’ offers to help her change a tire.

DARIA’S NIGHT FLOWERS – Maryam Tafakory uses archival film and poetry to weave a story of forbidden love between two Iranian women.

DIVERSE HOUSE – A profile of a unique refuge in Paraguay for LGBTQIA+ people, centring on trans residents, trail-blazing activists and the fight for justice.

GIGI – From the tormented little mermaid to the fulfilled woman she is today, Gigi tells us about her gender transition with humor and sensitivity.

KISSES AND BULLETS – Two Iranian women in two different countries find a connection when attending worldwide Women, Life, Freedom protests.

LAST DANCE AT THE SUNDANCE STOMPEDE – This nostalgic, mid-length doc sees time called on a queer San Francisco country-and-western club after 27 years.

LONLIER THAN LOVE – A Liverpudlian night owl starts to spin out of control on the hedonistic merry-go-round of endless clubbing.

NEST – On the night before a religious procession, an introverted 15-year-old has an illuminating, life-changing encounter with another girl.

NICE JEWISH GIRL – Tali thought she liked boys. But when unexpected feelings start bubbling up at religious camp, she begins to question everything.

SAINTS – Altar girl Bianca, who is due to play a Saint in a festivity, has an existential crisis after sharing a kiss with a girl, her desire a stark contrast to her devotion.

SPIDERS ON MY LASHLINE – After being attacked, genderqueer pole dancer Ash seeks refuge in a church. Flooded by core memories of childhood, they will regain their strength.

SUNDAY LUNCH – When Grace brings her girlfriend for lunch with her Catholic family, she’ll find herself hilariously tiptoeing around a minefield of family dynamics.

TUMTUM – Alex, non-binary and Jewish, struggles with desire and living out their identity after meeting a fiery, cute girl on Yom Kippur – the holiest day of the year.

TREASURES

TREASURES includes queer classics from across the decades.

FORBIDDEN FRUIT

GREETINGS FROM AFRICA

I AM MY OWN WOMAN – German trans icon Charlotte Von Mahlsdorf tells her own, semi-fictional story in this 1993 doc-drama classic.

IMPURE NUNS – This transgressive 1950s treasure, previously unseen outside of Japan, chronicles an affair between two nuns at a boarding school.

MYSTERIOUS SKIN – Gregg Araki’s riveting 2004 drama has lost none of its raw energy, power, or ability to shock.

PARTING GLANCES – A 35mm restoration of Bill Sherwood’s bittersweet comedy-drama, set against the backdrop of the HIV/AIDS crisis in 1980s New York

WESTLER – Originally screened as part of the first Gays’ Own Pictures in 1986, Westler is a striking depiction of a gay relationship during the Cold War.

WOUBI CHÉRI – Africa’s first transgender film made a splash in the 1990s, collecting Best Documentary awards at festivals around the world.

Also screening in TREASURES are: PINK NARCISSUS and THE WATERMELON WOMAN.