Programme Revealed For Queer East Festival 2025

Queer East Festival is back from 23 April to 18 May 2025 for a four-week-long festival of cinema and performing arts across London, showcasing over 100 titles, including features, shorts, documentaries and moving image work that explores the ever-evolving queer landscape across East and Southeast Asia.

The richness of Asian and queer communities forms a vital part of the UK’s identity and over the past six years Queer East has forged a space for bold, alternative and multifaceted expressions of artistic queerness.

Activism, community and the collective memory of queer history take centre stage in this year’s programme: from an avant-garde cult classic shot in Shinjuku in the 1960s, to a verbatim theatre play about queer elders in Singapore; from a heartfelt documentary on lesbian advocacy, to an intimate dance piece about queer belonging, the festival continues its commitment to screening a vital and diverse programme that will get audiences talking.

OPENING GALA

Kicking off in epic fashion at the BFI Southbank on 23 April, Queer East Festival presents the UK Premiere of Kubi, from one of Japan’s most acclaimed directors Takeshi Kitano. The idiosyncratic filmmaker, actor, and comedian has earned international recognition for iconic acting credits including MerryChristmas Mr. Lawrence (1983), Gohatto (1999), and Battle Royale (2000) for directorial works including Violent Cop (1989), Sonatine (1993), HANA-BI (1998) and period drama in Zatoichi (2003). In festival opener Kubi, the legendary director reconfigures the historical epic, with his mesmerising and outrageous view of Japanese history as rival warlords battle to reign supreme over feudal Japan. Offering a darkly comic perspective on the political intrigue and homoerotic desire, this strikingly violent film comprehensively debunks the myths of masculinity, ethics and honour that have defined the samurai genre onscreen. Thirty years in the making, the film features some of Japan’s finest veteran acting talent alongside Kitano, including Hidetoshi Nishijima (Drive My Car), Ryo Kase (Letters from Iwo Jima), Shido Nakamura (Monster) and Tadanobu Asano, star of recent television hit Shogun.

CLOSING GALA

Bringing the festival to a close on 18 May at the ICA is the UK Premiere of Edhi Alice, an intimate and affecting documentary from award-winning South Korean filmmaker and queer activist Ilrhan Kim. Interrogating how documentaries about trans communities are made: the creative decisions, relationships, and ethical questions involved, the subject of the documentary is Edhi, who works as a counsellor for LGBTQ+ teens in Seoul, and has decided to undertake gender reassignment surgery. Edhi’s story intertwines with that of Alice, the lighting technician on the film crew and an older trans woman, who is preoccupied with challenging popular stereotypes about female and male bodies. This powerful and thought-provoking film refuses to compromise in its depiction of post-surgery recuperation, but offers an authentic portrayal of the trans experience and allyship in South Korea.

FEATURE FILM PROGRAMME

Murmur of Youth (Dir. Lin Cheng-sheng, Taiwan, 1997)
Two adolescent girls in Taiwan meet when they get a job in a cinema box office. The pair begin to bond as they chat about family, work and school; but gradually, their conversations become more intimate. Lin Cheng-Sheng’s (Sweet Degeneration, 1997; Betelnut Beauty, 2001) poignant coming-of-age story from 1997 beautifully captures the bittersweet essence of youth.

Rookie (Dir. Samantha Lee, Philippines, 2023)
An awkward teenager in the Philippines moves to an all-girls school, where she is forced to join the volleyball team. She is initially no good at the sport and socially ostracised, but things begin to change when she falls for the team captain. From Samantha Lee, a filmmaker from the Philippines who advocates for better representation of women and the LGBTQ+ community in cinema, this heartfelt film is powered by authentic performances.

Under the Moonlight (Dir. Tonny Trimarsanto, Indonesia, 2023) – UK Premiere
At an Islamic boarding school in Yogyakarta, Indonesia, all the adult students are transgender women. Here, they can live the way they choose to, in stark contrast with the hostile world outside. Director Tonny Trimarsanto’s deeply affecting documentary is a testament to the resilience of this community.

Where is My Love? (Dir. Jo-Fei Chen, Taiwan, 1996)
Taipei in the 1990s: Ko is a young gay writer who must decide whether or not to remain in the closet. This acclaimed film from 1996, the directorial debut of Chen Jo-fei, a filmmaker who has worked behind the scenes within the Taiwanese film industry including on Edward Yang’s A Brighter Summer Day and Lin Cheng-sheng’s Murmur of Youth, artfully evokes the furtive queer lifestyles of the time while subtly capturing the rhythm of the writing process and the textures of everyday life.

Incidental Journey (Dir. Jo-Fei Chen, Taiwan, 2000)
After breaking up with her girlfriend, student Ching goes on a road trip around Taiwan, encountering Hsiang, a solitary artist. Travelling to a peaceful farm in the mountains, the women contemplate their pasts. A meditative reflection on female desire, Incidental Journey made its mark in Taiwan’s film history, offering a daring and frank portrayal of lesbian love on screen.

Pierce (Dir. Nelicia Low, Taiwan/Singapore, 2024)
Zi-Jie is a young Taiwanese fencer who reconnects with his estranged older brother Zi-Han, who is released from juvenile prison, having been sent there for killing an opponent during a fencing competition. In this tense, slow-burn thriller, director Nelicia Low, who represented her country as a fencer for five years before turning to filmmaking, explores the unconscious desires and repressed cruelty that shape the brothers’ relationship.

A Journey in Spring (Dir. Tzu-Hui Peng, Ping-Wen Wang, Taiwan, 2023) – UK Premiere
Khim-Hok is an elderly man who has come to depend on his wife Siu-Tuan over the years. Absent from their life, however, is their estranged son, whose existence remains largely unspoken. Shot on 16mm film, this feature debut by co-directors Tzu-Hui Peng and Ping-Wen Wang paints a raw and sensitive portrait of domestic life. The film was the recipient of the Best Director at the 71st San Sebastian International Film Festival in 2023.

Looking for an Angel (Dir. Akihiro Suzuki, Japan, 1999)
Takachi, a young gay porn star, is found dead in Tokyo. At his wake, two of his friends, Reiko and Shinpei, recollect their time together, attempting to piece together fragments of Takachi’s life. Interweaving past and present, memories and stories, Looking for an Angel is a quintessential example of Japan’s dynamic queer cinema scene.

Extremely Unique Dynamic (Dir. Harrison Xu, Ivan Leung, & Katherine Dudas, USA, 2024) – UK Premiere
Ryan and Daniel, two childhood best friends and aspiring actors, spend one final weekend together before Ryan moves to Canada with his fiancé. Wanting to create one lasting memory, they decide to make a movie… about two guys making a movie. Harrison Xu and Ivan Leung star in this cinephile comedy.

My Sunshine (Dir. Hiroshi Okuyama, Japan/France, 2024) – UK Premiere
On a small Japanese island, the young Takuya becomes fascinated with Sakura, a figure skater from Tokyo. Coach and former champion Arakawa spots potential in Takuya, and decides to mentor him to form a duo with Sakura for an upcoming competition. My Sunshine poetically evokes the joy of childhood emotions. Director Hiroshi Okuyama, who collaborated with Hirokazu Kore-eda on the screenplay for his series The Makanai: Cooking for the Maiko House, offers a subtle critique of the social expectations surrounding gender and sexuality, poetically evoking the joy of childhood emotions and the struggle for acceptance.

Silent Sparks (Dir. Chu Ping, Taiwan, 2024) – UK Premiere
Fresh out of prison, the young Taiwanese gangster Pua is drawn back into the underworld, driven by a desire to reconnect with the person he longs for, his former cellmate Mi-ji. In Silent Sparks, director Chu Ping fashions an artfully shot, exquisitely textured drama that explores different facets of masculine identity.

Batch ’81 (Dir. Mike de Leon, Philippines, 1982)
Directed by acclaimed filmmaker Mike de Leon and hailed as one of the greatest Filipino films of all time, Batch ’81 is groundbreaking psychological drama: both an unflinching study of sadomasochistic college fraternity traditions, and a camp metaphor for life in the Philippines under the Marcos regime.

Unmarried Mothers (Dir. Mi-Mi Lee, Taiwan, 1980)
This taboo-busting Taiwanese drama from 1980 was directed by Mi-Mi Lee, a female pioneer in a male-dominated industry. Hsiao-Peng is sent to a maternity home for single pregnant women, where she slowly overcomes her depressive thoughts. Unmarried Mothers was ahead of its time in advocating for atypical family models and female empowerment.

1 Girl Infinite (Dir. Lilly Hu, USA, Latvia, Singapore, 2025) – UK Premiere
Lilly Hu directs and stars in this vivid portrait of girlhood, teenage love, and frustrated desire. In Changsha, Yin Jia and Tong Tong have carved out a life together, but when Tong Tong begins a relationship with a drug dealer, the devoted Yin Jia is prepared to sacrifice all that she has.

Crazy Love (Dir. Michio Okabe, Japan, 1968)
Michio Okabe’s underground film was shot on 16mm in Shinjuku in 1968, and documents the radical spirit of Japan’s creative and artistic scene in those years. Structured as a collage of diverse activities and performers, Crazy Love is a testament to a liberated, experimental moment in art and film.

Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (Dir. Petersen Vargas, Philippines, 2024)
Following the death of his boyfriend, the teenage Zion runs away from home and meets a group of street hustlers at a Manila bus terminal one night. Award-winning director Petersen Vargas conjures up an edgy and erotic nightscape in this lyrical exploration of desire, home, and belonging.

Love and Videotapes (Dir. Ryan Machado, Philippines, 2023) – UK Premiere
In the summer of 2001, in a small town in the Philippines, 16-year-old Andoy fanatically watches VHS tapes, which fuel his sexual awakening and emerging queer desire. Ryan Machado’s dreamlike coming-of-age tale uses magic realism to depict the teenager’s journey of self-discovery, tenderly evoking the Philippines’ bygone VHS culture.

Bel Ami (Dir. Geng Jun, France, 2024) – UK Premiere
In a sleepy town in China, a middle-aged man is unwilling to endure a stagnant existence, and experiencing true love, decides to come out of the closet. Stylising daily reality with a biting black humour, director Geng Jun subtly critiques popular assumptions about gender roles, social etiquette, and what is considered age-appropriate behaviour.

We Are Here (Dir. Zhao Jing, Shi Tou, China, 2015)
This activist documentary revisits the 1995 United Nations Fourth World Conference on Women, which was hosted in Beijing and attended by 300 lesbian women from around the world; the gathering helped spearhead the birth of the queer lala movement in China. We Are Here testifies to the importance of global queer interactions. We Are Here’s directors are both pioneering LGBT activists, and amongst other credits Zhao Jing is the the co-founder and chief editor of les+, the most influential lesbian print magazine in mainland China, and Shi Tou starred in the country’s first lesbian film, Fish and Elephant.

Come Dance With Me (Dir. Yunyi Liu, Bozhi Wei, China, 2022) – UK Premiere
Before it closed in 2018, Lai Lai Ballroom became famous amongst Shanghai’s gay community, and was popular with middle-aged and elderly gay men. This documentary tenderly examines this space of sanctuary, and the sense of community it created for the lonely souls who used to frequent it.

SHORT FILM PROGRAMMES
Continuing its dedication to programming innovative and thought-provoking short films from emerging queer talent, the shorts film programme this year:

• Dancing in Your Wake, a dynamic programme of shorts in which queer characters and communities dance with the ghosts that haunt them that will be followed by a panel discussion
• Homecomings, which explores the transformative power of queerness, transness, migration, and ancestral connections through five films
• How (Not) To Be Seen, five films that explore the multifaceted and contradictory notion of queer visibility
• This is not a promise, but a prayer, a programme featuring films from Myanmar and the Philippines that seems to explore how queer communities continue to imagine possible futures ripe with solidarity and abundance
• Public Display, a programme in which pleasure and danger are intimately intertwined in this programme and where private fantasies are played out in the open
• Heartbeats and Hiccups, an atypical programme in which  unfulfilled encounters and crushes are just as transformative as romance itself and featuring works from Japan, China, Taiwan and Vietnam
• Here, There, or Somewhere Else, a collection of films that will be followed by a poetry reading, this programme explores the tensions of navigating multiple cultural terrains, and the cracks in between
• Self Portraits, a series of personal documentaries in which queer filmmakers turn the camera onto themselves, probing their bodies as sites of fantasy and discovery, or examining the disjunctions in their personal lives
• Belonging and Becoming: Queers Across the Waves, curated by Queer China UK these films explore the fluid space where “belonging” and “becoming” intertwine, weaving together threads of cultural identity, searching for desires, and human connection
• Floating Between Frontiers, an experimental non-fiction and fiction film programme explores the suffocation engendered by frontiers and borders across historical, social and personal terrains which will be followed by a Q&A.

EXPANDED PROGRAMMES
Once again the Expanded strand continues to reimagine the relationship between audiences and screen content, combining short film with live performance and workshops to explore the East and Southeast Asian queer experience:

• Land, Body and the Sacred: Filipina Ecotransfeminism, with two films and live pole dancing this performative screening aims to create affective bridges through Pinayist and ecotransfeminist discourses and embodiments
• A Sword, A Spectre, A Song,  which invites viewers into a realm where ancestry, mythology, and diasporic memory collide, reimagining East and Southeast Asian identities through experimental storytelling and vivid visuals
• Counter Archives: On Acts of Resistance and Remembrance, through seven audiovisual artworks, archive displays, and a workshop, this event asks ‘how do memories and embodied histories serve as acts of feminist and queer resistance in the face of erasure?’
• VISION//ERROR, blending contemporary experimental films with Moving Watchers in an Irreversible Dream, a live performance by Soyun Park, this event traces the fractures and recompositions of image, movement, and time
• We *KNEAD* to talk, “Queered Out!”, directed by Nandal Seo, is the first film in a short film series exploring food, culture, and identity. The screening will be followed by a workshop on food and queerness led by SPILLL collective
• Things and Tingling, which intrudes into the typically veiled processes of fetishisation, opening up the political, historical, industrial and emotional conditions of a fetish’s construction and will feature a live performance from Shibari artist Hua Hua and DroneLarvae
• ★ (un)Imaginary Swords ☆,  a multidisciplinary event combining artist films, moving image works, and an experimental sound performance that examines the interplay between mass media and fandom culture
• Steamy Intimacies: A Shu Lea Cheang Special, a selection of Taiwanese video-maverick Shu Lea Cheang’s early films from the 90s and 00s – desirous & slippery, playful and unrestrained. Unwind in a steamy sauna after the screening
• Under Scales, Beyond Skin, in celebration of the Year of the Snake, these films  celebrate the unending process of becoming, thereby honouring the slippery and sacred queer experience, and will be preceded by a drag performance
•  (Dis)orientalism: Queer Extensions and Looking East, Inspired by Sara Ahmed’s writing on both the ‘orient’ of sexual orientation and the ‘orient’ of Orientalism, this short film programme plots a cartography of how othered bodies inhabit spaces where we are not at home and will be followed by a discussion

BEYOND PROGRAMMES
The newly-added Beyond programme broadens the festival’s geographical reach, presenting a series of films that look at issues of queerness and LGBTQ+ identity in Central Asia, South Asia and Scotland.

• Parallel Voices: Queering (post-)Soviet Central Asia – Misha Zakharov’s lecture performance An Ass-Shaped Butterfly provides a speculative, reparative reading of the stage persona of Erik Kurmangaliev, a Kazakh operatic countertenor with a uniquely high-pitched voice, who became a fixture of the post-Soviet 1990s queer scene. The lecture will be followed by the rare screening of Rustam Khamdamov’s magical and irreverent Vocal Parallels (Kazakhstan, 2005) – Kurmangaliev’s single feature film appearance, where he demonstrates his extraordinary vocal prowess alongside some of Kazakhstan’s most acclaimed opera singers
• Kuch Sapney Apne (India, Sweden, 2024), a heartwarming drama  about the struggles of a loving gay couple, Kartik and Aman, who live in Mumbai. Their relationship comes under strain when one of them has a fling, resulting in a domestic crisis
• Floating in Ecosystems, a selection of short films by queer East and Southeast Asian artists based in Scotland, showcasing a bold exploration of identity, transformation and community. The films in this programme experiment with dynamic visual narratives that challenge cultural and bodily boundaries, blurring the lines between reality and fiction, self and other

Queer East Festival 2025 takes place 23 April – 18 May across venues in London

Venues: BFI Southbank, Barbican Centre, ICA, Rio Cinema, Garden Cinema, Rich Mix,, The Place, Museum of the Home, Sauna Social Club, Centre 151, UCL East Community Cinema, ESEA Community Centre, QUEERCIRCLE, The Common Press, Somerset House