Feature

Irish author Edward Brady is beside himself when literary success calls to him from the US, but the timing couldn’t be worse: he must care for his ailing mother. Then, when his friends—who are (self-proclaimed) THE worst—abruptly fly to Spain for Pride, they saddle him with three more elderly mothers. Edward’s mother, mute from a recent stroke, communicates to him through wry facial expressions and an iPad that imparts her needs, requests, and matronly advice in a feminine robot voice. “Be. Con. Fi. Dent,” she taps onto her keyboard as Edward rushes to answer a Zoom call to give an author interview. Thanks to TikTok, he is now gaining long-awaited recognition for his queer coming-of-age novel, though his decision to travel overseas for a book tour is put on hold when he suddenly finds himself anchored, like the walls of a house, by four elderly mothers. With plenty of claustrophobic close-ups from the camera, Edward is neither here nor there, but loveably neurotic as he stumbles to get out of his own way long enough to claim his future, discovering among his uninvited guests a most unexpected allyship.

Feature

Frances, feeling boxed in by their Australian high school, plunges into their self-centred grandpa Jim’s queer milieu in Amsterdam. There, with their mother’s strained attempts at soft counsel, they face unfamiliar experiences and Jim’s prodding to both justify themselves and evolve, learning that what is brave is invariably uncomfortable. Jimpa (John Lithgow) may be a grandpa, but he’s also a gay activist who loves getting naked; someone who believes conversation is a “collision of opinions”; a man who needs to feel useful but keeps loved ones at arm’s length. And Hannah (Olivia Colman) is more than just his daughter. She’s a filmmaker; a mother of a non-binary 16-year-old (Aud Mason-Hyde); a woman who some consider conflict-averse. But is she? Or is Hannah’s radical acceptance and belief in “working towards agreement” a healthy approach to complexity? A way of rejecting a culture that stews in its traumas? This stance will be tested by unlikely desires and inflections of the past, which soak into the fabric of the present. Dynamized by stellar performances, Jimpa is an empathetic masterpiece that subverts expectations and cliches, illuminating the pleasures and pain points of intergenerational attachment.

FeatureVIRTUAL

FRENCH + FLEMISH • FRENCH ST | Fifteen-year-old Malou is a competitive rower living in a tiny Belgian village with her brothers and divorced mother. A shy tomboy, Malou’s teammates bully her for her non-conforming gender identity, but she’s accepted by her brother Max—until he finds himself in competition with her over his girlfriend Nouria. Skiff is the sweet sixteen and summer fling story that we have been waiting for. Forget cars, pink dresses, and pining over boys—how about scooters, polo shirts, and … falling for your brother’s girlfriend? Director Cecilia Verheyden delivers a poignant coming-of-age story about first love with its many risks and dilemmas, on top of questioning sexuality and gender identity while dealing with a familial love triangle and a sense of social alienation. Though lighthearted with plenty of laughs, especially for the oblivious heteronormativity of small-town life, Skiff is a film that moves you, makes you remember, shows you how despite all of the world’s social progress of the twenty-first century, some things never change—gender will always define who we are and our humanity. It is anything but trivial. Also, the importance of a young person’s right to define their gender for themselves.

COMPETITIONFeature

The dangers of the past come in many forms. Two estranged Mi’kmaw siblings confront old animosities in an ancient forest, both in desperate need of healing. In their quest to rid themselves of the lingering evil that haunts them, they encounter the trail of their ancestors—and of their former selves. Mise’l (Blake Alec Miranda) is working a grueling shift when the jukebox warbles to life and an ominous presence from their childhood reveals itself, still capable of inflicting its wounds. Desperate, they seek out their younger brother, Antle (Forrest Goodluck). A task that requires them to part from their supportive partner and return home after many years away. Begrudgingly, their brother agrees to the journey, worried for his daughter’s safety if he does nothing, and they set out on a time-spanning mission. Elders are consulted. Strange creatures stalk them. Kinship is tested. The two heading deeper and deeper into nature at its most nurturing, and most menacing. From Bretten Hannam, the Two-Spirit L'nu filmmaker behind 2021’s acclaimed Wildhood (Opening Film I+N34, 2021), this is a ghost story of the highest order—equal parts eerie and edifying, and utterly unforgettable.

Feature

Seaside La Ciotat, its cicadas droning, is a far cry from the battlefields of Ukraine. A distance that vexes 16-year-old Enzo, who is drowning in ennui. Drawn to danger, cavalier about consequences, he is convinced a dashing Ukrainian bricklayer is his ticket to a more audacious future. Enzo (Eloy Pohu) makes for an irksome masonry apprentice: he slacks off, scoffing at superiors. He seems engineered for his privileged life at his parents’ hillside villa, cooling off in the pool under an unrelenting sun. But, he bucks his parents’ high aspirations and boss’ low expectations, determined to be part of something that lasts. Equally determined to insinuate himself into the trajectory of his 20-something colleague, Vlad (Maksym Slivinskyi). While Enzo must debate which vacation to take, Vlad is torn epically between a newfound Frenchness and wartorn Ukraine. Vlad becoming a romantic and narrative ideal Enzo will do anything to attain. Dying in the midst of Enzo’s creation, auteur Laurent Cantet passed the baton to longtime collaborator Robin Campillo (120 BPM), who encapsulates the fascinating ambiguities of sexuality, class anxiety, and valour. Situating them amongst the half-built shelters and ineffable ruins of our time.

Feature

From beloved Quebec writer Michel Marc Bouchard (Lilies, Tom at the Farm) and famed Canadian-Swiss filmmaker Léa Pool (La femme de l’hôtel, Anne Lister, I+N01, Emporté-moi, I+N12) comes the enormously affecting story of two refugee lovers and a well-connected Québécois with everything to lose who is drawn into their last-resort bid for safety in Montreal. Fleeing from Iran and Morocco, Reza (Aron Archer) and Saad (Mehdi Meskar) face unimaginable peril on their way to land at the Port of Montreal smuggled inside a shipping container. Along their multi-country journey, their love blossoms, neither fully truthful about their past but aching to be together. When they come afoul of the Quebec immigration system—a system with the capacity for great generosity and great injustice—Saad insinuates himself into the life of Laurent (Alexandre Landry), secretly angling for an in with his “uptight” and powerful boss, The Minister of Immigration. As Reza seeks asylum inside a church basement and Laurent falls for Saad, Saad’s allegiances become increasingly strained. Is this an elaborate manipulation or something altogether more entangled? Together, all three enter a race against the clock to secure Reza’s residency—or see him sent back to certain death.

Short

In this short horror-comedy film, two grieving drag queens are mourning the sudden loss of their beloved Drag Mother. While going over her things they stumble upon a mysterious VHS tape. As they press play; a chilling silhouette emerges, sparking an unexpected chain of events for the duo.

ShortVIRTUAL

In Slovakia, Andrej Dúbravský prepares for his Olomouc exhibition GOOD BOY. While creating intimate work in the midst of tranquil rural surroundings, he is facing homophobic criticism from government officials, highlighting tensions between personal expression, societal backlash, and the fight for LGBTQ+ visibility.

QUEERMENT QUÉBECShortVIRTUAL

Twitch is an ode to overcoming dark energies that lie within; confronting fear and the journey to self-acceptance.

MADE AU CANADAShortVIRTUAL

From Bye Bye, Binary to Love, Violet, Charlene Chua, an award-winning illustrator and author, embraces the challenges of fostering inclusivity through children's books.

ShortVIRTUAL

Axis, an anxious enby, faces a supernatural surge of fears during a late-night walk home alone.

Short

Félix, a young actor in the midst of a personal reckoning, finds himself torn between the expectations of the public and the industry, and a deep unease at having to play yet another role that no longer reflects who he is. One night, an unexpected encounter shakes up his world. Drawn to the possibilities of a vibrant world where he could finally be himself, Félix faces a choice: continue performing a role that no longer belongs to him, or take a leap into the unknown to fully embrace his transformation toward a new identity.

COMPETITIONDocumentaryVIRTUAL

Of the 8.7 million living animal species on Earth, thousands defy our expectations. Inspired by trans evolutionary biologist Dr. Joan Roughgarden’s groundbreaking work, narrator Elliot Page and preeminent queer, BIPOC, and immigrant scientists transcend well-trod narratives, revealing how survival hinges on being the most open to change. The scientific establishment has long been stymied by suppression and resistant to evidence debunking the primacy of three rigid categories: “insatiable” males, “coy” females, and “maladaptive and unnatural” others. But, from university labs to the forests of Costa Rica, that picture is changing, opening our eyes to a nature teeming with variations: polyandrous tamarins and polygamous Capuchin monkeys, “very gay” water fowl and sex-role reversed species like seahorses. We are guided through this diversity by sweeping footage, Caitlin Craggs’ delightfully quirky animations, and mind-blowing facts (for example, did you know 50% of fish on a coral reef are members of a sex-changing species?). In a political present where truth is under attack, Second Nature follows the trailblazers who are shifting the consensus from “sometimes this happens” to a codified science, leaving the “quaint myth” of the binary in the historical dust.

MADE AU CANADADocumentaryVIRTUAL

Celestial Queer celebrates James MacSwain, Nova Scotia's beloved and beguiling queer artist, animator and gay-rights activist who passed away this past September 2025. Born and raised in the “backwater” of Atlantic Canada, MacSwain has been making ground-breaking experimental films, animations and provocative art performances for more than half a century. A quietly outspoken feminist, naturalist, and gay rights activist, Celestial Queer introduces audiences to a charmingly obscure and prolific Canadian artist. Through a combination of playful verité and rarely seen footage from his archive, Celestial Queer accompanies MacSwain and a revolving cast of characters as he revisits everything from the sites of some of his most recognized works to the rocky tidal shores of Nova Scotia. The film also includes rarely-seen footage from the infamous 1984 rooftop ‘Phallus Performance’ during which MacSwain was almost both arrested and charged with obscenity. Jim’s effusive character, prolific work, and community organizing have inspired generations of artists to fearlessly be themselves. Celestial Queer now introduces audiences to one of Canada’s best kept secrets, an artist who is effortlessly charming, engagingly prolific, and subversive to his surrealist core.

COMPETITIONDocumentary

In Muslim-majority Malaysia, a queer punk band led by a transman are outliers of the system —carving out spaces to exist through their music while challenging conservative traditions and religious extremism. Brash, defiant and wickedly funny, punk rockers Shh…Diam! are an underground sensation in Kuala Lumpur. An all-queer band led by charismatic trans man Farris Saad, they’ve won devoted fans with playful anthems like “I Woke Up Gay” and “Lonely Lesbian.” Even their name (“Shut up!” in Malay) is a joke, poking fun at those who’d rather queer folks just kept quiet. Malaysia’s harsh laws are no laughing matter, however, and they put Farris and his bandmates at real risk of state persecution. Filming over six years, director Yihwen Chen follows them to practices, gigs and protests, capturing their irreverent advocacy amid a spate of anti-LGBTQ+ raids and arrests. She also documents major developments in their personal lives and relationships, including Farris’s preparations for his surgical transition. Both an iconic portrait of fearless activism and an intimate chronicle of chosen family, Queer as Punk is an instant entry in the queer cult canon.

DocumentaryVIRTUAL

Army of Lovers tells the untold epic saga of the Sacred Band, an elite force of 150 pairs of male lovers who became the most formidable warriors of the ancient world. This Greek army was formed inThebes in 379 BCE to end Spartan domination. Fighting undefeated for four decades and finally annihilated at the Battle of Chaeronea. Buried on the battlefield where they fell, the 300 were forgotten by history, until a Greek archaeologist discovered the mass grave in 1880. The discovery was never made public and the grave covered up, leading some historians to claim that the Sacred Band never existed. It was only in 2019 that a missing skeleton was found in the basement of the Athens Archaeological Museum, as well as excavation logs with detailed drawings of the grave: it depicted an army of 300 men lying in pairs, their arms linked together. A team of international archaeologists and historians is re-examining the newly uncovered evidence, gaining unprecedented insight into the story of the Sacred Band. Their findings challenge us to rethink our understanding of Ancient Greece and our perceptions of heroism and masculinity across time.