This Feeling Won’t Leave

What happens when a feeling takes hold of the body and refuses to loosen its grip? 

Moving between love, memory, erotic experimentation, body horror and public scrutiny, these films explore the ways queer people are desired, judged, transformed and misunderstood. A body changes beyond recognition. A lover becomes inseparable from a place. A private experience is turned into a public argument. 

Across the programme, bodies become places where these feelings gather and leave their mark. Some characters surrender to what they feel, while others fight to remain themselves against the expectations placed upon them. Together, the films ask what remains after an encounter, a transformation or a moment of exposure, and what it means when that feeling simply refuses to fade. 

The screening will also feature a live poetry reading by Glasgow-based poet and performer Gray Crosbie, whose work explores queerness, intimacy and the body.

Curated by Huss.

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Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £4, £8, £12, £16, or £20, in order to make SQIFF more accessible to those on a low income. You can choose what you pay based on your circumstances – you won’t be asked for any proof/ID. We just ask that you are honest! Please find the ‘What Should I Pay?’ guidance here.

Accessibility

This event has:

• English-BSL interpretation for the introduction and poetry reading. The interpreter for this event is TBC.
• English, French, Greek, Portuguese, Turkish audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
• Live Captioning for the introduction and poetry reading.
• An induction loop is available at the GFT Box Office. Enhanced Audio (EA) is available in their screening rooms via headset.

This screening is 88 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 15+ 

If you require access seating please get in touch. Access seating includes: wheelchair spaces, sitting in the front row / in the aisle / at the back. If you need any other provisions, please let us know by emailing [email protected] with your name, ticket information and access request. We will do our best to work with you whilst also managing the capacity of  the venue. Thank you for working with us on this. 

You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2026 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF, please get in touch with us at [email protected]

Films in this programme include:

Gorgones, Dir. Dimitris Tsakaleas, Lida Vartzioti, 2025, Greece, 15 min.

On the shores of a lake bordered by blood-red earth, two women are in love. One wants to stay, the other wants to go home. As they wander around the lake, this disagreement prompts them to take stock of their relationship. As the day fades and a strange despair washes over them, a question arises. Where do they really come from?

Content notes: Depiction of harassment, nudity, queerphobia, strong language use, transphobia.

Lázaro’s Temptation, Dir. Diego Paulino, 2025, Brazil, 26 min.

Lázaro has been working out for some time, but the results he expects never come. When his gym’s facial recognition camera malfunctions and he ends up signing up for the premium plan, his life transforms—and so does his face. Between locker room escapades and algorithms that know him better than he knows himself, his obsession with becoming the best version of himself begins to blur the line between who he is and who he wants to be.

Access notes: Flashing imagery.

Content notes: Depiction of sexual content, surveillance. Discussion of body image.

Krizalit, Dir. Naz Tokgöz, Aranxta Ibarra, 2025, Türkiye, 16 min.

In a welcoming yet complex Turkey, Deniz confronts her romance with Melisa and her own nature.

Content notes: Depiction of homophobia, strong language use. Discussion of conversion therapy, death, mental heath, suicide.

Rope, Dir. Lucas Ikaika Manuel-Scheibe, 2024, United States, 13 min.

During a night of erotic bondage, Aki begins to recall the story of his grandmother’s disappearance. An “ama”, or “sea woman” of Japan, her gradual descent into the ocean’s loving arms reflects Aki’s drift from the ropes and lover who bind him.

Content notes: Depiction of BDSM, partial nudity, sexual content, suggestions of suicide.

No Contest, Dir. Olivier Wright, 2025, France, 18 min.

Victoire, a 20-year-old judoka, has her trans identity outed in the middle of a tournament. Sonia, her next opponent, refuses to fight her. In the following hour, the gym turns into a battleground where athletes, parents, and officials clash. As debates over fairness and safety escalate, Victoire refuses to become a symbol and focuses on what matters most: her next match.

Content notes: Depiction of outing, transphobia.

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Supported by Screen Scotland, the BFI Audience Projects Fund and Film Hub Scotland (part of the BFI Film Audience Network), all awarding National Lottery funding.

Image Credit: No Contest, Dir. Olivier Wright, 2025