SQIFF

Trans Parenting at GFT, Glasgow
2023-05-14 14:30 - 16:00 UTC | Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow, G3 6RB, United Kingdom
Trans Parenting is a shorts programme that focuses on trans and non-binary experiences around family; raising families, forming families, and nurturing families.
Flash Flood (2017, Dir. Al Mackay) is a short animation. Deep within a rotoscoped dream, three transgender people confront a cataclysmic flood. Featuring stories from Jessie Anderson, Helen Poon and Al Mackay.
Transgender Parents (2013, Dir. Rémy Huberdeau) reveals the gifts trans people bring to parenting because of, and not in spite of, their gender. It’s an intimate and tender look at the art of parenting, some of the hardest relational work in this life.
M(OTHER)HOOD (2022, Dir. Bea Goddard) is a short documentary that shows an unfiltered but fragmentary perspective of Jack López – a trans parent of four children, using the children’s art, cinematography, and words to gain privileged access to their domestic sphere.
Curated by Indigo Korres.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click the button below or call the GFT Box Office on 0141 332 6535

Accessibility:
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 12+.
English audio and British Sign Language with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation for intro of event.
Audio description available for the film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
Live Captioning available for the introduction.
Quiet Room available.
Induction Loop available.
67 minutes long.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. Surgical masks will be available for free by the Quiet Space.
If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Note:
These events were originally scheduled to take place at CCA, Glasgow. We decided to postpone our Trans-Generational Tour events in Glasgow after three weeks of demonstrations at Saramago (the independent bar & restaurant at CCA), with no sign of a resolution. SQIFF stands in solidarity with the workers and supports them and Clydeside IWW in their actions against Saramago.

Framing Agnes + Conversation at Cornucopia, Hawick
2023-05-20 17:00 - 19:00 UTC
Agnes, the pioneering, pseudonymized, transgender woman who participated in Harold Garfinkel’s gender health research at UCLA in the 1960s, has long stood as a figurehead of trans history.
In this rigorous cinematic exercise that blends fiction and nonfiction, director Chase Joynt explores where and how her platform has become a pigeonhole. Framing Agnes endeavors to widen the frame through which trans history is viewed — one that has remained too narrow to capture the multiplicity of experiences eclipsed by Agnes’.
Through a collaborative practice of reimagination, an impressive lineup of trans stars take on vividly rendered, impeccably vintage reenactments, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of trans healthcare.
Joynt’s signature form-rupturing style radically reenvisions the imposition of the frame on the cultural memory of transness through his brilliantly crafted, communally-driven excavation. This reclamation tears away with remarkable precision the myth of isolation as the mode of existence of transgender history-makers, breathing new life into a lineage of collaborators and conspirators who have been forgotten for far too long.
Following the screening of Framing Agnes, stay tuned for a conversation with local trans and non-binary people on inter-generational trans experiences and creating space for the community.
Curated by Indigo Korres.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click the button below.

Accessibility:
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
English audio and British Sign Language with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation for intro and post-film conversation.
75 minutes long with a 45 minutes post-film conversation.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. Surgical masks will be available for free by the Quiet Space.
If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.
Presented in partnership with Alchemy Film & Arts.
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Framing Agnes + Conversation at DCA, Dundee
2023-05-26 18:15 - 20:15 UTC
Agnes, the pioneering, pseudonymized, transgender woman who participated in Harold Garfinkel’s gender health research at UCLA in the 1960s, has long stood as a figurehead of trans history.
In this rigorous cinematic exercise that blends fiction and nonfiction, director Chase Joynt explores where and how her platform has become a pigeonhole. Framing Agnes endeavors to widen the frame through which trans history is viewed — one that has remained too narrow to capture the multiplicity of experiences eclipsed by Agnes’.
Through a collaborative practice of reimagination, an impressive lineup of trans stars take on vividly rendered, impeccably vintage reenactments, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of trans healthcare.
Joynt’s signature form-rupturing style radically reenvisions the imposition of the frame on the cultural memory of transness through his brilliantly crafted, communally-driven excavation. This reclamation tears away with remarkable precision the myth of isolation as the mode of existence of transgender history-makers, breathing new life into a lineage of collaborators and conspirators who have been forgotten for far too long.
Following the screening of Framing Agnes, stay tuned for a conversation with local trans and non-binary people on inter-generational trans experiences and creating space for the community.
Curated by Indigo Korres.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click the button below.

Accessibility:
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
English audio and British Sign Language with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation for intro and post-film conversation.
Audio description available for the film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
Induction Loop available.
75 minutes long with a 45 minutes post-film conversation.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. Surgical masks will be available for free by the Quiet Space.
If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.
Presented in partnership with Dundee University LGBTQ+ Society.
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Begana x SQIFF Joyland + Discussion Group SOLD OUT
2023-06-10 17:00 - 21:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
As the Ranas – a happily patriarchal joint family – yearn for the birth of a baby boy to continue the family line, their youngest son secretly joins an erotic dance theatre and falls for an ambitious trans starlet.
Their impossible love story slowly illuminates the entire Rana family’s desire for a sexual rebellion.

Discussion Group
After the screening, there will be a discussion group facilitated by Nat Raha to decompress together and unpack the themes and topics explored in the film.
Please note that the discussion group is exclusively for anyone who is a person of colour (POC) or identifies as LGBTQ+.
About Nat Raha
Dr Nat Raha is a poet and activist-scholar, a South Asian British trans queer femme, and a Lecturer in Fine Art Critical Studies at the Glasgow School of Art. Her books of poetry include Of sirens, Body & Faultlines (Boiler House Press, 2018) and Apparitions (nines) (Winner of the Nightboat Poetry Prize, forthcoming 2024). Recent critical and creative writing appears in Queer Print in Europe, 100 Queer Poems, Transgender Marxism, We Want It All: An Anthology of Radical Trans Poetics, and Third Text (‘Imagining Queer Europe then and now’, 2021). With Mijke van der Drift, Nat co-edits Radical Transfeminism zine, and is currently co-authoring a book Trans Femme Futures: An Abolitionist Ethics for Transfeminist Worlds (forthcoming, 2024).

Ticketing
The ticketing link for this event will be shared first with South Asian and queer communities to ensure that they have priority access. However, if you are a member of these communities and interested in attending the screening and have not received the ticketing link, please contact our Box Office boxoffice@cca-glasgow.com.

This screening is presented by Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) in collaboration with Begana: Musing on Queer South Asian Stories (programmed by Neha Apsara).

Tickets are FREE. To book, click here

Accessibility:
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
Punjabi and Urdu audio with English language captions.
Quiet Space available.
Audio Description available.
Induction Loop available.
126 minutes long.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. Surgical masks will be available for free by the Quiet Space.
If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

Framing Agnes + Conversation at An Lanntair, Stornoway
2023-06-16 18:00 - 20:00 UTC
Agnes, the pioneering, pseudonymized, transgender woman who participated in Harold Garfinkel’s gender health research at UCLA in the 1960s, has long stood as a figurehead of trans history.
In this rigorous cinematic exercise that blends fiction and nonfiction, director Chase Joynt explores where and how her platform has become a pigeonhole. Framing Agnes endeavors to widen the frame through which trans history is viewed — one that has remained too narrow to capture the multiplicity of experiences eclipsed by Agnes’.
Through a collaborative practice of reimagination, an impressive lineup of trans stars take on vividly rendered, impeccably vintage reenactments, bringing to life groundbreaking artifacts of trans healthcare.
Joynt’s signature form-rupturing style radically reenvisions the imposition of the frame on the cultural memory of transness through his brilliantly crafted, communally-driven excavation. This reclamation tears away with remarkable precision the myth of isolation as the mode of existence of transgender history-makers, breathing new life into a lineage of collaborators and conspirators who have been forgotten for far too long.
Following the screening of Framing Agnes, stay tuned for a conversation with local trans and non-binary people on inter-generational trans experiences and creating space for the community.
Curated by Indigo Korres.
Tickets are available on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £5, £6.50, £8. To book, click here

Accessibility:
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 15+.
English audio and British Sign Language with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation for intro and post-film conversation.
Audio description available for the film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
Quiet Room available.
Induction Loop available.
75 minutes long with a 45 minutes post-film conversation.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. Surgical masks will be available for free by the Quiet Space.
If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.
Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Begana
2023-09-27 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Begana is bringing you more films from the South Asian queer diaspora! Combining hidden stories, politics with joy and queer loving, come watch films from Rohan Kanawade’s drama U for Usha, in which a single mother and a farm labourer in rural India who feels drawn to a female teacher of a local primary school, to Rohin Raveendran’s romance The Booth, where a female frisking booth inside a crowded shopping mall stands as a silent ally to a forbidden romance. We hope you’re ready for a fresh view through these Sapphic love stories.
Curated by Neha Apsara.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

U for Usha (2019, Dir. Rohan Kanawade):Usha, a single mother and a farm labourer in rural India, feels drawn to a female teacher at a local primary school. This attraction plays an integral part in firing her passion for learning how to read and write.
Devi (Goddess) (2017, Dir. Karishma Dube): A young closeted lesbian risks both family and tradition, as she embraces her attraction for her childhood maid, Devi. A young closeted lesbian risks both family and tradition, as she embraces her attraction for her childhood maid, Devi.
The Booth (2019, Dir. Rohin Raveendran): A female frisking booth inside a crowded shopping mall stands as a silent ally to a forbidden romance.
My Mother’s Girlfriend (2021, Dir. Arun Fulara): is the story of two relationships colliding. Renuka and Sadiya, two mature working-class women, in love with each other, are out celebrating Renuka’s birthday. Unknown to them, Renuka’s son, Mangesh, is around.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussion of sex, sex work, abuse, violence, trauma, transphobia, racism, sex work
Depiction of violence, homophobia.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.

66 minutes long.

Films are in Bengali, English, Hindi, Marathi audio and screen with English language captions for access. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
Audio description available for the film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: From My Mother’s Girlfriend (2021, Dir. Arun Fulara)

Kokomo City
2023-09-28 15:30 - 17:30 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Kokomo City presents the stories of four Black transgender sex workers in New York and Georgia. Shot in striking black and white, the boldness of the facts of these women’s lives and the earthquaking frankness they share complicate this enterprise, colliding the everyday with cutting social commentary and the excavation of long-dormant truths. Unfiltered, unabashed, and unapologetic, D. Smith and her collaborators offer a refreshing rawness and vulnerability unconcerned with purity and politeness.
In honour of Koko Da Doll, this screening is hosted by House Ball Scotland, holding an aftercare space which will be detailed on the evening.
House Ball Scotland is a QTIBIPOC-led community and platform for the underground ball scene in Scotland.
Co-curated by Nusa.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussions of abuse, violence, trauma, transphobia, racism, sex work.

This screening is recommended for ages 18+
73 minutes long with an optional aftercare space.
English audio with English captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
Audio description is available for this film. Headsets available at the cinema entrance.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Kokomo City (2023, Dir. D Smith)

Building Community with LGBT Unity
2023-09-29 12:30 - 14:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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In the summer of 2023, SQIFF and LGBT Unity hosted filmmaking workshops for queer asylum seekers and refugees. The workshops were facilitated by filmmakers Campbell X and Ambroise of Paradax Period, and focused on not only storytelling, filming and editing, but also building community and creating accessible ways to make films.
In this screening, we bring you all the shorts made during this workshop series, followed by a small Q&A where Campbell X and Ambroise talk about this process with some of the participants.
Presented in partnership with LGBT Unity Scotland, a community-led group providing essential support to LGBTQIA+ refugees, asylum seekers, and other migrants.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Depiction of date rape drug, being outed, drug use, alcohol use, suicide attempt;
Discussion of persecution, transphobia, abuse, assault, homophobia, conversion therapy, mental health issues.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
30 minutes long and a Q&A after the screening.
English and Portuguese audio and screens with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided for the intro and panel discussion.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from SQIFF x LGBT Unity

Queer East Presents: Peafowl 공작새
2023-09-29 21:00 - 23:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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Shin-myung is a transgender woman and dancer who competes in waacking. Having cut ties with her family and rural hometown, Shin-myung seeks various ways to fund her gender reassignment surgery. But one day, she is informed that her estranged father, a master of Nongak folk music, has died. He stipulated that Shin-myung can receive her inheritance money if she returns to the village and performs a traditional drum dance, as part of his memorial rituals. Unwilling to yield to her intolerant father’s posthumous demands, the unapologetic Shin-myung is forced to reluctantly reconnect with her past while staying true to herself. Driven by an empowering vision of trans identity, this assured debut feature from Byun Sung-bin contemplates the possibilities – and limits – of forgiveness.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, or £10. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

ACCESSIBLITY
This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
115 minutes long.
Korean audio with English language captions. BSL-English interpretation and live captioning provided.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel. If you would like to take this up, please visit the access desk at the entrance of the CCA, or contact info@sqiff.org.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2023 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2023, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case. FFP2 masks will be available for free around the building.
Image: from Peafowl 공작새 (2022, Dir. Byun Sung-bin)

SQIFF x Porty Pride Film Night
2024-06-28 19:00 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Portobello Town Hall, 147-149 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1AF
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This year SQIFF and Porty Pride are partnering to bring an exciting selection of short films from Scotland and beyond to Portobello Town Hall!
This screening presents a mix of animation, documentary and fiction film exploring various queer identities. The Singer, Coming Out Autistic and Living with It are Scottish films made by queer people with various disabilities. Still We Thrive is an experimental documentary directed by Campbell X, showcasing a rich tapestry of image, music and poetry is interwoven in this powerful meditation on Black resilience. Digital Natives is a personal film and exploration of Jo’s relationship to the internet. Finally, Not Quite That is a raw documentary about a queer woman and breast cancer survivor in Canada. The film is an intimate and insightful exploration of how we are seen, how we see ourselves, and why it matters.
Join us for an incredible conversation after the screening with Scottish filmmaker Holly Summerson, and hosted by Nat Lall. BSL-English Interpretation, and wheelchair access are available at this event.
Curated by Indigo Korres.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of £5, or £10. To book, please click here.

The Singer (2023, Dir. Cora Bissett): In the loud streets of Glasgow, deaf song-writer Joe meets busker Andy. The two learn to communicate over their love of music and realise together they can create something unique.
Coming Out Autistic (2023, Steven Fraser): This animated documentary explores the experience of telling the world that you are autistic when you also identify as LGBTQ+.
Living with It (2023, Holly Summerson): Perfectionist Lee must adapt to the imperfect reality of living with an illness – brought to life as her chaotic supernatural flatmate Bug.
Still We Thrive (2021, Campbell X): A rich tapestry of image, music and poetry is interwoven in this powerful meditation on Black resilience.
Digital Natives (2022, Jo Reid): A film by Jo Reid (2022) – an exploration of Jo’s relationship to the internet.
Not Quite That (2023, Ali Grant): Might a genetic mutation be the very thing that allows this nice Jewish butch lesbian to be fully seen at last? Meet Sarah, 57. Lesbian? For sure. Jewish? Yes and no. Mother? In all but one sense. Trans? No, just often mistaken as such. Breast cancer survivor? Well, that’s the plan, the survival bit, but without the cancer or the breasts. Not Quite That is an intimate and insightful exploration of how we are seen, how we see ourselves, and why it matters.

ACCESSIBLITY
Content Warnings:

Discussion of cancer diagnosis, surgery, colonialism, body image;
Depictions of pregnancy, nudity, drains, hospitalisation, ableism.

This screening has an age recommendation of N/C 16+.
89 minutes long with a introduction and Q&A.
English audio and British Sign Language with English language descriptive subtitles. BSL-English interpretation provided.
If you have any questions about accessibility at for this event, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.
We ask that you wear a mask if possible and please don’t attend the screening if you have any symptoms of Covid-19 or have been in recent contact with a confirmed case.
Image: from Living with It (2023, Dir. Holly Summerson)

Queer Asia - SOLD OUT
2024-10-09 21:00 - 23:00 UTC | Centre for Contemporary Arts, 350 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow, G2 3JD, United Kingdom
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**Please note this event is now sold out – we may be able to release more tickets nearer the screening. CCA Box Office are operating a waiting list for sold out events – please contact them directly or go to their website to be added to this!**
Queer Asia is a vibrant and evocative short film screening programme that shines a spotlight on queer Asian stories and filmmakers. This collection of films delves into diverse experiences of identity, love, struggle, and resilience within the LGBTQ+ community across Asia and the diaspora. This screening offers a compelling and multifaceted look at the queer Asian experience, celebrating the resilience and creativity of its storytellers. Through these films, audiences are invited to explore the rich tapestry of identities and narratives that define the LGBTQ+ community across Asia and beyond.
This programme starts with a special introduction by filmmaker and visual artist Wei Zhang.
Curated by Nat Lall and Huss.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £2, £4, £6, £8, £10, or £12. To book, click here or call the CCA Box Office on 0141 352 4900.

Accessibility
This programme has:

Bengali, Burmese, Chinese, English, Mandarin Chinese, Nepali, Tagalog, Tamil audio with English language descriptive subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for the introduction.
Live Captioning for the introduction

This screening is 122 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 18+.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2024 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2024, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Films in this programme include:

In the place where we left and arrived, Dir. Samuel Zhang, 2022, United Kingdom, 20 min
This film explores shared experiences of queer Chinese people living in the UK, offering a look at the wider context of these important issues as the director tries to understand the possible definitions of home and the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on Chinese lives through voice over, intimate letter changes, archives, interviews, and digital mappings.
Content notes: Discussion of COVID-19 pandemic, queerphobia, racism, xenophobia, beauty standards, fetishisation, microaggression. Depiction of physical violence.

Narratives and Counternarratives, Dir. Chaoying Rao, 2022, United Kingdom, 9 min
This work examines representations of the self, dissecting the persistent fetishisation of Asian women through collaging and reviewing memorable moments in Western culture. Questioning the ideas of the ‘Asian mystique’ and how it manifests in popular culture, this film examines how the legacy of orientalism continues to manifest in spaces both physical and digital.
Content notes: Depiction of nudity, physical violence, body modification, fetishisation, racism, sex, sensual dancing, death, gun violence, knife violence, sword violence, decapitated head, blood. Discussion of harassment, violence.

Arkesta, Dir. Safal Pandey, 2023, Nepal, 19 min
Gokul is a single father, who feels a sense of embarrassment as he watches his son’s public dance performance. Determined to bring about a change in his son’s lifestyle, Gokul wholeheartedly commits himself to putting in considerable effort and taking the required actions. Over time, Gokul gradually becomes aware of his son’s inherent feminine side.
Content notes: Depiction of homophobia, cigarette use.

Forbidden Reverie 宿祭, Dir. Yisong Huang, 2023, China, 4 min
A groundbreaking 3D CG film that navigates the dynamic virtual realm of Generation Z. This film sheds light on the struggles, victories, and identity journeys within the LGBTQ+ community; providing a powerful platform for increased visibility and acceptance. “Forbidden Reverie” contributes to a vital conversation on LGBTQ+ representation and acceptance in contemporary contexts.

Religiosa, Dir. Han Oo Htet, 2024, Myanmar, 8 min
Before transitioning, Eingyinn May Tun was a famous actress. Now, he is trying to get back into the film industry as a producer and an actor. A Buddhist devotee, Eingyinn May Tun dreams of the day he will be reborn in a male body.

Scrapped Fabric, Dir. Jake Muñoz Consing, 2024, Philippines, 11 min
Fearing her mother’s disapproval, a teenage trans girl secretly sews a prom dress from her mother’s scrap fabric (“retaso”).
Content notes: Discussion of transphobia.

If, Dir. Tathagata Ghosh, 2023, India, 26 min
An arranged marriage tears a lesbian couple apart, but with a mother’s love, perhaps another future is possible.
Content notes: Discussion of death. Depiction of cigarette use.

Farewell, Dir. Soham Kundu, 2024, United Kingdom, 15 min
Two friends: one with a broken heart, the other on the brink of marriage. Together they set out on a day’s journey that leads them to confront their past amidst shared grief and hopes for a brighter future. Centred around intimate friendships between men of colour, Farewell presents evolving expressions of modern masculinity.
Content notes: Depiction of cigarette use.

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Image Credit: Narratives and Counternarratives, Dir. Chaoying Rao, 2022

Confessions of a Reformed Activist
2025-02-21 15:00 - 17:00 UTC | Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Glasgow, G40 1BP, United Kingdom
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An engaging, participatory session led by filmmaker and artist Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi, exploring the limits of activist filmmaking and how new narratives of unique individual truths can lead to greater societal understanding.
Open to all Scotland-based filmmakers, moving image artists, producers and cinematographers.
Through an open and reflective discussion, we will critically examine the role of activism in the current climate, explore new ways to use film as a tool for dialogue and social change, and consider how empathetic storytelling and reimagined activism can help shape a more liberated future— where the personal and political intersect in our creative practice.
Please note: This session will involve discussions around activism, identity, and social change, which may include topics that some participants find sensitive or triggering. We are committed to fostering a supportive environment, and a quiet area will be available for anyone who may need a break at any point during the session.

HOW TO APPLY
This session is part of our Filmmakers Circle, an intimate and collaborative space designed for industry professionals and peers to demystify documentary filmmaking by nurturing a holistic understanding of the craft and engaging in ongoing topical dialogues.
In order to join the Circle, please fill out the application form by the end of Wednesday 12 February.

TICKET INFO

Space is limited, we encourage you to submit your early to secure your spot.
Tickets are available at a flexible, pay-what-you-can rate (£2/£4/£6). A link to make the payment will be sent to the selected applicants to confirm their place in the Circle.
To ensure accessibility for all, travel and accessibility bursaries are available and will be considered on a case-by-case basis, so financial constraints don’t prevent participation.

ACCESS
We aim to create a comfortable environment for the session which will include breaks, refreshments, comfortable seating, and access to a quiet area. To find out more about accessibility at Glasgow Women’s Library click here.
If you have any specific access needs or concerns, please feel free to let us know in the application form.
Confessions of a Reformed Activist is presented by SDI in collaboration with Take One Action and SQIFF.

Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi is creative, entrepreneur and Akashic reader. Based in Glasgow, Kiana works with collaborators all over the world on creative, ground-breaking, and social justice projects.
Kiana studied BA (Hons) Film and Media/Psychology at the University of Stirling, then went on to get an MA Film from Screen Academy Scotland in 2016, before beginning my internship at media co-op to create her hip-hop protest film Tax on Me in 2017. She also holds an LLB Law Degree from the Open University.
Kiana’s work has challenged societal narratives and sparked important conversations about justice and inclusion. Her debut hip-hop protest short film Tax on Me in 2017, making a media splash and bringing to attention the injustices of the care tax. Tax on Me received press attention and provoked a parliamentary motion which praised its impact on bringing to light human rights issues faced by thousands of disabled people across the UK, as well being a catalyst for policy change. Kiana was named one of 30under30 most inspirational women in Scotland 2017 and MDUK Campaigner of the Year 2018.
She is currently developing her autobiographical documentary, Kiana: Stargazing and Spinraza; and working on new music releases as a singer/songwriter.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Kiana Kalantar-Hormozi

D.I.Why? (Filmmaking Workshops for QTIPOC+)
2025-03-02 14:00 - 18:00 UTC | Transmission Gallery, 28 King Street, Glasgow, G1 5QP, United Kingdom
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Are you LGBTQIA+ and Black/a Person of Colour and would like to learn how to make your own short films?
SQIFF and Exhale Group C.I.C. are bringing you 4x filmmaking workshop sessions, making film an accessible medium to get into. All sessions will be facilitated by Nat Lall and hosted at Transmission Gallery.
Nat Lall is a Glasgow-based film curator, known for their work with the SQIFF. Nat is also an artist and DJ. Notable works include the film Pink Excavation (2018) and their musical alias is DJ FLUFFIE.
Each workshop will focus on a different aspect of filmmaking. It’d be great if you could attend all four sessions, but don’t be discouraged to come if you can only come for a couple of sessions that you’re really excited about!

Information on this session (1/4):
In our first session together we are going to look into why DIY(Do It Yourself) filmmaking is such a fun and accessible way to make film. What if we used our limitations as a starting point for our creativity? That’s what I did!
We’re going to play around with cheap, camp objects from our homes and pound shops. I personally love the look of cheap bits of tatt, they tend to be colourful, childish and inventive. They’re often not fit for purpose and how/why they could actually be used gets my creative juices flowing. We are going to use these objects as a starting point for our narratives. We will imagine new worlds from these precious, and cost-friendly wonders.
With a bit of observation, free-writing and plenty of imagination… we will think up conceptual bases for our films. We’ll do a bit of improvised narration as we ponder on our objects. And by the end of the session, each filmmaker will have a some clips about a fantastical world in which these objects exist.
PS. No equipment, or prior filmmaking knowledge is necessary. Everything will be shot on our phone cameras. If you do not have one to use, please be in touch and we will organise a camera for you to borrow. Also, be in touch if you have any access needs.

Tickets are FREE. To book a spot, click here.

Accessibility:

Wheelchair Access Including Accessible Bathroom.
Snacks and Drinks will be provided.
Quiet Space – A designated quiet space will be available during these workshop sessions.
Audience Travel and Access Fund – We have an Audience Access Fund that can support any audience member with costs within Scotland to be able to attend our events (ie. travel or childcare costs). Please get in touch by emailing info@sqiff.org or speak to our team at the event if you require this. You do not need to give a reason for accessing the fund.
Face Masks – FFP2 masks will be available for free around the venue.
Support Animals – Support animals and service animals such as guide dogs are welcome at Transmission Gallery.
The SQIFF Team will be available to support with navigating the venue for anyone that needs it.

If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

Supported by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: SQIFF

Acting is just me hanging out with my friends (Filmmaking Workshops for QTIPOC+)
2025-03-09 14:00 - 18:00 UTC | Transmission Gallery, 28 King Street, Glasgow, G1 5QP, United Kingdom
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Are you LGBTQIA+ and Black/a Person of Colour and would like to learn how to make your own short films?
SQIFF and Exhale Group C.I.C. are bringing you 4x filmmaking workshop sessions, making film an accessible medium to get into. All sessions will be facilitated by Nat Lall and hosted at Transmission Gallery.
Nat Lall is a Glasgow-based film curator, known for their work with the SQIFF. Nat is also an artist and DJ. Notable works include the film Pink Excavation (2018) and their musical alias is DJ FLUFFIE.
Each workshop will focus on a different aspect of filmmaking. It’d be great if you could attend all four sessions, but don’t be discouraged to come if you can only come for a couple of sessions that you’re really excited about!

Information on this session (2/4):
Don’t have the time or money or energy to write a script and cast actors? Don’t worry… just have a fun silly day with your pals and film it. Once again, that’s what I did.
We’ll chat about filming dialogue on the fly, making filming your friends into a fun hang out instead of a job, and ways to repay your pals in other ways than money.
I’ll be honest with you, you’re probably not going to earn loadsa cash from your DIY films, you could, but it’s unlikely. So make it fun and worth your time. Be honest, and kind, to yourself about it. I struggle with the awkwardness of asking for favours too, but maybe your pals/community actually love you..? Or if not at least maybe you could return the favour.
We’ll hang out together as a group, we’ll have tea and chat, and then we’ll devise rough ideas for acting in each others’ films. Then we’ll record our footage and help each other out. It won’t be too planned, it won’t be scripted, but it will be fun.
PS. No equipment, or prior filmmaking knowledge is necessary. Everything will be shot on our phone cameras. If you do not have one to use, please be in touch and we will organise a camera for you to borrow. Also, be in touch if you have any access needs.

Tickets are FREE. To book a spot, click here.

Accessibility:

Wheelchair Access Including Accessible Bathroom.
Snacks and Drinks will be provided.
Quiet Space – A designated quiet space will be available during these workshop sessions.
Audience Travel and Access Fund – We have an Audience Access Fund that can support any audience member with costs within Scotland to be able to attend our events (ie. travel or childcare costs). Please get in touch by emailing info@sqiff.org or speak to our team at the event if you require this. You do not need to give a reason for accessing the fund.
Face Masks – FFP2 masks will be available for free around the venue.
Support Animals – Support animals and service animals such as guide dogs are welcome at Transmission Gallery.
The SQIFF Team will be available to support with navigating the venue for anyone that needs it.

If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

Supported by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: SQIFF

Fantasy Field Recording (Filmmaking Workshops for QTIPOC+)
2025-03-15 14:00 - 18:00 UTC | Transmission Gallery, 28 King Street, Glasgow, G1 5QP, United Kingdom
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Are you LGBTQIA+ and Black/a Person of Colour and would like to learn how to make your own short films?
SQIFF and Exhale Group C.I.C. are bringing you 4x filmmaking workshop sessions, making film an accessible medium to get into. All sessions will be facilitated by Nat Lall and hosted at Transmission Gallery.
Nat Lall is a Glasgow-based film curator, known for their work with the SQIFF. Nat is also an artist and DJ. Notable works include the film Pink Excavation (2018) and their musical alias is DJ FLUFFIE.
Each workshop will focus on a different aspect of filmmaking. It’d be great if you could attend all four sessions, but don’t be discouraged to come if you can only come for a couple of sessions that you’re really excited about!

Information on this session (3/4):
We’re going to get creative and make immersive, otherworldly soundscapes, from the comfort of the gallery space. Expect an intro to Foley, Spatial Audio and my own concept of ‘IRL field recording’.
Foley lets you create a range of textural sound effects to add into films. You can create big, gory, explosive, slimy sounds simply with some everyday items and a microphone.
Spatial Audio lets you create a physical space with your recordings. Rather than flat mono sounds, you can place your sounds left or right, up or down and forwards or back. It lets your audience transport to vast otherworldly dimensions… without you having to leave the comfort of your home or studio.
IRL Field Recording is a concept I coined during my BA in Sound Arts. The soundscapes are not at all recorded ‘In Real Life’, rather they are dreamed up and carefully devised. The name represents my skeptical views towards the ‘facts’ of science, reality, and notably gender. Who constructed these ‘facts’ anyway? Is everything not sci-fi to an extent?
PS. No equipment, or prior audio recording knowledge is necessary. Also, be in touch if you have any access needs.

Tickets are FREE. To book a spot, click here.

Accessibility:

Wheelchair Access Including Accessible Bathroom.
Snacks and Drinks will be provided.
Quiet Space – A designated quiet space will be available during these workshop sessions.
Audience Travel and Access Fund – We have an Audience Access Fund that can support any audience member with costs within Scotland to be able to attend our events (ie. travel or childcare costs). Please get in touch by emailing info@sqiff.org or speak to our team at the event if you require this. You do not need to give a reason for accessing the fund.
Face Masks – FFP2 masks will be available for free around the venue.
Support Animals – Support animals and service animals such as guide dogs are welcome at Transmission Gallery.
The SQIFF Team will be available to support with navigating the venue for anyone that needs it.

If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

Supported by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: SQIFF

SQIFF Queer Screening: Edinburgh Takeover with Edinburgh Arts Festival & Rhubaba - SOLD OUT
2025-03-18 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | French Institute, West Parliament Sq, Edinburgh, EH1 1RF, United Kingdom
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**Please note this event is now sold out – we may be able to release more tickets nearer the screening. Edinburgh Arts Festival are operating a waiting list for sold out events – please contact elle@edinburghartfestival.com to be added to this!**

SQIFF are very excited to announce our collaboration with Rhubaba for the Edinburgh Art Festival. The evening will consist of a screening of short films, a panel discussion with Scottish QTIPOC filmmakers and food. The event will take place on the 18th March 2025 in the French Institute, Edinburgh.
All of the short films in the screening are taken from the SQIFF 2024 programme and with this we aim to bring a bit of the queer magic we experienced in Glasgow to Edinburgh. The selected films include works from our Scottish Shorts, Sci-Fi Meets Reality, Queer Asia, ★,。·::·ﾟ☆ “The Real Internet Is Inside You” ·ﾟ✧*:·ﾟ✧ and Drag & Performance Through Censorship events. The selection highlights a range of techniques and genres in queer filmmaking including digital animation, text-based film, collage and live-action. It also explores a diverse range of topics such as young trans girlhood, intimate friendships between men of colour, medical drag-satire and more.
All of the selected films are either directed by and/or have a central focus on QTIPOC. This event aims to spotlight and celebrate queer people of colour in film. We will explore filmmaking techniques, community initiatives and future hopes for people of colour in queer film with a panel discussion after the screenings. And after that, we will end by chatting over food and drink provided by the festival.
Curated by Nat Lall.
Tickets are FREE. To book, click here and you’ll be redirected to the Edinburgh Arts Festival website.

Films in this programme include:
A Float, Dir. Isabel Barfod, 2023, United Kingdom, 3 min

A Float explores subtle modes of refusal through the lens of a Black Queer swimmer in a hostile environment. Set in a Victorian era public swimming pool, A Float follows our protagonist as they access alternate realities, speculated futures and enact small acts of revenge.

Content Notes: Depiction of racism.

Access Notes: Contains flashing imagery.

Dr. XYZ: A Medical Drag Transthology, Dir. El Jones, 2023, United Kingdom, 14 min

Dr. XYZ is a community-made trans+ healthcare training film and ethnofiction. It is an exercise in queering the public information film genre, shot in 16mm. The film weaves ethnographic healthcare accounts from Birmingham’s trans+ community with moments of drag-satire re-enactment to depict a collective vision of the UK’s healthcare system.

Content notes: Discussion of suicidal ideation, suicide attempt, mental health issues, medical neglect within NHS, transphobia, ableism, racism, passing culture, self-medicating, gender dysphoria, medical waiting lists, explicit language. Depiction of animated genitalia.

Scrapped Fabric, Dir. Jake Muñoz Consing, 2024, Philippines, 11 min

Fearing her mother’s disapproval, a teenage trans girl secretly sews a prom dress from her mother’s scrap fabric (“retaso”).

Content notes: Discussion of transphobia.

Farewell, Dir. Soham Kundu, 2024, United Kingdom, 15 min

Two friends: one with a broken heart, the other on the brink of marriage. Together they set out on a day’s journey that leads them to confront their past amidst shared grief and hopes for a brighter future. Centred around intimate friendships between men of colour, Farewell presents evolving expressions of modern masculinity.

Content notes: Depiction of cigarette use.

Diffused in Marginalised Orders, Dir. Florence To, 2024, United Kingdom, 3 min

Words have a powerful role in shaping identity and transforming our lived experiences. The Scottish-born Hong Kong artist uses texts that ignite deep connections and solidarity. Their work confronts the dispossessions wrought by imperialism and challenges complicity in public amnesia about ongoing injustices, redefining our relationship within social barriers and power struggles in public spaces.

Access notes: Flashing light and rapid visual effects.

Bellydance Vogue, Dir. Hadi Moussally, 2020, Lebanon, 5 min

“My birthday was on the 3rd of April 2020 during lockdown, and for the first time, I celebrated it all by myself. But even if I was alone, I decided to celebrate it as if it’s the last one”

The film was made during quarantine.

Accessibility:

BSL-English interpretation for introduction and discussions.
English Descriptive Subtitles.
This event is located upstairs in the Salle Emilienne Moreau-Evrard space at the French Institute of Scotland, accessible via stairs or lift.
You will enter the building at street level via the entrance on George IV Bridge, where a reception desk is available for directions to the space or the lift.
Accessing this venue is an uphill walk from Waverley Station. For a step-free journey, travel along Market Street, left along North Bank Street towards the Bank of Scotland, and find the French Institute across the road.
If travel costs would be a barrier to attending this workshop, please contact Rhubaba (admin@rhubaba.org) or EAF (info@edinburghartfestival.com) to arrange travel reimbursement.

If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

This event is part of Refractions: New Conceptions of Film + Photography (15 Jan—18 Mar). Co-created by the EAF Civic Programme and Rhubaba, this free event series aims to connect marginalised people with creativity through film, ceramics, writing, and more. Find out more here.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Tiu Makkonen

Collaging our Films (Filmmaking Workshops for QTIPOC+)
2025-03-30 14:00 - 18:00 UTC | Transmission Gallery, 28 King Street, Glasgow, G1 5QP, United Kingdom
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Are you LGBTQIA+ and Black/a Person of Colour and would like to learn how to make your own short films?
SQIFF and Exhale Group C.I.C. are bringing you 4x filmmaking workshop sessions, making film an accessible medium to get into. All sessions will be facilitated by Nat Lall and hosted at Transmission Gallery.
Nat Lall is a Glasgow-based film curator, known for their work with the SQIFF. Nat is also an artist and DJ. Notable works include the film Pink Excavation (2018) and their musical alias is DJ FLUFFIE.
Each workshop will focus on a different aspect of filmmaking. It’d be great if you could attend all four sessions, but don’t be discouraged to come if you can only come for a couple of sessions that you’re really excited about!

Information on this session (4/4):
In our final session, we will edit the film and sound clips from previous sessions into a finished film.
I’ll show you where and how you can download free film editing software. then I’ll give you a little demonstration of how I edit films.
I treat the editing process the same way I would treat a paper collage. I start editing when I have all my materials to hand and then I cut, copy and paste the clips in and around each other.
For me, this is really when the whole narrative comes together. I don’t start with a clear structure. Using the clips of improvised sound and image, I piece together a story and add in a little bits narration of when needed.
PS. No existing software licenses or experience of film software is necessary. I will show you free-to-use options and help you install them on your own laptops. If you do not own laptop, please be in touch and we will organise one for you to borrow.

Tickets are FREE. To book a spot, click here.

Accessibility:

Wheelchair Access Including Accessible Bathroom.
Snacks and Drinks will be provided.
Quiet Space – A designated quiet space will be available during these workshop sessions.
Audience Travel and Access Fund – We have an Audience Access Fund that can support any audience member with costs within Scotland to be able to attend our events (ie. travel or childcare costs). Please get in touch by emailing info@sqiff.org or speak to our team at the event if you require this. You do not need to give a reason for accessing the fund.
Face Masks – FFP2 masks will be available for free around the venue.
Support Animals – Support animals and service animals such as guide dogs are welcome at Transmission Gallery.
The SQIFF Team will be available to support with navigating the venue for anyone that needs it.

If you have any other access needs you would like to discuss with us, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org.

Supported by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: SQIFF

Floating in Ecosystems
2025-05-03 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Rio Cinema, 107 Kingsland High Street, London, E8 2PB, United Kingdom
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This screening brings together the work of queer East and Southeast Asian artists based in Scotland, showcasing bold explorations 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. From fictional work to artist moving image work, these films offer a range of experiences where body and identity intersect with culture and memory.
Florence To will introduce this event by presenting an expansive overview of queer East and Southeast Asian filmmaking in Scotland today.
Curated by Indigo Korres.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of £3, £6, £9, £12, £15. To book, click here or call the Rio Cinema Box Office on 020 7241 9410.

Accessibility
This programme has:

British Sign Language, Chinese, and English audio with English language descriptive subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for the introduction.
Rio Cinema is a wheelchair accessible venue.

This screening is 90 minutes long.

Films in this programme include:

Strangers, Dir. Klarissa Webster, 2023, United Kingdom, 4 min
2 peoples worlds collide in a graveyard. One dealing with a near loss, another still harbouring the pain after many years.

In the penumbra, the strange wave, Dir. Wei Zhang, 2022, United Kingdom, 11 min
This 11-minute collage film explores Zhang’s personal trauma through a blend of various media forms and techniques, creating an alternate reality with symbolic characters representing complex emotions.
Access notes: Distorted voice.

Fluid, Dir. Wei Zhou, 2016, United Kingdom, 13 min
An autobiographical story traces the filmmaker’s very own personal growing-up experiences of love and desire as a Chinese born and raised queer woman.
Access notes: Static imagery.
Content notes: Discussion of porn, self harm.

body is/as landscape, Dir. Joanne Lee, 2020, United Kingdom, 13 min
‘Body as/is Landscape’ shows the landscapes of St Andrews, Dunoon, a human body and the now demolished site of the Red Road flats in Glasgow. Lee asks what frames of references we are using to understand and relate to these landscapes? Attempting to situate the self among these places of privilege, absence, ruin and industry by observing in front and behind the camera. Questioning how we relate to and consume these landscapes – through the frame of the phone, the lens of the digital camera.

In Conversation with, Dir. Eye Suriyanon, 2024, United Kingdom, 11 min
‘In Conversation with ‘ (2024) is an animated film in collaboration with Members of the Children’s Parliament (MCP) from Stirling and Eye Suriyanon. As part of the ‘Fairness and Bias in AI’ workshop for the ‘Exploring Children’s Rights and AI’ project by Children’s Parliament Scotland. Featuring elements of graphic scores created by MCP and sound effects from DIY instruments, animated in Processing, additional music by Eye Suriyanon.
Access notes: Flashing imagery.

Narratives and Counternarratives, Dir. Chaoying Rao, 2022, United Kingdom, 9 min
This work examines representations of the self, dissecting the persistent fetishisation of Asian women through collaging and reviewing memorable moments in Western culture. Questioning the ideas of the ‘Asian mystique’ and how it manifests in popular culture, this film examines how the legacy of orientalism continues to manifest in spaces both physical and digital.
Content notes: Depiction of nudity, physical violence, body modification, fetishisation, racism, sex, sensual dancing, death, gun violence, knife violence, sword violence, decapitated head, blood. Discussion of harassment, violence.

Wah Yen, Dir. Wei Zhang, 2024, United Kingdom, 29 min
Set in 1970s Glasgow, the film explores the rich inner world of young, queer, and neurodivergent Chinese immigrant Chen through their emerging kinship with Scottish shipbuilder, James. Wah Yen employs a non-linear narrative, underpinned by Wei’s interweaving of 3D animation, archival footage, and drag performances, creating a dynamic and compelling visual language. The visually diverse film highlights the intimate relationships and struggles of marginalised identities, resonating particularly with Glasgow’s Chinese and queer residents.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Wah Yen, Dir. Wei Zhang, 2024

Building Solidarity & Kinship: Short Film Screenings + Panel Discussion (Inverness)
2025-06-21 15:00 - 17:30 UTC | Eden Court, Bishops Road, Inverness, IV3 5SA, United Kingdom
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This event is part of the Building Solidarity & Kinship programme curated by Esraa Husain at the Refugee Festival Scotland 2025.
We will feature a selection of short films followed by a panel discussion exploring the Festival’s theme Milestones and elements connected to finding refuge and belonging and the importance of community building.
After the screening, we will be joined by local creatives and community organisers in Inverness who come from migrant backgrounds to discuss the themes mentioned and share reflections.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £3, £5, £10. To book, click here or call the Eden Court Box Office on 01463 234 234 or email at boxoffice@eden-court.co.uk.

Accessibility
This programme has:

English language descriptive subtitles
Live Captioning for the introduction and panel discussion
Glasgow Film Theatre is a wheelchair accessible venue

This screening is 93 minutes long.

Films in this programme include:

Mark Thomas, Permissible Beauty (2023)
Baz Sells, Two Black Boys in Paradise (2025)
Theo Panagopoulos, The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing (2024)
Adéráyọ̀, DISSONANCE (2025)

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Permissible Beauty, Dir. Mark Thomas, 2023

Building Solidarity & Kinship: Short Film Screenings + Panel Discussion (Glasgow)
2025-06-22 13:00 - 15:00 UTC | Kelvin Hall, 1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G3 8AW, United Kingdom
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This event is part of the Building Solidarity & Kinship programme curated by Esraa Husain at the Refugee Festival Scotland 2025.
We are featuring a selection of short films followed by a panel discussion exploring the Festival’s theme Milestones and elements connected to finding refuge and belonging and the importance of community building.
After the screening we are joined by the directors Adéráyọ̀ Adenekan and Theo Panagopoulos, community organisers Mahasin from Exhale Group, Solidarity Screenings, and Xuanlin Tham the author of Revolutionary Desires: The Political Power of the Sex Scene to discuss the themes mentioned and share reflections.
Tickets are FREE. To book, click here.

Accessibility
This programme has:

English language descriptive subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for the introduction and panel discussion
Live Captioning for the introduction and panel discussion
Kelvin Hall is a wheelchair accessible venue

Films in this programme include:

Mark Thomas, Permissible Beauty (2023)
Baz Sells, Two Black Boys in Paradise (2025)
Theo Panagopoulos, The Flowers Stand Silently, Witnessing (2024)
Adéráyọ̀, DISSONANCE (2025)

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Permissible Beauty, Dir. Mark Thomas, 2023

Rookie - SOLD OUT
2025-10-28 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | The Boardwalk, The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow, G1 1TF
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**Please note this event is now sold out – we may be able to release more tickets nearer the screening. We are operating a waiting list for sold out events on the platform Ticket Tailor, where we sell our tickets for SQIFF 2025 – please add your name to the waitlist and you’ll be notified by Ticket Tailor if any tickets become available!**

Ace is a tall, awkward teenager who moves to an all-girls Catholic high school in the Philippines. The volleyball coach spots Ace on her first day, and invites her to try out for the team. She is initially no good at the sport and socially ostracised, but things begin to change when she falls for the highly motivated team captain, Jana, who dislikes her because she sees her as a threat. But the girls and their teammates must nonetheless join forces: not only to successfully compete in competitions, but also to face up against a more disturbing, insidious threat. Powered by authentic performances, Samantha Lee’s heartfelt film captures the resilience of the young athlete as she struggles for acceptance, and the strength of female solidarity in a society rigged against women.
Curated by Queer East.

Click here to book your ticket for this event
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 programme has:

Philippines, English and Tagalog audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for introduction. The interpreter for this event is Lou Hanson.
Live Captioning for introduction
Content notes: Depiction of sexual assault. Discussion of distressing themes.

This screening is 94 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, bean bag seating, sitting in the front row / in the aisle / at the back. If you need any other provisions, please let us know by emailing info@sqiff.org with your name, ticket information and access request. If you are attending with companions and they need seating with you please also let us know. We will provide one free PA ticket for people who require any type of assistance (all tickets are pay what you can). We will do our best to work with you whilst also managing the capacity of each venue. Thank you for working with us on this.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2025 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2025, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

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: Rookie, Dir. Samantha Lee, 2023

Eachdraidh Na Tìre - SOLD OUT
2025-10-30 18:00 - 20:00 UTC | GMAC Film, 103 Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland, G1 5HD, United Kingdom
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**Please note this event is now sold out – we may be able to release more tickets nearer the screening. We are operating a waiting list for sold out events on the platform Ticket Tailor, where we sell our tickets for SQIFF 2025 – please add your name to the waitlist and you’ll be notified by Ticket Tailor if any tickets become available!**

Eachdraidh Na Tìre is a screening of two short films by Scottish filmmakers that explore queer connections to place, memory, and belonging. Rooted in the landscapes of Scotland, the programme reflects on how the land holds traces of marginalised histories and how these can be reclaimed through queer storytelling.
The films offer personal and poetic reflections on identity and resilience, asking how we relate to the places we come from and the spaces we move through. They invite us to consider whose stories are remembered, whose are erased, and how queer people continue to shape and be shaped by Scotland’s shifting cultural and physical environments.
The screening will open with a poetry performance by Esraa Husain, who will also lead a post-screening workshop exploring personal and collective connections to land through a queer lens.
Curated by Take One Action Film Festivals.

Click here to book your ticket for this event
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 programme has:

British Sign Language (BSL), English, Scottish Gaelic audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for introduction and workshop. The interpreter for this event is Lisa Li.
Live Captioning for introduction and workshop

This screening is 60 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, bean bag seating, sitting in the front row / in the aisle / at the back. If you need any other provisions, please let us know by emailing info@sqiff.org with your name, ticket information and access request. If you are attending with companions and they need seating with you please also let us know. We will provide one free PA ticket for people who require any type of assistance (all tickets are pay what you can). We will do our best to work with you whilst also managing the capacity of each venue. Thank you for working with us on this.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2025 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2025, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Films in this programme include:
Dissonance, Dir. Aderayo Adenekan, 2025, United Kingdom, 30 min
Experimental short following a young Black woman exploring her queerness after moving cities, battling internal conflict from homophobic upbringing. Split between wordless narrative and documentary epilogue, the film uses movement, sound, and symbolism to capture psychological dissonance between taught identity and authentic self-discovery.
Content notes: Discussion of homophobia, racism, transphobia.
Access notes: Flashing lights.

who will be remembered here, Dirs. Michael Sherrington, Lewis Hetherington, CJ Mahony, 2025, United Kingdom, 30 min
A cry against cultural erasure. Four queer people across Scotland’s historic landscapes question the stories we tell and their impact on future generations. This intimate film archives marginalized identities, claiming space in history as a beacon for those who follow—a tender refusal to be forgotten.
Content notes: Discussion of death, war, queer and disabled erasure.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

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: Dissonance, Dir. Aderayo Adenekan, 2025

Closing Film: Dreams in Nightmares - SOLD OUT
2025-11-01 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | The Social Hub, The Social Hub, Candleriggs Square, Glasgow, G1 1TQ
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**Please note this event is now sold out – we may be able to release more tickets nearer the screening. We are operating a waiting list for sold out events on the platform Ticket Tailor, where we sell our tickets for SQIFF 2025 – please add your name to the waitlist and you’ll be notified by Ticket Tailor if any tickets become available!**

Three queer black femmes embark on a road trip across the Midwest United States in search of their missing friend. The trio face challenges as they encounter different communities along their journey and this prompts reflection on the group as friends, as well as individuals.
Expect tender friends and lovers, open country roads and a chance to dream in a world of nightmares.
The winner of Best Scottish Shorts will be announced at the end of this event.
Curated by Nat Lall.

Click here to book your ticket for this event
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 programme has:

Content notes: Depiction of alcohol use, distressing argument scenes, nudity, sex. Discussion of racism and transphobia.
English audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
English-BSL interpretation for introduction. The interpreter for this event is Sula Brookes.
Live Captioning for introduction

This screening is 128 minutes long and has an age recommendation of N/C 18+.
If you require access seating please get in touch. Access seating includes: wheelchair spaces, bean bag seating, sitting in the front row / in the aisle / at the back. If you need any other provisions, please let us know by emailing info@sqiff.org with your name, ticket information and access request. If you are attending with companions and they need seating with you please also let us know. We will provide one free PA ticket for people who require any type of assistance (all tickets are pay what you can). We will do our best to work with you whilst also managing the capacity of each venue. Thank you for working with us on this.
You can find out more information about accessibility at SQIFF 2025 here. If you have any questions about accessibility at SQIFF 2025, please get in touch with us at info@sqiff.org or by phone on 07873 331 036.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

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: Dreams in Nightmares, Dir. Shatara Michelle Ford, 2024

Queer as Punk + intro + pre-recorded Q&A
2026-05-13 20:30 - 22:30 UTC | Edinburgh Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ
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Cinetopia:DOC in collaboration with SQIFF presents this Scottish special preview of Queer As Punk ahead of its wider UK release with T A P E Collective. The screening will have an introduction by artist Kai Khidir Hassan (fka Aki Hassan) and the film will be followed by a 20-minute pre-recorded Q&A.

Faris is a transman and the lead singer of “Shh..Diam!” (meaning “shut up!” in Malay), an openly queer punk band in Malaysia. Together with his bandmates Yon and Yoyo, they use their music to fight for LGBTQI+ rights in a country where conservative Muslim policies and society severely curtail human rights and freedom of expression. As discrimination against them intensifies, Yoyo chooses to leave the country. However in the face of the many challenges, Faris opts to stay, determined to continue using their music as a platform to advocate for freedom and equality, refusing to let the pressures of society silence their voice.
Director Yihwen Chen followed the trio for several years as they toured, documenting their gigs, experiences, and wide-ranging discussions. Queer As Punk continue to use their nonconformist live performances to fight for justice, in the face of intense pressure to and threats to silence their voices.
Kai Khidir Hassan (fka Aki Hassan) is a visual artist, researcher and organiser who primarily works with expanded sculpture, drawing and self-publishing. Rooted in collaborative inquiry and community-building, Aki’s practice extends beyond the studio into organising spaces that foreground collective knowledge, mutual support, and slower modes of active engagement.
Cinetopia:DOC is a monthly club bringing audiences together around exceptional documentary films alongside filmmaker Q&As or conversations, followed by continued discussion and networking in the Filmhouse Bar. Cinetopia:DOC is supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, and funded by Screen Scotland and National Lottery funding from the BFI and the Scottish Documentary Institute and produced by Cinetopia, a hub of activity around filmgoing and filmmaking based in Edinburgh.
SQIFF (Scottish Queer International Film Festival) is a charity formed with the aim of showcasing diverse queer cinema and uplifting creative voices from the LGBTQIA+ community in Scotland and beyond. The organisation runs an annual film festival in Glasgow, pop-up and year-round events, and community-focused programmes across Scotland.
T A P E Collective: Reppin’ could-be-cult classics, T A P E is a UK-based film company working across exhibition and distribution to platform the works of global majority filmmakers. Cross-curatorial, but firmly rooted in film, T A P E creates ties with art, music, talks and more, to bring exciting and subversive filmmaking to new and established audiences. With a focus on representation, identity and heritage, we champion the forgotten could-be cult films of the festival circuit.
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of FREE, £4, £8, £12, £16, or £20. To book your ticket for this event, click here.

Accessibility
This programme has:

English and Malay audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
Text on Screen for the introduction

This screening is 88 minutes long.

Supported by Film Hub Scotland, part of the BFI’s Film Audience Network, awarding funding on behalf of Screen Scotland and the BFI National Lottery.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Queer as Punk, Dir. Yihwen Chen, 2025

Bouchra + intro
2026-08-07 18:15 - 20:00 UTC | Edinburgh Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ
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This film contains flashing images which may affect viewers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy.

This screening of Bouchra is hosted by SQIFF, and will have an introduction from SQIFF Programmer, Huss, which will be accompanied by text backing slides for accessibility. The film itself will be screened with Descriptive Subtitles.

We have a Reduced Rate ticket option to make this screening more accessible to those on a low income. If cost is a barrier please email info@sqiff.org for a complimentary ticket.

Bouchra (35), a queer Moroccan coyote living in NYC, is wrestling with writer’s block for her first film. As she begins a series of difficult yet long overdue phone calls with her mother, Aicha, in Casablanca, forgotten memories begin to resurface. Balancing the precarity of working as an artist in New York, the rift in her identity between her two homes and an array of friendships and romantic interests, Bouchra’s emotional reckoning with her mother and herself becomes her path to expression.

With a lived-in granularity and unmistakable visual style, Bouchra, the debut feature from acclaimed visual artists Meriem Bennani and Orian Barki (best known together from their 2020 web series 2 Lizards), is a singular portrait effortlessly towing the line between documentary, visual art and resonant family drama. Deeply felt, surprisingly sexy and formally adventurous, Bennani and Barki’s distinctive debut forges new ground.

Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of £7.50, or £13, with an Access Ticket at £5 and a Senior Ticket at £11.50. To book your ticket for this event, click here.

Accessibility
This programme has:

Arabic, English and French audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
Text on Screen for the introduction

This screening is 83 minutes long.

Donate:
Donate to SQIFF via PayPal or sign up to one of our four Patreon tiers to support our work and show us you’re a big SQIFF fan 🌈✨

Image Credit: Bouchra, Dirs. Orian Barki, Meriem Bennani, 2025
