SQIFF

Castration Movie Anthology i. Traps
2025-12-06 13:00 - 18:00 UTC | Edinburgh Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ
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Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds
Dir. Louise Weard | 2025 | 300m (incl. intermission) | DCP, Digital
Certificate: 18 | Abusive behaviour, strong sex, nudity, drug misuse
Castration Movie Anthology i. The Fear of Having No One to Hold at the End of the World
Dir. Louise Weard | 2024 | 275m (incl. intermission) | DCP, Digital
Certificate: 18 | Strong sex, nudity
Castration Movie is a labyrinthine post-modern epic about gender. The first part of this four-part film includes Chapter i. Incel Superman and Chapter ii. Traps Swan Princess. Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds contains one chapter, Chapter iii. Polygon!!!! Heartmoder. The final two parts are due for release in 2026.
In Chapter iii. Polygon!!!! Heartmoder, Circle (Alex Walton) tries to leave a trans separatist cult in New York. Castration Movie Anthology ii.‘s cast includes Alex Walton (Pomp and Circumstance), Ivy Wolk (Anora), Jack Haven (I Saw the TV Glow), Lea Rose Sebastianis (In a Violent Nature), Hesse Deni (Brain Death), Theda Hammel (Stress Positions), Alexandra McVicker (The Serpent’s Skin), Betsey Brown (Actors), and Peter Vack (Assholes), amongst a mix of other emerging talent and weird and wonderful cameos.
Incel Superman follows Turner Stewart, a production assistant who sees his world spiral out of control as he uncompromisingly attempts to shape his life into the one he feels he deserves. Traps Swan Princess follows a trans woman named Michaela “Traps” Sinclair, a sex worker in Vancouver who splits her time between seeing clients and hanging out with her group of trans friends, who finds her relationships strained when she decides to pursue motherhood.
Written and Directed by Louise Weard, the film’s cast includes Vera Drew (The People’s Joker), Ada Rook (Black Dresses), Alice Maio Mackay (T Blockers), Avalon Fast (Honeycomb), John Paizs (Crime Wave), and Lea Rose Sebastianis and Nate Wilson (The All Golden) amongst a mix of other emerging talent and weird and wonderful cameos. The original score was composed by Aoife Josie Clements/Ravine Angel, with additional music by Magda Baker, Alex Walton, and E_DEATH.
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 audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles

This screening is 276 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: Castration Movie Anthology i. Traps, Dir. Louise Weard, 2024

Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds
2025-12-12 18:00 - 2025-12-13 00:00 UTC | GMAC Film, 103 Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland, G1 5HD, United Kingdom
Listen to this Event Page
Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds
Dir. Louise Weard | 2025 | 300m (incl. intermission) | DCP, Digital
Certificate: 18 | Abusive behaviour, strong sex, nudity, drug misuse
Castration Movie Anthology i. The Fear of Having No One to Hold at the End of the World
Dir. Louise Weard | 2024 | 275m (incl. intermission) | DCP, Digital
Certificate: 18 | Strong sex, nudity
Castration Movie is a labyrinthine post-modern epic about gender. The first part of this four-part film includes Chapter i. Incel Superman and Chapter ii. Traps Swan Princess. Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds contains one chapter, Chapter iii. Polygon!!!! Heartmoder. The final two parts are due for release in 2026.
In Chapter iii. Polygon!!!! Heartmoder, Circle (Alex Walton) tries to leave a trans separatist cult in New York. Castration Movie Anthology ii.‘s cast includes Alex Walton (Pomp and Circumstance), Ivy Wolk (Anora), Jack Haven (I Saw the TV Glow), Lea Rose Sebastianis (In a Violent Nature), Hesse Deni (Brain Death), Theda Hammel (Stress Positions), Alexandra McVicker (The Serpent’s Skin), Betsey Brown (Actors), and Peter Vack (Assholes), amongst a mix of other emerging talent and weird and wonderful cameos.
Incel Superman follows Turner Stewart, a production assistant who sees his world spiral out of control as he uncompromisingly attempts to shape his life into the one he feels he deserves. Traps Swan Princess follows a trans woman named Michaela “Traps” Sinclair, a sex worker in Vancouver who splits her time between seeing clients and hanging out with her group of trans friends, who finds her relationships strained when she decides to pursue motherhood.
Written and Directed by Louise Weard, the film’s cast includes Vera Drew (The People’s Joker), Ada Rook (Black Dresses), Alice Maio Mackay (T Blockers), Avalon Fast (Honeycomb), John Paizs (Crime Wave), and Lea Rose Sebastianis and Nate Wilson (The All Golden) amongst a mix of other emerging talent and weird and wonderful cameos. The original score was composed by Aoife Josie Clements/Ravine Angel, with additional music by Magda Baker, Alex Walton, and E_DEATH.
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 audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
Live Captioning for introduction and Q&A

This screening is 300 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: Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds, Dir. Louise Weard, 2025

Castration Movie Anthology ii. The Best of Both Worlds - SOLD OUT
2025-12-13 13:00 - 18:30 UTC | Edinburgh Filmhouse, 88 Lothian Road, Edinburgh, EH3 9BZ

Dundead: SQIFF presents Sleepaway Camp
2026-03-14 20:00 - 22:00 UTC | DCA, 152 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DY, United Kingdom
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We are delighted that this screening will be introduced by Indigo Korres, Director of SQIFF.
One of the definitive cult horror films, Sleepaway Camp is a trashy teen slasher in the Friday the 13th mould. And while slasher films can be broadly remembered for their restrictive heteronormativity, Sleepaway Camp is particularly notable for its exploration of queer themes. Sleepaway Camp is not subtle or necessarily in good taste, and often plays into problematic tropes, but the film has nonetheless been reclaimed and celebrated by queer audiences in the years since its release.
Shy, mute Angela (an iconic performance by Felissa Rose) goes to stay at Camp Arawak with her cousin Ricky. Unlike other teen slashers, Sleepaway Camp’s cast of campers are mostly made up of actual teenagers, and the scenes of them hanging out and misbehaving feel refreshingly authentic. It also means that when the teens are put in danger, the results feel particularly transgressive.
There is an element of sexual violence to some scenes near the start, and while thankfully restrained in terms of onscreen depictions, there can be a bit of a nasty streak to the film.
It’s a fascinatingly thorny film with an undeniable legacy, filled with brilliant moments, memorable performances and a truly unforgettable, and now rightly iconic, ending.
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 audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
Text on Screen for the introduction

This screening is 84 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: Sleepaway Camp Dir. Robert Hiltzik, 1983

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

Queer Filmmakers Group - 48 Hour Film Challenge 2026
2026-05-27 18:30 - 20:30 (Europe/Paris) | The Boardwalk, The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow, G1 1TF
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Are you a queer filmmaker? Do you want to meet other queer filmmakers? Do you want to make a film in two days? Join SQIFF for the return of the Queer Filmmakers Group for a 48 Hour Film Challenge!
The SQIFF 48 Hour Film Challenge works like this: by signing up you will work with a group of other filmmakers to complete the challenge of making an entire film from beginning to end in just two days.
The Brief, which includes film themes, required elements, guidelines, and time frames for the challenge will be discussed in person at the start of our 48 hours. You will then set out in your teams to make your films. All completed films will then be screened at the next Queer Filmmaker’s Group session in June (bring your friends)!
The challenge is open for any and all levels of filmmaking experience and we encourage people who are brand-new to film to attend. You can either sign up as a group or as an individual, where we will assign you to a group.

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.

About the group:
The SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is a monthly meetup designed for LGBTQIA+ filmmakers in Scotland to meet other queer creatives and do everything film. From challenges to networking events, skills development to special guest speakers, the SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is THE place to be if you’re queer and into film.
The group is open for any level of filmmaking or film supporting arts (ie. acting, prop making, music and sound design…) and we really encourage people just starting out in these mediums to come along.
Join a very friendly and supportive cohort of queer artists in Scotland making films!

Accessibility:

BSL-English interpretation for the whole event.
Relaxed event.
Wheelchair Access.
We have an Audience Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.

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.

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

SQIFF x Porty Pride Film Night
2026-06-07 19:00 - 21:00 UTC | Portobello Town Hall, 147-149 Portobello High Street, Edinburgh, EH15 1AF
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Once again, SQIFF and Porty Pride are teaming up to bring you an eclectic mix of queer short films.
This edition celebrates multi-cultural intersections in queer cinema. The first film, Who Will Be Remembered Here, is a brave tale of reclaiming history against the backdrop of rural Scotland. Next is Dissonance which follows a young Black woman fleeing a homophobic upbringing and discovering herself in Glasgow.
Then we have Oceania, a colourful, softly lit short about a teenage gamer dealing with grief. This is followed by a moving animation named Two Black Boys in Paradise that explores the joys and woes of queer black gays passionately in love.
Then comes Two Travelling Aunties, the adorable and funny story of two older lesbians from Singapore living out their dream travelling the world together in their van. Last but not least is the hilarious Sriracha. An east-asian drag king and a Turkish kebab chef clash over the condiment but are brought together by their rage towards some drunk British lads.
Then please join us for a chatty informal Q&A with some of the filmmakers, hosted by Nat Lall.
Curated by Nat Lall
Tickets are on a pay what you can sliding scale of £5, £10, £15. To book your ticket for this event, click here.

Accessibility
This programme has:

An age recommendation of N/C 16+.
British Sign Language and English, French, Scottish Gaelic audio with English language Descriptive Subtitles
BSL-English interpretation provided for the introduction and panel discussion.

This screening is 126 minutes long with a introduction and panel discussion.

Films in this programme include:
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.

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.

Oceania, Dir. Valentin Noujaïm, 2024, Lebanon, 24 min
Najib, 16, spends his summer on a video game, until his mother, Asma, discovers the death of their elderly and lonely neighbour. He steals the keys to the apartment, and dives into an unexpected world.
Content notes: Discussion of death, HIV stigma.
Access notes: Flashing imagery, flashing lights.

Two Black Boys in Paradise, Dir. Baz Sells, 2025, United Kingdom, 9 min
A movingly tender animation, based on Dean Atta’s eponymous poem, sees two boys (Edan, 19 and Dula, 18) on a journey of self-acceptance and love – for each other and themselves.
Content notes: Depiction of animated nudity, homophobia, police harassment, racism, sex.

Two Travelling Aunties, Dir. Christine Seow, 2025, Singapore, 22 min
Two spirited Singaporean seniors ditch conventional living for van life, embracing adventure, newfound freedom, and the joy of living on their terms.
Content notes: Depiction of drug use. Discussion of family rejection.

Sriracha, Dir. Weili Hsing, 2024, United Kingdom, 10 min
In a chaotic London kebab shop, Asian drag king Li clashes with traditional Turkish chef Hamza over sriracha. When drunk British lads arrive seeking trouble, a simple condiment dispute erupts into a full food fight. Through the mayhem, Li and Hamza discover their shared experience bridges cultural divides, forging unexpected friendship.
Content notes: Depiction of transphobia.

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: Porty Pride, 2025

Queer Filmmakers Group - 48 Hour Film Screening and SQIFF Trailer
2026-06-17 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | The Boardwalk, The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow, G1 1TF
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Want to see what the Queer Filmmakers Group made last month, and help shape what thousands of festival-goers will see this autumn? Join The Queer Filmmaker’s Group in a creative and practical session making the official festival trailer for the 2026 edition of the Scottish Queer International Film Festival!
Working as a group, we will use this session to brainstorm and come up with ideas for making a short trailer over the course of the month. This session is a casual, fun, and hands-on way to get creative with a group of other queer filmmakers in Scotland.The completed trailer will be shown before each screening of the 2026 film festival, and will be watched by over 5000 people.
This session will also start with special screening of all the completed films made in the SQIFF 48 Hour Film Challenge in the previous month’s Queer Filmmaker’s Group.

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.

About the group:
The SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is a monthly meetup designed for LGBTQIA+ filmmakers in Scotland to meet other queer creatives and do everything film. From challenges to networking events, skills development to special guest speakers, the SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is THE place to be if you’re queer and into film.
The group is open for any level of filmmaking or film supporting arts (ie. acting, prop making, music and sound design…) and we really encourage people just starting out in these mediums to come along.
Join a very friendly and supportive cohort of queer artists in Scotland making films!

Accessibility:

BSL-English interpretation for the whole event.
Relaxed event.
Wheelchair Access.
We have an Audience Travel and Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.

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.

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

SQIFF x The Social Hub Movie Night: Nina's Heavenly Delights (20th Anniversary)
2026-07-14 18:00 - 21:00 UTC | The Social Hub, The Social Hub, Candleriggs Square, Glasgow, G1 1TQ
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SQIFF are excited to announce another collaboration with the Social Hub for this year’s Pride Hub event. This year we are celebrating the 20th anniversary of a queer, South Asian classic set right here in Glasgow, Nina’s Heavenly Delights. The film follows Nina’s return to her hometown of Glasgow to save her late father’s struggling curry house. Nina pairs up with childhood friend and chef Lisa to save the business and let’s just say things get a bit ‘spicy’. Expect laughs, bright colours and a celebration of Scottish Asian cuisine.

Alongside this feature we will be screening the short Bhangra Jig also by director Pratibha Parmar. This short film captures the high energy music genre of Bhangra being enjoyed, again, right here in Glasgow.

The films will be followed by a pre-recorded Q&A with Pratibha and SQIFF curator Nat Lall. We would love for you to join us for a celebration of the rich culture right here on our doorstep.

Tickets are Free with a donation option. To book your ticket for this event, click here.

Accessibility
We aim to be as accessible as possible, please get in touch if there’s anything we can do to make this event more accessible to you. This programme has:

An age recommendation of N/C 16+.
English language descriptive subtitles for the films and pre-recorded Q&A.
Text on screen provided for the introduction.
The Social Hub is wheelchair accessible, with gender neutral toilets.
Please let us know at check in if you don’t want to be in pictures or video.

This screening is 98 minutes long with an introduction and pre-recorded Q&A.

Films in this programme include:
Bhangra Jig, Dir. Pratibha Parmar, 1990, United Kingdom, 4 min
A young South Asian woman walks through the city of Glasgow, once the second largest city of the British Empire. Her eyes reflect on the wealth symbolised in the textures of the city’s architecture. Signs of Empire ever present in the stone freizes, imposing cast iron statues of dead colonialists, ornate pillars and the opulence of marble. Against histories of colonial carnage, Asian people build our communities and cultures, forging identities of self-affirmation. Against echoes of colonial memories is the living memory of today’s cultures of resistance: through dance and music, young Asian people celebrate desire and self pride. Bhangra Jig disrupts dominant notions of European culture and offers new meanings of what constitutes national cultures and identities, of what it means to be Asian, British and European. It was a four-minute television intervention piece, commissioned by Channel 4 celebrating Glasgow as the European cultural capital for 1990.

Nina’s Heavenly Delights, Dir. Pratibha Parmar, 2006, United Kingdom, 94 min
A feisty young woman returns to Glasgow to run her deceased father’s curry house.

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: Nina’s Heavenly Delights, Dir. Pratibha Parmar, 2006

Queer Filmmakers Group - Industry Speed Dating
2026-07-29 18:30 - 20:30 (Europe/London) | The Boardwalk, The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow, G1 1TF
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Looking to find collaborators, crew, or just more queer people to talk about film with? Join the Queer Filmmaker’s Group for an Industry Speed Dating session and get to know other LGBTQIA+ film workers in Scotland!
In classic speed dating fashion, participants will have 5 minutes to connect with another film worker before moving on to the next person. This session can be used to network for an upcoming project, find crew or make connections for future work, or just get more involved in the queer filmmaking scene in Scotland.
The speed dating session will last an hour and twenty minutes, with a short introduction and half an hour at the end for casual networking.
Bring yourself and an openness to meet new people!

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.

About the group:
The SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is a monthly meetup designed for LGBTQIA+ filmmakers in Scotland to meet other queer creatives and do everything film. From challenges to networking events, skills development to special guest speakers, the SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is THE place to be if you’re queer and into film.
The group is open for any level of filmmaking or film supporting arts (ie. acting, prop making, music and sound design…) and we really encourage people just starting out in these mediums to come along.
Join a very friendly and supportive cohort of queer artists in Scotland making films!

Accessibility:

BSL-English interpretation for the whole event.
Relaxed event.
Wheelchair Access.
We have an Audience Travel and Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.

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.

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

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

Fun films with Queer Families
2026-09-05 13:00 - 16:00 UTC | Hidden Gardens, 25A Albert Dr, Glasgow, G41 2PE, United Kingdom
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Queer Families and welcomes you to the 3rd year of this fun family film event! With short films for children and LGBTIQ+ families and community.

A relaxed film event hosted by the Queer Families community group. Join us for short films, snacks and creative activities for all ages around storytelling, film, and community!
In The Boilerhouse room, at the Hidden Gardens. 1-4pm.
Films for children 1-3pm
Inclusive animated shorts for children (0-8) and their families, curated by Nat Lall. All families welcome!
Short films: queer parenting 3-4pm
A selection of 3 short films exploring queer parenting and starting families. Everyone welcome!

About this event
The Queer Families Glasgow group hosts an annual film event celebrating short films that include LGBTIQ+ families – and give their children a chance to see families like theirs on screen! We’ll also have short films about animals, the sea, childhood, myths, magic and more.
We hold the event as a very relaxed film screening – you can drop in any time, and everyone’s free to move around, play and chat during the event. You can also try out DIY stop-motion and direct animation, make paper puppets, and share your ideas about the kinds of films you’d like to see!
Setting up: as this is a community event, we’ll spend the first 10 minutes setting up, and the last 15 minutes tidying up. We welcome people helping out with this at the start and end!

Tickets are free, get your tickets here!

Programme
FOR CHILDREN 1-3pm
Seaside Escape
Sea/Shore
The Penguin Who Couldn’t Swim
Sea Scouts’ Regatta
Edinburgh Zoo penguins livestream
Grand Dandy (For Ezra)
In Nature
Toti
Astral
Stop motion animations by children of the Queer Families group
And more!
These shorts are chosen to be interesting for children 0-8+ years old – with a range of stories and styles, and themes and characters to spark imagination. And we’ve included as many films as we could find that support belonging by showing LGBTQ parents, carers, grandparents (and lions, penguins, etc…) in positive, everyday ways that’ll resonate with young viewers!

FOR PARENTS, CARERS, AND EVERYONE ELSE 3pm
How to Make a Rainbow (16 mins)
Saturnrania (5 mins)
Lunchboxes (17 mins)
These shorts are chosen especially for LGBTIQ+ parents, carers and people starting families. You’re welcome to have your children with you at this screening, though the films aren’t chosen for children. Content warnings: How to Make a Rainbow mentions not being accepted by wider family. Lunchboxes talks about a parent’s fear of bullying. The overall tone of these short films is heart-warming, engaging, thoughtful – showing the joy and strength in LGBTIQ+ parenting.
Hosted by the Queer Families community groups, with support from Outside the Box and in partnership with SQIFF (Scottish Queer International Film Festival. Made possible by an award from the National Lottery Community Fund.

Accessibility:

The Boilerhouse room at the Hidden Gardens is a wheelchair accessible 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.

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 Families

BSL Film Club x SQIFF: Reconnection + Close to You + Q&A
2026-09-20 14:30 - 17:30 UTC
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This screening will have an introduction and be followed by a Q&A with Reconnection director Amy Helena, moderated by BSL Film Club co-programmer Charlie Little.

BSL Film Club are delighted to be collaborating with Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) on a partnership screening with Filmhouse.

BSL Film Club is Deaf Action’s monthly community screening, programmed by Charlie Little and Tomas Gerrard. These screenings are designed for all deaf, hard-of-hearing, and hearing audiences with an interest in British Sign Language. Our screenings are presented with on-screen descriptive subtitles, and all fluency levels of BSL are welcome.

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.

Join us afterwards for a Q&A with Reconnection director Amy Helena, moderated by BSL Film Club co-programmer Charlie Little.

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 audio and British Sing Language with English language Descriptive Subtitles
BSL-English Interpretation for the intro and panel discussion.
Live Captioning for the intro and panel discussion.

This screening is 110 minutes long.

Films in this programme includes:

Reconnection (dir. Amy Helena, UK, 2026, 11 mins, British Sign Language w/ English subtitles)

A couple’s argument is interrupted by a blackout. In candlelight, silence gives way to honesty, helping them reconnect and bridge the emotional distance between them.

Close to You (dir. Dominic Savage, Canada/UK/USA, 2023, 99 mins, English and American Sign Language w/ English subtitles)

Elliot Page stars in this gentle romantic drama alongside co-star Hillary Baack (Sound of Metal). Close to You follows a trans man as he returns to his hometown, facing family tensions and complicated dynamics. He reunites with a former love interest, and begins a journey of self-acceptance.

This event is 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: Close to You Dir. Dominic Savage, 2023

Queer Filmmakers Group - Intimacy Coordination with Ian West
2026-09-23 18:30 - 20:30 UTC | The Boardwalk, The Boardwalk, 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow, G1 1TF
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Want to learn how to create a safer and more considered set when it comes to intimacy in queer film?
Join the Queer Filmmakers’ Group for a special session on queer Intimacy Coordination in film, with guest speaker Ian West.
Ian West is a Glasgow-based intimacy coordinator who brings a unique blend of sensitivity, professionalism, artistic vision, and much-needed humour to every project. He has over 27 years of experience across high-end television and film, working throughout the UK and internationally, and maintains homes in both Glasgow and London.
This session will explore key considerations for intimacy coordination in queer filmmaking, and is relevant to people working across all departments in film; not just cast and directors. Come along with your questions prepared, as this is a great chance to get direct insight from someone working at the top of the field.

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.

About the group:
The SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is a monthly meetup designed for LGBTQIA+ filmmakers in Scotland to meet other queer creatives and do everything film. From challenges to networking events, skills development to special guest speakers, the SQIFF Queer Filmmakers Group is THE place to be if you’re queer and into film.
The group is open for any level of filmmaking or film supporting arts (ie. acting, prop making, music and sound design…) and we really encourage people just starting out in these mediums to come along.
Join a very friendly and supportive cohort of queer artists in Scotland making films!

Accessibility:

BSL-English interpretation for the whole event.
Relaxed event.
Wheelchair Access.
We have an Audience Travel and Access Fund for travel costs. If you would like to take this up, please contact info@sqiff.org.

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.

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
