Back for its seventh year, Queer East Festival has announced its 2026 line-up – and whether you’re into mesmerising docs or eye-opening features, the programme has something for everyone.
Running from May 1 to June 6, this celebration of East and Southeast Asian LGBTQ cinema has loads on offer. Feature films, shorts and documentaries will be showing at the Barbican and BFI Southbank, as well as cult venues like Chats Palace. All the carefully curated picks explore East and Southeast Asia’s colourful, bustling and long under-appreciated queer culture.
Highlights include a 4k restoration of Taiwanese queer classic The Outsiders, to be screened on the big opening night in the Barbican; 3670, a groundbreaking picture exploring Seoul’s gay scenes; and Johanna d’Arc of Mongolia, Ulrike Ottinger’s 1989 modern classic about an all-female gang of South Asian warriors last screened in the MoMA. There’s a Sundance winner, Cactus Pears, on the line-up too.
There’s plenty of UK premieres at the festival as well. Between Goodbyes, a documentary about Korea’s overseas adoption programme told from the perspective of queer parents, will get its UK premiere on May 24. If you’re into campy comedy, A Good Child, a funny and moving Singaporean film about a drag queen coming home to take care of their mother, premieres on May 9.
Founded by film curator Yi Wang to tackle the lack of Asian representation on the big screen, Queer East now also offers talks and workshops at Battersea Arts Centre and other London venues.
Ticket prices vary, but generally a screening will set you back around £14-16, less if you’re under 18 or have a disability. Some venues, like the Institute of Contemporary Arts, offer £5 tickets for under-25s.
You can find Queer East’s full 2026 programme, including dates and venues, here.
Dates can be provisional, so always check the programme for changes.
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