Gaze LGBT Film Festival

2025 films...

Plainclothes

USA 1hr 53m

Dir. Carmen Emmi

Russell Tovey and Tom Blyth star in this compelling honeytrap drama set in the 1990s. Blyth plays a promising undercover agent, assigned the role of ‘pretty policeman’ to lure and arrest gay men for cruising. When he meets married man Tovey, he defies orders and pursues his target for a different reason. 

Three HIV Legacy Stories

John Hall, Patrick Batt, Martine de Schutter; these are not household names, but through three striking documentaries led by the subjects’ own children and successors, their activist legacies around the AIDS crisis in Australia, the US and the Netherlands are immortalised in intimate detail. Includes post-screening conversation.

AutoErotica: We Buy Gay Stuff | Jeremy Stilb/ USA/ 17m
While We Still Have Time | Ava Grimshaw-Hall/ Australia/ 15m
My Sweet Child | Maarten de Schutter/ Netherlands/ 57m

Girls & Boys

Ireland 1h 30m  

Dir. Donncha Gilmore

This Irish feature debut sees rising stars Liath Hannon and Adam Lunnon-Collery lead a tender romantic drama. Think Normal People with a queer flair. We are thrilled by a rare gem of trans representation in Irish film, plus all the action takes place over a few dreamy nights in Dublin. Very GAZE. Includes filmmaker Q&A.

Featuring:
Saigon Kiss | Hong Anh Nguyen/ Vietnam, Germany, Australia/ 2025/ 22m 

Oslo Stories Trilogy: Dreams

Norway 1h 50m

Dir. Dag Johan Haugerud 

When a new French teacher arrives at school, teenager Johanne is captivated, and very soon obsessed. To preserve the pleasure and pain of this first crush, she writes the experience down as an erotic story. When her words fall into others’ hands it causes a ripple effect she could never predict.

Featuring:
Big Bass | Drew Dickler/ USA/ 14m

Three Japanese Love Stories

Thirty years ago, Shinjuku Boys changed the landscape of butch and trans masc representation in film. Join us in revisiting this iconic documentary alongside two new lesbian and non-binary narrative shorts from Japan’s contemporary queer filmmaking scene. Includes post-screening conversation.

Farewell, Saranghae, Farewell | HONG Sunhye/ Japan/ 26m
Hear. Me. Out. | Yukie Mochizuki/ Japan/ 17m
Shinjuku Boys | Kim Longinotto, Jano Williams/ UK/ 53m  

New Irish Shorts

From a rural parish with a quare priest to a Dublin community centre where queer migrants share their stories, a risky Belfast hookup to a Northern Irish mission to the moon, queer and trans Irish filmmakers share new stories from across the island. Includes filmmaker Q&A.

Everything Looks Simple From A Distance | Conor Toner/ Ireland/ 13m
Outlasting | Lewis Doherty/ Northern Ireland/ 4m
Moved | Sarah Griffin/ Ireland/ 14m
BOOBS | Nicola Leddy/ Ireland/ 16m
Mercy | Dara McManus/ Ireland/ 5m
Purebred | Caleb J. Roberts/ Ireland/ 14m
Anziety | David O Carroll/ Ireland/ 10m
NIGHT GLANCES | Sam Ahern/ Ireland/ 20m
Fr. Brennan is Having a Breakdown! | Luke Faulkner/ Ireland/ 12m

High Art

Canada, USA 1h 41m • Irish Film Institute •

Dir. Lisa Cholodenko

Newly restored in 4k, this 1998 hidden gem stars Ally Sheedy as an elusive photographer seducing her naive editor into a glamorous world of sex, drugs, art, and danger. A stone-cold queer classic from the peak era of lesbian sex dramas.

Featuring:
Shall We Meet Tonight | Wapah Ezeigwe/ UK, Nigeria/ 2025/ 15m

Baby

Brazil, France, Netherlands 1h 47m

Dir. Marcelo Caetano

Fresh from a juvenile detention centre, Wellington is set adrift on the chaotic streets of São Paulo. In a porn cinema he meets Ronaldo, a rugged older bear who will mentor him in the art of street survival, forging a passionate bond that will alter them forever.

Featuring:
ANGELO | Helias Doulis/ Greece/ 13m

Three Queer Migration Stories: Dreamers & Pre-Feature Short Films

Of all genders and sexualities; from Nigeria, India, Brunei, and Lebanon; traveling alone, finding friendship, falling in love; this collection explores the bittersweet beauty of queer immigrant stories. Includes post-screening conversation. Our focus feature is the breakout narrative debut 'Dreamers', following four women in the harsh UK asylum system seeking freedom, connection, and a new life. An Irish Premiere for this brand new title.

Cahā | Chak Hin Leung/ UK/ 10m
Underneath the Veil | Elisa Ward/ Lebanon/ 22m
Dreamers | Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor/ UK/ 78m

Sandbag Dam

Saturday August 2nd 2025 • 2:30pm • Croatia, Slovenia, Lithuania 1h 28m • Light House Cinema • Dir. Cejen Cernic  

Slaven returns from his grown-up gay life in Berlin to the small Croatian town of his youth to find that his high-school friend Marko has never gone away, and neither has their desire for each other. As an oncoming flood threatens the town, Marko grapples with an intense compulsion to finally live his truth.

Featuring:
Hi Mom, It’s Me, Lou Lou | Atakan Yılmaz/Turkey/ 2025/ 21m

Our Animated Lives

In an abundant year for queer animation, GAZE is delighted to showcase an entire block of animated shorts. Genre hopping, boundary pushing, skin tingling and heartwarming, these shorts show how skilfully animators condense the expansive queer experience into their art.

Stoned for Christmas | Morgan Young/ USA/ 14m
Gossip/Clecs | Harri Shanahan/ Wales/ 2m
High Diver | Oscar Bittner/ Germany/ 5m
Grand Dandy (For Ezra) | The Campbells/ UK, USA/ 4m
Making Space | Alan Power/ Ireland/ 6m
No One Knows I'm A Dog On The Internet | Nate King/ USA/ 4m
Keith | Steven Fraser/ UK/ 8m
see you soon | Elisa Beli Borrelli/ Ireland/ 6m
Come the Sun | Haakon Ziegler/ UK/ 5m
Cherry, Passion Fruit | Renato José Duque/ Portugal/ 5m
Tiger Lily Mountain Pass | Nate King/ USA/ 5m
Y | Matea Kovač/ Croatia/ 7m
Unanimated Strangers | Róisín Sinai/ Ireland/ 5m
Gardening | Sarah Beeby/ UK/ 14m

Drive Back Home

Saturday August 2nd 2025 • 6:00pm • Canada 1h 40m • Irish Film Institute • Dir. Michael Clowater

Canada, 1970. Perley is in trouble with the law for public indecency. To keep him from jail, his straight brother Weldon travels cross-country to collect him. The drive back home forces the brothers to become acquainted in an honest new way. Based on a true story with Alan Cumming at his frazzled and fragile best.

Lesbian Space Princess

Saturday August 2nd 2025 • 7:15pm • Australia 1h 27m • Light House Cinema • Dir. Emma Hough Hobbs, Leela Varghese

Saira is a shy, anxious lesbian princess from the planet Clitopolis, thrust from her quiet palace life into joining forces with a non-binary popstar on a quest to rescue her ex-girlfriend from the dreaded Straight White Maliens.

Featuring:
Stardust & Camp | Jayden Van Win/ Australia/ 2025/ 12m

Departures

UK 1h 22m

Dir. Neil Ely, Lloyd Eyre-Morgan

Benji has been dumped by his 10/10 closeted f*ck-buddy and is seriously struggling to move on. His darkly comic and emotionally raw recovery explores love, loss, amazing sex, and how to rebuild after saying goodbye. Think Shirley Valentine meets Queer As Folk.

Featuring:
Romance is Dad | Dave Moran/ Ireland/ 2025/ 9m

Our Body Doubles

Looking, wanting, lusting, getting, having, becoming — these sultry shorts dive deep into sex and desire, exploring ways in which queer and trans identity is shaped by connecting with your body… and sharing that physical connection with others.

Anything With a Switch | Charli Brissey/ USA/ 5m
Mommy | Evie Snax, Manon Praline/ USA/ Germany/ 9m
Strangers on a Beach | Michael Schwartz/ USA/ 12m
Orgy Every Other Day | Samuel Döring/ USA, Germany/ 13m
Call me Ro | Carolina Meza/ Mexico/ 20m
THE WEAVER | Mistress Iris, Paul Flé/ France/ 9m
Grey at Night | Carlos Llaó/ Spain/ 30m 

A Body to Live In

USA 1h 38m

Dir. Angelo Madsen Minax

Weaving stunning still photographs with the voices of queer elders, Angelo Madsens' feature documentary traces the communities, philosophies, and controversial histories surrounding the Body Modification movement that began with underground artist Fakir Musafar. 

Featuring:
SKINFLICKER | Helena Gouveia Monteiro/ Ireland/ 2025/ 5m

Our Messy People

Have you ever met a flawless queer person? Does that exist? Should it? Tender imperfections and total disasters abound in these shorts about thorny, complicated queers and the people who love them, for better or worse. Usually worse.

Stephen | Jon Arnold/ UK/ 10m
Surprise, Baby! | Zane Igbe/ UK/ 12m
Due to Love | Elisa Ward/ Germany/ 12m
Somewhere Between You & Me | Julia Dahmen/ Germany/ 15m
Sydney & Kim | Hazel Katz/ USA/ 17m
GIVE ME THE MONEY | Vida Behar/ USA/ 8m
Pleasure | Jasper Caverly/ Australia/ 10m
Skirmish | Julia Wysocka/ Ireland/ 18m

Strange Journey: The Story of Rocky Horror

USA 1hr 29m

Dir. Linus O’Brien

After half a century of serving cult, The Rocky Horror Picture Show still unites misfits and queers around the world. This magical milestone doc is a celebration of that community and a true family affair, directed by Linus O’Brien, son of Rocky Horror creator Richard O’Brien.

Featuring:
Principal Boy | Maz Murray/ UK/ 2025/ 21m

Our Unnatural Ways

In a campy and combative edition of GAZE’s beloved genre shorts, queers use sci-fi, fantasy and horror to explore the evils of alien abductions, nefarious capitalists, and divine dyke drama – alongside the supernatural ways our community might survive in a dark, strange world.

Space Daddy | Stephen Carruthers/ UK/ 11m
House Hunters | Joe Warner/ UK/ 10m
En Memoria | Roberto Fatal/ USA, Mexico/ 11m
Divine Intervention | Ravenna Tran/ UK/ 17m
Stiff Drinks | Hugo Coelho, Tommy Le/ UK/ 7m
Consume | Aliyah Knight/ Australia/ 12m
Last Call | Winnie Cheung/ USA/ 7m
SHEMERGENCY |Paolo Accogli/ Italy/ 3m
PURPLE PATROL! | Jessica Q. Moore/ USA/ 8m
Bazooka | William Oliveira/ Brazil/ 16m

Queerpanorama

Hong Kong, USA 1h 27m

Dir. Jun Li

Adrift in Hong Kong, a young gay man begins to impersonate his most recent lovers at his next hookups in a shapeshiting search for real connection. Desire, ennui and youthful confusion intermingle in this sophisticated and explicit erotic urban noir.

Featuring
The 5 O’Clock Chime | James Cooper/ Japan, UK/ 2024/ 15m

The Rebrand

Canada 1h 29m

Dir. Kaye Adelaide

When broke videographer Nicole is hired by lesbian influencers to film their redemption documentary after a public cancellation, it sounds like an easy paycheck. But Nicole uncovers more than a problematic post in this toxic comedy-horror, as the lesbians have a dark plot to reclaim their perfect image…

Featuring:
Toxic Astrology Ex-Best Friends | Jack Warren/ USA/ 11m 

Scannáin Aiteach

A chairde! GAZE is celebrating over twenty years of LGBTQIA films as Gaeilge. Whether you’re new to the language or a certified Gaeilgeoir, celebrate Ireland’s native tongue with queer and trans (and subtitled) shorts across comedy, romance, documentary and more.

Olive| Neasa Hardiman/ Ireland/ 11m
“Normáilte” | Lukasz Simon/ Ireland/ 9m
éabha | Moritz Kramer/ Ireland/ 9m
West of the Horizon | Barra Convery/ Ireland/ 16m
An talamh faoi gheasa | Pradeep Mahadeshwar/ Ireland/ 10m
Cailíní Gránna | Hilary Bowen-Walsh/ Ireland/ 11m
Homofónia | Luke K. Murphy/ Ireland/ 11m
Claonadh | Ciara Ní É/ Ireland/ 14m

I'm Your Venus

USA 1hr 25m

Dir. Kimberly Reed

Following up Paris is Burning, the mother of all queer classics, this new documentary unites the brothers of ballroom icon Venus Xtravaganza with members of the Legendary House of Xtravaganza to re-open her unsolved murder.

Featuring:
Tessitura | Brit Fryer, Lydia Cornett/ USA/ 2025/ 18m
Time Capsule | Constanze Brodbeck/ USA/ 2025/ 5m

Dreams in Nightmares

USA, UK, Taiwan 2h 8m

Dir. Shatara Michelle Ford

When a friend disappears off grid, three Black queer women set out to find them on a road trip across the United States. Bonding, bitching and bathroom sex pave the way, along with a deeper ancestral resistance to Trump’s America.