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Fairy Tales Queer Film Festival
Wednesday, 11 June 2025 until Sunday, 15 June 2025
Over the last 26 years, Fairy Tales Queer Art Film Festival has grown from a fledgling, volunteer-run off-shoot of The Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers, to become one of Canada’s largest 2SLGBTQIA+ film festivals. As of 2024, the festival was expanded to include other art forms.
Programmer's Choice Award: Short
Programmer's Choice Award: Feature
People’s Choice Award: Canadian Short
People’s Choice Award: Canadian Feature
People’s Choice Award: International Short
People’s Choice Award: International Feature
2025 Festival Schedule...
AFTER DARK – Carnage Before Christmas
All the Colours of the World Are Between Black & White
Some Nights I Feel Like Walking
Stimulants & Empathogens
Antek, a teenager from a conservative, affluent family, becomes infatuated with Kuba, a teenage drug dealer. Despite their differences, Antek continues to buy drugs he doesn’t use just to spend time with Kuba. Their worlds collide unexpectedly when their families intersect, challenging Antek’s perceptions of love and identity.
Country of Origin: Poland
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 25:00
Language: Polish
Director: Mateusz Pacewicz
TAPAGE
Nemo, 20, has just found out that he will soon be deaf. At the hospital, he catches the mischievous Lou stealing pharmaceuticals. Determined to escape this new reality that he can’t process, he decides to follow Lou through the night. As Nemo’s hearing disorder worsen and desire awakens between the two boys, Lou will teach him to let go in order to accept his condition.
Country of Origin: France
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 24:59
Language: French with English Subtitles
Director: Joséphine Madinier
175
Inspired by true events, 175 is a poignant love story focusing on the months leading up to the legalization of same-sex marriage in the UK. Juliet and Ruth, a couple in their late 50s, are eager to marry before Juliet’s terminal illness progresses. As they await the parliamentary vote, they confront the fragility of time and the strength of their bond.
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 21:50
Language: English
Director: Kasra Karimi
Lost Hearts
Set in Paris, 1992, Julien, a science thesis student, learns of the death of Christophe, a young suburban hairdresser he had met months earlier. As Julien retraces their brief connection, he embarks on a journey of understanding and forgiveness, confronting the complexities of memory and loss.
Country of Origin: France
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 30:00
Language: French with English Subtitles
Director: Frederic Lavigne
The Dinner
There are some issues which cannot be left for later!
Country of Origin: Spain
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 30:00
Language: French with English Subtitles
Director: Jesus Martinez “Nota”
Iconic
ICONIC is a raw, unapologetic blend of music video, experimental cinema, and queer manifesto. Featuring the original song ICONIC, this fully independent short is powered by an all-trans and non-binary team. No budget safety net. No rules. Just pure self-expression. Shot entirely on vibrant Super 8mm, it captures the fierce presence of Montreal’s Aizysse Baga, who performs, styles, and designs every detail herself.
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2025
Run Time: 4:15
Language: English
Director: April Daneau
The Last Goodbye
After a breakup, Nic and Kitty reunite at a park to clean up loose ends. Sometimes, relationship changes aren’t for better or worse—it’s just different.
Country of Origin: United States
Year of Release: 2023
Run Time: 3:15
Language: English
Director: Ahlaam Yasmin
Lovin’ Her
A mature trans woman navigates the complexities of a fading memory, as the lines between past and present blur, delving into the intricacies of love.
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 14:58
Language: English
Director: day
The Blurring of Trees
Two incarcerated women in a secure Northern Québec forest are subjected to the hard labour of reforestation. They enjoy a little area of freedom they’ve managed to create thanks to an empathetic prison guard.
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 11:05
Language: French with English Subtitles
Director: Fanny Perreault
The Talk
The Talk showcases the experiences of three LGBTQ+ youth learning about sex health under an inadequate sex-ed curriculum. Each subject opens up about their knowledge surrounding sexual health, gender identity, the not so honest information they were taught in their classrooms and its impact on their self-image.
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2022
Run Time: 5:41
Language: English
Director: Ella Saini
The Lift
Sammy is a queer millennial with a precarious life and all the anxieties that go with it. When they make a snap decision to shoplift a shirt, their mental health takes a spiral – until they get a lesson about late-stage capitalism from the last person they’d expect.
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2025
Run Time: 12:17
Language: English
Director: King Dawit
Bangs
A woman turning 30 impulsively gives herself a dramatic haircut moments before hosting her birthday dinner—and it’s fine, it’s totally fine. Bangs is a paranoia-fueled comedy about one woman’s need for recognition and what happens when that recognition never comes.
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 13:34
Language: English
Director: Nancy Webb
Ramen Boys
Kevin, a hopeful romantic, finally takes a chance to connect with James, the lifeguard he’s admired from afar, leading to an extremely expected first kiss and a summer of love and laughter.
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 13:20
Language: English
Director: Jason Sakaki
Clementine
A late-blooming trans woman grapples with a lifetime of expectations in this moving story about mother-daughter love, identity, and self-acceptance.
Country of Origin: United States
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 15:00
Language: English
Director: Sally Tran
Shorts: Not That Kind of Phase
The Ick
Country of Origin: Canada
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 6:51
Language: English
Synopsis: Two young men meet for a first date. Things are going well until a revelation is made.
Director: Kyle Marshall
I Had Sex But…
Country of Origin: England
Year of Release: 2025
Run Time: 14:44
Language: English, Mandarin Chinese (with subtitles)
Synopsis: How would you define intimacy and how would you find it? The filmmaker tried to find it by having his first sexual experiences with strangers. The film shows the interactions between them before and after sex. And after these encounters, the filmmaker had some new thoughts about intimacy and sex.
Director: Ang Li
Su Twice
Country of Origin: Switzerland
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 19:00
Language: French, Italian (with subtitles)
Synopsis: Su, a young Italian gardener, works in Switzerland. One morning she is summoned by her boss to defend herself against an accusation of theft at work. Su recounts the day’s events, in which she became familiar with her older and mysterious colleague Lore. As the interview with the boss proceeds, Su realises that in order to protect herself she has to tell a different version of the actual events.
Director: Agnese Làposi
Dandelion
Country of Origin: United States
Year of Release: 2025
Run Time: 19:59
Language: English
Synopsis: In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen MAX navigates a hot summer of parties, bike rides and growing pains while finding love and heartbreak in the queer punk scene.
Director: Fiona Obertinca
Kotowari
Country of Origin: France
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 25:00
Language: French (with English subtitles)
Synopsis: A poignant exploration of cultural identity and personal boundaries, Kotowari follows a young woman’s journey as she navigates the complexities of tradition and self-expression.
Director: Coralie Watanabe Prosper
Theo’s Friend
Country of Origin: United Kingdom
Year of Release: 2025
Run Time: 10:48
Language: English
Synopsis: A heartfelt narrative that delves into the dynamics of friendship and the challenges of growing up queer in a conservative environment.
Director: Josh Black
Shorts: Tangled Hearts, Quiet Revolutions
Aadat
In conservative Karachi, college student Ali Kamran hires a teenage sex worker, Tariq, to explore his sexuality. Their brief encounter leads to unforeseen consequences, highlighting the perilous intersection of desire and societal norms.
Country of Origin: Pakistan
Year of Release: 2020
Run Time: 13:00
Language: Urdu/Hindi, with English Subtitles
Director: Iqran Rasheed
Elijah
Haider, a Bengali Muslim taxi driver faces the stark intersection of his faith and identity when he meets Elijah, a passenger with a shared past.
Country of Origin: United States
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 19:00
Language: English
Director: Razid Season
U for Usha
Usha, an illiterate single mother and farm laborer in rural India, finds herself drawn to her children’s female teacher in unexpected ways. This newfound attraction ignites her passion to learn, challenging societal norms and personal boundaries.
Country of Origin: India
Year of Release: 2019
Run Time: 22:00
Language: Marathi, with English Subtitles
Director: Rohan Kanawade
Shame
In the 19th century, in the Levant region, Salma Zahore, along with her parents and neighbors, participated in a photoshoot using a long exposure technique. At the end of it, Salma decided to take off her coat, revealing her body. Unaware of the chaos this gesture could cause within her circle, she did not know it could lead to shame (عيب).
Country of Origin: Lebanon
Year of Release: 2024
Run Time: 4:27
Language: Arabic, with English Subtitles
Director: Hadi Moussally
AFTER DARK – Love, Lust & Liberation
Helping Hands
In a soft-lit studio, Freshie Juice binds Loisplz during a shibari-themed photo shoot. Between knots, the pair share candid reflections on rope play, embodiment, and power exchange.
Director: Ryan Suits
Country: United States
Year: 2024
Run Time: 5:00
Language: English
Genderfluid
“In my dreams, I f*ck girls all day long.” A poetic dive into the erotic imagination of a non-binary person, weaving desire, gender fluidity, and dream logic into lush, lyrical imagery.
Directors: La Fille Renne, Laure Giappiconi, Elisa Monteil
Country: France
Year: 2024
Run Time: 6:43
Language: French (with English subtitles)
CrashPad Series: J London & Johnny Castro
Blindfolded and begging, J London submits to the decadent touch of Johnny Castro in this steamy, high-energy scene from CrashPad. What begins as flirtation erupts into full-blown domination.
Director: Ava LaPrima (CrashPad Series)
Country: United States
Year: 2024
Run Time: 11:54
Language: English
The Whoresurrection
In a haunting ritual of power and pleasure, Lilith—the original whore mother—is summoned back to Earth. A visually rich ode to sex workers past, present, and future, The Whoresurrection is both incantation and invocation.
Director: Beau
Country: Canada
Year: 2024
Run Time: 8:00
Language: English
Disco Thicc
Iconic performer April Flores treats us to a self-pleasure session dripping with vintage glamour. Soft neon, VHS textures, and radical body love make this a disco you won’t forget.
Director: Ryan Suits
Country: United States
Year: 2024
Run Time: 5:00
Language: English
Best Boys Only
At frat house ΓΔζ, the final hazing test isn’t about beer pong—it’s about being a very, very good boy. An ensemble cast of trans masc and nonbinary stars get down, dirty, and delightfully submissive.
Director: Oran Julius
Country: United States
Year: 2024
Run Time: 4:46
Language: English
Walking a Fine Line
In this dreamy companion piece to Helping Hands, abcde Flash and Matis d’Arc explore rope work, tension, and consent through performance and presence.
Director: Meti Oker
Country: Canada
Year: 2024
Run Time: 4:19
Language: English
Bad Witch
Kali Sudhra is a flunking witch with fabulous taste in lovers. Her accidental spell brings Julia Roca into her magical mess of desire and transformation. Erotic, silly, and packed with chemistry.
Director: altSHIFT
Country: Spain
Year: 2024
Run Time: 11:40
Language: English