Scottish Queer International Film Festival is back with 19 curated programmes to choose from
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGE PROVIDED
Get ready, film lovers – the Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF) is back, and it’s celebrating an incredible 10 years of queer cinema, community and joy. From 27 October to 1 November, Glasgow will play host to this milestone edition, with screenings and events spread across five brand-new venues. Expect a dazzling programme packed with stories that will make you laugh, cry, and maybe even scream (in the best way).
As Scotland’s biggest and longest-running queer film festival, SQIFF is pulling out all the stops: 19 carefully curated strands, over 90 short films, four feature films and a gloriously ghoulish Halloween horror special. And because it wouldn’t be spooky season without a little queer magic, audiences can also catch the Scottish premiere of Alice Maio Mackay’s supernatural hit The Serpent’s Skin.
Indigo Korres, Director of SQIFF, shared the excitement: “We are so excited for SQIFF’s 10th edition. We can’t wait to share our ambitious programme with you, including everything from queer heartbreak to camp horror. SQIFF has a fantastic audience and we look forward to coming together again to celebrate queer film, art and community.”
The closing night promises to be just as memorable. Alongside the announcement of the Best Scottish Short Award, audiences will be treated to Shatara Michelle Ford’s brand-new feature Dreams In Nightmares – followed by a joyful, high-energy queer club night. And if that’s not enough, this year’s festival also features a queer craft fair where local makers will be showcasing everything from ceramics to jewellery.
This year’s programme also makes space for urgent, powerful voices. No Pride In Genocide is a moving strand that amplifies work from Palestine and Lebanon, telling stories of queer love, loss, resistance and survival. Plus, SQIFF is welcoming guest curators from Oska Bright Film Festival – the world’s leading learning disability film festival – and Queer East, who spotlight bold LGBTQIA+ artists from East and Southeast Asia.
Ilia Ryzhenko, Manager at Film Hub Scotland, commented: “Every year, SQIFF offers accessible and boundary-pushing film events to audiences across Scotland – and this year is no different. We are proud to support the festival’s 10th anniversary programme: thanks to its focus on community, emerging Scottish filmmakers and partnerships – like those with Oska Bright Film Festival – it will ensure as many people as possible can experience the magic of queer cinema, right in the heart of Glasgow.”
You can read the full 2025 programme here. Tickets are on sale now.
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