IQMF: Short Film Program

1.Du bist So Wunderbar (Paradise Europe)

On the day thousands of people went to the streets protesting against unaffordable rents in Berlin and the abolishment of the rental cap law, a gay Brazilian immigrant who was just kicked out of his apartment struggles to find a new room while his personal life falls apart as well as the city around him. Winner of the Silver Leopard at the 76th Locarno Film Festival – Pardi di Domani International Competition.

Duration: 17min
Director: Leandro Goddinho & Paulo Menezes
Language: German, English, Portuguese
Subtitles: English
Country: Germany
Year: 2023

2. The Performance

Chorister Lin (41) is preparing her solo performance for the Chinese New Year celebration at her church. When rumors start circulating about her son, she is faced with a difficult choice: will she hide or show her true self?

Duration: 20min
Director: Claire Zhou
Language: Dutch, Mandarin Chinese
Subtitles: English
Country: Netherlands
Year: 2023

3. Flores del Otro Patio

In the north of Colombia, a group of queer activists use extravagant performative actions to denounce the disastrous exploitation by the country’s largest coal mine.

Duration: 15min
Director: Jorge Cadena
Language: Spanish
Subtitles: English
Country: Switzerland, Colombia
Year: 2022

4. Heart Murmurs

Heart Murmurs is a poetic dialogue between the filmmaker and Dean, a young man living in Hong Kong. In reflecting on his experience living with a congenital disability and HIV during the first years of the COVID pandemic, the film questions the boundary of care and control.

Duration: 9min
Director: Dorothy Cheung
Language: Cantonese
Country: Hong Kong
Subtitles: English
Year: 2024

5. Maghreb’s Hope

Through a fusion of drawing, animation techniques, and real-life footage,these artistic portrayals highlight the experiences of queer individuals from theMaghreb; region, including Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, and Morocco. These individuals have courageously shattered societal taboos surrounding their gender and sexuality, defying legal, social, and familial pressures, even among those who have chosen to distance themselves from their families.

Duration: 23min
Director: Bassem Ben Brahim
Language: Arabic
Country: Tunisia
Subtitles: English
Year: 2023