Focus on Queer 中文 Cinema

A diverse selection of films from mainland China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the broader Chinese-speaking diaspora – intertwining language, emotion and identity.

Spanning Mandarin, Cantonese, Hokkien and other dialects, this program captures queer experiences with nuance, emotional depth and cultural specificity. Everyday conversations, family tensions, unspoken desires and quiet acts of resistance unfold not only through story, but also through the cinematic form itself – traversing fiction, documentary and experimental modes.

Chinese-language queer films have rarely been given prominence in global cinema, and even less so in dedicated programming. Presenting these voices creates space for recognition, reflection and connection – not only for queer and Chinese-speaking audiences, but for anyone seeking to engage with rich, complex and evolving expressions of queerness across Chinese-speaking worlds.

By gathering these works at ACMI, Focus on Queer 中文 Cinema invites audiences to experience queerness through the living textures of Chinese language – in all its beauty, contradiction and humanity.

The selection includes 10 feature-length films and a program of short films, covering more than five decades of Chinese-language queer cinema. This diverse lineup reflects the multiplicity of queer experiences across different regions, generations and social contexts, from family dramas to acts of political resistance, from trans narratives to intimate love stories. Each film contributes a distinct voice to an evolving, collective conversation around identity, language and belonging.

This program is curated by the Chinese Independent Film Foundation & Beijing Queer Film Festival.