Queer Lisboa Marks 30th Anniversary With Expansive LGBTQ Cinema Showcase

Portugal’s preeminent Queer Lisboa – International Queer Film Festival launched its 30th edition on Friday, presenting a comprehensive program that highlights the latest in LGBTQ cinema alongside a historical look at revolutionary works from activist filmmakers on both sides of the Atlantic.

Originally established in 1997 at the Cinemateca Portuguesa as the Lisbon Gay and Lesbian Film Festival, the event remains Lisbon’s oldest film festival. Its inaugural screening featured Jean Genet’s 1950 short film “Un chant d’amour.” According to artistic director João Ferreira, the festival’s early institutional backing at the Portuguese Cinematheque distinguished it from other European queer festivals, such as those in Madrid and Paris.

“From the very beginning, the festival was not envisioned as a niche event solely for the LGBTQ community,” Ferreira explained. “It attracted a broad, cinephile audience from day one.” He noted that during its first three years, the event was organized by the Portuguese chapter of ILGA, which reinforced a vital community dimension.

Ferreira emphasized that the festival’s curatorial vision has always extended beyond traditional narratives, seeking instead a “queer gaze” and camp aesthetics. This approach has shaped the festival’s identity despite its original name.

The current edition, running from September 18 to 26 at the Cinemateca Portuguesa and Cinema São Jorge, features 94 feature films, documentaries, and shorts. The opening night presentation marks the Portuguese premiere of Ira Sachs’ “The Man I Love,” starring Rami Malek. The festival will conclude with Leah Nelson’s acclaimed animated drama “Tangles.”

Among the new additions is Queer Family, a section dedicated to children and their parents, focusing on independent films that explore inclusion and identity. The inaugural lineup includes Allan Deberton’s Berlinale award-winner “Gugu’s World” and Priscilla Kellen’s animated feature “Papaya.”

Programmer and director Ana David stated that attracting younger demographics has been a long-standing objective. “We’ll see if it’s the kids bringing their parents, or if it’s the parents bringing their kids,” David said. “It’s important for us to work with young audiences who will also become the adult audiences of the festival in the future.” Early ticket sales for these screenings have been strong.

As LGBTQ cinema gains mainstream appeal, Queer Lisboa aims to balance popular titles with independent discoveries and radical experimental works. “We want this spectrum, the big films and very small films,” Ferreira said. “It’s part of our joy as programmers to discover these smaller and more independent, sometimes more DIY filmmakers.”

The anniversary also features an expanded Retrospectives section with 19 titles, inspired by fellow milestone celebrations from BFI Flare, Frameline, and Paris’ Chéries-Chéris. The lineup includes the Wachowskis’ 1996 debut “Bound,” Sally Potter’s “Orlando,” Lisa Cholodenko’s “High Art,” Patrice Chéreau’s “The Wounded Man,” and Frank Ripploh’s 1980 classic “Taxi to the Toilet.”

David highlighted the significance of showing rare or restored prints, noting that “Orlando” is screening for the first time at the Cinemateca Portuguesa on 35mm. Additionally, a newly restored version of João Paulo Ferreira’s 1976 subversive musical comedy “Fatucha Superstar” will be shown. Made in the aftermath of Portugal’s 1974 revolution, the film ridicules the apparition of Our Lady of Fátima and Christian symbolism associated with the former authoritarian regime.

Ferreira co-founded the Cineground collective with Óscar Alves, producing pioneering queer Super 8 films screened in Lisbon’s gay bars and nightclubs during the 1970s.

The competition and sidebar sections feature world and European premieres of films such as André Godinho’s “Nothing Left,” the Ramírez Pérez duo’s “Life Is About Losing Everything,” Céline Carridroit and Aline Suter’s “Summer Drift,” and David Shadrack Smith’s “Public Access.” Special screenings will also include Pedro Almodóvar’s “Bitter Christmas” and Jane Schoenbrun’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma.”

The Queer Lisboa feature film competition includes titles from South Africa, Mexico, Spain, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, Brazil, and the Philippines, with “Black Burns Fast,” “On the Road,” “Strange River,” “La Gradiva,” “Iván & Hadoum,” “Julian,” “London,” and “Raging” among the contenders.