Home / Arts and Entertainment / Queer East Fest Ignites London with Asian Queer Cinema
Queer East Fest Ignites London with Asian Queer Cinema
27 Apr
Summary
- The festival showcases queer cinema and performing arts from May 1 to June 6.
- It features over 130 films, including shorts, from East and Southeast Asia.
- A restored version of Taiwan's 'The Outsiders' opens the 2026 festival.
The Queer East Festival returns to London for its seventh edition, presenting a vibrant celebration of East and Southeast Asian queer cinema and performing arts from May 1 to June 6. The festival opens at the Barbican with the U.K. premiere of the 4K restoration of 1986's 'The Outsiders,' a significant Taiwanese film. This restored version includes previously censored material, offering a complete view of its original vision.
This year's program boasts over 130 films, including more than 90 shorts, sourced from various Asian countries and their diaspora communities. Highlights include South Korean cinema milestone '3670,' Thai feature 'A Useful Ghost,' and 'Montreal, My Beautiful' starring Joan Chen. The festival also screens classics like Ulrike Ottinger's 'Johanna d'Arc of Mongolia' and Sundance winner 'Cactus Pears.'
Beyond films, Queer East offers talks, workshops, and a rave on May 16. The Queer East Industry Day on May 24 will convene film professionals to discuss challenges in queer and Asian independent film production. Festival director Yi Wang emphasizes the importance of queer cinema heritage, featuring screenings on 35mm prints and rare archival materials.
Founder Yi Wang established the festival due to a personal lack of East and Southeast Asian queer cinema representation in London. She noted the growth from a small showcase to one of the U.K.'s largest queer Asian festivals, now utilizing 14 venues across the city. Wang aims to present queer cinema in a three-dimensional way, encompassing social issues, comedy, and romance.
