From acts of subtle defiance to mass movements protesting state repression, queer history is replete with rich traditions of resistance. This propulsive programme unites queer struggles past and present, real and imagined, where glimpses into liberated futures flicker into view. Across a trans kung fu enclave and Filipinx organising in 90s New York, resistance manifests as the sustained, collective labour of nurturing bonds and building sanctuaries.

The Martial Forest
Exiled from society, a kung fu master leads a queer collective of fighters.
dir. J Triangular | Taiwan, Colombia | 2025 | 8min

BECAUSE OF YOU: A History of Kilawin Kolektibo
This documentary traces the history of the trailblazing Filipinx queer collective Kilawin Kolektibo, who were active in New York in the 1990s.
dir. Barbara Malaran, Desireena Almoradie | USA | 2025 | 35min

Elegy for the Lost
This lyrical essay film explores sexual identity and power in contemporary China.
dir. William Hong-xiao Wei | France, Spain, UK | 2025 | 30min

Take Care, Till Springtime
A queer Chinese medicine practitioner heals after being brutalised by the police.
dir. Yi Shi | Canada, China | 2025 | 22min

Curatorial idea by Holly Rowley, as part of Up Next: Future Film Curators Lab 2025/26

As part of Queer East 2026, a cross-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities.