Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival is back for another year – and it’s arguably bigger, brighter and gayer than ever before.
LGBTQIA+ cinema shines at the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival, the lineup celebrating queer culture from this world and beyond!
A huge local and international lineup holds space for queer storytelling emerging from all walks of life and all corners of the universe.
Last Friday saw the release of the 33rd Annual Mardi Gras Film Festival’s full lineup – coming in at over 130 films from 38 countries.
The programme boasts six World Premieres, five International Premieres and 64 national premieres spanning across a fortnight of Sydney’s Mardi Gras celebrations.
Opening Night starts with a bang in the form of Jimpa, a new film by acclaimed Australian filmmaker Sophie Hyde that stars John Lithgow alongside Academy Award-winner Olivia Colman.
Other features to check out include the Alexander Skarsgård-led, bikie rom-com Pillion and Kristen Stewart’s much anticipated directorial debut The Chronology of Water.
Carmen Emmi’s romantic thriller Plainclothes, starring Tom Blyth of The Hunger Games fame, is also back after a sold-out run at last year’s Queer Screen Film Festival.
Tina Romero puts her own spin on father George A. Romero’s legacy with Queens of the Dead, a fierce queer horror starring Katy O’Brien, Dominique Jackson and Drag Race alum Nina West.
Closing Night will be one to remember with Siobhan McCarthy’s She’s the He, a refreshing teen comedy celebrating trans, non-binary and queer young people coming-of-age.
Alongside an all-star feature lineup, MGFF will showcase a diverse variety of queer documentaries.
Notable picks include A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint which follows trans performer Peppermint’s rise to fame over a decade, whilst I Was Born This Way celebrates the life of singer Carl Bean (In case you were wondering, yes, Lady Gaga does have a cameo in this).
In festival tradition, Queer Screen will host a series of special events, commentaries, panels and short film compilations across their run with industry personnel and filmmakers set to attend.
If there’s ever been a year to fully dive deep into what the festival has to offer, it’s gotta be 2026!
Queer Screen’s Mardi Gras Film Festival runs from 12-26 of February 2026 in venues across the city; including Dendy Cinemas (Newtown), Event Cinemas (George St.) and the State Library of NSW.
The full festival lineup and ticketing information can be accessed here.
