Running from 12 – 26 February 2026, the 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival presents 139 outstanding films from 38 countries, showcasing bold new works, celebrated international titles and standout queer storytelling across features, documentaries, and shorts. The Australian Pride Network takes a look at 12 films worth checking out:
JIMPA
Award-winning actors Olivia Colman (The Favourite) and John Lithgow (Love is Strange) star in this uplifting multi-generational family story from acclaimed writer-director Sophie Hyde (Good Luck to You, Leo Grande). Inspired by Hyde’s relationship with her own late gay father and non-binary child, the film grew from the conversations (and debates) she imagined they would have had about queer identity. Filmmaker Hannah (Colman) travels to Amsterdam with husband Harry (Daniel Henshall, Snowtown) and their non-binary teen, Frances (Aud Mason-Hyde; Right Here, MGFF23). Reconnecting with her politically-engaged, HIV+ academic gay father, Jim – affectionately known as “Jimpa” (Lithgow) – she hopes to discuss her plans to tell his story on screen. But when fiercely independent Jimpa’s health begins to decline, Hannah and her sister (Kate Box, Deadloch) must negotiate what happens next, as she confronts her past and the stories she’s told about her family. Opening Night Film – Sydney Premiere!
SHE’S THE HE
Full of over-the-top humour with an authentic heart, She’s the He is a bold reinvention of the high school teen comedy, joyfully reframed through a much-needed queer and trans lens. Tired of everyone assuming they’re gay, Alex (Nico Carney) convinces best friend Ethan (Misha Osherovich, Freaky) they should come out as trans women. Alex sees it as an excuse to get closer to his crush, Sasha (Malia Pyles, Pretty Little Liars: Original Sin). But when Ethan steps out as a woman for the first time and experiences warmth and acceptance, she realises she actually is trans. After their scheme is inevitably exposed, Ethan must work to rebuild everyone’s trust as she prepares to come out – for real this time. Closing Night Film – Sydney Premiere!
PILLION
Alexander Skarsgård (Big Little Lies) and Harry Melling (The Queen’s Gambit) star in this acclaimed, kinky “dom-com”, from writer-director Harry Lighton. Colin (Melling) is a directionless wallflower letting life pass him by. That is until Ray (Skarsgård), the impossibly handsome leader of a motorbike club, takes him on as his submissive. Uprooted from his dreary suburban life, Colin’s introduced to a community of kinky, queer bikers and uninhibited BDSM sex. But as Colin steps deeper into Ray’s world of rules and mysteries, he begins to question whether the life of a 24/7 submissive is for him. Has he found his calling, or simply swapped one form of suffocation for another? Winner of the Un Certain Regard Best Screenplay at Cannes, Lighton’s feature debut was adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ critically acclaimed novel Box Hill. Alongside mesmerising performances from both leads, Lesley Sharp (The Full Monty) is a stand-out as Colin’s no-nonsense mum, while Jake Shears (The Scissor Sisters) makes his screen debut as a fellow cheeky sub.
THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER
Kristen Stewart makes her directorial debut in this visceral adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s best-selling memoir, starring Imogen Poots (28 Weeks Later), Thora Birch (Ghost World) and Jim Belushi (Twin Peaks: The Return). Lidia (Poots) only feels at home in the water. Brought up in an environment torn apart by alcohol and violence, swimming offers a brief respite from the father who sexually abused her and her sister (Birch). But away from the pool she seems destined for self-destruction. Drinking, drugs and sex do little to numb her trauma, only jeopardising her college swimming scholarship. But a creative writing class with One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest author Ken Kesey (Belushi) offers her unexpected freedom. Writing allows her to find her voice and finally reclaims her own story.
A DEEPER LOVE: THE STORY OF MISS PEPPERMINT
Filmed over a decade, director Oriel Pe’er traces Peppermint’s journey from barely scraping by while living in a tiny apartment in Harlem, to becoming an international superstar and the first openly trans contestant on RuPaul’s Drag Race – and later, the first trans actor to originate a role on Broadway. As a Black trans woman in the public eye, she must navigate the increased scrutiny that comes with her broadening opportunities, amidst the increasingly volatile landscape for trans people during Trump’s first term. Highlighting the importance of her chosen family, it’s moments of levity and camaraderie with her trans sisters – which include Laverne Cox (Orange is the New Black) and Michaela Jaé Rodriguez (Pose) – that are the heart of Peppermint’s incredible story of resilience and joy. Offering unprecedented access, A Deeper Love reveals a life lived in full colour, and the radical freedom that comes from being seen fully and unapologetically.
PLAINCLOTHES
Back by popular demand after a sold out QSFF25 Opening Night, Russell Tovey (Looking) and Tom Blyth (The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds & Snakes) star in this tense romantic thriller. In 1990s New York, closeted undercover cop Lucas (Blyth) is tasked with seducing men in public bathrooms to arrest them. But when sparks fly between him and one of his targets (Tovey), he can’t go through with it. As they meet for further trysts, his intensifying feelings clash with a growing paranoia his secret will be discovered – by not just his colleagues, but his family. With mounting pressure to deliver arrests, Lucas must grapple with his heart and mind as he’s torn between duty and finally living his truth. Blending nostalgic Hi8 footage with Lana Del Rey-style soundscapes, Plainclothes tenderly captures the tension between the thrill of sexual exploration and the anxiety of being caught. Visually poetic and emotionally resonant, this beautifully crafted film is a haunting ode to queer love, longing and resistance.
TIGER
An erotic and provocative portrait of Japan’s hidden gay subculture, Tiger follows a gay masseuse drifting through parlours, bathhouses and the adult film industry. Taiga is a gay masseur in Tokyo, navigating a world where desire and visibility are often negotiated through the body. Seeking agency beyond fleeting encounters, he sets his sights on entering the gay pornography industry. But when his father’s sudden illness pulls him back into a bitter family dispute with his sister, Taiga is caught between deeply rooted expectations and the life he has chosen. As pressures mount, he considers a “friendship marriage” as a means of survival – a compromise that forces him to confront the cost of belonging. Inspired by real-life experiences within Japan’s LGBTIQ+ community, director Anshul Chauhan’s incisive drama exposes a repressed society shaped by male dominance and rigid family values, illuminating the quiet sacrifices demanded of those who dare to live freely.
LOVE ME TENDER
Vicky Krieps (Phantom Thread) gives a tour de force performance as a mother separated from her son, in this sophomore feature from previous Queer Palm winner Anna Cazenave Cambet. Lawyer turned writer Clémence (Krieps) is a woman who refuses to compromise. Amicably separated from her lawyer husband Laurent (Antoine Reinartz, Anatomy of a Fall), they share custody of their 8 year-old son, Paul. Carving out a bohemian life for herself in the Parisian queer scene, Clémence’s sex life is a fixture of her autofiction. But when she rebuffs Laurent’s advances and reveals she’s started dating women, her whole life is turned upside down. Filing for divorce and sole custody of Paul, he claims her lifestyle makes her a danger to their son, weaponising the legal system and her writing against her. Adapted from Constance Debré’s bestseller, this complex drama is deeply affecting and emotionally raw. Krieps is utterly magnetic as an unapologetically independent woman navigating homophobic and misogynistic bureaucracy, and a relentless barrage of lawyers, psychologists and blocked supervised visits.
ON THE SEA
In a close-knit Welsh coastal town where everyone knows everyone else’s business, intimacy becomes both a refuge and a risk, in this sweaty, salt-weathered romantic drama. Gruff, burly mussel farmer Jack clashes with his brother over how to keep the family business afloat, as he struggles to convince his teenage son to take an interest. When his son accidentally injures an ageing local fisherman, Jack volunteers to take his boat out for some fishing runs to get him through winter. Forced into close proximity with ruggedly handsome skipper Daniel, his unmistakable interest reawakens feelings Jack has spent years suppressing but can no longer ignore. Shot with a raw, tactile realism that mirrors the rhythms of the waves, On the Sea grounds its emotional tension in physical space – weather-beaten faces, cramped interiors and bodies shaped by work. It’s a quietly aching portrait of masculinity under pressure, where desire surfaces not as escape, but as something hard-won and deeply human.
LOVE AND OTHER CATASTROPHES
The trouble with love is you never know when it’s going to strike next, in this 30th anniversary screening of Emma-Kate Croghan and Stavros Kazantzidis’ recently remastered classic about chaotic student life. Mia (Frances O’Connor, Mansfield Park), an ambitious film studies student, finds herself entangled in a web of lies as she tries to avoid her girlfriend Danni (Radha Mitchell, High Art) moving in. Mia’s housemate Alice is a frustrated perfectionist, four years late with her thesis, she wants a man who shares her movie taste. Their search for love and a new housemate transcends the boundaries of the university, as events begin to unscramble in unexpected ways. Featuring a host of Australian talent including Kim Gyngell (Full Frontal), Matt Day (Rake) and Matthew Dyktynski (Reckless), Love and Other Catastrophes explores the humorous and sometimes tumultuous journey of young adulthood and the quest for love amidst life’s catastrophes.
THE LITTLE SISTER
Winner of the Queer Palm and Best Actress (Nadia Melliti) at Cannes, this beautiful, subtle, observational drama traces a young Muslim woman’s journey between faith, family and self-discovery. Seventeen year-old Fatima is the youngest daughter in a boisterous Franco-Algerian family. Ready to leave the suburbs of Paris behind, she sheds her old friends and conservative boyfriend. Embarking on a new life at university, she tentatively explores her emerging sexuality through a series of one-off steamy hookups with more experienced women, using a fake name to maintain anonymity. But when she forms a deeper connection with Korean nurse Ji-Na (Park Ji-min, Return to Seoul), can she reconcile her desires with her faith? Based on Fatima Daas’s acclaimed novel The Last One, Hafsia Herzi’s assured French drama unfolds with remarkable sensitivity and restraint, capturing its protagonist’s inner life through Jérémie Attard’s intimate, quietly expressive cinematography.
THE NAKED CIVIL SERVANT
Marking its 50th anniversary, this landmark film stars John Hurt as the inimitable Quentin Crisp, who made the bold decision to be openly gay in the highly conservative environment of 1930s and ‘40s England. Adapted from his memoir of the same name, it recounts Quentin’s coming of age and his refusal to hide who he was. Dying his hair red and adopting a flamboyant persona destined to attract attention, he wore his homosexuality as a badge of honour. As he navigates the streets of London he’s rejected by bigots and fellow gays alike, who feared his openness put their closeted lives in danger. But when he’s confronted with criminal charges, is he willing to defend his lifestyle in court?
The 33rd Mardi Gras Film Festival runs from 12 – 26 February 2026. For more information and full program, visit: www.queerscreen.org.au for details.
Images: Olivia Colman stars in Jimpa – photo by Matthew Chuang | She’s The He (film still) | Pillion (film still) | The Chronology of Water (supplied) | A Deeper Love: The Story of Miss Peppermint (supplied) | Plainclothes (film still) | Tiger (film still) | Love Me Tender (film still) | On the Sea (film still) | Love and Other Catastrophes (film still) | The Little Sister (supplied) | The Naked Civil Servant (film still)