DIR: Tanu Gago, Aotearoa, New Zealand

Tomasi craves connection amid the isolation of a rural apple orchard, where a crew of young men works the picking season. He befriends Api, and together they navigate the pressures of masculinity, gradually revealing their deep desire for acceptance.

Co-winner of the Letterboxd Award for Māori Pasifika Talent, director Tanu Gago is a Laureate Award-winning filmmaker whose subtle and poignant exploration of Pasifika masculinity—and its queer-tinged boundaries—is gaining international recognition. Picking Crew is a stunning vision, deeply rooted in the lived experiences of Pasifika peoples in Aotearoa.

DIR: Margarita Ivanova, Morocco

In the ruins of a palace in Fes, ten men summon the spirits of the cheikhats—forgotten women singers—inhabiting their lives and bodies with haunting grace.

DIR: Alexander Farah, Canada

Inspired by David Wojnarowicz’s iconic text, this intimate portrait follows Hamed as he wrestles with silence, identity, and a future shaped by unspoken tension with his father.

DIR: Rory Fleck Byrne, UK

A recovering sex addict lingers in a beach car park, torn between cruising and calling an addiction helpline—while his husband waits at home. Featuring a stunning performance by Ben Whishaw.

DIR: Atakan Yilmaz, Turkey

When his mother dies, a drag performer returns home to a family that never knew his truth. In her hidden keepsakes, Lou Lou finds the beginnings of self-acceptance.