DIR: Stone Motherless Cold, with Sapphic Flicks

A short film with transhuman drag beings awakening at dusk to prepare for the long night ahead.

DIR :Caroline Monnet, Canada

Pidikwe features women from Turtle Island (now Canada) across generations, blending traditional and contemporary dance in a dynamic fusion of film and performance. Set between past and future, it draws parallels between the Roaring Twenties and today’s society. Shot on 16mm, it evokes early cinema’s distorted portrayals and colonial exploitation of the female body. Pidikwe reclaims these images, creating space for self-determination and a more empowered cinematic future.

This Teddy Award–nominated vision from artist and filmmaker Caroline Monnet is a triumph of art cinema.

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: Ramon Te Wake, Aotearoa, New Zealand

When best friends Alex and Sam get the house to themselves, they raid Mum’s wardrobe, play dress-up, and escape into a fantasy world where they truly belong. But little do they know—Mum and Dad are close by. Will their safe bubble burst?

Directed by Ramon Te Wake, one of Aotearoa’s most trailblazing filmmakers, this heartfelt and hilarious short film sparkles with the spirit of freedom. Over the past year, Wait Wait Now has screened at all the leading queer film festivals—because it’s exactly the kind of story we need right now.

DIR: Walter Scott, Canada

Organza, a broke artist living in deep space, must travel across the galaxy to seek revenge on her ex in order to cure a mysterious illness. Along the way, she encounters strange beings—museum curators, cyborg pop stars, and more—and begins to realize that vulnerability might matter more than revenge after all.

A queer First Nations take on the space/road/revenge narrative, Walter Scott’s DIY retro genius shines through in their sharp, enduring satire. Endlessly funny, their takedown of the art industry never takes itself too seriously.

DIR: Allie Howell, Aotearoa, New Zealand

Amid the nightlife of a new city, a young Māori trans woman grapples with safety, isolation, and the fragile bonds of old friendships left behind—while the promise of belonging rises just beyond the horizon.

Allie Howell’s sensitive film stays close to its lead, featuring an electric, revolutionary-in-its-vulnerability performance by Luka Wolfgram, supported by some of Aotearoa’s most influential artists, including Moe Laga, Mother of the House of Coven. Ata Pūao reminds us that we can have more than one family.

DIR: Jaimee Poipoi, Aotearoa, New Zealand

When two single women attend an orgy for the first time, they end up revealing more than they ever imagined.

Screened at imagineNATIVE and Māoriland Film Festivals, this cheeky little gem by director and producer Jaimee Poipoi is a hilarious peek from the sidelines — made for the ladies!

DIR: Annelise Hickey

When Adam, a self-absorbed and lonely millennial, wakes one morning to find his estranged half-brother on his doorstep, he must face the family he’s been running away from.

Premiering at Sundance, director Annelise Hickey’s second short film cements her status as an outstanding talent in Australian cinema. Inspired by her own experience reuniting with a half-brother, Stranger Brother offers a passionate and heartfelt portrayal of Pasifika men and the deep, unspoken bonds between siblings.