Queer Screen Drops 2026 Festival Program, And It’s Sexy As Hell

Queer Screen has just dropped the full program for its 14th annual film festival. From 2 to 8 September, daring and drool-worthy LGBTQ+ stories will take to the big screen at Sydney’s Event Cinemas George St.

Among the films, audiences can choose from a neon-soaked thriller set amidst the underground bars of Oxford Street; an animated, disco-fueled queer apocalypse; and muscle-man Brock Yurich’s sexy drama about bodybuilding, faith, and suppressed desire. 

The program features a total of 28 films, not to mention a high-octane day of film panels, all to be followed by a curated on-demand season. The on-demand season, from 9 to 16 September, will allow audiences across the nation to stream the collection of 12 features and 15 shorts from the comfort of their own homes. Movie night anyone?

Queer Screen Film Festival 2026: The Highlights

Now, for some of the highlights from the festival’s Emerging Narrative Feature Competition.

First up, there’s Big Girls Don’t Cry (New Zealand), produced by Jane Campion. This Sundance hit from Paloma Schneideman delivers a tender, pre-smartphone dose of 2000s nostalgia and teenage queer angst. The feature follows 14-year-old Sid Bookman as she impersonates her best friend’s brother in online chatrooms, and in-so-doing, begins to flirt with the truth of her sexuality.

Another feature not to be missed is Test (USA), winner of Outstanding First Feature at Frameline 2026. In it, see screenwriter-star Brock Yurich (Succession) and Emmy-winner Tammy Blanchard star in this visceral, semi-autobiographical drama about a small-town Ohio bodybuilder. As Yurich’s hunky character abandons his devout mother’s managerial guidance for that of a professional coach, things soon get heated, coalescing in a tender exploration of queerness, religious pressure, and masculinity.

Prefer a sexy muscle hunk of the animated variety? Don’t miss Jim Queen (France/Belgium). In this chaotic adult comedy film, a horrific virus is sweeping the city of Paris, one that turns gay men into heterosexuals.

Or, if you’re in the mood for something a little closer to home, there’s Australian film Sweet Milk Lake. In this closing night film, Harvey Zielinski plays a trans man who takes a roadtrip to the remote country town where his estranged father lives. When Zielinksi’s character is mistaken for his brother, he uses the opportunity to explore an unforeseen father-son relationship, and a life where he fits in as masculine. 

The list of features goes on, and is complemented by an equally fearless shorts program, not to mention the festival’s panels, pitch-offs & masterclasses. With movie tickets at just $25, what are you waiting for? Book your spot at Queer Screen Film Festival today.