About

Queer cinema has a rich history that is as diverse and bold as the community it represents. Queer filmmakers have always pushed boundaries with incisive content and unconventional aesthetics, which has made radical impacts on cinematic culture as we know it. However, despite its robust past, present and future, queer cinema has often been placed on the margins of the dominant cinematic canon. QFFU combats this marginalization of queer cinema by placing it center stage in the local community. We bring both the pioneers of the past and the emerging filmmakers of the future together and work to create our own cinematic tradition.

Our program promotes both the past and future of queer filmmaking by blending classic retrospectives with fresh premieres. Our programming explores local perspectives of queer life in the Netherlands as well as a diversity of international voices. Like our program, queer cinema is not just one thing; it is heterogenous and spans across time, genre and geography.

Theme 2025: Here, we are.

QFFU 2025 opens the door to a world where you are 100% free to be who you are and free to express yourself. Welcome to Queertopia. This is a safe space to (re)discover yourself, without having to think about the opinions, politics, borders, rules, or restrictions of others. Imagine: how do you want to express yourself? What would you look like? Who do you love—and who loves you?

But most of all, this edition envisions the world as it could be if we coexisted while embracing each other’s unique identities. In the journey of self-discovery, us queers are constantly forced to deal with society’s pressure to conform. It is a search for liberation—an opportunity to experience joy and find peace within ourselves, even if only for a brief moment.

So this year’s theme is about the freedom and safety to explore without the need to explain why. During the festival, QFFU invites you into a mental and physical space, where you can experiment with who you want to be, introduce yourself again and again, and allow others the privilege of meeting you over and over. Here, we celebrate transformation. Here, curiosity is the currency with which we pay our interest.

Imagine and create

Imagination is not just individual. As an act, it is a powerful thought process that happens within our minds. For queer people, imagination might sound like a distraction from the fight for our present. It might sound as though this imagination implies an unrealistic break with the here and now—like by engaging in it, we naively ignore the struggles of our current-day. But QFFU firmly believes that creating a space where we are open to imagine, wish, and dream about what our lives can look like, helps us localize these contemporary struggles, fuels our fire to fight for our dreams, and makes room for their fulfillment, if even on the smallest scale. We urge you to imagine on a personal level, about your sexuality and gender identity and/or expression. On a relational level—who to love and connect with. On a societal level: what place is there for us? How do we create it for ourselves? What are we allowed to do? What aren’t we allowed to do? And how do we do it anyways? Let’s design our world together! 

We believe that QFFU should be a space for fostering dialogue as much as it is a space for screening films. In addition to our film screenings, we actively build community dialogues through events such as panel discussions, interactive hands-on workshops and late night parties.

We also support emerging local queer filmmakers with the 10 Minute Challenge initiative, where participants create ten minute films with the assistance of industry professionals and showcase their final product in competition at our festival.

QFFU is built by a collaborative spirit. Our festival is made possible through the generosity of our volunteers, artists, and partners. If you are interested in getting involved – do not hesitate to reach out! We are always open to new collaborations.