Queer Wave Concludes 7th Edition in Nicosia - The six films that won the audiences’ hearts

The Cyprus LGBTQIA+ Film Festival wrapped 10 vibrant days at NiMAC featuring over 50 Cyprus premieres, dynamic workshops, parallel events, and celebrated international guests.

A Triumphant 7th Edition

Queer Wave 2026 successfully concluded its 7th edition, which ran from 18 to 27 September 2026 at the Nicosia Municipal Arts Centre (NiMAC). Firmly rooted within Cyprus’s cultural and cinematic landscape, this year’s festival brought together vibrant audiences of over 2,000 attendees for 10 unforgettable days of screenings, discussions, workshops, and parallel events.

The 2026 edition showcased over 50 Cyprus premieres spanning short, mid-length, and feature films, with a selection of documentary, narrative, animation, and docu-essay titles. With works representing over 36 countries across the globe—including Thailand, South Africa, Iraq, Ecuador, Georgia, Brazil, Croatia—the festival provided a rich platform for international queer storytelling and solidarity. Notable landmark screenings included Hafsia Herzi's Cannes-winner The Little Sister, Ivona Juka's Cyprus co-production Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day, Carmen Emmi's Sundance-winning Plainclothes, Harry Lighton's Pillion, and a 100th-anniversary screening of the 1926 Swedish silent classic The Girl in Tails. The 10-day event culminated in a festive sing-along screening of Jim Sharman's cult queer classic The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975).

Beyond screenings, Queer Wave 2026 hosted four participatory workshops, including an exploration of queer solidarity across borders with Palestinian artists from DARAQ Crew; a creative writing session led by BAFTA-winning author and screenwriter Dean Atta (who also presented his short film Two Black Boys in Paradise at the festival); a critical thinking workshop on queer horror with George Rallis; and Trans Talks—a roundtable discussion initiated by Tanya and Garose, for trans folk and friends to share how they navigate the world today from a gender-expansive perspective. Festival attendees also engaged in meaningful Q&A sessions with visiting filmmakers and guests, including British artist Sam Ashby, who presented his anthology and introduced Rosa von Praunheim's City of Lost Souls as founder of Little Joe; Flora Woudstra Hablé who presented her short film Destroy Me, Please; Thanasis Tsimpinis, director of the audience award-winning Best Documentary Short The Jezebels; and filmmakers Godisamang Khunou, Florenza Deniz Incirli, and Merima Šišić following the screening of Daughters of the Tallest Tree—a documentary film anthology composed of five distinct works from from four continents of the world, co-directed by Cypriot filmmaker Florenza Deniz Incirli. Immersive audiovisual installations also paid tribute to queer icons Paola Revenioti and Andreas Karayian in “the place beyond the screen” at NiMAC.

Nightly events further enriched the festival experience, amongst them a live audiovisual opening ceremony by φμδ, a drag show bringing 1980s Berlin to Nicosia with Aphroditios, a 20-minute waacking piece titled Tea Party, and late-night celebrations with local and international DJs and collectives such as DARAQ Crew, C'Est Demon!, Electrika, NANA, and Trash Your Gender.

Official Audience Award Winners

Following enthusiastic participation and voting from festival attendees throughout the 10-day run, Queer Wave is proud to announce the official winners of the 2026 Audience Awards:

• Best Animated Short: Two Black Boys in Paradise by Baz Sells 

  • A stop-motion animation based on Dean Atta's poem about love, identity, and finding refuge.

• Best Documentary Short: The Jezebels by Thanasis Tsimpinis 

  • A compelling exploration of community, sex positivity, and safe spaces.

• Best Narrative Short: Italiano by Mehdi Davachi 

  • An Iranian short depicting connection and resistance amid political turmoil.

• Best Mid-Length Film: Yaoi Dumb Bitch by Mathieu Morei 

  • A bold and unique exploration of queerness and family, with a vision for a brighter future ahead for all trans folk and all the dolls.

• Best Documentary Feature: A Song Without Home by Rati Tsiteladze 

  • A heart-wrenching story following a Georgian trans woman seeking asylum in Austria.

• Best Narrative Feature: Plainclothes by Carmen Emmi 

  • A Sundance-winning psychological thriller set in the ‘90s, about a closeted cop tasked with seducing and arresting other men at a gay cruising spot.

About Queer Wave

Queer Wave is organised by the non-profit company Queer Wave LTD and is funded by the Department of Contemporary Culture of the Deputy Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Cyprus. For further information, photos, and updates, visit queerwave.com or follow @queerwavecyprus on social media.