Sign-up to our Newsletter
 
Festival 2026
Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Lives in Asia: Cinema and Conversations


How do we hold each other across cultures, across time, and across space, and across genders? Where is the space for men to be held in tenderness, for trans and queer people to search for communities, and for spaces in which to reflect and recharge? This special programme brings together three films from India, Malaysia, and Indonesia with expert LGBTQ+ therapy practitioners, academics, and organisational professionals to engage with the complexity of mental health amongst queer Asian communities.

A collaborative event between ‘Queer’ Asia, Queer East, and the UK Asian Film Festival, this special programme of short films from three different countries offers the space for a deep, reflective conversation on mental health amongst queer Asian communities.


Tickets


7 May 2026, 6:00 PM
King's College London 
The Pact
2026
Directed by
Lakshmi R. Iyer
Running time
25 mins
When a son revisits his late father’s home, long-buried memories resurface. The Pact explores the quiet, complex ways fathers show love, and what it takes for a son to finally understand.

Heels to Heal
2024
Directed by
Justice Khor
Running time
20 mins
This musical documentary celebrates Malaysian queer resilience as three local drag queens heal deep wounds through what they do best—heels, makeup, music, and dance.

My Therapist Said, I am Full of Sadness
2024
Directed by
Monica Vanesa Tedja
Running time
22 mins
Mixing archival home footage of a childhood in Jakarta and glimpses of their current life in Berlin, a nonbinary filmmaker reflects on their chosen life and relationship with their devout Christian parents.  

Location



This event will take place at King’s College London, Bush House (Room SE 1.05), 30 Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BG.

Additional info



Audiences are invited to watch, listen, and participate alongside one another to build a space for a deep conversation on queer mental health. Everyone is invited to stay on for a fundraising mixer after the programme, to raise support for queer organisations working to bring about a positive impact in communities in India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and in queer Asian communities in the UK.