This programme is dedicated to the power of queer dreams and daydreams to bring about change – a celebration of fantasy and its role in shaping LGBTQ+ identities. The characters in these films have vivid imaginations, whether envisaging unconventional futures, confronting contemporary illusions, or reminiscing about bygone love. The directors showcased in this selection are interested in fantasies and legends, though their films often feel like fables: lessons for our times, powerfully articulated through the blending of dream and reality, a testament to queer reverie.

Total Runtime: 102 min

Elsa

Six-year old Stanley enjoys dressing up as Disney’s Queen Elsa, a role he performs with gusto. But his days of singing as Elsa appear numbered, as Stanley has only a year left before his formal education starts.

Lim Jen Nee | Singapore | 2019 | 8 min

Dear to Me

27-year-old photographer Tim is on vacation on a remote island with his parents. They are told about the myth of a reincarnated deer that islanders believe is a sign of meeting one’s soulmate – a superstition that arouses Tim’s curiosity.

Monica Vanesa Tedja | Indonesia, Germany | 2020 | 19 min

Encore Martha

Dressed in a dashing suit, singing in a bar, and picking up younger women, Uncle Martha is going about her usual business when one day, she suddenly reconnects with her long-lost first love Mandy, the woman she continues to dream about at night.

Natasha K. Sung | Taiwan | 2021 | 25 min

Frozen Out

An immigrant artist retreats to frozen prairies and forests, hoping to escape the anxieties of dislocation and find a meaningful story. Delivered as a letter to the protagonist’s sister in rural China, the film meditates on self-exile, identity, and fleeting ties to home and family.

Hao Zhou | China, USA | 2021 | 5 min

In His Island

A small fishing community struggles amidst an oil spill. Meanwhile, one member of that community is a prepubescent and cheerful young boy who, battling with his identity, finds comfort in his dreams of becoming a mermaid.

Christian Candelaria | Philippines | 2017 | 20 min

God’s Daughter Dances

Shin-mi, a transgender dancer, gets a call from the authorities asking her to attend a military service examination. Despite identifying as a woman, Shin-mi decides to attend the examination, where things do not proceed as she planned.

Sungbin Byun | South Korea | 2020 | 25 min