The Divine Queer Film Festival (DQFF) is an independent film festival rooted deeply in the Queer community. It explores dynamic and evolving themes such as gender, diversabilities, and migration.
The 9th edition, taking place in 2025, is dedicated to Mariasilvia Spolato, a pioneering Italian activist for LGBTQ+ rights. Born in 1935, Mariasilvia was one of the first women in Italy to publicly identify as a lesbian—a groundbreaking act for the time. In 1972, she took part in Italy’s first demonstration for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights in Rome, boldly carrying a sign that declared her identity. Prior to her activism, she worked as a mathematics teacher and authored educational books. Her public coming out, however, led to severe discrimination: she lost her job and faced widespread social exclusion. Despite these setbacks, she remained committed to the cause, co-founding Fuori!, one of Italy’s first publications dedicated to LGBTQ+ issues.
DQFF 2025 will be held in Barriera di Milano, a suburban neighborhood in the city of Turin, Italy, at the Laboratori di Via Baltea, a vibrant multicultural community center. The festival will take place on May 23–25, 2025. The venue is wheelchair-accessible, and all screenings will include subtitles to ensure accessibility for both deaf and hearing audiences. Admission to all screenings is free.
Awards & Prizes
1. Jury Award
2. Audience Award
3. Divine Award – Each year, the artistic direction presents this award to a film, institution, individual, or association that embodies the spirit and vision of DQFF in an exceptional and original way.
DIVINE QUEER FILM FESTIVAL – – 9th EDITION (23–24–25 MAY 2025)
FRIDAY, 23 MAY 2025
19.00 Divine Aperitif
20.30 OFFICIAL OPENING
Speech by Ayoub Moussaid: President of InMenteItaca, educator, human rights activist, and Italian Without Citizenship
Lesbian Divine comedy show by Sabbra
21.30 VALERY ALEXANDERPLATZ (Germany, 2024) by Silvia Maggi (28′)
Out of competition – With the Participation of Director Silvia Maggi and Lead Performer Valérie Taccarelli
“Valery Alexanderplatz” is a short documentary film about the life of Italian trans activist Valérie Taccarelli, shot in Berlin-Mitte and the famous Alexanderplatz square. The story begins with Milva, the popular Italian diva, and her most famous song, “Alexanderplatz.” However, few people know that this song is actually an adaptation of “Valery,” a song by Alfredo Cohen released in 1978. “Valery” was a 15-year-old trans girl, now known as Valérie Taccarelli.
22.15 LA MAMMA DEI FEMMINIELLI – Loredana contro la transfobia (Italy, Germany, 2021) by Giulia Ottaviano (33′)
Out of competition
Loredana Rossi has been fighting her whole life. First for her identity, and today as a social worker and “mother” to the femminielli of Naples. At 60, she has no intention of slowing down. For 21 years, she endured prostitution on the streets of Naples—a city that has hosted one of the largest transgender communities in the world for centuries, yet one that still faces strong discrimination. Through her organization, Associazione Trans Napoli, Loredana fights for their rights, raises her voice when those rights are violated, and offers support during their transition.
23.00 Drinks and Divine Conversations
SATURDAY, 24 MAY 2025
15.00 CONNECTION ISOLATION (USA, 2024) by G. Chesler (84′)
In Competition – With the Participation of Director G. Chesler
Connection Isolation presents eight intimate portraits of trans and post-gender individuals facing the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Between moments of connection and isolation, these participants reveal a growing awareness of gender, their bodies, and the trans community. Created by an entirely trans and queer crew, this hybrid documentary film weaves together portraits and reenactments, integrating archival material that documents what so many have experienced—and what many continue to experience today. The film invites viewers to witness the power of connection as an act of resistance, offering care in the face of crisis and using reflection as a tool for healing.
16.30 M (Italy, 2024) by Francesco Ceccoli and Margherita Calderoni (35′)
In Competition – With the Participation of Directors Francesco Ceccoli and Margherita Calderoni
An affirmation of identity, a confession, and a rejection of the stereotypes associated with eating disorders and borderline personality, M unfolds like a double therapy session, in which the characters explore the deeper meaning behind dysfunctional behavior. M uses her eating disorder as a way to stay safe and free—but what happens when an unexpected relationship disrupts the workings of a long-established coping mechanism? Her husband, F, now finds himself in a relationship that seems to expose his own vulnerabilities and risks turning into a toxic dynamic.
17.00 MAXIMINA (Italy, 2025) by Blu Diego Fasoli (20’)
In Competition
Massimina is a 56-year-old woman. Massimina is a sex worker. Massimina was born in Rome. She doesn’t believe in God, but she believes in Buddha. At night, she thinks about the ghosts of her past and tries to chase them away, eyes closed in front of her altar. When her mind is too full, she walks by the sea. Massimina lost her brother. She has lost many sisters. She has many clients—some she dines with, some she chats with on the phone, and some she has sex with. Massimina has a close friend named Denis. She also has a cat, Cirillo. Massimina is not afraid of death, and she stares life straight in the eyes. Massimina is both saint and cursed. Massimina is honest and a liar. Who is Massimina?
17:45 FLEETING HAPPINESS (Vietnam, 2024) by Hieu Minh Dang (18′)
In Competition
Fleeting Happiness is a story from Vietnam told through traditional music and modern dance. The dancer Gia Minh is in love with the musician Manh Luan, but crisis strikes when Manh Luan’s wife witnesses their passion.
18.00 UNMASKING (USA, 2024) by Aubree Bernier-Clarke (10’’)
In Competition
After a series of surreal microaggressions in a diner, two friends make a pact: to explore who they truly are, beyond the “masks” imposed by neurotypical expectations and the gender binary.
18.10 REPORT FROM THE INTERIOR (Canada, 2025) by Lucas Crawford (4’)
In Competition
An animated, pop, and poetic enchantment. A celebration of intimacy.
18.15 NEHIR RIVER (Switzerland – France – Turkey, 2020) by Rosida Kyuncu (15′)
In Competition – With the Participation of Director Rosida Koyuncu
The film tells the story of Nehir, her daughter, and her relationship with the filmmaker. It portrays control over bodies, lesbophobia, and fatphobia. Nehir searches for a queer feminist family. Thanks to the camera, she steps onto a stage for the first time and performs a dance with two queer artists. This is the story of a queer Kurdish woman and her tragedy.
18.30 WORKSHOP – Representation of Queer Bodies and Resistance in Cinema
19.30 Divine Aperitif
20.55 A Speech by Councillor Jacopo Rosatelli
21.00 IO NON SONO NESSUNO (Italy, 2024) by Geraldine Ottier (120′)
Out of Competition – With the Participation of Director Geraldine Ottier in conversation with Liliana Ellena
A clear-eyed and painful portrait of the courage of Mariasilvia Spolato, the first woman in Italy to openly declare her homosexuality. Founder of the historic magazine Fuori! and the Homosexual Liberation Front, her fight for LGBT rights cost her everything—from her career as a mathematics teacher to her family. By bringing her memory to life, Io non sono nessuno represents the redemption she was denied in life.
23:00 Drinks and Divine Conversations
SUNDAY, 25 MAY 2025
15.00 NABI (Iran, 2024) by Hamed Golshahi (’20)
In Competition
Nabi is an Afghan migrant worker in Iran who is fired as a janitor after 25 years of working in a tower. He must fulfill his 25-year-old duties for the last day and leave like a man who never existed.
15.30 IN VIAGGIO CON LEI (Italy, 2024) by Gianluca Gargano (93)
In Competition
Lei is not well—unhappy despite a full and intense life. She’s alive, yet feels dead inside. Everyone sees her, but she feels invisible. The diagnosis is clear: gender dysphoria. To save herself, she is forced to embark on an inner journey that might lead her toward a new light. After three years of psychotherapy, that path becomes a real “on the road” journey, accompanied by two friends: Franca, a fifty-year-old theater director and casting agent, and Francesca, a twenty-seven-year-old actress with Down syndrome. Amid unspoiled nature and breathtaking landscapes, they encounter other women—each with a powerful story to tell.
17.00 THE BEGINNING OF IDENTIFICATION AND ITS END (Germany, 2024) by Philipp Gufler (19′)
In Competition
The short film consists of a performance by the artist and filmed scenes of archival material related to queer and transgender content. The film presents expressions of sexuality that break with the norm: people joyfully dancing at a lesbian party, the reverent smile of Charlotte Charlaque, and the provocative speeches of far-right homosexual politicians. This cinematic collage is accompanied by a soundtrack featuring recitations of texts drawn from the major writings of Karl Heinrich Ulrichs in the second half of the 19th century, advocating for the decriminalization of homosexual love. Additionally, a soundscape—part atmospheric, part pulsating—by British artist Rory Pilgrim supports the immersive journey into the history of excluded sexualities and genders.
17.25 APNEA (Italy, 2025) by Fabio Patrassi (12′)
In Competition – With the Participation of Director Fabio Patrassi
Apnea tells the story of Teo, a 25-year-old living in Milan, who confides in an Artificial Intelligence to come out. The AI becomes his confidant, guiding him through difficult moments—but the question naturally arises: can an AI have a positive influence on something so deeply human? Apnea explores the conflict between a repressed identity and the longing for freedom.
17.40 RISE UP PLANET 10! (Austria, 2024) by Oke Fijal, Clau Tatangelo (8′)
In Competition – With the Participation of Soundtrack Composer Oluchukwu Akusinanwa
In the heart of Vienna’s 10th district lies Planet 10—an autonomous residence and a vital space for queer, migrant, and anti-racist communities. In 2009, L. inherited a large sum of money from their Nazi family. It was clear that this money had to be redistributed and used to repair the harm caused during the Nazi era. That’s how the house was purchased. Thanks to the work of its residents and friends, Planet 10 has become an accessible home and today offers safe housing to individuals and families with migrant backgrounds living in precarious conditions. Planet 10 is more than just a house; it is a space that embodies the very essence of queerness, disability, and migration—being in conflict with what is considered “normal.” It is a safe space for queer and migrant people, a place to belong, to rest, to love, and to be loved.
17.50 KEITH (United Kingdom, 2024) by Steven Fraser (8′)
In Competition
Keith tells the story of a filmmaker who discovers a dead body behind the garbage bins behind his apartment in Glasgow. The filmmaker’s journey to uncover the identity of the deceased unfolds entirely through his phone, reconstructing the unknown person’s identity using various modes of communication and apps. Different animation techniques bring the narrative to life, while photographs, social media, dating apps, and blogs are explored to piece together a portrait of the deceased. As alternative forms of communication emerge, the filmmaker is also confronted with his own neurodivergence and autistic traits.
18.00 Performance by Qoro, LGBTQIA+ Choir
18.25 A Speech by Councillor Jacopo Rosatelli
18.30 AWARD CEREMONY AND CLOSING EVENT
19.00 OPRE ROMA! (Italy, 2017) by Paolo Bonfanti (104′)
Out of Competition
A film/documentary that explores the origins, history, customs, and traditions of the Romani people, while also sharing the personal experiences of individuals who belong to this community. It delves into Romani history, art, music, and culture in general, as well as what it means to be Romani in everyday life. The aim is to offer a deeper understanding of the Romani reality—beyond the usual reductive portrayal that limits it to social issues and negative events.