FRIDAY, MAY 15, 2026
- 6:00 PM – “Sexual and Emotional Education in Schools: Experiences in Dialogue” (Event organized by Unione Culturale Franco Antonicelli)
- 7:00 PM – Divine Aperitif
8:30 PM – OFFICIAL OPENING
- Opening of the exhibitions “10 Years of the Divine Queer Film Festival” and “Amazzone Queer” (Small Hall).
- 8:45 PM - “PRISCILLA” Fashion Show by Scuole Tecniche San Carlo
- 9:00 PM – “Trans Cultures Weaving Beauty” by Porpora Marcasciano
- 9:15 PM – BALLATA FEMMENELLA (Italy, 2026) by Elettra Raffaela Melucci, Giovanni Battista Origo (96′)
Out of competition – Directors Elettra Raffaela Melucci and Giovanni Battista Origo in attendance
Ballata Femmenella” is a journey into the largest and oldest trans community in Europe, that of Naples, as seen through the story of six femmenelle navigating between secular rituals and contemporary conflicts. - 11:00 PM – Drinks and Divine Chatter
SATURDAY, MAY 16, 2026
- 2:00 PM – FROM THE MOON TO THE MOON (Italy, 2025) by Leonardo Ferro (15′)
In competition – Barbie Bubu in attendance
Carlotta, a 12-year-old girl, grapples with her insecurities during her birthday party, weighed down by family expectations and peer pressure. An unexpected gift and the arrival of a drag queen entertainer transform the evening, becoming a symbol of courage and authenticity, helping Carlotta find the strength to express herself and embrace her true identity. - 2:15 PM – A THING ABOUT KASHEM (Bangladesh, India, 2026) by Bijon Imtiaz (16′)
In competition
A married man, due to an unexpected physical reaction at the wrong time and place, spirals into a midlife crisis, forcing him to confront his identity and desires. - 2:30 PM – AS THE SEA (Italy – 2026) by Andrea Corazza (15′)
In competition
Like the sea, this is an intimate story of love between two people with disabilities. A love that grows in silence and refuses to disappear. - 2:45 PM – MĀHŪ (USA – 2025) by Lisette Marie Flanary (30′)
In competition
A trans-Pacific love letter, this documentary short follows an innovative theatrical production by hula master Kumu Hula Patrick Makuakāne, aiming to reclaim and celebrate the traditional place of honor and respect for māhū (transgender) people. - 3:15 PM – TIT FOR TAT (USA – 2025) by Brian Cohen (6′)
In competition
The morning after a night together, Crystal makes a joking remark about her new lover Iniya’s breasts, with unexpected consequences. - 3:25 PM – THE REBELLION OF THE LESBIAN JACOBINES (Hungary – 2025) by Mária Takács (30′)
In competition
The idyllic life of the enlightened Jacobin women in 18th-century rural Hungary is unexpectedly disrupted by the arrival of Emperor Donald Trump and his entourage. The Jacobins call upon the heavens and Melania Trump to drive out the intruder. - 4:00 PM – ONE HOMELAND TWO HOMES (Cyprus, Germany – 2025) by Besire Paralik (50′)
In competition
A documentary portraying the queer Cypriot diaspora in Berlin, exploring how identity, belonging, and home are reimagined through migration, memory, and gender. The film tells the story of six queer Cypriots and their migration experiences from Cyprus to Berlin, showing Nicosia as a city of emigration and Berlin as a new “home.” - 5:30 PM - “DIVINE FOR PEACE” – TALK
Is war truly the only possible choice, or should it be considered the only solution? Around the world, women are fighting to build concrete alternatives and passionately advocating for peace as a viable path.
Speakers:
Hasti Naddafi – “Donna Vita Libertà” Collective
“Oltre Torino”
Parwana Kabrit – Anarcho-feminist and protest painter from Afghanistan
Silvia Todeschini – “Women Weaving the Future” - 7:00 PM - Divine Aperitif
- 8:30 PM – FESTIVAL PRESENTATION
- 9:00 PM – PINK FLAMINGOS (USA, 1972) by John Waters (90′)
Out of competition
Divine, a famous criminal and underground figure in Baltimore, clashes with a sleazy couple who, by any means, try to humiliate her and take away her title of “The Filthiest Person Alive,” bestowed by the tabloids. - 11:00 PM – Drinks and Divine Charter
SUNDAY, MAY 17, 2026
- 11:00 AM – 12:30 AM – “DIVINE FOR KIDS & TEENS”
A fabulous selection of films from the DQFF archive, suitable for a young audience. In collaboration with GenderLens APS. - 2:00 PM – ONE OF US (France – 2025) by Marine Place (96′)
In competition
To obtain asylum in France, they must provide proof of their homosexuality or trans identity. At the LGBTQIF+ center in Lille, Bruno, Réhin, Nico, and other volunteers work alongside them to help reveal what they had to hide in their countries of origin to survive. - 3:30 PM – SMARRIT* (USA – 2025) by Emilia Novella Figliomeni (14′)
In competition
Filo spends his last night in the city with his best friend Diego before returning to Italy. In a hell-themed bar, they meet a waiter dressed as Dante Alighieri and follow him on a surreal journey. Dante uses binary language and misgenders Filo, who finds the courage to correct him and introduce him to a non-binary ending. Filo confronts Dante about his role in shaping modern Italian, and together they sing a song about the importance of a more fluid relationship with language. - 3:45 PM – DRAG KINGS: QUESTION TIME. A DAY WITH THE FANS (UK – 2025) by Orlando Myxx (10′)
In competition – Director Orlando Myxx in attendance
After 10 years on stage, the PECS Drag Kings collective reunites for a one-day festival in London, celebrating their anniversary with the queer community. Drag King critic and enthusiast Diana G. delves into Shoreditch Town Hall to ask the audience a crucial question: Have Drag Kings and their performances truly changed the landscape of gender and sexuality? - 4:00 PM – DIVERSE HOUSE (Spain – 2024) by Carmen Vidal (30′)
In competition
In Paraguay, a country where homophobia, violence, and discrimination against transgender people are still widespread, there is a unique refuge: Casa Diversa. This place is a symbol of hope and dignity for all people, regardless of their gender identity. - 4:30 PM – ANIMALIA (Italy – 2025) by Rocco Anelli (20′)
In competition
In a post-apocalyptic world devastated by industry, the solitary Federico meets another man, Buer. An intimate and carnal bond develops between them, becoming a philosophical and ecological drama about the end of humanity and the possibility of a new way of existing. - 4:50 PM – SOLO LINA (Italy – 2025) by Filippo Da Ros (17′)
In competition
At 21, Lina is a curvy model on OnlyFans. Her story is that of a girl who discovers her body and insecurities, then confronts them through friendship with Sara and her relationship with Ninì—two things that, unfortunately, may not last. - 5:30 PM – “DIVINE FOR PEACE” – TALK
Is war truly the only possible choice, or should it be considered the only solution? Around the world, queer people are fighting to build concrete alternatives and passionately advocating for peace as a viable path.
Speakers:
Tolhildan – Sara Kolektif
Valencia Fakudze – Cospe
Hasan Kilani – Queer & feminist writer
Daniela Sala – Photographer - 7:00 PM - Divine Aperitif
- 8:30 PM – AWARDS CEREMONY
- 8:45 PM – MAURICE: FORTY YEARS AGAINST THE TIDE (Italy, 2026) by Gigi Malaroda and Stefano Rogliatti (70′)
Out of competition – Director Gigi Malaroda in attendance
Maurice, the longest-running queer association in Turin, celebrates 40 years of activity. Always going against the grain, navigating contradictions and being shaped by them. Over fifty testimonies aim to reconstruct a collective history that belongs to us and to the entire city, with the direct thread of that “mixité” that has been defined over time as a necessary key to understanding the encounter between the diverse subjectivities that have recognized themselves in this project. - 10:30 PM – Drinks and Divine Chatter
Exhibitions
“10 Years of the Divine Queer Film Festival”
A small exhibition to commemorate the first 10 editions of the DQFF through posters featuring the icons of each year.
“Amazzone Queer”
A photographic diary of a non-binary mastectomy. An intimate story that becomes collective, of a queer body facing breast cancer. The personal photographic diary of the months before and after the surgery gave rise to new shots that tell of the struggles and fears of inhabiting a space that only foresees cisgender bodies, but also the euphoria of a journey that was an opportunity for transformation and deep revelation of desires, identity, and encounters.
Photographs by Laura Ruggiero
Story by Ale Quaglia
Note: The exhibitions will be open to the public during the festival days and hours.
FESTIVAL ORGANIZED BY
WITH THE SUPPORT OF
IN COLLABORATION WITH
UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF
