The Cork International Film Festival is back in 2024 for its 69th edition and the programme includes an array of LGBTQ+ highlights. The event kicks off on Thursday, November 7, with an Opening Gala screening of Conclave, and runs until Sunday, November 17, when it concludes with Rumours starring Cate Blanchett and Alicia Vikander.

There are countless fabulous titles to look out for during the 2024 Cork International Film Festival, with some of the LGBTQ+ highlights listed below.

La Belle de Gaza
After hearing of a young woman said to have travelled on foot from Gaza to Tel Aviv to save her life, documentary filmmaker Yolande Zaubermann’s investigation leads her to meet several Palestinian transgender women. Sharing their journeys, driven by the hope to live openly, this film offers insight into the struggle for self-affirmation amid conflict and oppression. La Belle de Gaze screens in Triskel Cinema on Friday, November 8, as well as The Arc Cinema on Saturday, November 16. Tickets are available here.

Young Hearts
Programmed as part of the Family strand, Young Hearts follows 14-year-old Elias as he navigates his feelings for his new neighbour Alexander. The film screens in Triskel Cinema on Saturday, November 9, and Monday, November 11 – get your tickets here.

Trans Memoria
Exploring themes of friendship, loss and gender, this film tackles the fundamental question of “To what extent does your body define you?” It screens in The Arc Cinema on Sunday, November 10 and Wednesday, November 13, with tickets available here.

Viet and Nam
The depths of a coal mine are where two young men can love each other without censorship. However, on the surface, mourning and conflicting aspirations still threaten a country’s unity. Viet and Nam screens in The Arc Cinema on Wednesday, November 13. Tickets are available here.

Love Alone Can’t Make a Child
This documentary follows a queer couple over 10 years as they embark on their shared dream of having a child. It screens in The Arc Cinema on Thursday, November 14, and Saturday, November 16, with tickets available here.

All Shall Be Well
Set in Hong Kong, where same-sex marriages are still not legal, this film highlights the challenges that one woman faces after her long-term partner dies without leaving a will. It also screens in The Arc Cinema on Thursday, November 14, with tickets available here.

My Own Private Idaho
Screening as part of the festival’s complementary Disruptors Cork Film Trail, My Own Private Idaho follows two friends as they embark on a journey of personal discovery that takes them from Portland to Idaho to Rome in search of one of their mothers. It screens in The Arc Cinema on Saturday, November 16. Tickets are available here.

These are just a selection of the fantastic highlights of the 2024 Cork International Film Festival. For more information and to see the programme in full, check out the official website.