Taking place from November 12 to 20, the Cork International Film Festival returns for its 71st anniversary, after being first established in 1956. This year, several LGBTQ+ films will be screened as part of the festival lineup. The lineup selected boasts variety, from exciting international feature films to family-friendly animations, with many exploring themes such as queer identity, relationships and LGBTQ+ history. These are not to be missed. 

Bedcrumbs
A queer romantic drama about the final days of a failing relationship, this film casts Outlander’s John Bell and Red, White & Royal Blue’s Thomas Flynn. The film is nominated for the Redbreast UNHIDDEN Short Award, which champions emerging Irish and international talent.

Flesh & Fuel (Du Fioul Dans les Artères)
Winner of the Queer Palm for Best First-Time Director at Cannes, Flesh & Fuel (Du Fioul Dans les Artères) is a tender, sensual drama about Etienne, a French truck driver whose solitary life changes when he meets Polish trucker, Bartosz.

The Education of Jane Cumming
Set in Edinburgh in 1810, this film sees two women embark on their dream of living an independent life together when they set up their own boarding school. When a young girl is placed in their care, this dream, their relationship and their carefully established lives are put into question. The Education of Jane Cumming stars queer icon and Cork’s own Fiona Shaw.

A Day in the Life of Jo: Chapter Phaedra
This Greek drama follows 15-year-old Jo, whose ordinary day in Athens takes an unexpected turn when she meets Phaedra, a quiet classmate, at a choir audition. The two girls begin to form an unexpected connection in this coming-of-age story. 

Tutti Frutti
From acclaimed filmmaker Céline Sciamma (Portrait of a Lady on Fire), this documentary explores past and present events involving lesbian figures forgotten by history, including the landmark trial involving Portrait actor Adèle Haenel. The screening will be followed by a conversation with Sciamma. 

Objet A
Ann Oren’s intriguing second feature explores human desire and its connection with the natural world, following a seemingly perfect couple whose carefully ordered lives are disrupted by an unexpected encounter.

Ancestors
Starring Éanna Hardwicke (Normal People, Saipan), Ancestors is a haunting ghost story exploring love, loss, and the fractured memories of a generation of young gay men. The story is set in 1980s London during the AIDS crisis. This marks director David Turpin’s feature debut. The screening will be followed by a post-screening Q&A with Turpin and the cast. 

Jim Queen
Jim, a social-media sensation and figurehead of Paris’s gay scene, has his life turned upside down when a mysterious virus starts turning homosexuals straight. This satirical, over-the-top French animated comedy will make its Irish premiere on Friday, November 20, at the Arc Cinema, followed by an after-party with guests Krystal & The Queers at WILDE, Cork’s primary LGBTQ+ late-night venue and nightclub. 

Julián
From Academy Award-nominated director Louise Bagnall and based on Jessica Love’s book, Julián is an Irish animated feature that follows seven-year-old Julián as he spends a transformative summer with his grandmother in Brooklyn. Inspired by her magical storytelling and the world around him, Julián discovers that he is, in fact, a mermaid. The family-friendly film will be screened as part of the Animation Gala at MTU Cork School of Music.

Don’t miss these exciting queer stories at the 71st Cork International Film Festival. Get your tickets here.