In its 5th year, Queer Movie Nights is back in the Greek capital as part of the ongoing Athens City Festival.
Organized by Antivirus magazine, the annual event has evolved into an essential meeting point where queer stories find visibility, a voice, and an audience.
This year’s program features 40 queer films, including feature-length works, shorts, documentaries, and Greek productions. Screenings run daily through to May 11 at the historic Trianon Cinema and the Goethe-Institut, with post-screening discussions offering audiences the chance to engage directly with filmmakers and creators.
“Safe spaces” is the festival’s theme this year, casting the spotlight on environments that allow LGBTQI+ people to exist freely, authentically, and without fear. At a time when LGBTQI+ identities continue to be challenged or politicized globally, the need for safe (queer) spaces is greater than ever, the organizers stress.
“Safe spaces are not just physical locations,” they say. “They are communities, relationships, artistic expressions, and moments that allow us to breathe. Cinema has long been one of the most powerful such sanctuaries.”
“For many of us, cinemas were the first place where we saw ourselves, where we discovered stories that embraced us and made us feel less alone.”
This year’s theme explores ways queer cinema can help create and expand these sanctuaries. The selected films delve into ideas of safety, support, community, and resistance through diverse queer experiences from around the world. Audiences are also encouraged to reflect on the meaning of visibility and freedom.
The program of the 5th Queer Movie Nights is divided into three main competition sections: Audience Award for Best International Short Film, Best Greek Short Film, and Best Feature Film. The selected works cover a wide range of themes, including everyday queer life, exploration of identity, desire, family, survival, and loss.
‘Jimpa’, the opening film of this year’s Queer Movie Nights festival in Athens.
Opening the festival is “Jimpa”, a story about the non-binary experience directed by Sophie Hyde and presented in collaboration with Spentzos Film. Other highlights include a panel discussion with Greek queer filmmakers exploring whether cinema today can truly serve as a safe space for LGBTQ+ voices.
Queer Movie Nights takes place in the lead-up to the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Transphobia, and Interphobia, observed annually on May 17.
* Tickets cost 6 euros per screening, 8 euros for a daily pass, and 20 euros for a full festival pass and are available online or at the cinemas. All films are screened with subtitles.
