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Flare · 2026

Flare 2026

Bodies

Programme

17 films · 3 reviews

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10s Across The Borders

A deep dive into Southeast Asian ballroom culture.

(Country: Philippines, Singapore, Germany; Year: 2025; Director: Chan Sze-wei; Writer: Aurora Sun Labeija, Chan Sze-wei; Stars: Teddy Oricci, XYZA Pinklady Mizrahi, Aurora Sun Labeija)

Bearcave

Argyro and Anneta are two best friends living in the Greek mountain village of Tirna. Once Anneta reveals that she’s pregnant and planning to skip town with her cop boyfriend, Argyro, devastated, dares her to embark on a hike into the legendary Bearcave.

(Country: Greece; Year: 2025; Director: Krysianna B Papadakis, Stergios Dinopoulos; Writer: Krysianna B Papadakis, Stergios Dinopoulos; Stars: Xara Kyriazi, Pamela Oikonomaki)

The Broken R (Rotacismo)

Documentary follows Ricardo, a 24-year-old man born with Treacher Collins Syndrome, who has struggled to pronounce the letter R since birth.

(Country: Ecuador, Italy; Year: 2025; Director: Ricardo Ruales Eguiguren)

Cherri

Cherri, an obese ballet choreographer, leads a troupe at a Havana weight-loss clinic while caring for his disabled husband and grappling with an obsessive crush on Tim, a manipulative young security guard.

(Country: Cuba, Guatemala, Mexico; Year: 2025; Director: Fabian Suarez; Writer: Fabian Suarez; Stars: Juan Miguel Más, Noslen Sánchez, Roberto Díaz Gomar)

Don't Come Out (No Salgas)

A queer medical student grapples with her sexuality as deadly forces pursue her.

(Country: Dominican Republic; Year: 2026; Director: Victoria Linares Villegas; Writer: Victoria Linares Villegas, Carlos Marranzini; Stars: Cecile van Welie, Gabriela Cortés, Camila Issa)

Jaripeo

Review preview for Jaripeo

The documentary is attentive to contradiction without flattening its subjects into symbols.

Edin Custo · 3.5 out of 5
A journey to Michoacán’s hypermasculine rodeos descends into the subconscious of memory, queer desire, and longing, leading to a reckoning with the wounds and beauty of a home left behind.

(Country: Mexico, US, France; Year: 2026; Director: Rebecca Zweig, Efraín Mojica)

Full review

Keep Coming Back (Siempre Vuelven)

An 18-year-old Uruguayan navigates grief, financial struggles and uncontrollable hormones.

(Country: Uruguay, Argentina; Year: 2025; Director: Sergio De León; Stars: Bruce Pintos, Juan Wauters, Anabella Bacigalupo)

Low Rider

A young woman embarks on a road trip to find her estranged dad, aidd by a charismatic stranger.

(Country: UK, South Afrida; Year: 2025; Director: Campbell X; Stars: Emma McDonald, Thishiwe Ziqubu, Martin Kluge)

Maspalomas

Review preview for Maspalomas

Arregi and Goenaga are at pains to suggest that no matter what your political or sexual stance, we’re all human underneath.

Amber Wilkinson · 4 out of 5
An accident forces a septugenarian to return to his home town and the daughter he abandoned years before.

(Country: Spain; Year: 2025; Director: Jose Mari Goenaga, Aitor Arregi; Writer: Jose Mari Goenaga, Aitor Arregi; Stars: Jose Ramon Soroiz, Nagore Aranburu, Kandido Uranga)

Full review

Mickey & Richard

A frank portrait of Richard Bernstein, aka 1980s porn star Mickey Squires.

(Country: US; Year: 2026; Director: Ryan A White, AP Pickle; Stars: Richard Bernstein)

Perro Perro

While on vacation, Juan discovers a naked man who behaves like a stray dog. Fascinated, he brings him home, caring for him with food, baths and affection.

(Country: Argentina; Year: 2025; Director: Marco Berger; Stars: Juan Ramos, Germán Flood)

Queen Of Coal

A woman takes up a role long reserved for men in the superstitious environment of Patagonia.

(Country: Argentina, Spain; Year: 2025; Director: Agustina Macri; Writer: Erika Halvorsen, Mara Pescio; Stars: Lux Pascal, Laura Grandinetti, Romina Escobar)

The Serpent's Skin

Review preview for The Serpent's Skin

Alice Maio Mackay’s...most accessible film to date.

Jennie Kermode · 3.5 out of 5
A young woman leaves her transphobic small-town, and develops a romance with tattoo artist Gen with whom she shares a paranormal connection. But their deep-rooted insecurities unknowingly release a demon, which possesses one of their ex-lovers and begins feeding on their friends by sucking out their lifeforce.

(Country: Australia; Year: 2025; Director: Alice Maio Mackay; Writer: Alice Maio Mackay, Benjamin Pahl Robinson; Stars: Alexandra McVicker, Avalon Fast, Jordan Dulieu, Charlotte Grimes)

Full review See: Interview with Alice Maio Mackay, Alexandra McVicker and Avalon Fast about The Serpent’s Skin

A Sweetness From Nowhere

The director interrogates her response to a transphobic slur hurled at her following her move to Berlin.

(Country: Sweden; Year: 2026; Director: Ester Bergsmark; Writer: Ester Bergsmark)

Treat Me Like Your Mother

A contemplative journey through the lives of five Lebanese women.

(Country: Lebanon; Year: 2025; Director: Mohamad Abdouni; Writer: Mohamad Abdouni)

Warla

A group of vigilante Filipino trans women kidnap foreign businessmen to fund gender-affirming surgeries.

(Country: Philippines; Year: 2025; Director: Kevin Alambra; Writer: Arah Jell Badayos; Stars: Jervi Wrightson, Lance Reblando, Serena Magiliw)

We Are Pat

A documentary examining It’s Pat through the lens of 2025, trans visibility and their own conflicted recollection of the controversial SNL character played by Julia Sweeney.

(Country: US; Year: 2025; Director: Ro Haber; Writer: Hannah Buck, Ro Haber; Stars: Murray Hill, Kevin Nealon, Julia Sweeney, Sabrina Wu, River Gallo, Joey Soloway, Molly Kearney, River Butcher, Roz Hernandez, Ever Mainard, Grace Freud, Nico Carney, Esther Fallick, James Tom, Hayden Johnson)