Queer Screen has announced the winners and on-demand program for the 13th Queer Screen Film Fest, celebrating groundbreaking LGBTIQ+ cinematic storytelling from around the globe.

The winner of this year’s Emerging Narrative Feature Award is Test. Directed by Sam McConnell, the film has picked up a cash prize of $2500 AUD.

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Described as oozing with intense erotic tension until its final frame, Test arrives as a gripping exploration of ambition, faith, and queer awakening. The film is one that is said to deliver a sexy, beautifully lensed drama that brilliantly subverts standard sports-genre conventions with raw, muscular vulnerability.

It won the award over Jim Queen (directed by Marco Nguyen & Nicolas Athané), Sweet Milk Lake (directed by Harvey Zielinski), Big Girls Don’t Cry (directed by Paloma Schneideman), The Education of Jane Cumming (directed by Sophie Heldman), and Montreal, My Beautiful (directed by Xiaodan He). Last weekend Sweet Milk Lake won Australian’s richest filmmaking competition, Cinefest Oz.

Jim Queen won the audience award at the festival. Its been described as a film that brilliantly uses queer iconography in a high-stakes survival journey. This subversively clever satire is as unapologetically sexy, quirky, and funky as it is destined for cult-classic status, driven by a pumping disco soundtrack and rendered in jaw-dropping, vibrant animation.

The winner of the festival’s Pitch-Off competition has also been announced, with FLOODCAM winning the prize. Filmmaker Sam Carso received the cash prize of $10,000 AUD and Spectrum Films post services value of $5000. 

“Sam did an exceptional job pitching the ambitious vision behind Floodcam. Throughout the presentation, a unique, bold, and assured creative voice shone through, both in the storytelling and the proposed production approach. We believe this short film has the potential to make a significant contribution to Australian queer cinema, offering a fresh perspective and a cinematic experience unlike anything we’ve seen before,” the competition’s judges said.

Queer Screen Film Fest On-Demand sessions are now available

The 2026 Queer Screen Film Fest On-Demand sessions run until 16 September 2026 and feature Montreal, My Beautiful alongside three short film packages.

Starring Joan Chen in a career-defining performance, the powerful romantic drama Montreal, My Beautiful follows a woman discovering her queer identity later in life.

Here’s what’s on offer in the short film packages.

Homegrown – Sydney Shorts

Celebrate homegrown storytelling with Homegrown: Sydney Shorts, a dynamic collection highlighting the creativity and diverse lived experiences right in our own backyard.  

• Lin’s Laundromat (Australia) – Directed by Hannah Feneley & Kalliopi Nicholas (6 mins). Non-binary teen Charlie is content working at their local laundromat until their estranged father arrives wearing blue eyeshadow and holding a dress bag.
• Queering Sydney (Australia) – Directed by Lynn Lee (10 mins). A poetic documentary following young queer people of colour navigating identity, freedom and nighttime sanctuary in Sydney. 
• Spiders on my Lashline (Australia) – Directed by Grace Tan, Spiders on My Lashline follows genderqueer pole dancer Ash takes shelter in a church following an attack, where childhood memories resurface and help them find strength again.
• Souvenir (Australia) – Directed by Renée Marie Petropoulos, a young closeted teen on a family vacation must confront the unnerving hold her girlfriend has over her after she takes unwarranted photos of her during sex.

Pure Chaos – Comedy Shorts

Featuring the righteous French erotic comedy Dr. Poppers, the sexy rave drama Bottlecap, the riotous family drama Sunday Lunch, and the Aussie First Nations romcom G.O.A.T , this lineup dials up the absurdity to the max. It’s a riotous, laugh-out-loud celebration of queer comedy that proves sometimes life is best served with a generous side of chaos.

• Dr. Poppers (France) – Directed by Arthur Morard, a casual hookup turns chaotic when Antoine accidentally spills poppers into a stranger’s nose, forcing the two to bond over an unwanted trip to the ER.
• Sunday Lunch (UK) – Directed by Lyndon Henley Hanrahan, a closeted lesbian brings her girlfriend to Sunday lunch to come out to her Catholic family, but her relatives find increasingly absurd ways to stop her from saying the words.
• G.O.A.T (Australia) – Directed by Kimberley Benjamin, Lilah falls hard for her new coworker but isn’t sure she’s queer, sparking a chaotic, heartfelt race to find out before she misses her chance to ask her to the NAIDOC Ball.
• Bottlecap (Germany) – Directed by Kaytie Nielsen (5 mins). At a Berlin rave, a shy club-goer works up the nerve to approach their crush. Narrated by musician John Grant.

Trans and Gender Diverse Shorts

Moving between the high-energy grit of the Australian documentary Lesbian Mud Wrestling, the charming off-beat animation of Eyeliner, the cunty charm of Fishy and the irreverent humour of Choked, this program showcases unapologetic self-expression at its finest. It is an exhilarating, heartfelt showcase of emerging trans cinema that captures transhood in all its complexity, humour, and vitality.

• Eyeliner (UK) – Directed by Aisha Boudjillouli, trans teen Nina discovers how differently society treats her journey into womanhood after stealing eyeliner with her best friend.
• Choked (UK) – Directed by Travis Alabanza (10 mins). Shakona, a trans woman seeking sexual fulfilment, needs a night of self-care from the chaotic and violent outside world. Turns out, self-care for Shakona can look just as messed up. 
• Fishy (USA) – Directed by Milo Richards (17 mins). A trans pageant queen returns to the spotlight to reclaim her throne after fleeing, but as pressure begins to mount, the shadows of self-doubt around her womanhood begin to blur reality.
• Lesbian Mud Wrestling (Australia) – Directed by Kirsty Wilson (15 mins). Every night, Kit dreams of the golden strap — the prize for Lesbian Mud Wrestling, an event that regularly takes place to raise funds for gender-affirming surgeries for legends like Kit. Screens with Bound.