This LGBTQ+ film season features a blend of landmark queer films and collaborations with organisations showcasing more contemporary titles.
LGBTQ+ History Month Films at The Garden Cinema
Beautiful Thing (Hettie MacDonald, UK, 1996) – 21 February 2026.
The season begins with Beautiful Thing, directed by Hettie MacDonald. This beloved British coming-of-age story captures the essence of first love and celebrates working-class queer joy in 1990s London.
Fox and His Friends (Rainer Werner Fassbinder, Germany, 1975) – 8 February and 18 February 2026.
Fox and His Friends is a powerful and incisive film by Rainer Werner Fassbinder that explores themes of class, desire, and exploitation.
Desert Hearts (Donna Deitch, USA, 1985) – 12 February abd 22 February 2026.
Also screening is Desert Hearts, Donna Deitch’s pioneering lesbian love story and the most voted-for film as selected by Garden Cinema members. Watch freelance writer and academic Lillian Crawford talk about the film here.
Avant-Drag! (Fil Ieropoulos, Greece, 2024) – 15 February 2026.
Avant-Drag! is an exhilarating documentary following ten Greek drag performers as they deconstruct gender, nationalism, and identity while confronting police brutality, transphobia, and racism. It is presented by Radical Performers Re-Imagine Athens.
Diosa (Goddess) + Q&A (Cyprien Clément-Delmas, Spain, 2024) – 16 February 2026.
Diosa (Goddess) is a compelling portrait of Joan López Galo, a prominent Catalan queer icon better known by their drag persona, Marina. Joan has appeared in Drag Race España” and is a non-binary film director. This screening is in partnership with Instituto Cervantes and The Spanish Researchers Association. Following the film, there will be a Q&A session with the director, Cyprien Clément-Delmas.
The Handmaiden (Park Chan-wook, South Korea, 2016) – 17 February 2026.
The Handmaiden is an adaptation of Sarah Waters’ novel Fingersmith, directed by Park Chan-wook. Set in 1930s Korea during the Japanese occupation, the story follows a young maid and a reclusive heiress whose developing intimacy disrupts a complex con. The film unfolds into a richly layered exploration of power, deception, and queer desire.
Edhi Alice: Reverse (Ilrhan Kim, South Korea, 2024) – 26 February 2026.
Another film that explores trans identities is Edhi Alice: Reverse, a visually striking and thought-provoking documentary that examines the process of creating films about trans communities. The documentary focuses on the interconnected lives of a counselor for LGBTQ+ teens and a trans crew member, and it is presented by Queer East.
Miracle on Jongno Street (Lee Hyuk-sang, South Korea, 2010) – 28 February 2026.
Presented by Queer East, Miracle on Jongno Street is Lee Hyuk-sang’s heartfelt and moving portrayal of queer life and solidarity in Seoul’s Jongno district.
Speaking to the Garden Cinema before his Q&A upcoming appearance at the screening of his film Diosa, documentary-maker Cyprien Clément-Delmas described how so-labelled ‘queer films’ are an essential tool in challenging more conservative views in society, particularly at a time when the world seems to be lurching further to the right.
“I believe there really is a progressive movement happening, and I do see change,” he said, explaining how he witnessed people unfamiliar with queerness embrace the people and the scene, during his work chronicling the life of Joan López Galo, aka Drag Race Spain’s Marina, who is known as “the non-binary goddess of Barcelona”.
Describing the process of witnessing Joan’s struggles as they grapple with transitioning, he added: “I wanted the film to be open to a broader audience because I really believe that people when they see the person, when they hear them, and when they understand their reality, they get more tolerant at the end, and they open their mind. I think the power of one individual explaining their story – you fall in love.”
This year´s season spans five decades and three continents of queer filmmaking, celebrating the significance of LGBTQ+ History Month and the impact of these films. However, the canon of queer cinema extends far beyond a single month, and The Garden Cinema are committed to including it in their year-round programming.
Tickets & full programme: https://www.thegardencinema.co.uk/season/lgbt-history-month-2026/
