WQ:Docs 2025

The queer art of Body modification took center stage in 1989 when Fakir Musafar’s “Modern Primitives” movement hit alternative cultures around the globe via the punk subcultural magazine Re/Search. A photographer, performance artist, and ritualist, Musafar’s work mobilized an entire generation of artists, thinkers, and seekers. Through oral histories, photographic meditation, and filmic abstraction, A Body To Live In introduces this riveting “Gender Flex” icon, and the rich history of western body modification's controversial intersections with sexuality and spiritual practices.

A DEEPER LOVE traces the rise of trans icon Peppermint - from NYC clubs to Drag Race and Broadway fame, revealing the artist and activist behind the spotlight through 9 years of fighting for acceptance and trans visibility.

Brigitte’s Planet B is a feature documentary about transgender ecologist Brigitte Baptiste, whose groundbreaking research and alternative discourse has challenged scientific and social conventions for years, eroding prejudice, building bridges and inspiring change. Through observational footage, rare archival material and digital animation, the film weaves an intimate soliloquy and a nuanced portrait of an extraordinary character, whose refreshing arguments about life, family and current affairs may rekindle our hope for our planet’s future.

Out of the underground dance clubs on the South Side of Chicago, a group of friends turn a new sound into a global movement.

Being LGBT is criminalised in Muslim-majority Malaysia. Trans man Faris and his punk band still travel the country playing gigs and protesting on the streets. A documentary portrait of courageous people, humorous friendship and the spirit of punk.

A radical lesbian feminist (not to mention something of a sapphic Casanova) whose trailblazing vision and ebullient personality were the spark for movements with far-reaching impacts, the legacy of Sally Gearhart has also largely been erased from history.From the defeat of the Briggs Initiative to the founding of the first Women’s Studies program in the nation, to groundbreaking writing on lesbian separatist communities, Gearhart was a fierce-hearted San Francisco political preacher at the center of many iconic movements of the 1970s and 1980s. In this heartfelt documentary following her journey from a 23-year-old professor at a Christian college to her final days surrounded by a diverse and dedicated community, director Deborah Craig (A Great Ride, Frameline42) re-centers the charismatic Gearhart who ignited movements, fought tirelessly for change, and created lasting bonds. Deftly weaving archival footage with interviews spanning decades, Sally! illuminates the personal and political context that defines Gearhart’s legacy, humorously and thoughtfully celebrating her while also confronting the controversies and limitations of lesbian separatism. Sally! is a rare watch that honors its subject as both an icon and a beloved, complex individual.

This program brings together stories that illuminate LGBTQ+ courage, connection, and celebration around the world. From a trailblazing trans football club and a dancer reclaiming identity through movement, to a daughter forging fragile bonds with her donor father, exploring resilience, family, and self-determination. A dazzling ode to queer Oz fandom and a fight for equality at Disneyland, we also meet two spirited seniors embracing freedom on the road. Together, these stories honor chosen community, the power of visibility, and the many ways we create home, history, and joy on our own terms.