Queer East announces its new edition of On the Road, visiting over 15 cities across the UK
Founded in 2020 with the aim of elevating queer and Asian voices in the UK, Queer East has become one of the most important activities in the country’s cultural calendar. Following a record-breaking sixth edition in London this May, the organisation will commence its ambitious On the Road touring project this autumn, bringing some of the best work from this year’s programme to an ever-expanding roster of sites across the country.
Queer East exists to forge a space for bold, alternative, and multifaceted expressions of queerness, and to facilitate dialogue about the diverse experiences of Asian and LGBTQ+ communities, which form a vital part of the UK’s identity. This year’s On the Road will once again showcase a selection of festival highlights; new and rediscovered films that explore East and Southeast Asia’s ever-evolving queer landscape.
Highlights include Edhi Alice (2024), a sensitive documentary by Kim Ilrhan about two trans women in South Korea, Kubi (2023), Takeshi Kitano’s historical epic about gay samurai in feudal Japan, and Lilly Hu’s 1 Girl Infinite (2025), a vivid portrait of girlhood and teenage love in China. The line-up also features rediscovered gems such as Michio Okabe’s subversive underground film Crazy Love (Japan, 1968) and Lin Cheng’s bittersweet coming-of-age classic Murmur of Youth (Taiwan, 1997), as well as new releases including Jun Geng’s pitch-black comedy Bel Ami (China, 2024) and Petersen Vargas’ elegantly erotic Some Nights I Feel Like Walking (Philippines, 2024).
Alongside the film screenings, events including talks, conversations, workshops, and networking activities will be held in collaboration with an extensive array of local community partners.
Queer East: On The Road 2025 is currently scheduled for: Chester, Leeds, Glasgow, Sheffield, Nottingham, Bradford, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Manchester, Bristol, Brighton, Liverpool, Newcastle, and Birmingham.*
With the support of the BFI, awarding funds from the National Lottery in order to bring this project to more audiences across the UK.
*Cities and partnering venues are TBC and subject to change.