Mental Health and LGBTQ+ Lives in Asia: Cinema and Conversations

How do we hold each other across cultures, across time, and across space, and across genders? Where is the space for men to be held in tenderness, for trans and queer people to search for communities, and for spaces in which to reflect and recharge? This special programme brings together three films from India, Malaysia, and Indonesia with expert LGBTQ+ therapy practitioners, academics, and organisational professionals to engage with the complexity of mental health amongst queer Asian communities.

In collaboration with 'Queer' Asia, Queer East, and the UK Asian Film Festival, this special programme of short films from three different countries offers the space for a deep, reflective conversation on mental health amongst queer Asian communities.

Audiences are invited to watch, listen, and participate alongside one another to build a space for a deep conversation on queer mental health. Everyone is invited to stay on for a fundraising mixer after the programme, to raise support for queer organisations working to bring about a positive impact in communities in India, Malaysia, and Indonesia, and in queer Asian communities in the UK.

The Pact When a son revisits his late father’s home, long-buried memories resurface. dir. Lakshmi R. Iyer | India | 2026 | 25min

Heels to Heal Three Malaysian drag queens heal their wounds through heals, makeup, and dance. dir. Justice Khor | Malaysia | 2024 | 20min

My Therapist Said, I am Full of Sadness A nonbinary filmmaker reflects on their chosen life and relationship with their parents. dir. Monica Vanesa Tedja | Indonesia | 2024 | 22 min