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2025 SIPFF 11.6(Thu.) ~ 11.12(Wed.)

Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance
About. Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance


1. Official Title

Asia-Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance (a.k.a APQFFA)


2. Introduction

Asia Pacific Queer Film Festival Alliance (APQFFA) is a regional cooperative of LGBTQ film organisations. We believe that queer cinema and cultural activism can make a difference in the lives of sexual and gender minorities. We work to promote the visibility of Asian and Pacific voices in queer cinema, to support emerging festivals and to advocate for equal rights.


The first APQFFA official assembly and conference were organized by the Taiwan International Queer Film Festival in 2015. Since then, we have expanded to 17 members and continue to grow. From Japan in the North to New Zealand in the South, Hawai’i in the East to Pakistan in the West, our alliance strives to be an inclusive body, offering support and networking to festivals and filmmakers.


The APQFFA Award is an initiative to promote Asia-Pacific filmmakers across the region. Members select the best queer short films from their country to compete for an annual prize and filmmaker fund.


▲Gary MAK (Hong Kong), John BADALU (Indonesia), Jay LIN (Taiwan), KIM Seung-hwan (Korea)

In March 2015, they held the initial meeting for the establishment of the Federation at the Hong Kong International Film Festival.


A photo from the Federation’s general assembly and meeting held during the 2017 Sydney Mardi Gras Film Festival (Australia).



3. Purpose

  • To enhance the visibility of Asia-Pacific queer cinema for the public to engage positively with queer issues. We recognize the importance for queer minorities to see themselves reflected onscreen to validate their daily struggles and to see ease their alienation. Further, we seek to inform and familiarize the general public of the queer community and build bridges.
  • To support voices in diverse queer minorities that face unique struggles in each country with their production of queer films in the Asia-Pacific region. Through festivals’ organization of spaces to screen queer film, our alliance hopes to directly/indirectly stimulate production and promotion of LGBT films in the Asia-Pacific region.
  • To share and exchange information with its members to find solutions to problems collectively, and to assist each other in curating diverse content. With the assembling of industry professionals at our festival, we also aim to promote communication between them for possible future collaborations or to exchange pioneering ideas.
  • Ultimately, the alliance serves as a resource for international filmmakers as well as festival curator.
  • To highlight young talents in the Asia-Pacific film industry through the establishment of the Asia-Pacific short film award.
  • In the near future, to build up the database of Asia-Pacific queer films for research, distribution, and exhibition around the world.