Announcement
The New Colours section spotlights emerging queer cinema from around the globe, with most of the featured titles being directorial debuts.
Among them: an animated tale about a cosmic princess embarking on an intergalactic journey to save her ex-girlfriend, an erotic thriller about a birdwatcher who breaks into a queer nudist camp, and a road movie about three friends wandering the desert in search of meaning.
The animated film “Lesbian Space Princess” premiered in the Panorama section of the 2025 Berlin International Film Festival, where it won the Berlinale’s top queer honor — the Teddy Award. In the story, the Space Princess is forced to abandon her peaceful life and set off on a galactic mission to save her ex-girlfriend — a bounty hunter — from a gang of the “Straight White Maliens”.
“Baby” premiered in the Critics’ Week section of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was nominated for the Queer Palm. The film’s star, Ricardo Teodoro, received the Rising Star Award. After being released from a juvenile detention center, Wellington wanders the streets of São Paulo alone — cut off from his family and without the means to start anew. At a porn theater, he meets Ronaldo, an older man who introduces him to new ways of surviving. A complicated attraction develops between them, navigating the blurry lines between desire and exploitation, protection, jealousy and intimacy.
Spanish director Sandra Romero’s debut “As Silence Passes By” premiered at the San Sebastián Film Festival. In its review, Cineuropa described the film as “a harsh, unflinching portrait of a family where love is neither obvious nor easy, communication is stifled, and expectations are painfully high.”
New Colors lineup:
Baby, Marcelo Caetano, Brazil, France, Netherlands, 2024, 107’
NeighborQueer is a SUNNY BUNNY section highlighting queer stories from the Eastern European region — including Romania, the Czech Republic, and Slovakia. As part of this section, we present the film “I’m Not Everything I Want To Be” by director Klára Tasovská in collaboration with the human rights documentary festival Docudays UA.
This film is part of a cross-festival initiative between SUNNY BUNNY and Docudays UA, and will be screened at both festivals as part of a joint effort to support a network of film festivals across Ukraine. A panel discussion on the development of inter-festival solidarity and collaboration among Ukrainian cultural events will also take place in June during Docudays UA.
In “I’m Not Everything I Want To Be”, following the Soviet occupation of Prague, a young female photographer seeks to break free from the constraints of Czechoslovak standardization and embarks on a wild journey toward freedom — capturing her experience in thousands of deeply personal photographs.
“Who I Am Not” is a bold and honest documentary about intersex people. It’s a deeply personal exploration of the body, belief, identity, and belonging in a world that insists on binary definitions. Directed by Tünde Skovrán, the film gives voice to a reality long excluded from the public eye. It premiered at the South by Southwest (SXSW) Film Festival.
NeighborQueer Lineup
The out-of-competition documentary selection features queer-themed films that have screened at major international documentary film festivals all around the world such as Thessaloniki, Millennium Docs Against Gravity, Beldocs, and the world’s leading queer film festivals.
One of the selection’s highlights is “Sally!”, a winner at Frameline — the largest queer film festival in the world, held in San Francisco. The film centers on Sally Gearhart, a pioneering figure of the lesbian feminist movement in the 1970s and '80s, whose legacy remains vital to the struggle for LGBTQ+ and women's rights.
“Lesvia” offers a decades-spanning chronicle of lesbian identity on the Greek island of Lesbos — and the conflict between local residents of a small village and the lesbian women who journeyed there in search of love, freedom, and community.
“Queer Exile Berlin” paints a contemporary portrait of the German capital through the eyes of gay, trans, and nonbinary individuals who now call Berlin home. Some left their countries by choice, others out of necessity. Among them are Armenian artist and performer Misha Badasyan, Lebanese activist Haidar Darwish, and many others who share their stories.
“Warm Film”, directed by Serbian filmmaker Dragan Jovićević, follows two young actors as they delve into the representation of LGBTQ+ characters in Yugoslav — and later Serbian — cinema. What social factors shaped the portrayal of queer characters, and what did their presence on screen truly mean?
“If I Die, It’ll Be of Joy” features protagonists in their 70s and 80s who boldly challenge the taboo around sexuality in older age. In a world that often underestimates the power of the elderly, they are part of a group of activists who break stereotypes and reimagine love, sexuality, and aging.
Documentary Selection Films:
Stills from the documentary selection Selection trailer
As part of SUNNY BUNNY, we will also showcase three short films in the Queerby section, dedicated to queer films for and about teenagers.
Queerby Section:
The international short film competition features 14 films from various countries, including one Ukrainian film. This film, directed by Vadym Mochalov, won a special award at the first LGBTQ+ film pitching event supported by Jägermeister last year.
First Block
Second Block
Third Block
As usual, a separate out-of-competition selection will feature Ukrainian short films on queer themes.
Ukrainian Short Films:
You can support the SUNNY BUNNY festival via the link:
The festival is organised with the support of Heinrich Böll Foundation in Ukraine, Goethe-Institut Ukraine. Financial support is provided by Ukrainian State Film Agency, German Films, appflame, Jägermeister.
Main Partners:
Ilta on Pechersk
CRUMB
I AM IDEA
K14
Ukrainian-Danish Youth House
KharkivPride
Tochka Opory
Drugstore
KyivPride
Insight
Planeta Online
Zhovten Cinema
Concert Hall (41 Kyrylivska street)
Fashion Partners:
Noskar
To be accessories
Media Partners:
Suspilne Kultura
LB.UA
Zagin Kinomaniv
DTF Magazine
Lirum — Partner of Ukrainian Cinema
Kino-Kolo
TyKyiv
Hromadske
#ПроШоКіно
Hospitality Partners:
Ponchyk Boy
