Asia's oldest LGBTQ+ film festival is back for its 37th year. The Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival (HKLGFF) returns from 4 to 20 September 2026, screening its largest programme in recent years across two of the city's arthouse cinema venues.
In This Guide
What is the Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival?
HKLGFF is reputedly the oldest LGBTQ+ film festival in Asia, and the 2026 edition marks its 37th year. The festival showcases both award-winning titles and under-the-radar discoveries from Hong Kong, the wider region and around the world, spanning feature films, documentaries and shorts that explore queer life, love and identity.
This year's programme is the festival's largest in recent years, with 37 feature films and 38 short films across the full run. Screenings take place at two of Hong Kong's best-known arthouse venues: Broadway Cinematheque in Yau Ma Tei and Palace IFC in Central, giving audiences options on both sides of the harbour.
What are the six "moods"?
For 2026, HKLGFF has restructured its programme away from the geographical and identity-based categories used in past editions, instead grouping films around six emotional "moods": LOVE, LAUGH, REFLECT, THRILL, PRIDE and REMEMBER. It's a curatorial shift designed to let audiences pick films by the experience they're after, rather than by where a film was made or which identity it centres.
The festival's opening night falls on 4 September, when the programme's opening film screens and an award is presented to kick off the festival's three-week run. Previous editions have included titles such as the US comedy Cora Bora, South Korean drama PEAFOWL, and a dedicated showcase of LGBTQ+ films from the African continent — a flavour of the range of work HKLGFF typically programmes each year.
Dates, venues and tickets
37th Hong Kong Lesbian and Gay Film Festival
Exact 2026 ticket prices, the individual film line-up and the full screening schedule are confirmed closer to the festival on the official HKLGFF site — check there before booking, as prices and showtimes can differ slightly by venue and screening.
Good to know: because HKLGFF splits screenings across two cinemas on opposite sides of the harbour, it's worth checking which venue a film is playing at before you plan your evening — Broadway Cinematheque and Palace IFC are roughly 30–40 minutes apart by MTR. If you're building a wider cinema-going week around the festival, our guide to Hong Kong's best arthouse cinemas covers both venues in more detail, and our Hong Kong arts and culture guide rounds up what else is on this autumn.
Frequently Asked Questions
A landmark year for Asia's oldest LGBTQ+ film festival
With 37 features, 38 shorts and a fresh mood-based programme, HKLGFF's 37th edition is one of the biggest queer cultural events on Hong Kong's autumn calendar. Book early for opening night on 4 September.