Five Films For Freedom

Five Films For Freedom is now live! Watch online for free until 29 March.

Celebrate global stories in support of LGBTQIA+ communities around the world with our annual online programme of short films, in partnership with BFI Flare: London LGBTQIA+ Film Festival.

This year's films come from Brazil, France, UK, USA/Mexico and Vietnam.

Watch the films below, read more about the programme, and scroll down to watch an interview with the filmmakers.

Share the love, wherever you are in the world! #FiveFilmsForFreedom

I Hate Helen

Directed by Katie Lambert (UK)

Priya hates Helen. She hates her in the canteen. Hates her in science. Especially hates her at swimming. Mostly, Priya hates the way Helen makes her feel. A short film about the tidal wave of gay lust some girls feel in school and letting those feelings just wash over you.

Rag Dolls

Directed by Amy Adler (USA/Mexico)

Married couple Rosalinda (born with spina bifida) and Diana (who has cerebral palsy) navigate life in Puebla, Mexico, where disability intersects with discrimination and poverty. Abandoned by family, underserved by government support systems, and facing persistent homophobia, the women have built a life centred on mutual care and protection. Observing a single ordinary day, the film follows their routines, a romantic date, and moments of reflection on their enduring love.

Room 206

Directed by Laurie Bisceglia (France)

After undergoing gender-affirming surgery, Clair no longer cares what the world thinks. Reclaiming his body becomes a path toward self-recognition for the first time in his life. This documentary accompanies him not only through physical change, but towards emotional renewal and a new beginning.

Sweat (Mô Hôi)

Directed by Edward Nguyen (Vietnam)

On the eve of leaving rural Vietnam, farm worker Hung prepares to illegally cross the border in search of refuge abroad. Defined by routine and labour, his final day with Hoang, a fellow worker, reshapes his understanding of desire, intimacy and selfhood.

Theo

Directed by Monica Palazzo & Jo Galvv (Brazil)

Brazil, 1986. During the World Cup, seven-year-old Theo quietly navigates school life while defying rigid gender expectations. Between silence and rebellion, they begin inventing their own way of existing.

Meet the filmmakers

Watch the filmmakers from Five Films For Freedom 2026 as they share their inspirations and reflect on how storytelling can change perceptions of the LGBTQIA+ community. Find out what being part of this global celebration of LGBTQIA+ stories means to them.

Lady in wheelchair moving from left to right of the picture. On the right stands a lady with a video camera. Behind her is graffiti on a wall.

Rag Dolls and the power of seeing queer disabled lives on screen

What connected Rag Doll’s director, Amy Adler with the true story of Diana and Rosalinda? We spoke to Amy and producer, Valeria López and executive producer, Ekiwah Adler-Beléndez, to find out the story behind the story – the ‘wider context of disability justice and of justice for queer lesbian women’.