30 years of Queersicht: Bern’s queer film festival celebrates with 40+ films, a pop-up museum and a party

What is being celebrated The Queersicht film festival in Bern turns 30. According to the festival’s «About» page it was founded in 1996 and is the oldest queer film festival in Switzerland; its homepage says «since 1997», so we follow the About page and 360.ch. The anniversary edition runs from 5 to 11 November 2026 with more than 40 feature films and five short-film blocks. 360.ch reports that the festival has scheduled more screenings than ever. It is run by the Verein Queersicht and a volunteer organising committee of about 20 people.

The programme The festival opens on Thursday 5 November with «Feito Pipa» by Brazilian director Allan Deberton. A short documentary about the organising committee comes first, followed by an apéro and an opening speech. It closes with «Out Laws» by Lexi Powner and James Lewis, about the Namibian activist Friedel Dausab, whose legal challenge against colonial-era anti-LGBTQIA+ laws began in June 2022. In between, 360.ch names «La Bola Negra» by Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi, «Coward» by Lukas Dhont, «Shelter» by Adrián Silvestre and «Between Dreams and Hope» by Iranian director Farnoosh Samadi. Two local short films portray pioneers of Bernese queer cinema. Talks cover the history and future of queer festivals in Switzerland, streaming and pinkwashing. The audience gives the «Die Rosa Brille» prize to the two most popular short films, and there is also a special prize for the most controversial or daring work.

Anniversary weekend, 7 and 8 November The festival lounge in the Queerfeministischer Raum at Schützenmattstrasse 9 hosts «our little museum» on the festival’s history, a live screen-printing stand and anniversary merchandise. On Saturday 7 November the birthday party starts at 22:00 in the Dachstock of the Reitschule, with 36birds, unnova & Popy Caste, Disco Shorley and knabber_hans, plus a drag performance at midnight. A combined ticket links the party with the «Rosa Brille» best-of film night at the Kino in der Reitschule. Both events are listed in our agenda.

Why it matters beyond Bern A festival that has lasted three decades largely on volunteer work is an anchor of queer culture in Switzerland. It is supported by Swisslos, Kultur Stadt Bern, the Burgergemeinde Bern and sato, among others, but it depends on its team. The timing gives the anniversary extra weight: gay.ch reported on 4 November that the Love Queer Film Week in Beijing, due to start the same week, was cancelled at short notice. The organisers gave no reasons; gay.ch cites unofficial reports of repeated phone calls and threats from the authorities. In Bern, by contrast, a programme with a film from Iran and a portrait of a Namibian activist runs publicly across seven cinemas and venues.

Practical information: tickets and venues Tickets are sold online at eventfrog.ch/queersicht plus a CHF 1 booking fee; the box office opens 45 minutes before each screening. A regular ticket costs CHF 18, CHF 11 with the festival pass and CHF 5 with KulturLegi. Accompanying persons enter free but must register. The festival pass costs CHF 25 and is free for members, patrons, under-26s and recipients of AHV or IV pensions. Screenings take place at CineABC, Kino REX, Kellerkino, Cinématte, Kino in der Reitschule, Lichtspiel and the Kleine Bühne at PROGR. The full programme is at queersicht.ch.

Keep going in Bern If one party is not enough: «Queerhübeli – The Pop Edition» follows on 13 November at Bierhübeli, and further dates in Bern, Zurich and French-speaking Switzerland are in the events section of this site.

Last checked: 5 November 2026