Queer Cinema saved the 2026 Cannes Film Festival – a roundup of all the gay films you need to see

Every May, the Cannes Film Festival gives film lovers like myself a first glimpse of what cinema will have to offer audiences for the remainder of the year. This was my eleventh time in attendance at the festival, and quite frankly, the Official Competition selection was a little underwhelming. You had to sift through a lot of dirt to find the diamonds.

But leave it to the gays to save the party because, despite an unusually lacklustre competition selection, what salvaged the festival was both the quantity and quality of queer cinema that Cannes was showcasing. The one takeaway from Cannes 2026 is that gay cinema lives! In fact, it doesn’t just live, it’s thriving.

Typically, we’re lucky to receive one or two new Cannes titles that generate anticipation among the gay community, such as Pillion last year. But 2026 promises to be a gloriously queer year for cinema, with many of the best and critically acclaimed Cannes titles being overtly queer or queer-coded stories. I’m here to give you the scoop on what upcoming queer films you should be seeking out.

Jordan Firstman’s Club Kid

Let’s kick things off with perhaps the buzziest title of the entire programme. Club Kid was an instant hit on arrival. Here, Jordan Firstman plays a gay, coked-up, New York City party boy whose life is turned upside down when a 10-year-old boy is dumped on his doorstep claiming to be his biological son. Imagine Big Daddy but with the sensibilities of an arthouse filmmaker. Hilarious and heartwarming in equal measure. Be sure to watch this one with your closest gaggle of mates. This is a laugh-out-loud, crowd-pleasing banger.

Jane Schoenbrun’s Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma

Audiences won’t have to wait long for trans filmmaker Jane Schoenbrun’s subversive horror Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma, which comes to UK cinemas on 21 August. This multi-layered ode to campy 1980s slasher movies stars Hannah Einbinder as a queer filmmaker who’s handed the reins to a schlocky, milked-to-death horror franchise. We watch as she pitches her reboot idea to the original “final girl” Billy Presely, played by an intoxicating Gillian Anderson. Sparks and all manner of fluids fly in this beguiling Queer Palm-winning romp.

Flesh and Fuel – two gay truckers

Flesh and Fuel was the recipient of the Queer Palm Revelation Prize. The film follows the passing romance between two gay truckers who meet in the shadows but find something unexpected. What sounds like a seedy premise is actually a delicate and passionate tale of yearning. A real sleeper hit from the programme.

Tangles – a lesbian animation

This year was also a strong turnout for animation, with several of the standout titles intersecting with LGBTQ+ stories. Tangles, Leah Nelson’s charming and tender adaptation of Sarah Leavitt’s graphic novel, is a contender for the biggest tearjerker of 2026. The story follows a lesbian San Francisco artist (voiced by Abbi Jacobson) navigating the rocky waves of losing her mother Midge (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) to early-onset Alzheimer’s. There wasn’t a dry eye left in the house when the credits rolled. My favourite film of the entire festival.

Jim Queen – an animated tale of a muscle Mary influencer

If you thought the RuPaul-led disaster spoof Stop! That! Train! would be the gayest thing you would see all year, then buckle up for the delightfully fruity Jim Queen. Who says animation is just for kids? This vibrant and silly tale of a muscle Mary influencer who contracts a new STI that slowly turns him straight was 72 minutes of pure queer joy. Buttplugs, cockrings and dildos galore. An unapologetically raunchy quasi-musical that satirises gay culture and Disney classics with cheeky wit. No gay tribe, kink or sexual proclivity goes unturned, so prepare to be read to filth with this one.

Tom Sturridge’s The Man I Love starring Rami Malek

Rami Malek might have already mimed his way to an Oscar win for playing Freddie Mercury, but his performance as another charismatic artist living with AIDS in The Man I Love feels like redemption for the godawful, straight-washed Bohemian Rhapsody. Malek delivers his finest performance to date here and is certain to be in the conversation for awards. Tom Sturridge and Luther Ford also star in this gentle and nuanced 1980s-set drama.

Coward – a soldier love story

Lukas Dhont (Close) returned to the Croisette with his achingly beautiful film Coward. A WW1 romantic drama where Belgian soldiers put on skits for their comrades to momentarily escape the brutality of war. Emmanuel Macchia and Valentin Campagne collectively took home the Best Actor prize for their beautiful portrayals of two soldiers who find comfort and solace on the stage and with each other. To paraphrase Rihanna, they found love in a hopeless place.

La Bola Negra – three interconnected gay men from different periods

If there was one competition title that sent shockwaves throughout the Palais, it was undoubtedly the audacious, sweeping historical gay epic La Bola Negra (The Black Ball) from co-directors Los Javis, best known as the judges on Drag Race España.

Few films matched the word-of-mouth fanfare that this one did – and for good reason. Inspired by the unfinished work of Spanish playwright Federico García Lorca, this ambitious film tells the stories of three interconnected gay men throughout three different periods in Spanish history: 1932, 1937 and 2017. Los Javis expertly braid each narrative strand together to create a towering piece of cinematic tapestry. A fusion of old Hollywood classics and something completely fresh, bold and modern. La Bola Negra is the type of film that completely pushes the boundaries of what is even possible in the medium. Prepare to be left in awe by the grandiose scale and opulent execution. It’s no wonder they won the prize for Best Director. We also shouldn’t take for granted that it’s incredibly rare to see a gay production with this much budget.

The film received a 20-minute standing ovation after its premiere – the longest applause of any film this year, and the second longest ever to Pan’s Labyrinth. Whilst I’m not one for this overwrought clapping custom, this film deserved every minute of adulation it got. This is a breathtaking artistic achievement and mandatory viewing for anyone with an appreciation of cinema. If there’s one queer film that is sure to be on everybody’s lips come awards season, it’s this one. Don’t miss it.

These were just a few exceptional highlights of a very eclectic buffet of queer cinema. Other Cannes titles that aren’t explicitly gay but feature queer undertones or central characters include Another Day, All of a Sudden and Bitter Christmas.

One thing is certain: we were absolutely spoiled for choice when it came to the queer selections this year. What have we done to deserve such a generous gay bounty? And remarkably, very few of the listed films feature the all-too-familiar bury-your-gays trope. Instead, there was a real emphasis on narratives about hope, love, identity and inner peace.

I don’t envy the Queer Palm jury, who had the impossible task of having to choose the winners from such a staggeringly impressive selection. The sheer amount of sublime gay films in contention this year meant that the winner of the Queer Palm was far more compelling than the winner of the Palme d’Or, with Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma being an inspiring off-kilter pick.

Get ready to step into a new golden age of queer cinema.