Our Top 15 list of the best Gay Movies 2020 selected for the Amsterdam LGBTQ+ Film Festival Roze Filmdagen 2020. For 25 years, the biggest Dutch LGBTQ+ film festival is inviting the LGBTQ+ community to see the best new LGBTQ+ related movies. To make sure, you won’t miss any of the great movies and films from Germany to Mexico, from Argentina to Chile, or from South Africa to Israel, we teamed up with festival director Werner Borkes to select some of the best movies about gay love, relationships between different generations, and love stories in difficult cultures from around the world. In 2020, the LGBTQ Film Festival in Amsterdam will celebrate its 23rd-anniversary featuring movies like the German movie “Future Drei”, the Bolivian story “Tu me manques (I miss you)” and the French movie “The Shiny Shrimps”.
Top List of Gay Movies 2020 at Roze Filmdagen
The opening night of the Amsterdam LGBTQ+ Film Festival will be held on 12th March 2020, continuing for 11 days in total until 22nd March 2020. This year, the festival will be screened again to feature movies, documentaries, and short movies from many countries. But don’t worry, you won’t get lost with our list of the best gay movies, including trailers and screening information selected for the gay part of this year’s film festival for a couple of men. Maybe you want to check our Top 10 List of Lesbian Movies 2020 and our Top 10 List of Queer Movies 2020, too? And now, enjoy the movie festival, show pride, and have fun watching the 15 best Gay Movies 2020 selected by the Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam 2020!
#1 Tu me manques (I miss you) | Bolivia
In French, you don’t really say “I miss you”. You say “Tu me manques”, which means “You are missing from me”… Our opening night film uses multiple layers of fiction to explore themes of loss, rejection, and redemption. It is the story of a conservative Bolivian dad, who travels to New York to delve into the life of his deceased gay son, woven into the memories that others have of him. The serious themes are mingled with delightful pieces of comedy, making it feel extraordinarily light and easy to watch. Unique, moving, and perceptive. – Tu me manques.
Spanish and English, with English subtitles
Date:
12th March 2020 | Thursday | 20:00 Hours
Click here for more about Tu Me Manques >>
#2 15 Years (15 shana) | Israel
Yoav’s demons start haunting him after his best friend becomes pregnant without telling him, and after his younger boyfriend of 15 years starts talking about children too. His life unravels, and self-destruction seems inevitable. The film is unflinchingly intimate, it provides a stunningly nuanced perspective on parenthood, partnership, and personal growth. – 15 Years.
Hebrew, with English subtitles
Date:
17th March 2020 | Tuesday | 21:30 Hours
Click here for more about 15 Years >
#3 El Cazador (Young Hunter) | Argentina
Ezéquiel, a fifteen-year-old gay teenager in his sensual awakening. He is extorted to capture a boy for child indecency. A slow-burningly sensitive character study from returning director and festival favorite Marco Berger. Good to know: Marco Berger, known for his previous Roze Filmdagen screenings as Ausente, Plan B, Hawaii: Volatile, Mariposa, and The Blond One will attend and also give a masterclass on Saturday, March 14 at 12.30h. – El Cazador.
Spanish, with English subtitles
Dates:
14th March 2020 | Saturday | 19:30 Hours
16th March 2020 | Monday | 19:30 Hours
Click here for more about El Cazador & Lola >>
#4 Label Me | Germany
Even though he identifies as straight, Syrian refugee Waseem prostitutes himself with other men since living in Germany. His emerging feelings towards his client Lars not only force the 30-year-old to go through a painful process of self-discovery but also pose a serious threat to the reality of living in a shelter. The unavailing fight against his feelings seems to be undermined by his growing desire for closeness and safety. Inspired by interviews the director conducted with gay Syrian refugee men in Germany. – Label Me.
English, German and Arabic, with English subtitles
Dates:
15th March 2020 | Sunday | 15:00 Hours
21st March 2020 | Saturday | 19:45 Hours
Click here for more about Label Me >>
#5 Los Fuertes (The Strong Ones) | Chili
Lucas travels to visit his sister in a remote town in southern Chile. In front of the ocean and the fog, he meets Antonio, a boatswain in a local fishing boat. When an intense romance grows between them, their strength, their independence, and their adulthood become immovable in front of the tide. Based on the Teddy Award-winning short San Cristóbal which swept audiences away. – Los Fuertes.
Spanish, with English subtitles
Dates:
17th March 2020 | Tuesday | 15:30 Hours
19th March 2020 | Thursday | 21:30 Hours
Click here for more about Los Fuertes >>
#6 Fireflies (luciérnagas) | Mexico
A poignant artfully made drama that is rich in food for thought and touches on big issues in very personal ways. Ramin, a young gay Iranian has fled the country and now works as a laborer in Mexico, after having boarded a wrong freight ship in Turkey. As he struggles with finding his place, he develops a friendship with smoldering intense co-worker Guillermo and others in this harbor city where everyone dreams of a better life elsewhere. – Fireflies.
Spanish, English, and Farsi, with English subtitles
Dates:
13th March 2020 | Friday | 15:45 Hours
16th March 2020 | Monday | 15:30 Hours
Click here for more about Fireflies >>
#7 Men of Hard Skin (hombres de piel dura) | Argentina
Set in rural Argentina, the film blends an unsettling tale of abuse with an impressive coming of age story, with engaging results. Teenager Ariel starts navigating his way around his own desire for intimate encounters and his place in this insulated community, which means he wants to break away from the priest who abused him when he was younger but with whom he now has a misguided but consensual relationship. Picturesque, complex, and thought-provoking. – Men of Hard Skin.
Spanish, with English subtitles
Dates:
15th March 2020 | Sunday | 13:45 Hours
22nd March 2020 | Sunday | 17:30 Hours
Click here for more about Men of Hard Skin >>
Best Gay Movies 2020 for Roze Filmdagen:
- Overview: Tips, Info, & Articles for “Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam” >
- Start Planning: 10 Best Queer LGBTQ+ Mix Movies 2020 >
- Good to know: 10 Best Lesbian Movies for 2020 Film Festival >
- Check gay movies 2018: Best Gay Movies for 2018 Film Festival >
- Check gay movies 2019: Best Gay Movies for 2019 Film Festival >
- Best of Amsterdam “Gay” Pride with Canal Parade 2018 >
- All you need to know about traveling the Dutch capital Amsterdam >
- All you need to know for your Gay Travels to the Netherlands, Holland >
#8 The Teacher (wo de ling hun shi ai zuo de) | Taiwan
Award-winning drama set in Taiwan, just before it became the first Asian country to legalize same-gender marriage. When the 26-year-old Civics teacher, Kevin, openly voiced his stance on marriage equality at school, he stirs up a storm. His being madly in love with an HIV-positive man doesn’t sit well with all the surrounding people. When a rumor breaks out about his HIV status, he is forced to make choices no one should have to. – The Teacher.
Mandarin, with English subtitles
Dates:
17th March 2020 | Tuesday | 17:45 Hours
20th March 2020 | Friday | 17:30 Hours
Click here for more about The Teacher >>
#9 Douze Points | Israel
“Let the Eurovision Song Contest begin!…” A wonderful feel-good comedy that takes place during the most rainbow-colored song contest you can imagine. The unique friendship between two young Muslim boys is mixed with fantastic Eurovision clichés, extremists, Mossad agents, tongue in the cheek politics, and campy tunes. And comes to a head in the most joyful musical celebration of love. – Douze Points.
French, Hebrew and English, with English subtitles
Date:
14th March 2020 | Saturday | 20:30 Hours
Click here for more about Douze Points >>
#10 No Hard Feelings (Futur Drei) | Germany
Parvis, the son of exiled Iranians, copes with his boring life through pop culture, Grindr-dates, and raves. After being caught shoplifting, he is sentenced to community service at a refugee shelter where he meets siblings Banafshe and Amon, who have fled Iran. As a romantic attraction between Parvis and Amon grows, the fragile relationship between the three is put to a test. They find and lose each other throughout a summer of fleeting youth, an intense first love, an attempt at a joint future, as well as the stark realization that, in Germany, they are not equal. – Futur Drei.
German and Persian, with English subtitles
Dates:
15th March 2020 | Sunday | 17:30 Hours
21st March 2020 | Saturday | 13:45 Hours
Click here for more about No Hard Feelings >>
#11 Present Still Perfect (Kae Nee Koi Dee Laew Song) | Thailand
Present Still Perfect is the sequel to its first chapter when Toey fell in love with Oat, the cool guy who was about to get married to a woman and left Toey with a broken heart. Four years later, he accidentally met Oat at the airport. All the pains came back to him once again. As a result, Toey decided to go rest his heart on an island, but it will not take long before Oat is looking for him… This last journey will change their lives forever and mend the pieces of the broken hearts of the men that seem destined to be together. But they have to choose between morals and desire, as their love will hurt others. – Present Still Perfect.
Thai, English and Japanese, with English subtitles
Dates:
17th March 2020 | Tuesday | 19:30 Hours
19th March 2020 | Thursday | 15:45 Hours
Click here for more about Present Still Perfect >>
#12 Moffie | South Africa
To be a moffie is to be weak, effeminate, illegal. In 1981 South Africa’s white minority government is embroiled in a conflict on the southern Angolan border. Like all white boys over the age of sixteen, Nicholas must complete two years of compulsory military service to defend the Apartheid regime. Nicholas must survive the brutality of the army, something that becomes even more difficult when a sensual connection is sparked between him and a fellow recruit. – Moffie.
Afrikaans and English, with English subtitle
Dates:
13th March 2020 | Friday | 21:30 Hours
16th March 2020 | Monday | 17:30 Hours
19th March 2020 | Thursday | 15:30 Hours
Click here for more about Moffie >>
#13 The Shiny Shrimps (les crevettes pailletées) | France
An Olympic champion at the end of his career makes a homophobic statement on TV. His punishment: coach the Shiny Shrimps, a flamboyant and amateur gay water-polo team. They have only one thing in mind: to qualify for the Gay Games in Croatia where the hottest international LGBT athletes compete. It’s the start of a bumpy and joyful ride. – The Shiny Shrimps.
French, with English subtitles
Dates:
16th March 2020 | Monday | 21:30 Hours
20th March 2020 | Friday | 15:30 Hours
Click here for more about The Shiny Shrimps >>
#14 Siberia and Him | Russia
Farmhand Sasha and policeman Dima are brothers-in-law and secret lovers in the vast wilderness of Siberia. Over the course of their journey to visit Sasha’s grandmother, unspoken truths are uttered, intimacy is built, and authenticity is challenged. Although they may be far from the peering eyes of their oppressive society, their relationship teeters on a dangerous precipice. – Siberia and Him.
Russian, with English subtitles
Dates:
16th March 2020 | Monday | 21:45 Hours
21st March 2020 | Saturday | 17:45 Hours
Click here for more about Siberia and Him >>
#15 Monsoon | Vietnam
Kit can’t remember much of his native Vietnam. When he returns to the Land of the Golden Star for the first time in over thirty years, he takes in his local surroundings as any Western tourist would: the environment is as exotic as the language is incomprehensible. The aim of Kit’s travels to find a place to scatter his parents’ ashes, thus becomes part of a journey back to his roots and to the discovery of his identity. He hooks up with an American who has his own personal connection to Vietnam. Their passionate liaison offers both men a sympathetic ear as well. An observational character piece that tenderly explores the multi-faceted ties that bind people both to locations and each other. Closing Night film. – Monsoon.
English and Vietnamese, with English subtitles
Dates:
22nd March 2020 | Sunday | 21:30 Hours
Click here for more about Monsoon >>
Best Gay Movies 2020 for Roze Filmdagen:
- Overview: Tips, Info, & Articles for “Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam” >
- Start Planning: 10 Best Queer LGBTQ+ Mix Movies 2020 >
- Good to know: 10 Best Lesbian Movies for 2020 Film Festival >
- Check gay movies 2018: Best Gay Movies for 2018 Film Festival >
- Check gay movies 2019: Best Gay Movies for 2019 Film Festival >
- Best of Amsterdam “Gay” Pride with Canal Parade 2018 >
- All you need to know about traveling the Dutch capital Amsterdam >
- All you need to know for your Gay Travels to the Netherlands, Holland >
List of the best Gay Movies 2020 selected for Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam
Of course, our top 15 list of gay movies in 2020 is just a selection for some guidance to get an overview for a festival visit. Check the whole program of the Roze Filmdagen for all movies, films, and documentaries! This year again, it is possible to support the Amsterdam LGBTQ+ Film Festival with two different kinds of memberships (website in NL/EN).
Do you want to know and see more of us gay couple travel bloggers? Stay tuned on Instagram, Twitter, YouTube, and Facebook! See you in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, and around the world!
Karl & Daan.
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Option 1: Become a Pink Member with a one-year membership of about €50. You will get a 3 Euro discount at a full-price ticket during the festival and discounts throughout the year for the Gay Night at Het Ketelhuis, and sometimes other festivals and events Roze Filmdagen is cooperating with.
Option 2: Become a Platinum Member with a one-year membership of about €750. With a personal passe-partout, you will have access to all movies, you will receive a unique Roze Filmdagen shirt, and you will have access to several events during the festival. We hope you enjoyed our selection of lesbian movies 2020 of the Roze Filmdagen (Engl: Pink Film Days) and we will see you again for the 24th edition of the Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam in 2021!