The best gay movies of 2026 for the LGBTQ+ film festival Roze Filmdagen show just how diverse, political, sensual, and unapologetic gay cinema is today. From major festival premieres to daring indie productions, the range feels broader than ever this year. Amsterdam, famous for its vibrant LGBTQ+ culture, is heading into another inspiring edition of Roze Filmdagen, the city’s leading LGBTQ+ film festival. This Couple of Men guide to the “Best Gay Movies 2026” is our curated top 15 for anyone who wants to experience the queer cultural highlight of the 29th Roze Filmdagen, whether you live in Amsterdam or you’re visiting for the festival.
Top 15 Gay Movies at Roze Filmdagen 2026
Which gay films define 2026? Which stories linger, which images stick, and which characters refuse to let go? Roze Filmdagen 2026 offers surprisingly clear answers. Many of these (sometimes brand-new) gay movies explore identity, power, desire, and belonging, without overexplaining or apologizing. It’s about intimacy, political realities, family fractures, and physicality. What’s special about this year’s edition is just how international the perspectives are: films from Europe, Latin America, Asia, and Australia naturally sit side by side.
For decades, Roze Filmdagen, the city’s long-running film festival for the LGBTQ+ community, has been one of Europe’s key platforms for queer cinema. Some gay films have their Dutch premiere here or gain international momentum through the festival circuit. If you want to know which gay movies of 2026 really matter, this festival is difficult to ignore. Our selection of the best gay movies of 2026 is based on festival screenings, international premieres, and editorial curation by festival director Werner Borkes. It is not a complete overview but a carefully chosen list of titles that shape this year’s film event.
Learn more about the Netherlands Pride Calendar 2026!
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1. EN EL CAMINO – On the Road Through Mexico’s Hard-Edged Trucking World | Mexico
(2025) – 93 min – Directed by David Pablos
Roadside diners, restless nights, and endless highways set the tone in “En el Camino.” Veneno, a young drifter, gets by on fleeting encounters with truck drivers and the temporary shelter of diners. When he meets Muñeco, a hard, guarded long-haul driver, Veneno talks his way into a ride north, straight into a hyper-masculine world with its own rules. As the road stretches on, a dangerous closeness grows between them. But Veneno’s past won’t stay behind for long. An intense, erotically charged thriller about masculinity, power, and vulnerability. More about the movie here >
2. BOOKENDS – Two Generations, One Fresh Start | USA
(2026) – 100 min – Directed by Mike Doyle
After a breakup, Nate moves in with his grandparents. What starts as a temporary reset becomes an emotional collision among three generations. As his grandfather shows early signs of dementia and his grandmother refuses to face it, the family’s fragile balance begins to crack. In the middle of it all, Nate forms an unexpected romantic connection with his grandparents’ doctor. “Bookends” blends warmth and humor with quiet heartbreak. The gay movie becomes a story about family, loss, and the longing for closeness. More about the movie here >
3. ON THE SEA – Between Tradition and Desire | United Kingdom
(2025) – 111 min – Directed by Helen Walsh
In a small coastal community in North Wales, Jack works the family mussel beds—where church, fishery, and tradition shape everyday life. When Daniel, an itinerant deckhand, arrives and makes his feelings for Jack unmistakably clear, Jack’s carefully contained world begins to unravel. At the same time, Jack’s son refuses to follow the family path, raising tensions at home. “On the Sea” is sensual and atmospheric, a study of suppressed longing, family pressure, and the price of living honestly. More about the movie here >
4. BEAUTIFUL EVENING, BEAUTIFUL DAY – Love in the Shadow of Politics | Croatia
(2024) – 137 min – Directed by Ivona Juka
Four close friends are celebrated filmmakers in 1950s Yugoslavia—until their sexual orientation becomes a liability. A party loyalist is sent to sabotage their lives, and what once felt like creative freedom turns into a fight for survival. Moving between intimate friendship and political threat, “Beautiful Evening, Beautiful Day” is a gripping historical drama about loyalty, fear, and the fragility of freedom. More about the movie here >
5. PERRO PERRO – A Black-and-White Erotic Fable | Argentina
(2025) – 111 min – Directed by Marco Berger
On vacation in the wilderness, Juan stumbles upon an island where men behave like stray dogs. When he takes in one particularly striking “specimen”—washing him, feeding him, and giving him attention—an unusual bond begins to form. Care, control, and physical attraction blur in ways that feel both tender and unsettling. Shot in gorgeous black and white, Marco Berger’s film is sensual, strange, and hypnotic—an atmospheric fable about instinct and desire. More about the movie here >
6. WE ARE FAHEEM & KARUN – A Forbidden Love Story in Kashmir | India
(2024) – 81 min – Directed by Onir
Karun, a young security officer from South India, is stationed in Gurez, a remote village in Kashmir. When he meets Faheem, a quiet romance begins—one that feels doomed from the start. Religious taboos, social expectations, and the tension of a conflict region leave little room for openness. “We Are Faheem & Karun” is restrained and deeply affecting, capturing love under pressure and the longing for a life lived honestly. More about the movie here >
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7. ONLY GOOD THINGS – Desire in Rural Brazil | Brazil
(2025) – 104 min – Directed by Daniel Nolasco
Brazil, 1984. Antonio lives alone on his small farm until he finds Marcelo—an injured motorcyclist—after an accident. Antonio tends to his wounds, and what starts as care quickly turns into intimacy and love. But the relationship destabilizes both men and leaves marks that can’t be undone. Visually bold and emotionally charged, “Only Good Things” is a story about isolation, desire, and the life-changing force of a single encounter. More about the movie here >
8. TWINLESS – Grief, Friendship, and Blurred Lines | USA
(2025) – 100 min – Directed by James Sweeney
Roman and Dennis meet at a support group for people who have lost their twin. One is straight, one is gay—both searching for a way to exist without their “other half.” What begins as companionship turns into a strange, intense friendship that tests boundaries and expectations. “Twinless” balances dark humor with real emotional weight, asking what identity looks like when the person who defined you is gone. More about the movie here >
9. MIJN BROER (MY BROTHER) – Remembering a Lost Generation | The Netherlands
(2025) – 83 min – Directed by Koert Davidse
Filmmaker Koert Davidse looks back on the life of his brother Bart, who died of AIDS in 1986. For decades, their family remained silent about the disease and about Bart’s coming out. Through personal documents and conversations, “Mijn Broer” becomes both an intimate portrait and a broader reflection on the impact of HIV in the 1980s—on those infected, their friends and families, and medical science. More about the movie here >
10. 3670 – Between Exile and Self-Discovery | South Korea
(2025) – 124 min – Directed by Joonho Park
Cheol-jun has escaped North Korea, but he still hides his sexuality, feeling isolated even among fellow defectors. When he finally steps into South Korea’s gay community, he finds hope and connection in a new friendship with Yeong-jun. Then a seemingly trivial misunderstanding breaks the fragile trust they’ve built. “3670” is a sharp, tender debut about acceptance, freedom, and the loneliness of starting over. More about the movie here >
11. THE DANCER – Dance as Defiance | USA / The Netherlands
(2025) – 90 min – Directed by Lacey Uhlemeyer
From a refugee camp in Damascus to the world’s biggest ballet stages, Ahmad Joudeh fights for freedom of body and spirit. Condemned for being gay, threatened for dancing, and abused by those closest to him, he refuses to stop. “The Dancer” follows his extraordinary journey and his return to Syria with the dream of uplifting a new generation of dancers. A powerful documentary about art, identity, and courage. More about the movie here >
12. PETER HUJAR’S DAY – A Conversation About Art and Life | USA
(2025) – 75 min – Directed by Ira Sachs
Built around a newly discovered 1974 conversation between photographer Peter Hujar and his friend Linda Rosenkrantz, this film offers a rare, intimate glimpse into New York’s downtown art scene. Over the course of a single day, they talk about money, desire, ambition, doubt, and the quiet epiphanies that shape an artist’s life. Minimal in form, rich in nuance. More about the movie here >
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13. GRIFFIN IN SUMMER – Big Ambitions, First Love | USA
(2024) – 90 min – Directed by Nicholas Colia
Fourteen-year-old Griffin is convinced he’s destined for theatrical greatness. His sleepy hometown is less convinced. As his self-written play comes to life, Griffin develops feelings for Brad, an older handyman with his own artistic past. “Griffin in Summer” blends coming-of-age awkwardness, sharp humor, and bittersweet longing into a refreshingly original story about ambition and unrequited love. More about the movie here >
14. DEPARTURES – When Desire Turns Toxic | United Kingdom
(2025) – 82 min – Directed by Neil Ely / Lloyd Eyre Morgan
Benji meets Jake at an airport check-in gate. What begins as thrilling monthly getaways to Amsterdam slowly reveals a relationship built on control, craving, and emotional dependency. “Departures” is raw, honest, and darkly funny at times. It is an intimate dissection of a toxic dynamic that’s difficult to walk away from. More about the movie here >
15. BODY BLOW – Neon, Lust, and Danger | Australia
(2025) – 99 min – Directed by Dean Francis
In Sydney’s gay nightlife district, cop Aiden gets pulled into a spiral of sex, power, and violence. With misconduct allegations hanging over him, he becomes entangled with Cody, a bartender and sex worker struggling with addiction. Add deadly drag-queen mob bosses, pulsing club nights, and a killer soundtrack, and you get a delirious queer throwback to ’90s erotic thrillers: sweaty, horny, and unapologetically wild. More about the movie here >
Travel Tips for Amsterdam & the Netherlands
- Overview: Tips, info & articles about “Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam” >
- What to know about Amsterdam Gay Pride & the Canal Parade >
- What to know about the Dutch capital Amsterdam >
- What to know for your trip to the Netherlands >
- Cruising tips: Amsterdam Cruising Guide >
- Gay beach near Amsterdam: Guide to a nude beach day in Zandvoort >
Plan Your Gay Trip to Roze Filmdagen with Our Top 15 Best Gay Movies of 2026
The best gay movies of 2026 are showcased at Roze Filmdagen Amsterdam, showing just how powerful, diverse, and international gay cinema is right now.
From political stories and intimate love dramas to radical arthouse pieces and stylized genre films, the festival covers a considerable range. That’s precisely why Roze Filmdagen has become one of Europe’s most important places for gay film culture.
Our selection isn’t meant to mirror the full festival program. It’s a curated best-of list of films that stand out in 2026, spark conversations, and either move you or challenge you. These titles also prove that gay stories are being told globally, in wildly different tones and settings.
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Check out the Roze Filmdagen 2026 program to see all films and documentaries. Tickets start at €13 (and there are additional discounts, too). Karl & Daan.
Interested in queer outdoor adventures, ski weeks, or other LGBTQ+ travel destinations in the mountains? Browse our travel guides or message us directly for personal recommendations. You can also follow us on Facebook, Threads, TikTok, YouTube, Pinterest, and Instagram. We’d love to connect with you! Karl & Daan.
This year, you can support the Amsterdam LGBTQ+ Film Festival in two ways (website available in Dutch/English).
Option 1: Become a Pink Member. Support the Amsterdam LGBTQ+ Film Festival by becoming a member; a one-year membership costs €60. As a Pink Member, you’ll get discounts every year for festivals and events Roze Filmdagen participates in, such as the Ketelhuis Queer Screenings.
Option 2: Become a Platinum Member. Want the full experience? Become a Platinum Member. For €750, you’ll be our guest at the opening night and receive a personal festival pass for all screenings during the festival.