After the success of our extended fifth edition, OFN Film Festival continues to grow. The next celebration of LGBTQIA+ stories takes place from 6-9 November 2025.

Brought to you by Lex Melony and LEXME.RED, this event promises greater diversity and engagement.

Throughout the festival, guests will enjoy a selection of short and feature films. Selected films will be announced during the open entries stage, while nominees will be unveiled four weeks before the festival at a special announcement event. Full details will be available in the official program.

OFN offers an immersive cinematic experience that amplifies underrepresented voices, showcasing queer stories from global filmmakers.

The festival’s selections explore themes of coming out, self-discovery, love, relationships, and the unique challenges of the LGBTQIA+ community. Chosen for their artistic quality and storytelling, these films provide insight into queer experiences. Winners will receive award statues, recognizing their creativity and dedication.

OFN is inclusive of all gender identities and sexual orientations, creating a space for self-expression and celebration within the queer community.

Panels & Networking
Industry panels will feature discussions on filmmaking and LGBTQIA+ topics, including masterclasses, workshops, a queer art fair, and extensive networking opportunities.

Partners & Sponsors
As an independent, self-funded event, OFN relies on the support of partners and sponsors to bring this festival to life.

The Opening Night, screenings, and Awards Ceremony will take place across multiple venues in London from 6-9 November 2025 (dates subject to change). Stay updated via OFN’s official website and social media.

The winners of the OFN Film Festival will receive digital award certificates.
Awards will be presented in 27 categories + Special Cash Prize from LEXME for Best Fluid Story.

MAIN CATEGORIES
* Best Fluid Feature Film
* Best Fluid Short Film
* Best Fluid Feature Documentary
* Best Fluid Short Documentary
* Best Fluid Animated Film
* Best Fluid British Short Film
* Best Fluid UK Student Film
* Best Fluid International Student Film
* Best Fluid Music Video

NOW & NEXT CATEGORIES
* Best Fluid Micro-Short Film
* Queer Digital Creator of the Year
* Best Fluid Web Series or Episodic Content
* Best Drag Storytelling on Screen

ARTISTRY CATEGORIES
* Best Director – Feature Film
* Best Director – Short Film
* Best Performance – Feature Film
* Best Performance – Short Film
* Best Cinematography – Feature Film
* Best Cinematography – Short Film
* Best Sound Design – Short Film
* Best Set & Costume Design – Short Film

SPECIALTY CATEGORIES
* Best Heartbeat Short Film
* Best Dark Thrill Short Film
* Best Ethereal Short Film
* Best Flame Short Film
* Best Beyond Borders Short Film
* Best Underground Short Film

AWARD DISTRIBUTION
All awards will be disbursed within 14 working days after the winners are announced.

FESTIVAL DETAILS
1. Officially selected projects will be presented throughout the submission period until the notification date (four weeks before the event).
2. All selected projects will be eligible for screening in the online version of the OFN Film Festival.
3. Nominees will be announced two weeks before the festival’s opening at a special announcement event.
4. All nominees will be eligible for screening online and/or in the cinema.
5. Each category winner will receive an OFN digital certificate with official verification and a digital copy of the OFN laurel.
6. The winner of the special award from LEXME.RED – "Best Fluid Story" – will receive a £1000 cash prize.
7. Winners are chosen from all nominees and judged by the OFN jury panel through remote voting in advance.
8. If a winner is absent during the award ceremony, OFN will send their certificate via post.

RULES AND TERMS:
All submissions must be LGBTQIA+ oriented.

Submissions for the 6th edition of the OFN LGBTQIA+ Film Festival open on 13 February 2025.

All films must be presented in their original language with English subtitles.

Films must have been completed after 1 January 2022. Premiere status is not required but may be beneficial.

All entries must meet the running time requirements specified in the category description.
Works-in-progress will not be accepted.

Projects that are publicly listed and visible to everyone will not be accepted unless they are temporarily hidden from public view throughout the entire duration of the OFN Film Festival after submission.

The applicant confirms they are authorized to submit the film, either as the rights-holder or an authorized representative.

All entrants must be 18 years or older.

The submitter must own all copyrights, including music rights.

Films must not contain racist, misogynistic, homophobic, anti-trans content, or excessive violence.

Submission is open to all filmmakers with LGBTQIA+ themed works in the following formats:
Short Film
Documentary
Web Series or Episodic Content
Animation
Music Video
Feature Film
Doc Files.

You may submit more than one film, but a separate application must be completed for each submission.

To be considered for an award in a specific category, you must submit to that category.
If you apply for only one category, your film will only be considered for that category—except when the OFN team grants permission to be considered for additional categories.

All entries must be submitted online via FilmFreeway.

All submissions are screened and evaluated by the OFN Selection Committee.

Films will be judged based on:
Creativity of visual images
Production quality (regardless of production budget)
Originality of storytelling
Entertainment value.

Official Selections for each category will be announced on the OFN Events website and social media and notified via email.

The number of selections per category is at the discretion of the OFN Committee.

TECHNICAL REQUIREMENTS FOR EXHIBITION

All films must be in a standard cinema aspect ratio and resolution (Square Pixels 1.0):
Flat: 1.85:1 → 2K (1998×1080) or 4K (3996×2160)
Scope: 2.39:1 → 2K (2048×858) or 4K (4096×1716)
HD format is accepted, but the filmmaker/producer must grant OFN the right to re-format it for screening purposes if needed. If applicable, a QuickTime (ProRes 422) HD digital copy must be provided.
H.264 (MP4) files are accepted only if the image quality meets high standards.

Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • We had a great experience with OFN LGBTQIA+ Film Festival. Communication with the staff, the coverage and social media marketing was great! We received a Superstar Category nomination for best cinematography and a nomination for the Best LGBTQIA+ Short Film. We are really grateful for the recognition and the opportunity you gave us!

    January 2025
  • Jaime Lock

    What a lovely festival! Thank you for having us, and for nominating our film CLAN for Best Heartbeat Short.

    December 2024
  • Kay Proctor

    The OFN Film Festival offered a wonderful experience overall, with some areas for improvement.

    The event made excellent use of its locations and venues, which were well-suited to the screenings and enhanced the atmosphere. The staff were exceptionally kind and helpful, creating a welcoming and inclusive environment that felt safe for all attendees.

    However, the festival struggled slightly with organisation, particularly with delays that caused some disruptions and technical delays. Additionally, it was disappointing that most winners were absent during the awards ceremony. For future festivals, introducing special craft awards to recognise outstanding achievements in areas like production design, cinematography, sound design, or editing would be a thoughtful addition.

    Overall, the festival was enjoyable and promising, with the potential to grow even stronger in future editions.

    December 2024
  • This festival was a dream come true. The founders and hosts were so kind and welcoming, the programming was incredible, and there were lots of awesome networking opportunities. Thank you and I hope to see you again soon!

    December 2024
  • Great curation, interesting Q&As, and fun parties for the filmmakers too. What more could you want? We were lucky to have two clients screen in 2024:

    🏳️‍🌈 Forever Flowers
    🏳️‍🌈 Seahorse Parents

    November 2024