After the success of our extended fifth edition in London and the first International Edition in Paris, OFN Film Festival continues to grow. The next celebration of LGBTQIA+ stories takes place from 7-11 April 2026.

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, recognising 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 7-11 April 2026. Stay updated via OFN’s official website and social media.

Awards & Prizes

Awards will be presented in 22 categories

MAIN CATEGORIES
* Best Fluid Story
* Best Feature Film
* Best Short Film
* Best Feature Documentary

* Best Short Documentary

* Best Animated Film
* Best Flame Short Film

* Best UK Short Film

* Best UK Student Film
* Best International Student Film

* Best Web Series/ Episodic Video
* Best Music Video
* Best Underground Short Film

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
* Best Edit 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 special 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 & Terms

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
Short Documentary
Short Animation
Web Series or Episodic Content
Music Video
Feature Documentary
Feature Film

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
• Emotional impact and audience connection
• Strength of direction and performances
• Clarity and coherence of narrative
• Artistic vision and authorial voice
• Relevance to queer experience and themes

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.
16 Reviews
Overall Rating
Quality
Value
Communication
Hospitality
Networking
  • Jeffrey Moline

    An amazing and supportive film festival.

    May 2026
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  • La Fille Renne

    Thank you very much for screening our film "Our Joyful Endings", and we're really happy to have won an award.

    May 2026
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  • David Pascual

    Thank you so much for raising awareness of a global health issue. We need more festivals like yours. 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

    April 2026
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  • Ben Rusnak

    We had a wonderful experience premiering our short film, BOY, at the seventh edition of OFN in April 2026. The festival is run by a lovely team of people, and we watched some great films! Thanks for having us

    April 2026
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  • Tom Paul Martin

    OFN Festival has a certain buzz around it - and rightly so. This is one of the most exciting queer festivals in London. We enjoyed screening 'WHERE ARE ALL THE GAY SUPERHEROES?' at their 2024 edition.

    The selection is really varied, leading to a programme that has a bit of everything, but it's all LGBTQIA+ and all in one place.

    Lex and the team are also very good at press and publicity, meaning there's a lot of exposure of the festival and its films. In fact, I was lucky enough to be asked to speak to London Live on OFN's behalf, which meant getting TV and online coverage of our film!

    Definitely recommended for queer filmmakers and those searching for thought-provoking films. We hope to be back.

    April 2025
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