QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab, a training initiative for emerging queer, trans and nonbinary filmmakers, is expanding into Southeast Asia for its fourth annual edition, bringing together storytellers from India, the Philippines, Vietnam, Singapore, Indonesia and the diaspora.
The 2026 edition will open with an in-person screenwriting retreat in Hua Hin, Thailand, running Sept. 23 to Oct. 2, followed by an Industry Day in Bangkok on Oct. 3 held in partnership with the French Embassy in Thailand, Alliance Française Bangkok and the French Regional Audiovisual Cooperation. The Lab will then continue with virtual sessions through March 2027.
“With this year’s expansion into Southeast Asia, QueerFrames is bringing together a wider community of storytellers who are pushing beyond familiar narratives and exploring queer lives across cultures, genres and lived experiences,” said Rafiul Alom Rahman, director of QueerFrames Screenwriting Lab. “Our hope is to build not just stronger projects, but lasting connections and infrastructure that enable these filmmakers to thrive.”
“Some of the most powerful stories come from places and experiences that have been left out of the frame,” said Poudel. “QueerFrames offers writers the space to develop those stories with courage, specificity and creative freedom.”
Mathieu Béjot, cultural attaché for film, audiovisual and digital content at the French Institute in India, pointed to the partnership’s longevity. “Our longstanding partnership with QueerFrames reflects that commitment, and we are delighted to continue supporting a new generation of queer filmmakers from South and Southeast Asia as they develop their work and connect with the wider international film ecosystem,” Béjot said.
