Eröffnungsgala des 36. Hamburg International Queer Film Festival

The kick off for this year’s festival week will be nothing short of ‘purr-fect’.

We are very excited that the exceptional German-Kurdish artist Ebow will be rocking the stage with her queer anthems (you bet, she's LESBIAN). With five albums released to date, she is one of the most innovative voices in German rap. She flexes her brains and stands up for the LGBTQIA community and against misogyny and racism. In turbulent times like these, she is here to tell us that no message is more important than love itself.

This year, Amina Balajo and Lady Sasha will guide us through the gala. Amina believes that queer cinema is an important part of queer identity formation. That's why she wrote her master's thesis on the subject and has been part of the festival team for two years. Lady Sasha enchants Hamburg with her performances – whether in public libraries, where she reads stories about the power of diversity to children, or on her drag tours in the Kunsthalle. For the queer community, she is not only a queer artist, but also a voice and presence that inspires courage.

After the interval, the programme continues with the opening screening: the German premiere of the Iranian film THE CROWD by Sahand Kabiri. We immerse ourselves in a young, close-knit community, the sort of community that could only form in the face of external pressure. It is dedicated to the most beautiful aspects of resistance and hope – because THE CROWD wants to party! It is also time to say goodbye: to a deceased friend and to Raman, who is leaving Iran. But first they have to get past Raman’s brother, who represents the regime and is full of hatred towards Raman and his way of life.

THE CROWD: Sahand Kabiri, Iran 2025, 70 min; original version in Farsi with German and English subtitles.