Riviera Maya to Host 13th Queer International Film Festival With Films From 26 Countries

Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo — The Riviera Maya is set to host the 13th edition of the Queer International Film Festival, an independent cinema event that will showcase 82 films from 26 countries and aims to expand its international reach with support from local authorities and the tourism sector.

Jan Novak, a member of the Fusión G group and festival organizer, said the event will take place Nov. 5-12 in this coastal resort city. Submissions include both short and feature-length films competing in various categories.

Novak highlighted the festival’s growing international presence, with entries from Poland, Hungary, Russia and Iran. He also noted that a film that won at the Cannes Film Festival has been invited to participate in the official program, raising the competitive standard of the LGBT film festival in the Caribbean.

“Our festival is already international; this year we have participation from 26 countries around the world,” Novak said. He added that the festival maintains close ties with other film festivals in Spain, Argentina and Mexico, generating interest among foreign filmmakers and artists to visit Playa del Carmen.

However, the project’s growth depends largely on access to resources and institutional support. Organizers are currently seeking collaboration with municipal authorities and representatives of the Diversity Commission to strengthen the event. The goal is to surpass the average attendance of previous editions, which has been around 800 people per year.

“We need promotion, we need support from the city council to make everything easier, because the organization is not that big and it’s a completely independent festival,” Novak said, stressing the importance of boosting the festival’s visibility to attract more domestic and international visitors.

The festival also represents an opportunity to diversify the Riviera Maya’s cultural tourism offerings beyond traditional beach and nightlife attractions, Novak said. Beyond promoting cinema, the event aims to foster inclusion and combat discrimination through stories related to sexual diversity. This year’s program includes productions focused on socially relevant topics such as the experiences of the elderly LGBT community and the realities of transgender children.