Filmmakers play with their food as the secret ingredient for unlocking memories, queer awakenings, and illicit sexual fantasies in these boundary-pushing films. From erotic dim sum to Freudian shortcake, culinary delights trigger violent retribution and reconciliation, desire and disgust in equal measure. Celebrating the gastronomic as a means of transgression, these playful short films serve up possibilities for reflection and reverie that go far beyond conventional fare. 

 

Mooncake – dir. Rraine Hanson | USA | 2022 | 12min
Zi walks into a Chinese bakery during the Mid-Autumn festival, sparking memories of their childhood crush.

You are not Part of the Cake – dir. Ting-Jui Chen | Taiwan, UK | 2025 | 4min
Ping confronts her girlfriend’s homophobic father in this mindbending animation.

29 Hour Famine – dir. Etzu Shaw | USA | 2024 | 17min
A devout teenager organises a fasting event for her church youth group.

Unfulfilled Dreams – dir. Shwe Yee Oo | Myanmar | 2025 | 10min
A documentary about a lesbian street vendor couple becomes a reflective journey into the filmmaker’s own life. 

Color, Color, Color! – dir. Kim Sejin | South Korea | 2025 | 13min
A shy woman musters up the courage to go on a blind date.

Egg Yolk Custard Bun – dir. Soya Wu | Canada | 2025 | 2min
Food meets kink at a dim sum table.

Strawberry Shortcake – dir. Deborah Devyn Chuang | Taiwan | 2024 | 21min
A teenage girl is caught in a Freudian loop triggered by a strawberry shortcake.

100% USDA Certified Organic Homemade Tofu – dir. Gbenga Komolafe | USA | 2022 | 14min
A trans woman reluctantly returns to work at her mother’s Korean restaurant.

 

Content notes: contains scenes of nudity and animated violence

 

Curatorial idea by Elena Kwa-Hawking, as part of Up Next: Future Film Curators Lab 2025/26

As part of Queer East 2026, a cross-disciplinary festival that showcases boundary-pushing LGBTQ+ cinema, live arts, and moving image work from East and Southeast Asia and its diaspora communities.

 

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