IFEMA+ International Female Film Festival Malmö

Film 2026

Film 2026

Cotton Queen

In a cotton-farming village in Sudan, teenage Nafisa is raised on heroic tales of battling British colonizers told by her grandmother, the village matriarch Al-Sit. But when a young businessman arrives from abroad with a new development plan and genetically engineered cotton, Nafisa becomes the center of a power play to determine the future of the village. Awakening to her own strength, Nafisa sets out to save the cotton fields – and herself. Neither she nor her community will ever be the same again.

Film 2026

Strejkarna

When a small group of teenagers sit outside the Swedish parliament with handwritten placards demanding climate action, they ignite what will become one of the largest youth movements of modern times. Over seven years of filming, the documentary follows Greta, Isabelle, Sophia, Andreas, Anton, Ell, Simon and several others as they grow up with demonstrations, negotiations and political storms.

Film 2026

The Mountain

Sam escapes from the hospital where she is being treated for cancer. She heads for a mountain sacred to the Māori people, where she can be freed from her illness. Along the way, she meets Bronco and Mallory, and together they form an unlikely trio. An exciting and comical adventure in the New Zealand wilderness awaits.

Film 2026

On Sacred and Profane + short Their hair shined in the sun

Once a year, a quiet and secluded village in the north-western part of Lithuania comes alive to celebrate Catholic Easter, doing its best to preserve the vanishing ancient tradition of the Guardians of the Cross. With gentle humor observing the preparations of the local community for the vigil and immersing the audience in Easter night, the filmmakers raise questions about the relationship between the sacred and profane in modern world.

Film 2026

 I Become More With You

Childhood friends MyNa and Farah form the artistic duo Mahoyo. Through their art, they explore questions of identity and belonging within the highly segregated Swedish society. As we follow their journey, we get closer into the growth of far-right movements in Sweden, but also into the uprising of a generation of young Swedes creating political change.

Film 2026

Arzé

Arzé (2024) is a Lebanese comedy-drama directed by Mira Shaib, following a single mother and her son as they navigate life’s challenges in Beirut. The film explores family dynamics and societal struggles, featuring compelling performances and a powerful narrative.

Film 2026

The Chronology of Water

Lidia takes refuge in swimming and the weightlessness of the water to escape her deeply dysfunctional family and her father’s abuse. The freedom of university leads to an explosion of living and addiction, but also writing and a course on Ken Kesey. Kristen Stewart transforms the memoirs of outspoken author Lidia Yuknavitch into a boldly poetic and cocky 16mm film, which conveys equal parts beauty and pain. And proves that she is at least as talented and honest a director as she is an actress.

Film 2026

The Virgin of the Quarry Lake

Natalia, Mariela and Josefina have just finished high school and they’re all in love with Diego. Natalia has always had the most chemistry with him, but just when it seems their friendship will turn into something more, Silvia appears on the scene. Older and more experienced, she soon captures Diego’s attention. Our protagonist suddenly finds herself having to deal with heartbreak, rejection and the fear of losing everything. With the help of her grandma, Rita, Natalia decides to call on dark incantations and curses to jinx Diego and Silvia’s blossoming relationship.

Film 2026

Toxic

Abandoned by her mother, 13-year-old Maria is forced to live with her grandmother
in a bleak industrial town. During a violent clash on the street, Maria meets Kristina,
a girl of the same age who is striving to become a fashion model. Trying to get
closer to her, Maria enrolls in a mysterious modeling school, where the girls are
preparing for the biggest casting event in the region. Her ambiguous relationship
with Kristina and the intense, cult-like environment of the modeling school force
Maria on a quest to discover her own identity.

Film 2026

HOLLOWAY

Six women return to the now abandoned Holloway Prison to take part in a women’s circle. Sharing some of the most intimate experiences of their lives, they each unravel what led them to prison, building an eye-opening portrait of failing systems and trauma, while discovering their extraordinary capacity to heal through sisterhood.

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