MIX CPH 2025 MIX Copenhagen lgbtq+QIA+ Film Festival 2025
When you sit in a darkened cinema in late October and the lights go down, there is a collective sigh of anticipation from the crowd around you. MIX COPENHAGEN has been creating that moment for almost four decades. Launched in 1986 and run entirely by volunteers, this festival has grown into Denmark’s oldest active film festival and the leading queer film festival in the Nordic countries. It didn’t start out as a polished red‑carpet affair; it was a group of friends who loved cinema and wanted to carve out a space in Copenhagen where lesbians, gay men, bi, trans, intersex and other queer people could see themselves on screen. Over the years it has blossomed into a ten‑day marathon of screenings, talks, industry gatherings and parties that still stays true to its DIY roots.
There is a reason local audiences and international film fans plan their autumn around MIX. The people behind the festival are queer film lovers who give up their free time to programme films, host guests and make the event feel like a family gathering. They believe film is more than entertainment; it is a lens through which gender, sexuality and society can be questioned and reimagined. Their programming deliberately seeks out authentic storylines and real experiences that challenge mainstream portrayals. Year after year MIX becomes a platform for new voices, as well as a place where classics of queer cinema are rediscovered.
The next edition will run from 24 October to 2 November 2025, filling both Cinemateket and Empire Bio in central Copenhagen. Over ten days the festival expects more than ten thousand people to watch films, with total attendance across screenings and associated events exceeding sixteen thousand. Those numbers may sound impressive for a “niche” festival, but anyone who has queued outside Cinemateket on a chilly October evening knows how devoted the audience is. Tickets for popular screenings often sell out, and the chatter in line is a mixture of Danish, English and many other languages as visitors from across Europe and beyond descend on Copenhagen.
Each year the programming team chooses a theme to anchor the festival, but they let that theme breathe rather than forcing every film into a rigid framework. In 2024 the theme was “Rage”, an exploration of collective anger at injustice which also celebrated community solidarity. That focus produced programmes on queer resistance, chosen families and the intersections of queerness with race, disability and activism. The 2025 theme has yet to be announced, but if history is any guide it will spring from the lived experiences of queer people and inspire both difficult conversations and moments of joy. Past themes have ranged from desire and memory to the future of queer storytelling. Whatever direction the curators take, expect a mix of documentaries, fiction, shorts and experimental works that refuse to shy away from life’s complexities.
MIX is more than a film festival. It is a community hub, a safe space and a resource for filmmakers. Under the banner MIX Industry, the festival organises panels, workshops and a pitching competition that help local talent meet producers, distributors and fellow artists from around the world. It recognises that Copenhagen’s queer film scene thrives when there are opportunities for collaboration and mentoring. During the day you might catch a talk about funding independent cinema or a discussion with a director whose film explores non‑normative relationships; at night you will find festival‑goers heading out to screenings and then spilling into nearby bars and parties to keep the conversation going. The volunteer team also run “Queering the Pitch”, a short‑film pitching competition that encourages emerging voices, and a Lili Award celebrating outstanding talent.
For visitors, the festival is a chance to experience Copenhagen through a queer lens. Screenings take place at Cinemateket, home of the Danish Film Institute, and Empire Bio, a much‑loved neighbourhood cinema in Nørrebro. Both venues are accessible by bike or public transit and are surrounded by cafés, record shops and independent bookstores. Between films you can join guided tours of the city’s queer history, drop into pop‑up exhibitions or simply wander the streets of Indre By and Nørrebro. Many attendees remark that they never feel like outsiders; locals are eager to share recommendations for coffee spots and neighbourhood hangouts, and the festival’s friendly volunteers are always on hand to help.
If you are planning to attend the 2025 edition, consider booking accommodation early. Copenhagen attracts travellers year‑round, and MIX coincides with school holidays and other cultural events. Check the festival’s official website for the programme and ticket sales; sign up for their newsletter to receive announcements. When the dates draw near, follow MIX on social media to discover last‑minute screening additions, secret parties and daily updates. The festival schedule typically includes mid‑week matinees, late‑night horror sessions and weekend marathons. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself rushing from a tender French coming‑of‑age film to a rowdy midnight screening of an underground classic, and then debating both in a nearby café until the early hours.
MIX Copenhagen is consciously inclusive. There are specific screenings for trans and non‑binary viewers, for people of colour and for people with disabilities. The organisers understand that representation goes beyond the screen; they work to ensure that everyone feels welcome in the audience. Subtitles are provided for films in languages other than English or Danish, and many talks include sign‑language interpretation. The festival is also family‑friendly, with daytime events that encourage queer parents to attend with their children.
What makes MIX stand out is its blend of grassroots passion and professional ambition. The festival has been bringing the queer community of Copenhagen together for over thirty‑seven years, and it shows no signs of slowing down. It honours its history while pushing forward, embracing new technologies and new modes of storytelling. You don’t need to be a film scholar to appreciate what it offers. At its heart it is about sharing stories: sitting in a dark room with strangers as you watch characters live, love, struggle and celebrate; feeling seen; recognising yourself or learning about someone else’s world; leaving the cinema a little more connected than when you entered.
For long‑time attendees, each edition becomes part of the city’s rhythm. For newcomers, it can be transformative. As you make plans for autumn 2025, keep MIX Copenhagen on your radar. The festival continues to prove that queer cinema is not a side note but a vibrant, necessary part of cultural life. Spend an afternoon at Cinemateket, chat with filmmakers over beers in Nørrebro, get swept up in a midnight movie and then step out into the crisp Danish night with the sense that you have been part of something both intimate and expansive. That feeling is what keeps people coming back year after year.
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