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Scottish Queer International Film Festival Joins The Tarkovski Grant
- Jul 31
- 2 min read
Best Scottish Short Award winner to receive The Tarkovski Grant from 2026 onwards
The Tarkovski Grant is proud to announce a new collaboration with the Scottish Queer International Film Festival (SQIFF), one of the United Kingdom's leading celebrations of LGBTQIA+ cinema. Beginning with the festival's 2026 edition, the recipient of the Best Scottish Short Award will also receive The Tarkovski Grant, providing the winning filmmaker with an international submission fee waiver package valued at more than USD $500.
The 2026 edition of SQIFF will take place 19–24 October 2026 in Glasgow, Scotland.
Founded in 2015, SQIFF has grown into the largest queer film festival in Scotland and remains the country's only festival dedicated exclusively to LGBTQIA+ cinema. Organised as a charity, the festival showcases diverse queer stories from around the world while championing emerging filmmakers, accessibility and community engagement.
Over the past decade, SQIFF has established itself as far more than a film festival. Through year-round programmes, filmmaking workshops, networking initiatives and its Queer Talent Directory, the organisation actively supports new generations of LGBTQIA+ filmmakers and creates opportunities for creative voices that are often underrepresented within the film industry.
One of SQIFF's defining principles is accessibility. The festival has long been recognised as a leader in creating an inclusive cinema experience through initiatives such as pay-what-you-can ticketing, live captioning, British Sign Language interpretation, descriptive subtitles, audio description and other accessibility measures that ensure audiences of all backgrounds and abilities can participate.
Adding to its international reputation, SQIFF is both a BAFTA-qualifying and BIFA-qualifying festival. British short films selected by the festival may become eligible for submission to the EE BAFTA Film Awards and the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA), making SQIFF an important platform for emerging British filmmakers seeking recognition at the highest level.
This commitment to discovering and supporting exceptional filmmaking makes SQIFF a natural addition to The Tarkovski Grant's growing international network of participating festivals.
"We are delighted to welcome the Scottish Queer International Film Festival to The Tarkovski Grant," said Kris De Meester, founder of The Tarkovski Grant. "SQIFF has built an outstanding reputation for championing bold, original and inclusive filmmaking while creating genuine opportunities for emerging artists. We are honoured that the festival has chosen to present The Tarkovski Grant to the winner of its Best Scottish Short Award."
By presenting The Tarkovski Grant, SQIFF will provide its Best Scottish Short Award winner with complimentary access to submit their current or future work to an international network of more than 30 participating film festivals. Beyond the financial value of the submission fee waivers, the grant serves as an additional recognition of the filmmaker's achievement and encourages them to continue the international festival journey of their work.
The collaboration reflects a shared commitment to supporting independent filmmakers beyond a single festival screening. While a festival award marks an important milestone, The Tarkovski Grant is designed to help ensure that outstanding films continue to find audiences, opportunities and recognition around the world.
The Tarkovski Grant warmly welcomes the Scottish Queer International Film Festival to its international community of participating festivals and looks forward to celebrating the first recipient of the grant during SQIFF's 2026 edition this October.
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