This selection marks a new milestone in the international journey of the short film and carries particular significance in a context where queer visibility remains both a cultural and political statement.

Pink Life QueerFest: Queer Cinema as a Space of Resistance and Community

Founded in 2011 by the Pink Life LGBTI+ Solidarity Association, the Pink Life QueerFest is Turkey’s first LGBTIQ+ film festival and a key platform for the creation and exhibition of queer cinema in the country.

Since 2017, public LGBTIQ+ activities have been officially banned in Ankara, giving the festival a particularly sensitive and meaningful context. Within this framework, each edition of Pink Life QueerFest goes beyond cinema, becoming a space for encounter, memory, and cultural resilience.

The celebration of its 14th edition in Ankara reaffirms the festival’s commitment to the local community and to cinema as a tool for visibility, dialogue, and the defense of human rights.

IUS of Time: An Intimate Perspective from Rural Europe

Within this context, IUS of Time resonates strongly with the festival’s spirit through its quiet, intimate approach. Set in rural Asturias, northern Spain, the film reflects on time, memory, and unspoken affections, offering a perspective rarely explored in contemporary queer cinema.

The film brings together two generations and two ways of inhabiting the world, exploring how desire, identity, and care are expressed — and sometimes concealed — in environments shaped by tradition and isolation. This sensibility aligns closely with the curatorial focus of Pink Life QueerFest and its attention to narratives emerging from the margins.

A New Chapter in Its International Journey

The Turkish premiere of IUS of Time adds a significant milestone to the film’s international path, as it continues to engage with audiences across different cultural and geographic contexts throughout 2026.

Further details about screenings and festival activities will be shared on our social media channels as updates are announced.

🔎 To learn more about the short film, its full synopsis, and its journey through festivals and awards, you can visit the film page for IUS of Time on our website.

Discover the official trailer for IUS of Time, released to mark its Turkish premiere at the 14th Pink Life QueerFest.

As stated by the festival in its official selection notification, the Director’s Choice Award highlights works that push creative boundaries, tell universal stories, and elevate cinema as an art form. IUS of Time was selected for its unique vision and expressive approach, joining a catalogue of films that will continue to be exhibited throughout the year.

A Touring Festival with Nationwide Reach in the United States

Unlike destination-based festivals, the Thomas Edison Film Festival operates as an itinerant cultural program, presenting curated film selections across the United States during an extended season. TEFF screenings take place in museums, universities, cultural institutions, cinematheques, and art centers, allowing films to engage with diverse audiences over time.

Over the years, TEFF programs have been hosted at prominent venues such as the National Gallery of Art (Washington, DC), the Lewis Center for the Arts at Princeton University, the Anthology Film Archives (New York), and numerous academic and cultural spaces nationwide. As part of the 2026 touring catalogue, IUS of Time will be eligible for exhibition across multiple locations, ensuring a sustained and meaningful presence beyond a single festival screening.

This touring model offers a distinctive form of visibility, emphasizing continuity, dialogue, and long-term audience engagement rather than a one-off festival appearance.

IUS of Time : Time, Memory, and Queer Experience Beyond the Urban Gaze

Set in the rural landscape of Asturias, in northern Spain, IUS of Time explores an encounter between two men from different generations: Luca, a young photographer searching for belonging, and Xuan, a veteran cheesemaker living in isolation. What begins as a practical arrangement gradually evolves into an intimate exchange shaped by silence, memory, and shared presence.

Rooted in real environments and artisanal traditions, the film uses cheesemaking as a central metaphor — a craft that speaks of patience, sustainability, and harmony with nature. Through this process, IUS of Time reflects on ways of living that resist uniformity and preserve cultural identity across time.

The film deliberately moves away from dominant urban queer narratives, situating its story in a rural environment where identity is often negotiated quietly and emotional survival exists on the margins. Through restrained performances, natural light, and a contemplative rhythm, IUS of Time allows time itself to become a narrative force — shaping memory, desire, and connection.

Receiving the Director’s Choice Award at TEFF underscores the film’s resonance within a festival context that values artistic risk, formal sensitivity, and human complexity.

Looking Ahead: A Living Film in 2026

Being selected for the Thomas Edison Film Festival’s 2026 touring season marks an important step in the ongoing life of IUS of Time. As the film continues its international journey, this recognition reinforces its place within conversations around contemporary queer cinema, independent filmmaking, and alternative exhibition models.

We look forward to sharing updates as new screenings and venues are announced throughout the year.

🎟️ More information about the Thomas Edison Film Festival and its touring programs can be found on the festival’s official website, where upcoming screenings and venues will be announced in the coming months.

🔎 To learn more about the short film, its full synopsis, and its journey through festivals and awards, you can visit the page for IUS of Time on our website.

Following its strong presence throughout 2025, IUS of Time now enters a new phase, continuing to resonate within queer-focused and independent film festivals across different cultural contexts. We are especially excited to be part of this festival, which places community, diversity, and independent voices at the center of its program.

You can find the full film page for IUS of Time on our website.

IUS of Time at the Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival: Official Selection and Finalist

At the 4th Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival, IUS of Time has been selected to screen as part of the “Emotional Roller Coaster” program, a curated block dedicated to emotionally powerful queer stories. In addition, the short film has been named a finalist in three major categories:

• Best Film
• Best Cinematography
• Best Drama

This recognition represents an important milestone for the project, highlighting both its narrative strength and its visual identity, while placing the film among works that explore queer experience through intimacy, emotion, and artistic risk.

The festival will take place on January 16 and 17, 2026, opening with its now emblematic GAYLA on Friday night, followed by a full day of screenings on Saturday at AMC Saratoga. The screening of IUS of Time will take place on Saturday, January 17, from 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm, as part of the Emotional Roller Coaster block, a session dedicated to films that speak directly to emotion and featuring drag performances by Ivy Flores and Empress Astara, in collaboration with Scott’s Social Club.

Directed by filmmaker Robby Kendall, the Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival has quickly established itself as a space where queer cinema, community engagement, and live performances come together in a welcoming and celebratory atmosphere.

A film rooted in time, memory, and rural queer experience

Set in rural Asturias, northern Spain, IUS of Time explores the encounter between Luca, a young photographer searching for direction, and Xuan, an older cheesemaker whose life has been shaped by silence, tradition, and unresolved loss. What begins as a professional interaction gradually becomes an intimate exchange across generations, revealing the weight of time, memory, and unspoken desire.

Rather than focusing on urban queer narratives, the film situates its story in a rural landscape, where identity is often negotiated quietly and emotional survival takes place at the margins. Through restrained performances and a careful use of natural light, IUS of Time builds its emotional impact through gestures, pauses, and shared presence, allowing space for the audience to engage on a deeply personal level.

The film’s nomination as Finalist for Best Cinematography underscores the importance of visual storytelling in this approach, where landscape and interior states mirror one another.

Looking ahead: a new chapter in 2026

The recognition at the Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival not only represents a significant achievement, but also signals the beginning of a new stage for IUS of Time. As the film continues its journey throughout 2026, further selections in different parts of the world will be announced in the coming weeks.

We look forward to sharing these next steps, continuing the conversations sparked by the film, and meeting new audiences along the way.

🎟️ Tickets and festival passes will be available through the official Silicon Valley Queer Film Festival website, with further updates also shared on its Instagram account. We encourage audiences, filmmakers, and industry professionals to discover and support independent queer cinema at the festival.

For more information about the film, you can also visit IUS of Time on IMDb.