10/08/2026
The number 7 made us think of fairytales, magic, allusions and allegories. We thought of the tales we inherit through time – of dwarves, deadly sins, the wonders of the world – and how they shape us. We thought of stories as living, breathing organisms that evolve and respond to their environments.
And we found ourselves drawn to the bougainvillea.
Though native to another (now colonised) land, today the plant is loved and cherished as a local one, after centuries of coexisting with other species found here—human and non-human alike. Gentle in form, it bears thorns that protect it and help it climb up high towards the sun. It reaches for the light and bursts into colour with remarkable persistence. Well known for its survival skills, the bougainvillea thrives in dry soil, neglect and harsh conditions. Though captivating for its brightly coloured modified leaves, paper-like in texture, those are only its fake petals: its true flowers lie hidden within, for those who care to look more closely. Each individual flower is a “perfect” flower with both male and female parts, and every single bougainvillea is a hermaphrodite—a feature it shares with 90% of all flowering plant species, making it in fact exceptionally common.
For seven years, Q***r Wave has brought people together through stories that made us laugh, question, grieve, fall in love, and imagine different futures—a practice perhaps more necessary now, when the futures we dreamed of need to be protected, nurtured and shared. Each year, the festival celebrates q***r cinema and the filmmakers, artists, and communities who continue to shape it, wield it, and give it life.
Come join us once again as we gather in the dark, reaching for the light, holding space for the stories and the possibilities that both these worlds give birth to.
The 7th edition of ***rWave takes place 18-27 September 2026 at NiMAC.
Stay tuned for the programme announcement!
Poster design: Marcos Chispero | Graphic Designer
***rWave26
