Welcome to Love, Sex & Cinema.

We believe stories about sex and desire deserve the same care, intelligence, and cinematic respect as any other subject. Hence, we champion work that treats love and sex not as spectacle but as essential parts of human connection and storytelling.

The festival is run by Ivan Malekin and Sarah Jayne, Berlin-based filmmakers whose own work frequently explores intimacy, relationships, and the private moments that mainstream cinema often avoids. Together, they also run the Shorts In Season Film Festival in Berlin and previously founded the Made In Melbourne Film Festival.

Love, Sex & Cinema was created to address a specific curatorial gap. We found that films dealing openly with intimacy often fall between categories: too explicit or emotionally exposed for more conservative festivals, yet misaligned with festivals that frame sex primarily through kink, erotic spectacle, pornography or other niche, subculture-specific approaches. There is a vast middle ground where intimacy is narrative, emotional, political, and deeply human. This festival exists for that space.

The inaugural Love, Sex & Cinema Film Festival will take place September 16th and 17th, 2026, at Il Kino. A long-standing pillar of Berlin’s independent film community, Il Kino is known for its intimate atmosphere, thoughtful programming, and dedication to cinema that challenges, provokes, and connects. It’s a space designed for close viewing, conversation, and films that benefit from being experienced together.

Love, Sex & Cinema is not a competition. It is a curated, welcoming environment for filmmakers who are exploring closeness, desire, vulnerability, and connection with intention and care. We encourage filmmakers to attend whenever possible, and we host Q&As with all filmmakers in attendance to foster conversation, reflection, and genuine exchange.

Above all, this is a festival built by filmmakers, for filmmakers – one that treats intimate cinema with seriousness, openness, and respect.