Missouri!!

Thrilled to announce that “Gallina” directed by Fernando Reinaldos, has been officially invited to take part in the 2026 edition of QFest St. Louis.

The festival will take place from 12 to 21 June at the historic Hi Pointe Theatre, St Louis.

QFest St. Louis, now in its 19th year, showcases films that illuminate LGBTQ+ lives and celebrate queer culture.

‘Gallina’ had its world premiere at the New Hampshire Film Festival, a qualifying event for the Hollywood Oscars.

Since then, it has won awards at countless prestigious international film festivals around the world, including festivals that qualify for the Oscars, the Goya Awards and the European Film Awards.

“Gallina” is one of Spain’s most successful short films and is in the running for a place on the shortlist for the 2027 Goya Awards.

Synopsis:

In rural Spain, ten-year-old Pablo loves spending time at his granny’s countryside home, playing with his younger sister Alba and his best friend Martín.

But everything changes when Martín pressures him to betray his family, leaving Pablo to question where he truly belongs.

Director Statement

As a queer child, I remember the constant feeling of being trapped between two worlds: my feminine and masculine sides were always in conflict. Many times I tried to figure out where I belonged, without understanding why I had to make a choice at all. The warmth of my supportive family was not always enough to help me stand up to the harshness of the toxic masculinity outside. At that time, my deep admiration for my best friend led me to make choices against my instincts, betraying the special bond I shared with my dearest ones.

Gallina is my attempt to better understand that time in my life. The day when I came to understand something irreversible about myself and the world around me. When my silence began to shape the person I would become. The same silence that many queer children carry to protect themselves from being seen.

Through Pablo’s story, I wanted to examine how toxic masculinity shapes a boy’s identity in today’s world, and to explore the cost of remaining silent in the face of everyday violence. The silence that takes over at the end of the film is the same silence that, heartbreakingly, has become a defining feature of our time.

Stay tuned. In a few days’ time, we will be announcing further accolades for this extraordinary European production, which already boasts an impressive list of awards and selections.