Mardi Gras 2026 - Miya Miya Film Club and Lesbian Film Club Sydney Present: I Can't Think Straight

DOORS AT 6.30PM
BAR OPEN FROM 6.30PM TO CLOSE
GOZLEME AND SWEETS ON OFFER FROM 6.30PM - 8PM (INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET)
FILM STARTS AT SUNSET (8PM)

Miya Miya Film Club is an independent community-led film and arts initiative dedicated to celebrating and elevating the voices of the South West Asian and North African (SWANA) region. At a time when nuanced representations of SWANA cultures are urgently needed, Miya Miya offers a space where film and art become tools for cultural preservation, connection, and resistance. The name "Miya Miya" translates to "100/100" in Arabic, symbolising excellence and positivity. Each event is a vibrant gathering that brings together storytelling, traditional food and music, and intergenerational dialogue, offering audiences both within and beyond the SWANA diaspora a chance to experience the region’s richness on its own terms.

Miya Miya Film Club is back for Mardi Gras! Mardi Gras is an amazing moment of visibility, solidarity, and celebration for LGBTQIASB+ communities. This Mardi Gras, Miya Miya Film Club is proud to collaborate with Lesbian Film Club Sydney to host a special Mardi Gras screening that uplifts sapphic stories and SWANA voices. It's also our first outdoor screening in the courtyard!

Miya Miya Film Club and Lesbian Film Club Sydney Present: I Can’t Think Straight (United Kingdom & Jordan, 2008) directed by Shamim Sarif.

Lesbian Film Club Sydney is a collective committed to creating safe and joyful spaces for lesbians, sapphics, and the wider LGBTQIASB+ community to watch and discuss films together. Lesbian Film Club Sydney has quickly become a hub for queer cinephiles and casual film-goers alike, fostering connection through regular screenings, cinema excursions, and community events.

Miya Miya Film Club is independently run by queer SWANA diaspora and alongside Lesbian Film Club Sydney we share the same ethos of holding space for narratives that are often marginalised yet deeply intertwined in their resilience and creativity. This collaboration is not just about screening films, but about creating a meeting point between cultures, identities, and struggles; a space where queerness and diaspora experiences speak to each other in powerful and affirming ways.

I Can’t Think Straight is a heartfelt lesbian romance between Tala, a Jordanian Christian, and Leyla, a British Indian Muslim. Their relationship challenges family, culture, and tradition, celebrating queer love across diverse communities.

For our donation, we’ve chosen to support the Forcibly Displaced People Network, Australia’s first LGBTIQASB+ refugee-led organisation. FDPN advocates for and empowers queer asylum seekers and forcibly displaced people, providing critical support, advocacy, and community for those navigating both displacement and discrimination. Their work reminds us that while Mardi Gras is a time of joy and pride, it’s also a time to stand in solidarity with LGBTQIASB+ people everywhere who continue to fight for safety, belonging, and visibility.

Included in your ticket is gözleme from Kocagoz, sweets from Yafa Sweets, drinks from Gaza Cola and Salaam Cola and a donation to the Forcibly Displaced People Network, Australia's first LGBTIQASB+ refugee-led organisation.

Capacity is limited so get your tickets fast! Come early to the courtyard for some gözleme, a game of backgammon, some conversation with old and new friends, a little boogie, and some sweets.

Miya Miya and Lesbian Film Club Sydney pride themselves on being a hub of safety, inclusivity, and community. Our events are a safe and inclusive space for all peoples, including our SWANA, First Nations, Black, POC, Jewish, and LGBTQIASB+ friends, and we have zero tolerance for harassment of any kind.

No one turned away for lack of funds. Please contact the @miyamiyafilmclub instagram page for ticketing enquiries.

Miya Miya Film Club and Lesbian Film Club Sydney meet on unceded Gadigal and Wangal land of the Eora Nation. Miya Miya Film Club and Lesbian Film Club Sydney acknowledge the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia and acknowledge their continuing connection to land, waters, and community. Miya Miya Film Club and Lesbian Film Club Sydney pays their respects to the people, the cultures, and the Elders past and present and emerging. Always was, always will be. Miya Miya Film Club and Lesbian Film Club Sydney also acknowledge the people of Palestine and their rights for self-determination. We acknowledge the devastation and mass atrocities continuing in Gaza and hope that through greater awareness and collective action, we can work towards a world free from genocide, violence, and injustice. Always was, always will be.