8 things to watch about dating as a queer woman

We’ve been trawling the HER app (a friendly queer and trans dating app), looking for love, and we’re starting to think it might never happen! But that’s exactly when the sparks start to fly. At least, that’s what happens in the movies.

Whether you’re looking for a serious relationship or just looking to meet new people, we’ve put together a list of films about dating as a queer woman that are the perfect complement to a first date.

Saving Face

This 2004 film follow 48-year-old widow Hwei-Lan Gao (Joan Chen) who informs her less-than understanding father she’s pregnant. Subsequently banished and with nowhere else to go, Hwei-Lan moves in with her grown daughter, Wil (Michelle Krusiec), a Manhattan doctor who doesn’t want a roommate, especially since she’s met Viv (Lynn Chen), her sexy young lover. So Wil does what any dutiful child with an expectant, unmarried mother on her hands would do: she proceeds to set Hwei-Lan up with every eligible bachelor in town.

You can buy or rent Saving Face on streaming platforms including Google Play and Apple TV.

Her Story

Her Story is a new-media series that looks inside the dating lives of trans & queer women as they navigate the intersections of desire & identity.! The whole series is available on YouTube now.

A Date for Mad Mary

“Mad” Mary McArdle returns home from a short stint in prison, and much like her, everything has changed. Her best friend pronounces her maid of honour in her wedding, but refuses her a ‘plus one’ assuming she won’t be able to find a date. But Mary is up for the challenge! Stream it on SBS On Demand now.

My First Summer

A gorgeous, Australian lesbian coming-of-age film to tug at your heartstrings and fill you with memories of your first love. My First Summer is a sometimes dark, always stunning film about first love, womanhood and discovering your sexuality. Check it out now on Stan.

Nina’s Heavenly Delights

When her father passes away, Nina returns home after fleeing years earlier for London to avoid an arranged marriage. She immediately is tasked with the family business, crippling debts and a life she’d rather leave. But she finds herself falling for new business partner Lisa. Watch it on SBS On Demand now.

Appropriate Behaviour

For bisexual Shirin, being part of a perfect Persian family isn’t easy. Acceptance eludes her from all sides. Following a family announcement of her brother’s betrothal to a parentally approved Iranian prize catch, Shirin embarks on a private rebellion involving a series of bisexual escapades, while trying to decipher what went wrong with her ex, Maxine. Rent it now on Apple TV.

Anne+

A twenty-something lesbian university graduate in Amsterdam prepares to leave for Montreal, meanwhile navigating her social life and writing career. Watch it now on Netflix.

Margarita with a Straw

A rebellious young woman with cerebral palsy leaves India to study in New York. On her journey of self-discovery, she unexpectedly falls in love.. Watch it now on Apple TV.