Sam Ashby brings Little Joe and Libidinal Archives to Queer Wave 2026

Nicosia, Cyprus. Sam Ashby, founder of the cult queer film journal Little Joe, will take part in Queer Wave 2026 this month with a presentation of Libidinal Archives, a selection of archival and research-based short films.

Tonight, Ashby will present Libidinal Archives after introducing the German film City of Lost Souls through his Little Joe alter ego.

Little Joe’s origins

Little Joe began in the late 2000s after Ashby encountered Andy Warhol and Paul Morrissey’s 1968 film Flesh on DVD. He watched the film with friends and was struck by it and its star, Joe Dallesandro, known as Little Joe.

At the time, Ashby said, there was no Instagram or Letterboxd and underground cinema received far less attention. Queer cinema was even further from the centre of film culture.

“I couldn’t fathom why I’d never seen this incredible film, or its star Little Joe Dallesandro, before,” he said.

Focus on overlooked cinema

Ashby created Little Joe to explore films on the edges of mainstream culture and the stories behind them.

“So many of the films we celebrate in Little Joe exist at the margins of taste and style,” he said.

“I’m more interested in the stories of how they got made, or what they mean to queer viewers specifically,” he added.

From zine to journal

Little Joe has changed considerably since its early days, developing from a handmade zine into a larger journal. Ashby said it has retained its cheeky personality.