2023 Festival
The Mattachine Family
Tampa Theatre 711 N Franklin St, Tampa, FLOscar (Juan Pablo di Pace, Mamma Mia) and Thomas (Nico Tortorella, Scream 4) meet cute, get married, have charming friends and burgeoning careers. Fate steps in and the two agree to be foster parents to a little boy, Arthur. When Arthur is reunited with his birth mother, Thomas realizes he loves being a dad.
Big Easy Queens
Tampa Theatre 711 N Franklin St, Tampa, FLSeems like a perfect time in Florida for campy gangland humor. Fort Lauderdale Director Erynn Dalton (The Gravedigger) delivers this raucous delight. Miss Minnie Bouvèé (Eric Swanson) is a full-bodied queen of the Big Easy underworld who finds herself under threat by a mysterious masked predator and the fragrance of gardenias, a “sore spot of torment” from Miss Minnie’s past.
Our Son
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLFeaturing great lead performances by two talented gay actors, Our Son is an absorbing exploration of parenthood and family. Gabriel (Pose’s Billy Porter) and Nicky (Beauty and the Beast’s Luke Evans) share a life in a spacious city apartment with their sweet 7 year old son, Owen (Christopher Woodly). Nicky works long hours while Gabriel stays home to care for Owen.
Chasing Chasing Amy
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLCan a Lesbian have a romantic friendship with a straight, cis man? Especially when that man is portrayed by Ben Affleck?! Let’s get real. Many lesbians of a certain age hated Chasing Amy, Kevin Smith’s 1990’s romcom about a straight white guy who falls in love with a lesbian. Filmmaker Sav Rodgers, a young filmmaker from Kansas, did a Ted Talk about how Chasing Amy literally saved his life.
Black Barbie
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FL“It took 21 years for one black fashion doll to be worthy of the Barbie name.” So says award winning Queer director, Lagueria Davis (Maid of Dishonor) who decided to make “Black Barbie” after spending time with her Aunt Beulah Mae Mitchell, a 45-year employee at Mattel. Those conversations sparked a curiosity about the evolution of Black Barbie leading to complex conversations.
Big Boys
AMC West Shore - Theatre 8 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLBig Boys is a sweet and humorous story about the awkwardness of growing up and feeling different from your peers. Jamie is an anxious and chubby, 14-year old. While he’s not the least bit interested in sports, he might just be a culinary master.
Afternoon Delights Shorts
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLA series of short films.
Lie With Me (Arrête avec tes mensonges)
AMC West Shore - Theatre 8 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLBased on the bestselling French novel, Lie With Me is a story about lost love and the importance of being true to yourself. Established author Stéphane Belacourt (Guillaume de Tonquédec) returns to his beautiful hometown to promote a renowned local cognac distillery and deliver a keynote speech.
Jess Plus None
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLLet’s just say it: Jess is a hot mess. She is impulsive, whiney, and completely self-absorbed. That she is the maid of honor for her best friend is like an afterthought to Jess’ preoccupation with her recent breakup. The wedding is literally in the woods and a reunion of sorts for college friends and partners.
All the Colours of the World are Between Black and White
AMC West Shore - Theatre 8 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLAs the title of this debut film suggests, those who are willing to see beyond their own rigid black and white points of view, are able to see a full spectrum of vibrant colors, nuances, and complexity. When Bambino, a salt of the earth delivery driver in Lagos, meets aspiring photographer, Bawa, the two men form an instant intimacy.
The Lost Boys (Le Paradis)
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLFeaturing an invigorating original score by Bachar Mar-Khalife and engaging performances, Lost Boys boldly explores ideas of freedom, the human need for love, and the ever-lingering effects that experiences in the juvenile detention system have on young people.
Late Night Shorts
AMC West Shore - Theatre 8 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FLA series of short films.
It’s Only Life After All
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FL“Fans want to know what is personal,” says Emily Saliers. And, in spite of her admitted discomfort with the personal, Saliers and Amy Ray, the iconic Indigo Girls, go there in this acclaimed documentary by filmmaker Alexandria Bombach (On Her Shoulders).
Glitter and Doom
AMC West Shore 210 Westshore Plaza, Tampa, FL“You look like someone with a lot of songs inside,” says Glitter to Doom. And the songs are those of Amy Ray and Emily Saliers – the Indigo Girls. New arrangements and mashups of their classics are a delight in Tom Gustafson’s (Were the World Mine) homage to the soundtrack of love and the burning desire for “the dream.”