Events
A Dog Barking At The Moon
Xiaoyu returns to China with her American husband in tow to visit her parents, whose relationship is as dysfunctional as ever. Her father's homosexuality set off a domestic earthquake many years ago, with aftershocks extending to the present as the family still struggles to maintain their integrity.
And Then We Danced
Merab has been dancing since he was ten. He aspires to make the National Ballet and he feels confident, until Irakli shows up. Irakli is strong, handsome, and confident in the way someone can be when they have always been better than everyone else.
Tickle In Your Shorts
Lighten your mood with this quirky collection of eleven short films.
Gay Chorus Deep South – {Closing Night}
The San Francisco Gay Men’s Chorus set out to bring their message of hope and resiliency in response to the 2016 presidential election by spending a week touring throughout the deep south.
The Chorus, joined by The Oakland Interfaith Gospel Choir, brought a message of music, love, and acceptance to communities and individuals confronting intolerance.
PORT AUTHORITY
The NYC Port Authority is a mecca dedicated to getting people where they need to go but when Paul, a young Midwestern probation dodger with a damaged past and a chip on his shoulder, first arrives here - he’s got nowhere to go. His desperate search for a sense of belonging finds him reluctantly working for crooked movers who prey on the poor.
SHORTS PROGRAM #3: MIXED SIGNALS
These sly and sardonic shorts prove that technology can’t improve our relationships when it comes to the confusion spawned by human flaws in communication
SHORTS PROGRAM #2: WILDEST DREAMS
Oh the places you’ll go… with these sexy, sensual, surreal, and silly journeys into the subconscious.
SHORTS PROGRAM #1: RITES OF PASSAGE
From birthdays and bat mitzvahs to prom dates and expiration dates, this bittersweet program celebrates those special occasions that leave indelible impressions on a life’s journey from adolescence to adulthood
YOUNG HUNTER (EL CAZADOR)
A horny teen left alone by vacationing parents may have a familiar ring but this film’s intimate treatment of a gay boy’s early sexual explorations is far more original with its mystery and mayhem mix of thriller and coming-of-age story.
MAKING SWEET TEA
Grab a tall one and settle in to watch this intimate documentary that chronicles the reflective journey of southern-born, black gay researcher and performer, E. Patrick Johnson as he travels home to North Carolina to come to terms with his past.
LATTER DAY JEW
Meet H. Alan Scott: a gay former Mormon/converted Jew/cancer survivor/writer-comedian, as he finds his spiritual path while preparing for his Bar Mitzvah, traveling to Israel during their Gay Pride celebration, and immersing himself in Jewish life and culture.
TRANSFORMISTAS
Filmed covertly without permission from the Cuban government, this intimately epic documentary fluctuates between the past and the present, contrasting the struggles that different generations of drag queens have faced in their country.
A SKELETON IN THE CLOSET (TODOS TENEMOS UN MUERTO EN EL PLACARD O UN HIJO EN EL CLOSET)
Peak inside a playfully loving family and their coming out, coming-of-age, and coming around discoveries as they unravel their long-held layers of prejudice and pride.
AHEAD OF THE CURVE
An inspirational tribute to the fascinating life and career of Franco Stevens, creator of the ground-breaking lesbian magazine Curve, which generated a world-wide sense of community and positive visibility for gay women.
ELLIE & ABBIE (& ELLIE’S DEAD AUNT)
Move over Cinderella… this modern queer fairytale belongs to Ellie who has her very own fairy godmother in the form of her reincarnated Aunt Tara appearing just in the nick of time to give advice to Ellie who is coming out to her mother and trying to pursue Abbie, the girl of her dreams at school.
BREAKING FAST
Cocooned in strict Muslim beliefs about family, faith, and food, Mo – an adorably shy gay doctor in postbreak-up mode – cautiously expands his comfort zone during Ramadan to connect with Kal, an All-American gay actor who happens to speak Arabic and make great mloukieh (jute stew).
DRAMARAMA
In this bittersweetly nostalgic drama-rama-com set in 1994, pop-culture references and witty wordplay are as plentiful as clues in a mystery novel when five high school theater friends dress up in costumes for one final murder mystery party before they leave for college.
STAGE MOTHER
Stage Mother delivers the ultimate wish-fulfillment fantasy for any misfit who longs for their parent’s unconditional approval. This feel-good, laugh-out-loud, sing-along comedy proves that it is never too late to change your mind, change your views, and change your life.
SHORTS PROGRAM #6: ROLE REVERSAL
In these inspiring documentaries, change-making role models use their ingenuity and integrity to disrupt the status quo and help define a “new normal.”
SHORTS PROGRAM #5: IDENTITY CRISIS
It’s not me…it’s YOU. These perceptive shorts show that sometimes the only identity crisis that’s going on is the one that’s happening in someone else’s judgmental mind.
SHORTS PROGRAM #4: DESPERATE MEASURES
When up against formidable odds, these truth-seekers discover that the ultimate battle is waged within their own minds and, to win a sense of peace, they must out-maneuver themselves.
STEELERS: THE WORLD’S FIRST GAY RUGBY CLUB
Come for the eye candy of hunky rugby players and their spunky lesbian coach…stay for the meaningful stories, exciting tournaments, and the surprising half-time drag show.
MINYAN
Set in the Russian-Jewish enclave of Brighton Beach during the 1980’s, this contemplative coming-of-age/ coming-out story follows the soul-searching journey of David, a closeted gay Yeshiva student who moves in with his grandfather in a Jewish religious center.
Bare
Nudity is beautiful - this is the theme of famed Belgian choreographer Thierry Smits’ new production. We follow eleven male dancers as they bare more than just their bodies, they bare their souls for all to see.
ALICE JÚNIOR
In this uber hip, pop culture film laced with electrifying emojis, the stunningly gorgeous Anna Celestino Mota stars as Alice Junior - a high octane social influencer and Teen Top Model trans girl – who panics when she finds she must move to the Brazilian hinterlands to attend a Catholic school.
GIVE OR TAKE
When a disillusioned New Yorker’s father dies, he goes home to Cape Cod and prepares the house for sale while sharing it with his father’s temperamental live-in boyfriend. Grieving, they circle each other, butt heads, and are forced to negotiate how to remember the man they both loved.
FIRST BLUSH
When a young married couple becomes involved with another woman, they learn to navigate the emotional intricacies of a polyamorous relationship in this tenderly told, relatable story about the pursuit of love.
SURVIVING THE SILENCE: THE UNTOLD STORY OF TWO WOMEN IN LOVE WHO HELPED CHANGE MILITARY POLICY
In this monumental coming-out-story, Colonel Patsy Thompson and her wife Barbara Brass reveal how they had to keep their relationship secret for years in order to preserve her military career.
WHO’S ON TOP? LGBTQs SUMMIT MT. HOOD
Meet Ryan, Shanita, Stacey, Taylor, …and Wy’east (the Native American name for Mt. Hood) which is also a character in this glorious documentary that captures the spectacular scenery of Oregon’s tallest mountain.
UNSOUND
There’s a silent synchronicity on the screen when Noah, a disillusioned musician, returns home to Australia for some soul searching and falls for Finn, a deaf trans DJ.
TWO OF US (DEUX)
Tender lesbian love story. Edge-of-your-seat thriller. Wickedly amusing dark comedy. Director Filippo Meneghetti delicately blends disparate genres in a grippingly unique tale about “open-door policy” neighbors.
2021 Launch Party
We’re kicking off the 32nd annual festival at the historic Straz Center in downtown Tampa with a dazzling evening of friends, cocktails, and music. Be among the first to pick up your program and see trailers for this year’s film festival. So that you’re ready for opening night, you will be able to purchase or pick-up…
Language Lessons – Opening Night Film
Natalie Morales directs this charming feature film that she stars in alongside Mark Duplass, her co-writer, to tell a story that is extremely timely and and underscores the importance of human connection in this technologically isolating time.
Mascarpone
Antonio is a 30-year-old family man, whose life finds an unexpected twist when he's suddenly dumped by his husband, whom he depends both psychologically and economically.
Nimby
Mervi and Kata, a lesbian couple living in Helsinki, are considering coming out of the closet but when they visit Mervi’s hometown and family, all hell breaks loose.
Jump, Darling
Screen legend Cloris Leachman gives a masterful final starring performance in this bittersweet family drama as an old woman in rural Prince Edward County, Ontario whose mental and physical decline means she may soon be moved to a nursing home.
The Novice
This darkly thrilling sports drama about a queer college student climbing the ranks of her university’s rowing team is based on director Lauren Hadaway’s own experiences as a competitive collegiate rower.
Baloney
This provocative documentary tells the story of San Francisco's beloved Gay All-Male Revue of the same name. BALONEY's co-creators, Michael and Rory, invite their collaborators and audiences to embrace the sexualized aspects of striptease and burlesque alongside a blend of fantasy, confession, and social commentary.
Nora Highland
Based on out-actor Ryan Spahn's play of the same name and shot entirely on computers during the Covid-19 Pandemic, Nora Highland, follows the casting process of a notable gay character in an upcoming Broadway revival.
Between Them (Toutes les deux)
This tongue-in-cheek homage to spy thrillers and screwball comedies follows a lesbian private eye who is hired by a desperately jealous Russian professor to follow his wife who he is convinced is cheating on him. Having to travel to Montreal for the stakeout, she must sleep in her car since most hotels in Montreal were closed during lockdown.
Firebird
Based on the late Sergey Fetisov’s memoir “The Story of Roman,” this romantic drama tells the story of star-crossed lovers who have the supreme misfortune of falling into a relationship during the height of the Cold War in the Soviet Union, where someone is always looking over your shoulder and sexual relations between two men is punished with five years’ hard labor.
Kiss Me Kosher
When two generations of Israeli women fall for a German and a Palestinian, chaos follows in this romantic misadventure crossing all borders.
Inheritance
After the murder of their parents, Nick and Steve Wellington are left to share their inheritance. However, when the masked Figure shows back up to finish what was started, The Wellington boys will learn the hard way…that blood runs thicker than water.
Life’s a Drag – Shorts Program
Drag Life Documentary Shorts
Dreams and Nightmares – Shorts Program
A series of shorts in the Fantasy/Horror/Comedy genre.
Snips and Snails – Shorts Program
A series of mens' shorts.
Sugar and Spice – Shorts Program
A series of womens' shorts.
Pride and Prejudice Shorts Program
A series of documentary shorts.
It’s A Queer World After All…Shorts Program
A series of international shorts.
Queer-toons – Shorts Program
A series of animated shorts.
Rebel Dykes
A full-length documentary about the explosion that happened when punk met feminism, told through the lives of a gang of lesbian, trans and queer people in the riotous London of the 1980s.
Building a Bridge
Horrified by Catholic leaders’ silence in the wake of the Pulse nightclub massacre, Father James Martin writes a widely-acclaimed book and tours the country speaking with the news media, local parishes and LGBTQ+ Catholics with his message of “compassion, respect, and sensitivity.”
Activist Heroes Double Feature:
AIDS Diva: The Legend of Connie Norman and Yes I Am – The Ric Weiland Story
Portraits of two activist heroes.
Drag Stars Double Feature:
Two Films: Being BeBe: the BeBe Zahara Benet Documentary and Workhorse Queen
Invisible: Women in Southern Music
Growing up gay in the South is hard enough, but to be an openly gay woman in country music is nearly impossible. Nashville is a man's town, yet this group of gay women have persevered anyhow.
Potato Dreams of America
Wes Hurley’s autobiographical dark comedy about growing up gay in the Soviet Union and emigrating to America with his mail-order bride mother is divided into two strikingly different halves featuring two different pairs of actors playing the nick-named Potato and his mother.
Glob Lessons – Closing Night Film
Move over Felix and Oscar, the latest odd couple is Alan and Jesse, two mismatched strangers who are paired together by a children’s theater company to perform low-budget productions of Robin Hood and A Christmas Carol in elementary schools.
Mama Bears
Mama Bears is an intimate exploration of two mama bears, conservative, Christian mothers who have become fierce advocates for LGBTQ+ people and a young lesbian whose struggle for self-acceptance exemplifies why the mama bears are so important.
Thanks to Her
Thanks to Her is a film that focuses on the self, sexuality, and how that plays out in one's community.
Documentary Shorts Program
A series of six documentary shorts.
All Man: The International Male Story
A nostalgic and colorful peek behind the pages and personalities of International Male, one of the most ubiquitous and sought-after mail-order catalogs of the 80s and 90s.
Lonesome
Fleeing a mysterious drama in his hometown, a country boy nearly loses himself in the easy sex and pervasive loneliness of the big city in this erotic and dark-hued drama from Craig Boreham.
Framing Agnes
After discovering case files from a 1950s gender clinic, a cast of trans actors turn a talk show inside out to confront the legacy of a young trans woman forced to choose between honesty and access.
Narrative Shorts Program
All The Awards I Never Gave You Caio Scot, 2021, Brazil, 17 min In the bathroom at an awards ceremony, an unexpected encounter between two young actors brings up unresolved feelings and a love story that may not have come to an end yet. Aura Guy Hodgkinson, 2022, United Kingdom, 10 min When given an…
The Sixth Reel
When the death of a close friend unearths the long-thought-lost final reel of a classic film, Jimmy (drag legend Charles Busch) and his cohorts each concoct underhanded schemes involving false romances, drag personas and maybe even vampires to cash in on a big sale of the film.
Waking Up Dead
Gorgeous, hard partying Danny Maldonado was once about to conquer Hollywood. But at 35, his acting career has flatlined, his boyfriend has dumped him, and his long estranged drug-addict mother is dying.
Pat Rocco Dared
In this colorful trip back in time, filmmaker and activist Pat Rocco shares his incredible life story as one of Hollywood's original boundary pushing gay pioneers.
No Straight Lines: The Rise of Queer Comics
No Straight Lines chronicles the journeys of five scrappy queer artists from the margins of the underground comics scene to mainstream acceptance.
Jimmy in Saigon
Jimmy in Saigon is a documentary exploring the mysterious death of Peter McDowell's eldest brother, James, who died age 24 in Saigon. The film explores unspoken grief and family secrets, while honoring those lost long ago.
Keep the Cameras Rolling: The Pedro Zamora Way (Tampa)
The story of Pedro Zamora, the charming young activist who transformed the face of AIDS in America by allowing MTV's REAL WORLD to chronicle his joy, his influence, and his journey with a disease that would ultimately kill him.
Chrissy Judy
When his best friend and creative partner suddenly couples off and moves away, an ambitious New York drag queen determined for the limelight must reinvent himself or risk becoming an irrelevant solo act both onstage and off.
It Is in Us All
A Londoner returns to his ancestral homeland of Donegal in the west of Ireland and is drawn in by a teenage boy who almost kills him in a car crash.
Documentary Shorts Program (ReDux – St. Pete)
A series of six documentary shorts.
Jeannette
The film begins in the aftermath of the Pulse nightclub massacre and follows Jeannette as she recovers, backslides, and eventually finds support and healing through community.
Maybe Someday
Jay, a non-binary 40-something photographer, attempts to move across the country to start her life over again in the midst of separating from her wife.
Petit Mal
In director Ruth Caudeli's latest collaborative chronicle of queer life, three charismatic women living in an intimate, passionate partnership must learn to navigate the shift in their dynamic when one lover is called away for a long-term project.
The Butterfly Queen
Five years ago, best friends Casey and Robin parted ways. Casey wanted to draw cartoons and take over their grandparents’ sheep farm, Robin wanted to leave town and never look back.
Unidentified Objects
A curmudgeonly gay dwarf and his unstable, alien-obsessed neighbor are thrown together on an impossible road trip that will alter their strange friendship (and their sense of reality) forever.
A Run for More
Frankie Gonzales-Wolfe goes on a personal journey and questions her relationship to her community as she runs for city council in San Antonio, Texas, and attempts to become the first openly elected transgender official in Texas.
AQRONYM: A Night of Queer Comedy
Join our Master of Ceremony Shaine O'Laine as he leads you through an incredibly fun night of great humor and a good time with Melissa Nichols, featuring Kye Saunders, and headlining Jenn Snyder.
Evolution of Drag – Drag Through the Decades
Glamazon and drag performer/producer Daphne Ferraro brings her smash hit multi-media drag extravaganza to St. Pete
Evolution of Drag – Drag Through the Decades
Glamazon and drag performer/producer Daphne Ferraro brings her smash hit multi-media drag extravaganza to St. Pete
The Mattachine Family
Oscar (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
Seems 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
Featuring 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
Can 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
“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
Big 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
A series of short films.
Lie With Me (Arrête avec tes mensonges)
Based 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
Let’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
As 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)
Featuring 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
A series of short films.
It’s Only Life After All
“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
“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.”
Kenyatta: Do Not Wait Your Turn
“Let people who are closest to the pain, be closest to the power.” So says Malcolm Kenyatta, State Representative from the North Philly district of Pennsylvania and the first Queer person of color in the Pennsylvania State House. Executive Producer, Al Roker (and others) and filmmaker Timothy Harris chronicle Malcolm’s quest for the U.S. Senate amid the stark reality of the blatant racism and homophobia engrained in the political process of this country.
Black Barbie (Reprise screening!)
“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 of race, body image and social influence.
Jewelle: A Just Vision/Swimming in the Dark
Dorothy Allison (Bastard Out of Carolina,) says of Jewell Gomez’s The Gilda Stories, “Why hadn’t it occurred to anybody that the perfect vampire would be a Black Lesbian?” Why, indeed! After graduating from Columbia School of Journalism Jewelle started writing poetry and plays. Screening with Swimming in the Dark.
Barrio Boy
Barrio Boy is a coming of age story with an edge and with heart. Quique is surrounded by machismo at the Nuyorican barber shop where he cuts hair. One summer day while playing ball with his coworkers, he has a chance encounter with an Irish stranger.