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NewFest
Thursday, 09 October 2025 until Sunday, 19 October 2025
Submissions for NewFest's 37th edition of The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival (October 9 - 19, 2025) will open on January 21st, 2025.
To see event listings for our year-round programming and receive updates on the festival, please visit our website, sign up for our mailing list, and follow us on social media. We look forward to hearing your story!
As part of NewFest’s Black Filmmakers Initiative, NewFest waives festival submission fees for Black filmmakers with LGBTQ+ stories centering Black characters and perspectives. To request a waiver code once submissions are open, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. with information on your completed and eligible project.
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Founded in 1988, The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival is one of the world's largest and most respected annual celebrations of the year’s best queer films from the U.S. and abroad--featuring nearly 150 films from more than 30 countries, as well as special events that bring together filmmakers, celebrities, movie lovers, industry professionals, and the LGBTQ+ community.
NewFest will celebrate its 37th annual edition of The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival in October 2025--throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn, and virtually nationwide--with nearly two weeks of premieres, panels, and parties. NewFest's collection of narratives, documentaries, shorts programs, and special events showcases the best in LGBTQ+ film and media.
NewFest is distinctive among LGBTQ+ film festivals for its high-quality programming, outstanding press coverage, community engagement, savvy audiences, and sensational parties. The festival’s impact in terms of propelling the work and careers of emerging filmmakers is historic and global, and uniquely channels the collaborative creative energy of New York City to celebrate queer films.
The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival is produced annually by NewFest, New York’s leading LGBTQ+ film and media organization. NewFest gives voice and visibility to the full spectrum of LGBTQ+ experiences by championing films, supporting storytellers, and engaging audiences in order to inspire dialogue, shift cultural bias and empower our community.
GRAND JURY AWARDS
Grand Jury Award for Best U.S. Narrative Feature
Grand Jury Award for Best International Narrative Feature
Grand Jury Award for Best Documentary Feature
Grand Jury Award for Best New York Short Film
AUDIENCE AWARDS
Audience Award for Documentary Feature
Audience Award for Narrative Feature
Audience Award for Documentary Short
Audience Award for Narrative Short
BLACK FILMMAKER INITIATIVE AWARDS
Emerging Black LGBTQ+ Filmmaker Award(s)
2025 films...
A DEEPER LOVE: THE STORY OF MISS PEPPERMINT (New York Centerpiece)
This intimate, uplifting documentary celebrates Miss Peppermint, a radiant NYC nightlife icon and rising trans activist. With unwavering determination and the support of her chosen family, she brightens her own path to success.
Running time: 86
Director: Oriel Pe'er
A NIGHT LIKE THIS (Virtual Exclusive)
A chance encounter on a winter night in London leads to an emotionally candid exploration of finding oneself with the help of a stranger.
Running time: 97
Director: Liam Calvert
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950): 75th Anniversary
In Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s iconic showbiz satire, Bette Davis plays an aging actress who takes a younger fan under her wing, unaware the fan’s ruthless ambition will threaten her own career.
Running time: 138
Director: Joseph L. Mankiewicz
Siblings Mise’l and Antle must confront a past that still haunts them. Only by returning to Sk+te'kmujue'kati (the Place of Ghosts), can they face what lingers in the shadows and begin healing.
Running time: 89
Director: Bretten Hannam
Set in the green mountains of Greece, in a rural town attached to tradition, two longtime girlfriends are confronted with a bond that is suddenly shifting into a deeper attraction.
Running time: 127
Director: Krysianna B. Papadakis, Stergios Dinopoulos
A jaded fetish camboy agrees to spend a night with an anonymous client, only to discover a darker, more complicated connection from their shared past in this daring chamber drama.
Running time: 79
Director: Elliot Tuttle
BLUE MOON (Opening Night Film + Party)
Richard Linklater directs Ethan Hawke, Andrew Scott, and Margaret Qualley in a witty, bittersweet tale unfolding at Sardi’s on Broadway’s most historic opening night: Oklahoma!.
Running time: 100
Director: Richard Linklater
BORN YESTERDAY (1950): 75th Anniversary
A junkyard tycoon hires a journalist to educate his mistress, only for her to outgrow him. Judy Holliday’s Oscar-winning turn is an effervescent highlight of classic Hollywood comedy.
Running time: 103
Director: George Cukor
CHRISTY (Closing Night Film + Party)
Based on remarkable true events and starring Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster, CHRISTY tells the story of a small-town boxer who becomes a champion—and a rare queer sports icon—while fighting her fiercest battles outside the ring.
Running time: 135
Director: David Michôd
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT (Documentary Centerpiece)
This Sundance Festival Favorite captures poet Andrea Gibson’s cancer journey and love story with wife Megan Falley—a tender, life-affirming portrait that now serves as a moving tribute following Gibson’s passing earlier this year.
Running time: 109
Director: Ryan White
Nearly four decades since its release in April 1986, join us in revisiting Donna Deitch's classic of lesbian cinema – and one of the greatest love stories of all time.
Running time: 91
Director: Donna Deitch
In a UK detention center, asylum seekers Isio and Farah find solace in new romance amid the fear and uncertainty of an inhumane process. This is a queer romance that shines defiantly against the cruelty of an unjust system.
Running time: 78
Director: Joy Gharoro-Akpojotor
This bold collection of episodic pilots offers a first glimpse into worlds of desire, history, fantasy, and comedy—leaving you eager for the binge-worthy seasons ahead.
Running time: 98
Daddies Boi
Dir. Jason Avezzano, 15 min, USA
As youth and options dry up, two aging sugar babies plunge into the bizarre “desire economy” via a provocative app called Daddies Boi forcing them to question what they’re selling, what it costs, and what they’re willing to risk. CW: Explicit sexual situations
DENIM
Dir. TĒDRA, 10 min, USA
A fantastical doc series illuminating the brilliant minds of LGBTQIA+ creatives.
All the Things I Leave You
Dir. Jade Castro, 22 min, Philippines/USA
At a family-run restaurant in Ilocos, a privileged rich kid and a street-smart newcomer are forced to work together — uncovering a decades-old love story that upends everything they thought they knew about love, loyalty, and legacy.
Committed
Dir. Monica Raymund, 14 min, USA
During the Lavender Scare government files were created to track individuals deemed to have “weak morals.” Lists were made. Suspected gays were on those lists. Black and Native Americans were on those lists. Intellectuals. Feminists. This family was on those lists. CW: Homophobic violence, Disturbing images
The Misadventures of Bucky & Beene
Dir. Lisa M Thomas, 20 min, USA
The lives of two campy pirate radio DJs, — former Miss Gay USA Pepper Buckthorne and her sassy sidekick Jelly Beene — who threaten the locals in upstate New York with their WRU-GAY in the morning radio show and befriend Sharon their free spirited neighbor in the process.
Divine Intervention
Dir. Kelly McCready, 17 min, USA
After nearly causing an international incident, Aphrodite (the Kardashianesque love goddess) is stripped of her powers. Will she regain her omnipotence by helping a super-single Brooklynite find true love, or be banished from the Pantheon forever?
In Slovenia, three friends defy conservative norms, but their bond unravels when they meet Fantasy, a transgender woman who ignites new desires and forces them to reconsider who they are—and to each other.
Running time: 98
Director: Kukla
When his friends skip town, gay novelist Edward is left caring for four strong-willed older women in this warm, witty Irish drama.
Running time: 89
Award-winning at SXSW and Fantasia, FUCKTOYS explodes with sex, satire, and fantasy — a riotous, heartfelt comedy packed with eccentric characters, wild visuals, and the energy of a cult classic in the making.
Running time: 107
Director: Annapurna Sriram
Tommy Dorfman, in her directorial debut, brings to life the colorful story of Ben, a nonbinary high school teen on a journey of self discovery while confronting a conservative upbringing.
Running time: 92
Director: Tommy Dorfman
IF YOU ARE AFRAID YOU PUT YOUR HEART IN YOUR MOUTH AND SMILE
Winner of the 2025 Teddy Jury Prize, this moving drama follows a deaf mother and her 12-year-old child in Vienna as they navigate identity, survival, and solidarity in the face of systemic exclusion.
Running time: 87
Director: Marie Luise Lehner
In a small Maine town, two adrift women discover unexpected passion when one models for the other. Jennifer Ehle and Alex Sarrigeorgiou shine in Jaclyn Bethany’s hushed yet deeply felt drama of art and desire.
Running time: 82
Director: Jaclyn Bethany
In this world premiere, director Stephen Winter revisits the ghosts of Jason Holliday and Shirley Clarke, unveiling new footage and reframing a legendary 12-hour film shoot through a fresh and radical gaze.
Running time: 84
Director: Stephen Winter
With silly humor full of in-community jokes, the Teddy Award-winning LESBIAN SPACE PRINCESS is an animated sci-fi adventure for any queer person who has ever feared they weren’t cool enough.
Running time: 87
Director: Emma Hough Hobbs & Leela Varghese
Paris, 2014. Under French law, Céline must secure testimonies to adopt the child carried by her wife.
Running time: 97
Director: Alice Douard
In our first-ever audience-chosen screening, a young bride invites the three men who may potentially be her father to her Greek wedding, all set to the irresistible music of ABBA.
Running time: 108
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
MOCKTAIL MATINEE: JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS (2001)
Rediscover the purr-fect all-girl rock band in this outrageous satire nearly 15 years after its very millennial release in 2001 at our inaugural mocktail matinee celebration.
Running time: 98
Director: Harry Elfont, Deborah Kaplan
MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (Film Feast): 40th Anniversary
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stephen Frears’ groundbreaking queer classic, pairing romance, politics, and neon flair in Thatcher-era London—served with a thematically curated multi-course meal at NewFest’s 5th annual Film Feast.
Running time: 97
Netflix’s BOOTS: Screening & Conversation with Star Miles Heizer, Showrunners and more
Set in the tough, unpredictable world of the US Marine Corps, this coming-of-age story follows directionless, closeted Cameron and his straight best friend Ray as they join a diverse group of recruits in the unpredictable world of the US Marine Corps in the ’90s.
Running time: 41
Director: Peter Hoar
NEW VOICES FILMMAKER GRANT SHOWCASE
Join us in celebrating our fourth annual New Voices Filmmaker Grant with a screening of the recipients’ auspicious short film work and an in-depth conversation around their emerging futures. Presented in partnership with Netflix.
Running time: 59
Kasbi
Dir. Farah Jabir, 12 min, USA
A middle-aged Pakistani housewife, in search of herself, hires a young, self-assured sex worker to keep her company for the night.
Will You Look at Me
Dir. Shuli Huang, 21 min, China
As a young Chinese filmmaker returns to his hometown in search of himself, a long due conversation with his mother dives the two of them into a quest for acceptance and love.
Anino
Dir. MG Evangelista, 15 min, USA
On the anniversary of her mother’s death, a quiet teen being raised by her two grandmothers awakens to her first period and is relentlessly bullied at school. When her bully later turns his torments on her crush, her pent-up rage erupts and she discovers an ancestral power that is both terrifying and freeing.
Yú Cì (Fish Bones)
Dir. Kevin Xian Ming Yu, 11 min, USA
Bowen, a nonbinary Asian-American from Queens, tries to connect with their estranged father and help him deal with a poisonous fish bite.
In 1981, James Reyos, a gay Apache man, was wrongly convicted of murdering a priest. Peabody-winning journalist Deborah S. Esquenazi’s searing documentary follows the decades-long fight to clear his name.
Running time: 83
Director: Deborah S. Esquenazi
NIGHT STAGE (International Centerpiece)
In this neon-soaked erotic thriller, an ambitious actor and a rising politician enter a dangerous affair of public sex and private secrets—a passion that threatens to consume them both.
Running time: 119
Director: Filipe Matzembacher & Marcio Reolon
Fifteen-year-old Karla, growing up trans in rural Mexico, shares her story with filmmaker Kani Lapuerta, together creating a tender, intergenerational portrait of adolescence filled with courage, humor, and authenticity.
Running time: 86
Director: Kani Lapuerta
ONLY GOOD THINGS (Virtual Exclusive)
A farmer and a lonely motorcyclist cross paths in 1980s Brazil, igniting a transformative romance in this beautifully bold journey from writer/director Daniel Nolasco (DRY WIND, NewFest32).
Running time: 104
Director: Daniel Nolasco
On vacation, Olivia and Seb are visited by an old friend and his boyfriend. Over the weekend, long-buried grudges and simmering sexual tensions resurface, threatening to upend their fragile peace.
Running time: 85
Director: Alan Brown
In this all-star zombie flick, an undead outbreak encroaches on Brooklyn’s wildest queer party, and a ragtag group of staff and drag performers must team together to save the world before showtime.
Running time: 99
Director: Tina Romero
Queer Malaysian punk band “Shh...Diam!” (“shut up!”), led by its trans frontman Faris, electrifies audiences with defiant music, confronting anti-LGBTQ oppression while building community, joy, and resistance across borders.
Running time: 88
Director: Yihwen Chen
A quietly bold drama about a gay man who impersonates past lovers to find himself. Long, intimate scenes explore identity, desire, and the fragile performances of early connection.
Running time: 87
Director: Jun Li
Oscar winner Dustin Lance Black’s vibrant documentary uncovers the hidden queer influence behind heavy metal, punk, and rock-and-roll — proving that even the loudest, toughest genres have always been deeply, defiantly queer.
Running time: 116
Director: Dustin Lance Black
A raw, improvised ensemble drama about a theater group reckoning with hidden abuse and homophobia, revealing the pain they’ve buried—and the power of finally speaking out.
Running time: 121
Director: Ruth Caudeli
Johan, a struggling bathhouse employee, falls for a trans man he meets on a hookup app. Their bond forces Johan to confront his biases and his struggle with self-love in Mathias Broe's bold debut from Sundance.
Running time: 103
Director: Mathias Broe
In its World Premiere, SECOND NATURE challenges the notion that queerness is unnatural, by turning to nature itself—and the science that dismantles the myth of the gender binary.
Running time: 81
Director: Drew Denny
When high-schooler Alex convinces his best friend Ethan to pretend to be trans to get girls, Ethan discovers she isn’t pretending. Chaos, comedy, and self-discovery collide in this sweetly subversive queer teen romp.
Running time: 82
Director: Siobhan McCarthy
A trans-led program of bold, unfiltered shorts—original, smart, and brilliantly made. Rooted in resistance and care, these films embody the strength and spirit of trans lives. No T, no future.
Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail?
Dir. Bec Pecaut, 17 min, Canada
While recovering from top surgery, Mad struggles with wanting the attention of their partner and accepting the help of their mother.
A Kin Sin
Dir. Gulzar, 5 min, Canada
While oiling a friend’s scalp, filmmaker Gulzar seeks to understand their gender amidst their familial and cultural wishes.
Purebred
Dir. Caleb J. Roberts, 15 min, Ireland/UK
During a heatwave, transgender man Owen returns to the flat of his on-again-off-again lover Seán after taking a pregnancy test.
Flash Sale
Dir. Autumn Boxley, 12 min, USA
Two trans men living in Brooklyn call upon an unlikely audience to raise money for top surgery.
Red Light Green
Dir. Eva Wu, 7 min, USA/Germany
Briiiing Briiiiing Hi it’s me! Experience this rotating and hypnotic sensory-world, where gyrating nymphs express love beyond your wildest fantasies. This is a love letter to trans, queer, sex-working, and otherwise marginalized and criminalized folks who surpassed the boldness of their parents.
Rope
Dir. Lucas Manuel-Scheibe, 12 min, USA
During a night of erotic bondage, Aki begins to recall the story of his grandmother’s disappearance. An “ama,” or “sea woman,” of Japan, she gradually descends into the ocean’s loving arms, reflecting Aki’s drift from the ropes and lover who bind him.
Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo): Radical Transparency
Dir. Drew de Pinto, 9 min, USA
Following artist Puppies Puppies (Jade Guanaro Kuriki-Olivo) as she replicates her bedroom and lives in New York City’s New Museum during the run of her exhibition, the film explores what happens when an artist makes her most private space public.
Moonbeams
Dir. Elo Santa Maria, 15 min, USA
When Frankie is thrown in solitary confinement for taking hormones, his lover June is cut off from him. The two must find a way to reunite and plot Frankie’s escape.
These bold, inventive films illuminate the queer experience through experimental narratives, striking aesthetics, and complex characters.
Running time: 101
Two Black Boys in Paradise
Dir. Baz Sells, 9 min, UK
A movingly tender animation, based on Dean Atta’s eponymous poem, sees Edan (19) and Dula (18) on a journey of self-acceptance and love — for each other and themselves. CW: Explicit sexual situations
Strawberry Shortcake
Dir. Deborah Devyn Chuang, 21 min, Taiwan
Fantasy bleeds into reality when 16-year-old Lolo becomes entangled in a Freudian loop centered around a strawberry shortcake and Lolo’s mother, Norma.
Spa Night
Dir. Jeremy Feight, 7 min, USA
When a lonely heart seeks solace at a luxe Manhattan spa, a night of steamy glances and awkward encounters spirals into a surreal blend of lust, longing, and unexpected chaos. CW: Explicit sexual situations
Grandma Nai Who Played Favorites
Dir. Chheangkea, 19 min, Cambodia/France/USA
During her chaotic family’s Qingming visit, dead Grandma Nai sneaks away from her peaceful afterlife after overhearing that her queer grandson is about to get engaged to a woman.
Houston, We Have a Crush
Dir. Omer Ben Shachar, 10 min, USA
After finding a phone accidentally left behind by an astronaut, a lonely alien develops an all-consuming crush that tests his hold on reality.
The Immaculate Honey
Dir. Mauricio Calderon Rico, 18 min, Mexico
Chucho is taken care of by his mother Alma for a few days, during which they will grow closer.
One Day This Kid
Dir. Alexander Farah, 17 min, Canada
In a world that’s never made room for him, a young brown man contends with desire, shame, and the quiet weight of his father’s expectations—seeking a self he’s never been shown how to become.
From meet-cutes at Riis Beach to dyke drama, double dates, and daring rides, these eight sapphic shorts celebrate the thrills, chaos, and joy of lesbian longing.
Running time: 80
“Girlfriend Girlfriend”
Dir. Sara Werner, 5 min, USA
A woman retreats to the recesses of her mind when her new co-worker asks her an intrusive question.
2 Girls Kissing
Dir. Noah Schamus, 8 min, USA
Naomi, a struggling director, tries to hold on to her nerves when her lead actress, who happens to be her girlfriend, won’t show up to set or pick up her phone. Hubris ensues.
Riis
Dir. Kendall Alex Payne, 13 min, USA
A hopeless romantic and their friends contrive a meet-cute at NYC’s queer beach, but chaos, dysphoria, and unexpected connections reshape their quest for love.
Happy Place
Dir. Sara Monge, 11 min, USA
After realizing she may want to date women, Anna goes to her roommate’s cousin’s lesbian engagement party in the hopes of figuring out her sexuality, but discovers something much more terrifying instead.
New Acquisition
Dir. Caledonia Abbey, 2 min, UK
A young lesbian couple debates keeping a painting up in their new apartment.
Seek No Favor
Dirs. Elle Clay & Leilah Weinraub, 12 min, USA
Low-key, anxiety-managing millennial Monroe Malone is trying to outrun last year’s job loss when she collides with a weave-snatching cartel led by Big Baby. After overhearing his plan to kidnap hair tech genius Camille J. Walker and steal her Infinite Track invention, Monroe jumps into action. The encounter is bound to leave him not untouched by blood.
Double Date
Dir. Hannah Wolf, 10 min, USA
A newly out middle-aged lesbian panics before a third date and impulsively hires a sex worker to help her prepare.
Calamity Jane
Dir. Robin Cloud, 17 min, USA
After a near fatal accident, a barrel racer must find the courage to ride again and open her heart to love.
Join us at our annual Brooklyn Brunch for shorts that prove food is more than fuel—it’s messy, magical, unifying, and at the heart of how we gather.
Running time: 99
In The Flesh
Dir. Emily Frances Kaplan, 16 min, USA
The perfect housewife has a secret: She’s obsessed with expensive meat, and the local butcher who knows how to handle it. When her dream of a chance encounter with the butcher comes true, the cracks in her home life are exposed.
The Eating Of An Orange
Dir. May Kindred-Boothby, 7 min, UK
A juicy and surreal exploration of convention and sexuality told through slugs, rituals and the eating of an orange.
home
Dir. Donja R. Love, 14 min, USA
home follows T, a homeless queer teen, on the night he makes a life-changing decision in hopes of finding shelter.
Coney Island Baby
Dir. Fernando Lopez, 7 min, USA
A recently released, formerly incarcerated father tries to reconnect with his daughter & take her to Coney Island, fumbling to connect along the way—only to find Luna Park is closed.
Carrotica
Dir. Daniel Sterlin-Altman, 13 min, Germany
A teenage boy is writing an explicit gay erotica in secret in his bedroom and his mother is falling in love with a carrot. They’re doing okay…
Meal Pal
Dir. Chen Xie, 11 min, China/USA
In an empty motel after midnight, two lonely souls have a magical encounter.
Long Pork
Dir. Iris Dukatt, 14 min, USA
In a Post-Roe America where theocracy reigns, a renowned butcher meets the political predator responsible for the killing of her daughter and exacts bloody revenge, setting the stage for a revolution.
Sunday Sauce
Dir. Matt Campanella, 14 min, USA
A repressed Italian-American father is thrust into his worst nightmare when his secret online crush shows up to his family’s Sunday dinner.
Genre-defying shorts where trans women reign—from ritual and revenge to sisterhood and catharsis. Bold, visionary, and unmissable: the Dolls are here to stay.
Running time: 88
Miss
Dir. Alexandra Stergiou, 7 min, USA
It’s been four days since Sophie came out as trans to her partner Jess. Seeking a place away from it all for Sophie to take her first steps out in the air as a woman, they go to a gas station outside of the city. Based on true events.
Dolls
Dir. Geena Rocero, 19 min, USA
A junior private investigator goes undercover to attend the relationship workshop for trans women called DOLLS. She quickly realizes a sinister force is at play.
PURPLE PATROL!
Dir. Jessica Q. Moore, 8 min, USA
A vigilante trio summons an otherworldly power to help protect the queer community. CW: Transphobic violence
Rainbow Girls
Dir. Nana Duffuor, 16 min, USA
As San Francisco’s tech boom gentrifies their city, three black trans youth decide to take matters into their own hands, staging an audacious heist targeting the city’s most exclusive luxury brands.
TransVengeance
Dir. Kaye Adeladie, 5 min, Canada
A trans woman dies on the operating table during facial feminization surgery, but death is no match for a determined transsexual.
The Dysphoria
Dir. Kylie Aoibheann, 13 min, Australia
A trans woman performs a Satanic ritual to get a vagina, but unwittingly invites a demonic presence into her home which demands a terrible sacrifice.
Artifice
Dir. Theo Rose, 12 min, USA
A mystic woman oscillates between performance and projection until she meets her shadow at a local coffee shop (or it’s about a girl being haunted by a pronoun, depending on who you ask).
Birth of the Hive Queen
Dir. Tempest Creation, 9 min, USA
Amina, a trans sex worker, gives birth out of her anus.
SHORTS: IF YOU WANNA BE MY LOVERBOY
These shorts dive into men’s desires—the thrill, fantasy, and ache of wanting. From Fire Island to bathhouses to galaxies far away, boys chase passion without restraint.
Running time: 104
Orion’s Quest
Dir. Steven Chew, 15 min, USA
Before a powerful eclipse occurs, an extraterrestrial being must finalize his mission to comprehend love, by exploring the romantic relationships between black gay men.
Fan Letter
Dir. Zeb Daemen, 16 min, Belgium
A 50s heartthrob discovers a letter that rekindles a lost love, forcing him to confront the Faustian bargain behind his fame. Alone in his dressing room, Ricky risks everything for one last chance at truth and connection.
Pining
Dir. David Jaffe, 14 min, USA
A salty, millennial gay wars with a spunky, Gen Z female he considers a threat to Fire Island Pines’ already crumbling shore while attempting to seduce the optimistic influencer who brought her. CW: Explicit sexual situations
The Upper Room
Dir. Joel Perez, 12 min, USA
Two Pentecostal youth pastors have a crisis of faith when they meet up for an afternoon of forbidden love.
Lisbon
Dir. Matthew Jacobs Morgan, 13 min, UK
A broke queer man attends a hook up with an older man on the promise of cash, but finds himself pulled into a twisted request that forces him to confront deep questions of life, death, and the price of human connection.
A Garden Under the Earth
Dir. Pedro Lavin, 6 min, USA/Mexico
In a series of dreamlike digital vignettes, two wild fairies engage in an increasingly intense erotic ritual. CW: Explicit sexual situations
Within a Quiet Body
Dir. José Manuel Vélez, 14 min, USA/Chile
Alex, a jaded cleaner at a gay sex club, tries to satiate his repressed desires through sex and pain. CW: Explicit sexual situations, disturbing images
Brief Somebodies
Dir. Andy Reid, 15 min, Canada
While rehearsing a sexual assault scene, a pair of actors form a connection they’ll be forced to reconfigure once filming begins.
An outrageous, loud, and unapologetically over-the-top collection of shorts, brimming with style, guts, and larger-than-life queer characters. Respectability be damned.
Running time: 92
Are You Fucking Kidding Me?!
Dir. Zen Pace, 12 min, USA
A broke birthday party clown finds out his mother is dying during the gig from hell. CW: Disturbing images
Poreless
Dir. Harris Doran, 14 min, USA
A fabulous, queer, Muslim beauty entrepreneur competes in a SHARK TANK-like contest after suffering an untimely allergic reaction
La Dichotomie
Dirs. Suzie Toot, Dan Ingram, & Oscar Ruso, 14 min, USA
Tap-dancing sensation Suzie Toot (RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, BIG EASY QUEENS) stars in this surrealist short film presented in vivid Tech-NO-color™! While Suzie dazzles her adoring cartoon audiences, lethargic artclown Gloomie Toot gets a surprise visit that sends her down a visceral, existential spiral for Suzie’s spotlight. CW: Disturbing images
The Flamingos on the Wall
Dir. Ben Evory, 8 min, USA
At a Bushwick costume party, an uninvited “Princess Diana” seeks revenge on “Judy Garland” for past trauma involving ornithological wallpaper.
Blue Violet
Dir. Josie Charles, 10 min, UK
Blue’s gift preparations for her beloved Violet transform into something darker when reality picks up the phone.
Free the Buns
Dir. Blanche Enaka, 14 min, USA
A trio of high school friends get revenge on their racist teacher by stealing her emotional support bunny.
Nest
Dir. Willem Koller, 10 min, New Zealand
A trans body horror about a reluctant mother-to-be who, struggling to accept the pregnancy she has to endure, has a deeply shocking labour experience. But when faced with her husband’s disgust at what she has birthed, she’s forced to take drastic measures to reconcile with who she has become. CW: Disturbing images
Attagirl!
Dir. Klimovski, 9 min, USA
When a debtor tries to run off with her money, a ruthless bookie hunts him through New York’s city streets, and when she gets ahold of him, he’ll be coughing up more than just cash.
A riotous mix of queer comedies—from botched robberies to family feuds to gay Jesus—proving laughter can be found in the most unexpected places.
Running time: 85
She Raised Me
Dir. Ben Lewis, 14 min, USA/Canada
When a struggling writer discovers he’s dating the son of his favorite actress, he’ll do anything to make (and keep) a meaningful connection.
Clean Slate
Dir. Emily May Jampel, 9 min, USA
Two Asian nonbinary best friends and actors must make some sacrifices when they go up for the same breakout role.
Munchies
Dir. Brittany Alexia Young, 11 min, USA
After lighting up and getting the munchies, a group of stoned college girls with a complicated history stumble into a botched robbery at their local convenience store, forcing them to squash their giggles to make it out alive. CW: Gun violence, blood
BUGGED
Dirs. Kieran Altmann & Katie Schiller, 20 min, USA
Kieran and Katie, two amoral queers in their 20s, host an open house at their Bushwick apartment in a desperate attempt to find a subletter. There’s just one catch…the apartment is infested with bed bugs.
Gay Jesus
Dir. Aaron Jin, 6 min, USA
Jesus tries to save humanity and fulfill his purpose on Earth, but he runs into some unexpected, internalized hurdles.
They’re Packing
Dirs. Noah Wolfe & Gabi Carrubba, 11 min, USA
Hoping to gain a sense of security, a group of queers head upstate to learn how to shoot a gun. But when the first shot goes off, the day of mishaps and mayhem devolves into something much darker. CW: Guns
Mango Chile Pie
Dir. Karan Sunil, 16 min, USA
On the anniversary of their mother’s death, three estranged sisters, Sonam, Dar, and Trisha, get stuck in their family-owned fire station and their decades-long resentments come spilling out.
An affirming shorts program for LGBTQ+ teens and allies, featuring diverse stories of resilience, magic, and joy—presented with the NYC Department of Education for the eighth year.
Running time: 96
Baba I’m Fine
Dir. Karina Dandashi, 13 min, USA
A teen battles heartbreak while spending Friday out with her unknowing father.
A Friend of Dorothy
Dir. Lee Knight, 22 min, UK
A lonely widow’s quiet life is upended when a teenage boy accidentally kicks his football into her garden.
One For The Team
Dir. Rain Valdez, 33 min, USA
When trans lacrosse hotshot Nico Ramirez transfers to a wealthy high school to save his Ivy League scholarship, he’s forced to navigate privilege, peer pressure, and conflicting feelings about his new access to the toxic boy’s club. Will he fight for what he believes and jeopardize his future, or fall in with the crowd and risk losing himself?
Dragfox
Dir. Lisa ‘Lee’ Ott, 8 min, UK
Sam’s search for identity gets interrupted by a mysterious neighbourhood fox. Together they embark on a magical journey to discover the surprising things they might have in common, and how to celebrate the ways in which they differ.
Dandelion
Dir. Fiona Obertinca, 20 min, USA
In 1970s Los Angeles, rebellious queer teen Margaret gets thrown out of her catholic school and finds herself in the company of a social worker who’s tasked with finding her a new home before the break of dawn. At odds and forced to travel the city together, Margaret realizes that running may not be her only option.
From ACT UP to Black trans joy, these shorts showcase queer resistance in all its forms—activism, euphoria, and radical imagination.
Running time: 79
Silence = Death
Dir. Trace Pope, 16 min, USA
On May 21, 1990, during one of ACT UP’s heated demonstrations at the NIH campus, a young gay filmmaker fights to deliver a message to the protest’s target: Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Echoes: The B Side
Dir. Mars Storm Rucker, 18 min, USA
This film is dissecting the different perspectives of how the unconscious mind finds healing through nostalgia and connection to the inner child. The inspiration of this stemmed from the medicalization of gender dysphoria by the ADA. This bred me to interact with the question of the intimate why’s behind this incongruence between sex and gender, whether gender dysphoria was inherent to transness, and analyze history and how America medicalizes trans people and specifically Black people. I wondered about our Black indigenous understandings of gender pre colonization and western ideals. This experimental documentary-film ultimately examines the technology of Black liberation and healing of trauma through vintage fashion, vintage aesthetics, and the romanization of nostalgia to create afro-futuristic utopias
Hustleween
Dir. Samara Pérez Santiago, 20 min, Puerto Rico
A vibrant exploration of community and Black Trans euphoria, Hustleween chronicles an annual celebration created by EspicyNipples that transforms memory into queer resistance and joy.
American Problems, Trans Solutions
Dir. Naz Habtezghi, 25 min, USA
Award-winning journalist Imara Jones as she travels across the country to tell the stories of three Black trans leaders who are on the frontlines of change: housing advocate Kayla Gore; Breonna McCree, a champion for economic empowerment; and Oluchi Omeoga who’s fighting for the rights of migrants.
SOUND & SCENE SHOWCASE ENCORE (Virtual Exclusive)
Celebrate the films created as part of Sound & Scene: NewFest + Concord QTBIPOC Short Film Initiative, a program NewFest launched last year in partnership with Concord Originals.
Running time: 79
Betty St. Clair
Dir. Syra McCarthy, 12 min, USA
Betty St. Clair is in over her head. In the backstage green room of an all-AAPI drag show, Betty struggles to keep her messy troupe of queens on task with the help of bestie and drag sister, Candace Dikfit. When Betty takes the stage to begin hosting, we realize the event is being held at an Asian American community center for a small crowd of baffled seniors.
Them That’s Not
Dir. Mekhai Lee, 19 min, USA
A sudden prison furlough unexpectedly bonds an estranged father with his emotionally avoidant daughter at their matriarch’s repass.
Asha
Dir. Moitri Ghosh, 12 min, USA
Amidst the chaos of her daughter’s 10th birthday party, Asha must face her estranged mom who shows up unannounced bearing the ultimate gift.
Miénteme (Lie to Me)
Dir. Nico Blanco, 13 min, USA
During an elegant engagement party, the unexpected arrival of a guest from the past threatens the event’s apparent perfection.
Take a Look at Me
Dir. Kevin Xian Ming Yu, 15 min, USA
Zhang, a middle-aged Chinese immigrant, visits the grieving family of his former lover, Ming. Over one afternoon in Queens, he connects with twenty-something Andy, Ming’s genderqueer child.
Summer captures her first crush through her late father’s camera—only to uncover photographs that reveal his hidden past, sending Summer on a journey that transforms her understanding of love and family.
Running time: 83
Director: Divine Sung
SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950): 75th Anniversary
In Billy Wilder’s enduring masterpiece, Gloria Swanson plays Norma Desmond, a silent-movie star who hires a hapless screenwriter to mount her ultimately doomed comeback.
Running time: 110
Director: Billy Wilder
THE CELLULOID CLOSET (1995): 30th Anniversary
Narrated by Lily Tomlin and based on Vito Russo’s landmark book, this classic 1995 documentary traces a century of LGBTQ+ representation on screen. Presented in partnership with the American LGBTQ+ Museum.
Running time: 102
Director: Rob Epstein, Jeffrey Friedman
Kristen Stewart’s stunning directorial debut from Cannes charts the journey of Lidia Yuknavitch, a scholarship swimmer who reconciles her turbulent upbringing and resurfacing trauma through the art of literature.
Running time: 130
Director: Kristen Stewart
Anna, a young trans woman with supernatural powers, meets a seductive tattoo artist who shares her cursed gift. Together they plot, fuck, and unleash their inner demons to the world.
Running time: 83
Director: Alice Maio Mackay
Across borders and against tradition, two men fall into a romance as forbidden as it is irresistible. This sensual, swoon-worthy drama dares to imagine love thriving where prejudice prevails.
Running time: 74
Director: Onir