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WorldPride 2025 Film Festival
Tuesday, 27 May 2025 until Thursday, 29 May 2025
WorldPride 2025 is coming to Washington, D.C. from May 17 – June 8, 2025, drawing an estimated 3 million people to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Pride in Washington, D.C.. The WorldPride 2025 Film Festival, a marquee event, is a collaboration between the WorldPride Arts & Culture Committee and the Queer Film Institute. Filmmakers worldwide are invited to submit LGBTQ+ films of all genres and lengths (features and shorts) to be screened across various venues in D.C. from May 27, through May 29, 2025.
SUBMISSIONS PROCESS
The submissions period for the WorldPride 2025 Film Festival opens January 21, 2025 and closes February 28, 2025. All submissions will be accepted via FilmFreeway exclusively.
2025 films...
DAY 1: TUESDAY, MAY 27, 2025
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – DC Bryant Street
630 Rhode Island Ave. NE, Wash. DC 20002
(Metro: Rhode Island Ave – Red Line)
1:00 PM
1946: THE MISTRANSLATION THAT SHIFTED A CULTURE
Director: Sharon Roggio · 92 Min · Drama · USA · 2022
Seeking to uncover the origins of the rabid homophobia of the conservative church, a Gay seminary scholar and a straight activist make a shocking discovery: In 1946 an erroneous translation of the term “homosexual” in the Bible that has been weaponized against the LGBTQIA+ community ever since. Director Rocky Roggio uses her own complicated history as the Queer daughter of a minister as a point of departure to bring us this fascinating personal investigation.
4:00 PM
DREAMS IN NIGHTMARES
Director: Shatara Michelle Ford · 128 Min · Drama · TAIWAN/UK/USA · 2024
After losing her job, Z embarks on a trip across the American Midwest. Together with her two closest friends, she is searching for another friend of theirs who has seemingly disappeared off the grid. In each city, the three queer Black femmes face new threats that test their priorities, causing personal and ideological fractures to emerge. With their second film, Shatara Michelle Ford puts their own singular stamp on the American road movie. Dreams in Nightmares is an expansive and tender ode to the chosen family and to the radical act of claiming space to dream – and to exist – in an increasingly fraught country.
7:00 PM – Double Screening
DC GAY PRIDE 1978 (Short)
Director: Gary Davis · 6 Min · Documentary · USA · 1978
At age 19, Gary Davis took his 16mm Bolex camera, and a friend with a cassette recorder, to the unchartered territory of a gay pride event in the heart of Washington, DC. With the good fortune of finding editing equipment at the Corcoran Museum and a fantastically relevant song from Casse Culver, and with barely a frame to spare from 200′ of Ektachrome, he produced the 5-minute film you can see today
HUMANS OF PRIDE NEW YORK
Director: Kevin Ricupero · 90 Min · Documentary · USA · 2025
Inspirational footage capturing this once in a generation moment in NYC, when WorldPride came to the United States for the very first time to commemorate the Stonewall Riots 50th anniversary. Rare footage from the 60s, 70s, 80s, 90s, and 2019 will help to answer questions such as, “Who in our community ultimately got left behind? Why did this happen? What are the lasting effects, and how do we resolve them?”
DAY 2: WEDNESDAY, MAY 28, 2025
Alamo Drafthouse Cinema – Crystal City
1660 Crystal Dr, Arlington, VA 22202
(Metro: Crystal City – Blue & Yellow Lines)
1:00 PM
POOJA SIR
Director: Deepak Rauniyar · 118 Min · Thriller · Nepal/USA/Norway · 2024
When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case, forcing her to leave her wife and her ailing father behind. But when she arrives to investigate, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, and she is forced to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic racial and homophobic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women solve the case – but at what personal cost? Inspired by real events which took place in Southern Nepal during the 2015 race protests.
4:00 PM – Double Showing
LET THEM EAT CAKE (Short)
Director: Todd Ford · 12 Min · Documentary · USA · 2024
This film explores the life of John Marsh, an African American man who had struggles in his youth with his homosexuality.
AVANT-DRAG!
Directors: Fil Ieropoulos · 93 Min · Documentary · Greece · 2024
Ten drag performers find solace in each other as they rebel against their oppressive reality and those who control it.
7:00 PM – Double Screening
EGG (Short)
Director: Jamie Kiernan O’Brien · 7 Min · Comedy · USA · 2024
In a job interview, a young trans woman becomes convinced that the elderly man interviewing her is a closeted trans woman himself — and that she’s the only one who can help him.
THE BEST FRIEND (O MELHOR AMIGO)
Director: Allan Deberton · 94 Min · Comedy/Romance · Brazil · 2025
Two great friends are reunited after five years. Among so many things that have changed, the resumption of connection awakens an old feeling for which they remain unprepared.
DAY 3: THURSDAY, MAY 29, 2025
Atlas Performing Arts Center
1333 H St NE, Washington, DC 20002
2:00 PM – Short Film Showcase: People of Metro DC
DC GAY PRIDE 1978 (Short)
Director: Gary Davis · 6 Min · Documentary · USA · 1978
At age 19, Gary Davis took his 16mm Bolex camera, and a friend with a cassette recorder, to the unchartered territory of a gay pride event in the heart of Washington, DC. With the good fortune of finding editing equipment at the Corcoran Museum and a fantastically relevant song from Casse Culver, and with barely a frame to spare from 200′ of Ektachrome, he produced the 5-minute film you can see today
REPORT FROM THE INTERIOR
Directors: Lucas Crawford, Morgan Sea · 4 Min · Animation · CANADA · 2025
An animated pop-poetic incantation for weirdo intimacy.
FINDING PEACE IN MY BODY
Director: Todd Ford · 19 Min · Documentary · USA · 2025
This film follows the life of Achim Howard and his struggles in becoming the man he is today.
FIERCENESS SERVED! THE ENIKALLEY COFFEEHOUSE
Director: Michelle Denise Parkerson · 35 Min · Documentary · USA · 2021
Fierceness Served! The ENIKAlley Coffeehouse focuses on the Washington DC history of The Coffeehouse, which served as a performance venue, rehearsal space, and meeting place for Black LGBTQ artists and political organizations in the 1980s. This documentary highlights the work of the Coffeehouse creatives by using archival footage, audio clips, publicity materials, academic articles, and reviews. Interviews with surviving members of the community, as well as people who attended and supported this thriving arts community, are also included. Fierceness Served! The ENKIAlley Coffeehouse preserves and represents this extraordinary movement by educating viewers to its relevance in contemporary times.
HOME SWEET HOME
Director: TyrONE Hanley · 11 Min · Documentary · USA · 2023
An LGBTQ perspective on unaffordable housing in Washington, DC.
IN DRAG WE TRUST
Director: Roberto Ferrara · 12 Min · Documentary · USA · 2024
Drag Queen Charlemagne Chateau talks about her experiences performing in the city, Drag bans, Queer rights, and the violent protest by an extremist group during Story Hour while reading to children in a local bookstore.
THE WORLD ACCORDING TO PUSSY NOIR
Director: Amy Oden · 24 Min · Documentary · USA · 2023
Follow Pussy Noir’s historic fellowship at the Kennedy Center where she has sought to elevate drag onto one of the biggest stages in the region. As Pussy Noir blends history, queerness, and couture into a queer fashion show, can she make her ideas sing on the catwalk?
MISS HONEY: THE CATSUIT
Director: Brandon R. Nicholas · 6 Min · Documentary · USA · 2024
Miss Honey: The Catsuit is the story of how Fashion Designer and Ballroom Icon Douglas Says created his legendary cut-out catsuit and the origins of Caribbean Artist Moi Renee wearing the catsuit for a televised performance of his hit song, “Miss Honey.”
4:30 PM – Double Screening
HOLLOW (Short)
Director: Ross Berkeley Simpson · 13 Min · Drama/Sci-fi · UK · 2024
A lesbian couple visit a futuristic counselling service, with only one of them knowing the true, devastating reasons for being there.
THE REBRAND
Director: Kaye Adelaide · 79 Min · Comedy/Horror · Canada · 2024
Nicole, an eight months-pregnant bisexual videographer is hired by a lesbian lifestyle influencer couple to film a redemption documentary after they’ve been publicly cancelled, but Nicole quickly discovers that the couple have nefarious ulterior motives.
7:00 PM – Double Screening (21+) Ticket Purchase for this Screening Includes Film Festival Closing Night Party in the Atlas at 9:00 PM
WE ARE ABUNDANT: A QUEER VISION OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE (Short)
Director: James Hall · 11 Min · Documentary · USA · 2024
A film by the National Center for Lesbian Rights that highlights the history and vision of LGBTQ people engaged in the struggle for economic justice for all.
QUEERPANORAMA
Director: Jun Li · 87 Min · Documentary · Hong Kong/USA · 2025
A gay man impersonates men he has had sex with and brings this new persona with him to his next casual encounters. Only by pretending to be someone else can he be truly himself.