Utah Queer Film Festival
(formerly Damn These Heels)
Friday, 24 October 2025 until Sunday, 26 October 2025
Utah Film Center proudly presents the newly renamed Utah Queer Film Festival (UQFF) in 2024! This the 22nd year of what was previously known as Damn These Heels. This year's Festival is October 24th - 26th , 2025 at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in downtown Salt Lake City.
Highlighted in The Advocate in 2015 as one of the reasons Salt Lake City is one of the top ten "Queerest Cities in America" and named one of Indiewire’s “10 LGBT Film Festivals To Head To This July” in 2014, Utah’s premier LGBTQIA2S+ film festival features the best independent, documentary, and foreign feature-length films from around the world that explore LGBTQIA2S+ issues, ideas, and art.
Utah Queer Film Festival (formerly Damn These Heels), is excited to announce an open call for feature-length and short films. In the past, Festival topics have ranged from profiles of prominent politicians to touching coming-of-age stories, slapstick comedies to slasher films.
To have your film considered, please submit a dramatic, documentary, animated, or experimental feature-length or short film. All entries will be viewed by a member of the UQFF Programming Committee. Short films must be less than 60 minutes. Other forms of digital storytelling will be watched and considered, as long as work explicitly expresses the ideas or tells the stories of the LGBTQIA2S+ community.
Submission Fees
Feature-length Film $25
Short Film $15
We look forward to viewing your work!
Audience Award, Dramatic Feature
Audience Award, Documentary Feature
Festival laurels will be shared for Festival acceptance and Audience Award winners.
2025 Film Program...
Assembly follows visionary artist Rashaad Newsome as he transforms a historic military facility into a Black queer utopia, blending art, AI, and performance. Through stunning visuals and deeply personal performances, Assembly captures the transformative power of creativity as a fractured community comes together to find strength, solidarity, and liberation.
Are you ready to experience something extraordinary? This collection of festival shorts was curated to push your boundaries and take you to the next level of cinematic storytelling.
AutoErotica: We Buy Gay Stuff by Claire Timothy
17 min | United States
Behind an unassuming “We Buy Gay Stuff” sign in San Francisco’s Castro district – complete with a striking leather daddy illustration – lies an unexpected treasure trove of queer history.
Clementine by Sally Tran
15 min | United States
A late-blooming trans woman grapples with a life-altering, assigned-male-at-birth Trans specific dilemma, and with the help of her besties, navigates the complexities of this debacle as she defines her womanhood on her own terms.
Everything You Want by Mariana Machado
20 min | Belgium, Brazil
Everything You Want comes from my experience as a Latin American migrant in Brussels and as part of a young generation of filmmakers creating art in response to our frustrations, anger, needs, desires, hopes, and dreams. Inspired by migrants from the Global South in Europe, the film portrays them not as fragile beings but as powerful and creative forces.
KOKUHAKU by Adrià Guxens
10 min | Spain
During an interview, Tadashi, a young Spanish-Japanese actor who plays female characters in a theatrical practice similar to kabuki, will return to the past to relive his most intimate memories.
La Máscara de Emiliano (Emiliano’s Mask) by Roze JC Zepeda
13 min | United States
MEXICO, 1914. The revolutionary, Emiliano Zapata, seizes explosives from Ignacio de la Torre y Mier, his enemy’s vain son-in-law, rekindling a past romance that transcends political divides.
Marrow of my Bones by Karly McCloskey
2 min | Canada
Marrow of my Bones is a short experimental film that has been created through a mixture of digital special effects, compositing, frame by frame animation, and 16mm hand processed film. Through material-based exploration, this film plays with the concept of post-humanism via the return to nature and the body in a tactile and gritty manner.
MY ENDLESS ECLIPSE by Bijan Aarabi
14 min | Canada, Iran
A transgender woman has hidden her gender identity all her life. To escape a forced marriage, she is forced to flee her country. But she falls into the hands of human traffickers.
PIETRA by Cynthia Levitan
13 min | Portugal
In daydreaming about unlikely relationships, the flower – as delicate as it is revolutionary – represents an act of love amidst the suffocation and embrace of a classic Portuguese neighborhood.
The Eating of an Orange by May Kindred-Boothby
7 min | United Kingdom, France
Unconventional rituals and explorations of sexuality involve slugs and the symbolic consumption of an orange.
Inspiring Stories Shorts Collection
This collection focuses on discovering your identity and the strength that lies within. You’re all you need and these films are a sweet reminder.
Home by Donja R. Love
15 min | United States
On a cold night in NYC, after missing curfew at a shelter, T–a homeless queer teen–searches for a way to get off the streets. Knowing the city offers programs that help people living with HIV secure housing, he devises a plan to contract the virus so he can receive the same support.
Linger by Thiago Kistenmacker
17 min | Brazil
Two septuagenarian men who had an affair in their youth meet again after the wife of one of them passes away.
Revenge by Mari Penteado, Eduardo Campos
18 min | Brazil
Virginia is a 43-year-old transgender woman who works as a community health agent in Guarulhos, Brazil. The film follows a day in her life.
Sister Wives by Louisa Connolly-Burnham
28 min | United Kingdom
Sister Wives is a multi-layered love story that tells the tale of young women living in a strict, fundamentalist, polygamous society in 2003 Utah.
Skates by Dani Payne
15 min | United States
Two childhood best friends are confronted with reality when the arrival of a third party makes them question the strength of their relationship.
We’ll Go Down in History by Cameron Richards, Charlie Tidmas
25 min | United Kingdom
We’ll Go Down in History is the story of TRUK United, a grassroots, proudly trans football club.
Intimate Stories Shorts Collection
Let yourself be comforted by this collection of stories that highlight what it means to be vulnerable. Sometimes the loudest characters are the quietest ones.
Are You Scared to Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail? by 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.
Handwoven by Dasha Levin, Mason Cazalet, Matthew Wisdom, Mihika Das
9 min | United States
A lyrical portrait of Nikyle Begay, a non-binary shepherd and weaver; working to preserve their way of life through the traditional art of weaving.
Hold Me Close by Aurora Brachman, LaTajh Weaver
19 min | United States
A study of a Black Queer couple told through intimate voice recordings documented over the course of a season.
Poreless by Harris Dolan
13 min | United States
A fabulous, queer, Muslim beauty entrepreneur competes in a Shark Tank-like contest after suffering an untimely allergic reaction.
The Exchange by Amaia Yoldi
14 min | Spain
Antonio and Inés are two complete strangers who arrange a meeting through a second-hand app. Inés wants to sell something she no longer tolerates; Antonio wants to try it.
White Glass Globe by Hassan Jafari Dariush
20 min | Iran
White Glass Globe is a human drama about the romantic relationship between two girls, one Iranian and one Afghan, in a religious and traditional society.
Since Dorothy Gale started her epic journey down the Yellow Brick Road 125 years ago in L. Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, she’s become a celebrity, a brand, and a beacon for marginalized voices across our culture.
Dennis Peron is San Francisco’s biggest pot dealer. But when the AIDS epidemic sweeps through his community, Peron realizes that marijuana is more than a good time—it’s medicine. In the wake of his lover’s death, Peron opens the Cannabis Buyers’ Club, a five-story dispensary complete with rainbow murals, drag shows, and doctors onsite.
Just Kids is a documentary that follows three teens in states that restrict gender-affirming care. Over the course of a year, these families endure impossible challenges and show unparalleled strength as they endure attacks from their government—and communities.
Row of Life follows renowned ocean rower, Marine Corps veteran, three-time Paralympian, and fourteen Guinness World Record holder Angela Madsen in her attempted solo and unassisted row across the Pacific Ocean, 2400 miles from Los Angeles to Hawaii.
Sally Gearhart was a charismatic radical lesbian activist, author, and academic who spearheaded the 1970s and 80s lesbian feminist movement, yet her remarkable contributions have been largely unrecognized. This documentary changes that.
Who’s ready for a few late night frights and sights? Well, step right up, this is the program for you! These films go bump in the night and if you’re lucky, they just might bite…
Bergamot by Hsu Chien
15 min | Brazil
Bergamot is the name given to the tangerine in southern Brazil. This fruit, with its characteristic smell, an aphrodisiac for many, will trigger a night of seduction, sensual dancing, and bloody revenge in Rio de Janeiro.
Butterfly Kiss by Zohar Dvir
10 min | Germany
Carol panics and argues with her girlfriend Ray after an unexpected proposal. The situation gets worse when she wakes up in an apocalyptic reality and terribly discovers that Ray has transformed into a butterfly.
Evaders by Hudson Shelton
14 min | United States
In a future where science has eliminated gender at birth, two teens, Ziya and Walker, face an impossible choice: conform to a society that forbids their love, or risk everything to protect it.
Kilter by Bartley Taylor
15 min | United States
A 1990s set coming of age horror about the physical monster created from the silence around mental health.
MascLooking by Jonathan Hammond
9 min | United States
After two friends discuss the pros and cons and gay dating apps, one starts to get ominous messages from a potential hookup with the handle, MascLooking. And MascLooking is getting close… and closer…
Minister Chucky by Graham Kolbeins and Jonathan Andre Culliton
10 min | United States, Canada
As the specter of rising fascism looms, a queer couple celebrates their love with an unconventional Vegas wedding—officiated by Chucky, the killer doll—before making their escape to Canada.
Prom Party Massacre by Jordan Gustafson
18 min | United States
In a genre-bending musical full of teenage rebels, poodle skirts, and betrayal, a young gay man tries to woo his crush with a swinging prom party.
She Raised Me by Ben Lewis
13 min | United States, 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.
The Giant Brine Shrimp by Mike Cassidy
3 min | United States
A giant brine shrimp attacks Salt Lake City, Utah. The massive creature destroys several famous landmarks and buildings before being carried away and dropped by a giant bird.
Vermilyon by Dilay Sengul
6 min | Turkey
As the tension fueled by jealousy between Bahadir and Bahar escalates, Bahadir is forced to confront both the person in front of him and the repressed woman within himself.
Utah Filmmaker Showcase Queer Shorts Collection
Utah proud and Utah loud. These short films by local filmmakers highlight the rapidly increasing queer community of our state. Put a little jive in your beehive and celebrate your world.
Be by Claire Timothy
11 min | United States
Three bisexual young adults explore how they came to terms with their sexualities. Each story highlights a different film medium (16mm, 8mm, and digital) to create a unique world and experience.
Dizzy by Merel Noorlander
6 min | United States
A journey through fluid water, flowery, and bodily landscapes of pleasure and pain meandering through domestic and public spaces. Erotic queer energy through a political lens, being made ecological as non-normative storytelling.
Embalmed by Ryan Margetts
5 min | United States
Embalmed is a haunting, satirical anthem that examines themes of capitalism, dehumanization, exploitation, and greed.
Freedom Dreaming by Merel Noorlander
6 min | United States
A journey through fluid water, flowery, and bodily landscapes of pleasure and pain meandering through domestic and public spaces. Erotic queer energy through a political lens, being made ecological as non-normative storytelling.
Greenware: My Queer Clay Body by Rae Ann Luebbert
7 min | United States
“Greenware: My Queer Clay Body” is an experimental short film exploring the abundant queerness of clay and its relationship to the moving body. Clay is deeply malleable, a material in constant transformation that becomes both delicate and durable. Clay holds the impressive capacity to be shaped and re-shaped again and again. It is soft and fragile but astoundingly resilient.
The Mascot by Delaney Plant
16 min | United States
Charlie Bird rose to fame as Brigham Young University’s viral mascot, only to reveal a deeper truth beneath the mask—navigating life as an openly gay member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a church that both celebrates and excludes him.
The Red Book by Jack Hessler, Brian Durkee
7 min | United States
Something is missing in Dr. Graham’s life. When a patient unexpectedly shows up at his house, they have a peculiar conversation that makes Dr. Graham question his own morals.
Virtual by Alfonso Belloso
12 min | United States
A young woman (Dolly) becomes obsessed with a virtual reality video game after she discovers that her best friend (Mary) exists inside of it.
We’ve Come a Long Way by Edgar Flores
7 min | United States
A conversation with senior members of the LGBTQ+ community, exploring how the universal need to express our identity can bring us together.