Out on Film has announced the lineup of exciting films and events for the 37th Atlanta-based LGBTQIA+ film festival, and it includes Anthony Schatteman’s Young Hearts and Marco Calvani’s High Tide.
Taking place from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6, the festival has 151 total films. There are 35 features — 22 narrative films, 12 documentaries and one special event — five streaming-only films, and 111 shorts films across 18 shorts programs. 15 films will make their world premieres.
“Our 37th Anniversary presentation is a wonderful celebration of celebrated films from all around the world and from Atlanta. We’ve never had this much ATL in our festival,” says Out on Film Festival Director Jim Farmer. “I’m also particularly proud of our short films, which includes work from Emmy nominee Nava Mau, Meg Statler, Elliot Page and Alex Hedison and Jodie Foster.”
The opening night film will be Schatteman’s Young Hearts, about a 14-year-old who realizes he has fallen in love with his new neighbor, but interactions with family and friends bring more questions than answers.
The closing night film will be Calvani’s High Tide, following a young undocumented immigrant (Marco Pigossi) searching for purpose in Provincetown, who starts an intense and unexpected new romance. The supporting cast includes Oscar-winner Marisa Tomei, Jams Bland, Bryan Batt, Chrissy Judy’s Todd Flaherty, and Mya Taylor.
Centerpiece screenings include Juan Pablo di Pace’s Duino, Andrea James’ and Puppett’s Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps, and Kat Rohrer’s What A Feeling.
For films will be announced closer to the event.
See the lineup announced so far and learn more about the films below. Find out more about the festival and tickets here.
Also Read: New Hampshire Film Festival 2024 Lineup Includes Nightbitch and an Evening with Alan Ruck
2024 Out On Film Official Selections, Including Young Hearts and High Tide
OPENING NIGHT SELECTION
Young Hearts Southeastern Premiere
Director: Anthony Schatteman
Country: Belgium, Netherlands, Running Time: 97 min
In this joyous and captivating story of first love, a 14-year-old Elias feels attracted to his new neighbor, Alexander, also 14. Soon he realizes that he’s truly in love for the first time. The interactions with his friends and family bring more questions than answers. Confused by his burgeoning feelings, Elias tries to sort out his inner chaos to prove that he is worth Alexander’s heart.
CENTERPIECE SELECTIONS
Becoming a Man in 127 EASY Steps World Premiere
Director: Andrea James and Puppett
Country: USA, Running Time: 61 min
Taken from 127 total stories and over 15 years of material, Scott Turner Schofield’s debut one-hour special blends archival footage, live performance, animation, and bold cinematic imagery. After all, every person is many things. A total redefinition of the “transition narrative,” the film represents a lifetime from a trans masculine perspective: self-knowledge since early childhood as the start of a lifelong journey toward alignment and acceptance; transition as a period of both drama and comedy, at once finite and never-ending; and the radical belief in the possibility of change that fuels a #RealLiveTransAdult irrepressibly navigating an authentic life.
Duino Southeastern Premiere
Director: Juan Pablo di Pace
Country: Argentina, Italy, US, Running Time: 108 min
A coming-of-age story that follows Matias, an Argentine filmmaker in his forties, struggling with an unfinished movie inspired by his elusive first love to Alexander, a Swedish friend he met at an international school in the 90’s. Tenderness and fascination define their strong friendship, which is short-lived when Alexander is suddenly expelled back to his country, leaving young Matias with an unresolved story of undeclared emotions. 25 years later, and Matias decides to reopen Pandora’s box as he embarks on a journey to find the ending to his story by coming face-to-face with Alexander, discovering life imitating art.
What a Feeling
Director: Kat Rohrer
Country: Austria, Running Time: 119 min
Marie Theres, a successful doctor, had special plans for her 20th wedding anniversary. Did her husband Alexander really have to break up with her that evening? Yes, he had to. Not only did he have different ideas about the evening but also about his whole life: he wants to be happier, he wants to be free, he does not want Marie Therese in his life anymore.
As a result of this unpleasant turn of events, Marie Theres does what any sensible woman in her position would do: she goes for a drink, stumbles into Bigi‘s queer bar and meets Fa. Fa is fun-loving, spontaneous and unattached. She is open about her love life. Even though the very inhibited doctor isn’t Fa’s type, she still takes Marie Theres home after a boozy evening. Marie Theres however is too drunk to remember what they did or did not do. As their worlds collide, feelings emerge but nothing is simple. There is no straight path for Marie Theres and Fa!
CLOSING NIGHT SELECTION
High Tide Southeastern Premiere
Director: Marco Calvani
Country: USA, Running Time: 101 min
Heartbroken and adrift, undocumented Brazilian immigrant Lourenço (Marco Pigossi) searches for purpose in the queer mecca of Provincetown. As the summer season comes to a fade, he sparks an intense and unexpected romance with Maurice. Together, the two reconcile the pasts they’ve left behind and their uncertain futures. The supporting cast includes Oscar winner Marisa Tomei, James Bland, Bryan Batt, Chrissy Judy’s Todd Flaherty and Mya Taylor.
ADDITIONAL FEATURE FILMS (IN-PERSON)
All Shall Be Well
Director: Ray Yeung
Country: Hong Kong, Running Time: 93 minutes
Angie and Pat are a couple living in Hong Kong who have been together for over four decades. After Pat’s unexpected death, Angie finds herself at the mercy of her extended family as she struggles to retain both her dignity and the home that they shared for over thirty years.
The Astronaut Lovers
Director: Marco Berger
Country: Argentina Running Time: 115 min
Summer by the sea. Pedro goes to spend his vacations at his family’s house. His brother and some friends have already been there for a week. As soon as Pedro arrives, he realizes that among the group of friends is Maxi, a beautiful young man his age that he has not seen since they were children. Pedro is openly gay and this quickly catches Maxi’s attention. They begin to spend a lot of time together. Their conversations revolve mostly around what it means to be gay. They start to play a hysterical game of seduction and shielded by jokes, a solid friendship begins to be built.
Meanwhile, Maxi discovers that his ex-girlfriend is vacationing in the town. Maxi confesses to Pedro that he is still attracted to her and trying to get near to her, he lied saying that he is gay now and Pedro is his boyfriend. Pedro agrees to play this game that quickly invades his entire vacation. Suddenly they are boyfriends for everyone’s gaze. This game starts to get out of hand for Pedro who, without realizing it, is falling in love with his straight friend. When the time comes, Maxi will have to make a decision that will affect the way he is used to seeing the world.
Big Easy Queens
Director: Erynn Dalton
Country: USA, Running Time: 80 min
Big Easy Queens is 80 minutes of pure horror queer celebration with original musical numbers, voodoo, zombies, drag queens, and campy neo-giallo delight soaked in blood, gristle, and glitter, oh my! In this “glam horror” righteous extravaganza, a battle for territory requires the Bouvèé sisters to set aside their differences to become the Big Easy Queens.
Entirely made-in-Florida and set in the steamy underworld, Big Easy Queens follows Minnie Bouvèé, Mob Queen of the Quarter, and her rivalry with her arch-nemesis, Poodles Makenzie. After Minnie Bouvèé has Poodles Makenzie’s crew brutally slaughtered, she braces for the blowback; what she doesn’t expect, however, is to be stalked by a creepy masked figure who leaves behind bouquets of gardenias and terrifying notes. Is this Poodles’ revenge, or the work of Minnie’s estranged sister who stole her man years ago and has suddenly reappeared in her life?
Bulletproof: A Lesbian’s Guide to Surviving the Plot
Director: Regan Latimer
Country: Canada, Running Time: 105 minutes
Filmmaker Regan Latimer takes an immersive, funny and personal look at queer representation on television and media’s power to shape how we see ourselves. Witty, fast-paced and laced with pop culture references, Regan journeys across North America and beyond in her quest to understand the forces that influence the stories we see on our screens.
Original animation and personal anecdotes are interwoven with wide ranging conversations with television insiders, LGBTQ+ community advocates and people who just love to watch TV. As Latimer navigates an ever-evolving media landscape, the filmmaker learns first hand that representation done well has the power to transform.
Chuck Chuck Baby
Director: Janis Pugh
Country: UK, Running Time: 101 minutes
Chuck Chuck Baby is a film of love, loss and music set amongst the falling feathers of a chicken factory. Set in present day industrial North Wales, Helen spends her nights packing chickens and her days caring for a dying mother-figure Gwen. Helen’s world takes an unexpected turn with the return of Joanne. They were the objects of the other’s unspoken teenage passions twenty years ago.
One night, encouraged by Helen, Joanne starts a playful wooing game that re-awakens their youthful feelings. As they fall in love and lust, Helen’s zest for life returns but Joanne feels the walls closing in as she faces something much darker from her past. Helen’s world is shattered when Gwen dies and Joanne’s painful memories cause her to flee. Separated and alone, will both women reflect on their unfulfilled chance to break their barriers and allow love to win?
Desire Lines
Director: Jules Rosskam
Country US, Running Time: 84 minutes
Desire Lines is a hybrid feature documentary that blends personal interviews, archival materials, and narrative fiction as a framework for exploring the complicated and often unwritten history of transmasculine sexuality. Testimonials from transgender men both past and present dissect how cultural expectations, political agendas, and gatekeeping practices shape the locus of desire. The fictional story centers on Ahmad, an Iranian expat who arrived in America at the onset of the AIDS crisis.
Now in his 60s, Ahmad comes to the LGBTQ archives of Chicago to explore his latent homosexuality and engage in fantasy to reimagine his life as an out, gay trans man. Ahmad’s research blends fact with fiction, often diving into fantasy sequences that re-imagine the gay bathhouses of the 70s and 80s through a transmasculine lens. He is assisted by Kieran, a twenty-something nonbinary archivist who is immersed in queer culture and trans community. An intergenerational friendship takes hold as Ahmad and Kieran’s bond is strengthened by a shared fascination with Lou Sullivan, a gay transgender AIDS activist.
Drip Like Coffee
Director: Anaiis Cisco, 91 min, U.S
An unexpected romance evolves between two Brooklyn baristas, Kali, an aspiring coffee professional, and Mel, a budding photographer.
As love struggles to find a place in the complicated lives of Kali and Mel, they embark on a journey of self-discovery, exploring their desires without fear of consequence. Fleeing to the outskirts of Brooklyn, they find solace and finally give in to their true desires. With the help of friends, loved ones, and each other, they navigate the ups and downs of their relationship and discover the transformative power of love.
Elle World Premiere
Director: Antony Hickling
Country: France, Running Time: 51 min
While major decisions often take the spotlight, it’s the seemingly inconsequential choices we make that can quietly influence the course of our lives. Ella – a 21-year-old actress in France takes a look at the concept of small choices and how they can have an unexpectedly profound impact on our journey in Anthony Hickling’s beautiful new drama
Ganymede
Director: Colby Holt, Sam Probst
Countries: USA/, Running Time 98 minutes
In Fletcher County, wrestling star and third generation heir to the county commissioners seat, Lee Fletcher IV, develops a crush on his openly gay classmate, Kyle Culper. As their relationship blooms, he begins to be stalked by a grotesque creature that came from underneath the waters of his family’s lake to inhabit his closet. As the creature continues to inhabit Lee’s thoughts, he seeks Kyle’s advice.
His parents catch them in an intimate moment that puts their relationship on the rocks and lands Lee in the office of the family’s extreme pastor, who then blames Kyle and administers a dangerous treatment. Tensions rise as the two boys’ families butt heads over how to approach their children’s sexuality. Lee struggles with his attraction to Kyle and suffers escalating torment from the grotesque creature until he is forced to confront an essential truth about himself.
The Greatest
Director: Ryan Sarno
Country: US, Running Time: 116 min
Set in 1962 in NYC, the tale of a love triangle between Jay and Beverly Mcklien and a man named Ricky. Jay and Beverly seem to be your perfect stereotypical mid-century couple, but deep down, Jay has a secret. He has recently met a man named Ricky. Jay and Ricky become romantically involved, risking everything.
Haze
Directors: Matthew Fifer
Country: US, Running Time: 77 min
Joe is returning home under mysterious circumstances to investigate an incident in the town’s past. When he meets a hot stranger on the grounds of the local psychiatric center, he begins a journey towards recovery that isn’t particularly healthy, laudable, or sane. Haze is a harrowing cry of queer historical reckoning, despair, and murder that leaves no ghosts undisturbed.
A House is Not a Disco
Director: Brian J. Smith
Country: USA, 90 minutes)
A House is Not a Disco documents a year-in-the-life in the world’s most iconic “homo-normative” community: Fire Island Pines. Situated fifty miles from New York City, this storied queer beach town finds itself in the midst of a renaissance as a new generation of Millennial homeowners reimagine The Pines for a new, more inclusive era.
Filmed like a Frederick Wiseman movie on magic mushrooms, a large cast of unforgettable eccentrics, activists, drifters, and first timers reflect on the legacy of The Pines while preparing their beloved village for the biggest challenge it has faced since the AIDS crisis: rising seas caused by climate change.
In the Summers
Director: Alessandra Lacorazza
Country: US, Running Time: 102 min
Siblings Violeta and Eva live in California with their mother, but every summer they travel to Las Cruces, New Mexico, to spend time with their loving but unpredictable father, Vicente (René “Residente” Pérez Joglar). Over the course of four formative summers that span adolescence to early adulthood, Violeta and Eva learn to appreciate their father as a person, his flaws and limitations inseparable from his passion and tenderness. Lovers come and go, the backyard goes to seed, but the idea of home remains knotty and elusive.
This powerful and deeply personal directorial debut from Alessandra Lacorazza offers a nuanced study of young people questioning their place within their families, their communities, and their identities. Winner of the US Dramatic Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, In The Summers proves both an emotional capsule of growing up within a fragmented family and a love letter to the resilience needed to survive.
Join The Club
Director: Kip Andersen, Chris O’Connell
Country: USA, Running Time: 87 min
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. Law enforcement launch a multimillion dollar investigation into the club, but Peron has even larger aspirations, writing a landmark political initiative and leading the fight for change. Following the life of Dennis Peron, Join the Club uncovers the queer history of marijuana legalization in America.
Kuch Sapney Apne
Director: Sridhar Rangayanamd and Saagar Gupta, Running Time: 120 minutes
Kuch Sapney Apne, a sequel to the highly successful Evening Shadows (winner of 27 international awards, screened at 82 film festivals), is a heartwarming Hindi feature film about a gay couple and their family members.
Lady Like
Director: Luke Willis
Country: USA, Running Time, 89 min
In this rags to riches origin story, Lady Camden struggles to manage the demands of her freshly minted international fame, while Rex is forced to come to terms with the troubling childhood he left behind in Camden which drove him to so desperately seek joy, fantasy and escape through the performing arts.
Lesvia
Director: Tzeli Hadjidimitriou, Country: Greece, 77 min
Since the 1970s, lesbians from around the world have been drawn to the island of Lesvos, birthplace of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. When they find paradise in a local village and carve out their own lesbian community, tensions simmer with the local residents. With both groups claiming ownership of lesbian identity, filmmaker Tzeli Hadjidimitriou—a native and lesbian herself—is caught in the middle and chronicles 40+ years of love, community, conflict, and what it means to feel accepted.
Light Up
Director: Ryan Ashley Lowery
Country: USA, Running Time: 91 min
Light Up (How My Queerness Became My Superpower) primarily takes an intimate look into the lives of Atlanta black same gender loving men and transgender women that overcame struggles with their identity and sexuality to live more authentic lives that allow their light to shine brighter. This documentary explores a wide range of stories including a USA national track athlete turned designer to the stars, an ex NFL player, a couple that owns several LGBTQIA_ welcoming restaurants and a LGBTQIA+ friendly barbershop.
Mascarpone The Rainbow Cake
Director: Alessandro Guida
Country: Italy, 105 minutes
This sequel to Mascarpone will please anyone who loved the original, which had its US premiere at Out On Film in 2021.
After three years, Antonio and Luca see each other for the first time after their best friend Denis’ death. Luca, who has hit rock bottom, has been lucky enough to meet Tancredi, his current boyfriend, while Antonio has focused on his work, so much so that he is now a well-known chef in a pastry boutique. It is clear that there is still a special relationship between the two, but Antonio mistakes Luca’s affection for something more and does everything he can to ruin his relationship with Tacrendi.
Will Antonio learn to let go of the past in order to fully experience what the future has to offer him? With a beautiful cast, a beautiful story, and intoxicating bakery goods, Mascarpone: The Rainbow Cake builds off the original to a sexy and compelling sophomore feature.
Maxxie LaWow: Drag Super-shero
Director: Anthony Hand, Running Time: 90 minutes
Shy young barista Simon stumbles upon a magical pink wig that transforms him into Maxxie LaWow, a fabulous drag queen super-shero. Maxxie must confront Dyna Bolical, a villainous queen who’s been kidnapping her drag competition to steal their magical anti-aging tears. With the help of their best friend, Jae, Maxxie embarks on a daring mission to rescue the missing queens. Can Maxxie defeat Dyna in a thrilling aerial lip sync showdown and learn to embrace their true self along the way?
Mother Father Sister Brother Frank
Director: Caden Douglas
Country: USA, Running Time: 85 min
It’s Sunday family dinner and you can cut the tension with a knife. Dad’s drinking, Jim’s buried in his phone, Jolene’s on a cleanse, and Mom’s doing her best to cover the silence with idle chit-chat. On the surface, they seem like a happy family, but trouble is brewing. When Uncle Frank shows up, and the adult children learn that he’s been blackmailing their parents, the Jennings’ thoughts turn to murder.
Once the haze of bloodlust, wine and pie clears, the Jennings’ realize they have no clue how to be murderers, how to get rid of a body, or how the hell to get out of this bloody mess! Can they over come secrets and dysfunction to learn that the family that slays together stays together?
Perfect Endings (13 Sentimentos)
Director: Daniel Ribeiro, Country: Brazil, Running Time: 100 min.
After a decade-long relationship ends, filmmaker João finds himself at a crossroads in both his personal and professional life. While trying to break into the film industry, he ends up directing amateur erotic films. With the support of loyal friends, João embarks on a dating journey, navigating modern romance and finding inspiration.
Riley:
Director: Benjamin Howard
Country: USA, Running Time: 75 min
In this powerful coming-of-age drama, Dakota Riley is a star-player on a high school football team whose hidden sexuality threatens to unravel his life. His girlfriend, family and teammates all suspect something is coming undone. Things are complicated by a series of secret sexual encounters online and with a classmate. When his identity is thrown into disarray, he is forced to confront the consequences of denying himself, and come to terms with who he really is.
Based on writer-director Benjamin Howard’s real-life experience as a high-school football player struggling to come out, RILEY features nuanced and authentic performances, including a standout turn by lead actor Jake Holley.
Sebastian
Director:
Mikko Mäkelä
Country: UK, Running Time: 110 min
Max (Ruaridh Mollica) is a 25-year-old aspiring novelist, living in London and paying his dues working at a literary magazine. Frustrated by his own ambitions and the pressures to succeed, Max begins moonlighting as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, secretly meeting men via an escorting platform and using his experiences to fuel his stories. What begins as a few furtive meetings soon becomes a hidden nocturnal life, and the debut novel that he has been longing to write finally seems within reach.
Finding himself more comfortable as Sebastian than expected, yet determined to keep his exploits a secret, Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of a delicately balanced double-life. As he confronts conflicting feelings of ecstasy, shame, and exhilarating liberation, Max has to reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a writer’s tool to achieve first-hand authenticity – or whether something more is at stake.
Striking With Pride: United at the Coalface
Director: Ashley Francis-Roy, Country: UK, Running Time: 77 minutes
Between London Pride 1984 and 1985 an unlikely alliance was forged between the gay men and lesbians of London and the striking miners of South Wales. Everyone loves a good love story and this is one of the most unexpected and uplifting love stories ever, not between two people, but between two communities who – seemingly worlds apart – found common cause and compassion for each other in the face of immense challenges, and changed the course of history for queer people in the UK.
This feature documentary explores this remarkable tale, made famous by the film Pride ten years ago. Everyone loved the film, but the real story behind the script is much richer and more powerful than you could ever imagine. And the legacy of these events are still felt to this day, forty years on since the 1984/1985 Miners’ Strike. But this won’t be like any other documentary about the Miners’ Strike you’ll watch this year…
Among other unique stylistic elements, drag queen Tayce will don her iconic Welsh dragon look to narrate the film, telling this powerful fable to a group of kids in a playful and poignant storytime session, which will bring fresh meaning and relevance to the story through the perspective of this new generation.
TENS Across the Board
Director: Bobby “Broady” Best
Country: USA, Running Time: 50 min
TENS Across the Board – The Documentary provides an in-depth look at the Ballroom scene in St. Louis, MO. One of the central ballroom figures in the midwest and TENS founder, Maven Logik Lee gives us insight on the intricacies of Ballroom Culture in addition to the story of how he came to create one of the fastest growing movements in America Ball Culture. While the masterful voguers and pulsating soundtrack will surely be a feast for the senses; we also examine the inter-personal bonds that Ballroom cultivates and the community it fosters.
They Are Siufing
Director: Jean-Luc Bonéfacino
Country: Hong Kong, Running Time: 88 min
They’re a professional bodybuilder, an outspoken queer rights activist in Hong Kong — a city with few such voices — and a PhD candidate. Law Siufung has spent much of their life fighting against boxes and binaries, for the right to live fully and freely as her/him/themself. The film follows the international journey of the gender-fluid bodybuilder from Hong Kong to Atlanta (USA), as they challenge centuries of traditional social and cultural structure etched into Chinese and Southern American societies.
Transcendence World Premiere
Director:Didi Paulini, Jennifer Spell, US., Running Time: 53 min
Set in Atlanta, Transcendence introduces viewers to seven people who share their stories of embracing their true selves as transgender individuals. Through heartfelt interviews, the documentary offers a look into the lives of these extraordinary people while they discuss their struggles, hopes, and everyday experiences, shedding light on the resilience and positivity that define their journeys.
TransMexcio
Director: Claudia Sanchez
Country: USA, Running Time: 84 min
TransMéxico reveals the resilient spirit of three transgender women as they confront transphobia, discrimination, and rejection. Through an authentic and intimate lens, TransMéxico explores their courageous journey from pain and loneliness to empowerment, freedom, love, and success. Their stories offer an inspiring narrative of overcoming adversity and finding strength in the face of overwhelming challenges.
Under the Influencer
Directors:
Bryn Woznicki; Lauren Neal (Technical Director)
Country: US Running Time: 103 minutes
Producer Jill Bennett presents a taut and timely psychological thriller that Lisa Rose of Queer Screen says is “unlike anything else [she’s] seen in years.” Digital artist Lex Carre (Lauren Neal) plots a vengeful showdown against her exploitative mentor Andrea Caulfield (Erin Matthews) after Andrea assumes ownership of Lex’s work. This searing examination of art and identity in contemporary society also features Joy Sunday (Netflix’s “Wednesday”), Pam Trotter (“Abbott Elementary”), and Emmy Award-winner Jenelle Riley. Content warnings: suicide, self-harm, mental health.
ADDITIONAL FEATURE FILMS (VIRTUAL)
Can’t Stop Change: Queer Climate Stories from the Florida Frontlines
Dir. Vanessa Raditz, Natalia Villarán-Quiñones, Yarrow Koning, Jess Martínez, Shoog McDaniel, US, Running Time 97 min,
As Florida’s violent legislation dominates headlines, LGBTQ2S+ communities are also on the frontlines of accelerating climate change. “Can’t Stop Change: Queer Climate Stories from the Florida Frontlines” weaves interviews with 14 LGBTQ2S+ artists, organizers, and educators across Florida (and the new Florida diaspora) into an intersectional climate justice narrative.
Close to You
Director: Dominic Savage, U.S. and U.K., 100 min)
Academy Award nominee Elliot Page stars as a trans man who returns to his hometown for the first time in years. On his journey, he confronts his relationship with his family, reunites with a first love, and discovers a newfound confidence in himself.
The Judgment
Dir. Marwan Mokbel, Egypt, 111 minutes
Mo and his boyfriend Hisham, a gay Egyptian couple, return from the U.S. to Egypt for a family emergency, but they need to pretend to be just friends in order to stay safe in Egypt’s very homophobic environment. Coming back to Egypt, however, leaves Mo especially anxious and uneasy, because someone knows his secret. They leave witchcraft at his door so that he feels threatened and ashamed. Although he pretends to be a modern American atheist, and therefore free from the superstitions of his religion and culture, Mo is terrified.
Stepping into the witchcraft has revived childhood terrors and deep religious fears, and he is afraid that his shame will be exposed to Hisham, who doesn’t know that Mo still views their relationship as sinful. Little by little, the judgment day he always feared, the god he always hated, the mother who stood against him, and the sins accumulating begin to quite literally haunt him through the witchcraft, leading to the confrontation Mo always feared. Will he be strong enough to fight back and eventually be liberated?
A Long Way From Heaven
Director: David Sant, US, 66 min, US
A Long Way From Heaven tells the story of the queer underground at Brigham Young University demanding their place in the sunlight. It focuses on the students who lit the school’s iconic “Y” in rainbow colors, and the resulting fallout at a college with deep connections to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Queen of My Dreams
Dir. Fawzia Mirza, 97 min., Canada
Azra is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies on a trip home to Pakistan, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined; from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming- of-age in rural Canada.
SHORT FILM PROGRAMS (IN PERSON)
SPECIAL EVENT
CASHING OUT
Dir. Matt Nadel, US, Running Time: 38 min., US
AROUND THE WORLD
Chickenshit
Dir. Ellie Rogers, 8 min, UK
Cris International Premiere
Dir. Jonay Garcia, 9 min., Spain
Realness With a Twist
Dir. Cass Virdee, 12 min., UK
Roses
Dir. Coral Rogers, 15 min., UK
Stimulants and Empathogens International Premiere
Dir. Mateusz Pacewicz, 25 min., Poland
GETTING YOUR FUNNY ON
The Dinner
Dir. Jesús Martínez “Nota,” 12 min, Spain
Ily, Bye
Dir. Taylor James, 13 min, U.S.
Leave on High
Dir. Javier Ortega, Andrew Slane, 13 min, U.S.
A Little Gay World Premiere
Dir. Lanie Christensen, 19 min., US
Silver Fox
Dir. Julio Vincent Gambuto, 15 min, US.
Willa Justice: Drag Queen Private Eye
Dir. Jonathan Andre Culliton, 15 min, U.S
TRANSFABULOUS
All the words but the one
Dir. Nava Mau, 18 min, U.S.
Amma’s Pride
Dir. Shiva Kirsh, 14 min, India
Pace
Dir. Beck Williams 15 min, U.S.
Re-Entry
Dir. Ariel Mahler, 16 min, U.S.
Scrapped Fabric (Retaso)
Dir. Jake Muñoz Consing, 11 min, U.S.
Squeegee Boy
Dir. Chung-Wei Huang, 14 min, U.S.
EMPOWERMENT – DOCUMENTARY SHORTS
ALOK
Dir.
Alex Hedison, 19 min, U.S.
Handwoven,
Dir. Mason Cazalet, Dasha Levin, Mihika Das, Matthew Wisdom, 9 min, US
I Was Here
Dir. Alyson Richards, 8 min, Canada
Pup Perfect.
Dir. Henry Baker, 17 min, U.S.
Shade in the Sunshine State
Dir. Ben Nakhuda, Olivia Bendis, Julio Rocha, 14 min, U.S.
Trans Heaven, Pennsylvania
Dir. Hansen Bursic, 12min, U.S.
EVERYTHING UNDER THE RAINBOW SHORTS
Auganic
Dir.
Krit Komkrichwarakool, 20 min, Canada
Beach Logs Kill
Dir. Haley Z. Boston, 10 min, U.S.
DTF? World Premiere
Dir. Jess McLeod, 15 min., Canada
Into the Bloo World Premiere
Dir. Austin Nunes, 15 min., US
Ripe!
Dir. Tusk, 18 min, US
Three
Dir. Amie Song, 15 min, U.S.
MUSIC, MATINEES, MEMORIES AND MORE
En Memoria,
Dir. Roberto Fatal, 11 min, U.S.
Flour Girl
Dir. Jada Bathea, 13 min, US
Goodbye Tango
Dir. Jason Laurits. 15 min, U.S.
Jump (Best Beleevah)
Dir. Wilberto Lucci, 5 min., US
The Lonesome Pony
Dir. Milo Richards, 5 min., US
Matinee Baby
Dir. Thom Hilton, 19 min., US
Not My Problem World Premiere
Dir. Michael Verrato, 5 min, U.S.
Safety State
Dir. Jeanette L. Buck, 16 min., US
Take Care,
Dir. Christina Fu 9 min., Canada
CONNECTIONS
8 Minutes, 20 Seconds
Dir. Harris Doran, 9 min, U.S.
After Hours
Dir. Star Amerasu, 6 min., US
Euphoric
Dir. Cam Killion, 16 min., US
Flake,
Dir. Pierre Long, 9 min., US
Institution
Dir. Jonathan Wysocki. 3 min, U.S.
Melange
Dir. Deshon Leek, 15 min, U.S.
You can’t get what you want but you can get me
Dir. Samira Elagoz, Z Walsh, 13 min, Netherlands
ANIMATION EXTRAVAGANZA
Brim Broome Boulevard
Dir. PJ Magerko Liquorice, 7 min., US
Dancing Dhamaal! International Premiere
Dir. Nimisha Sanjeevani-Chandrashekhar Mahatme, 5 min, US.
Drag Fox
Dir. Lisa Ott. 8 min., UK
Grand Dandy (for Ezra) World Premiere
Dir. The Campbells, 4 min, U.S.
High Diver International Premiere
Dir. Oscar Bittner, 5 min, Germany.
The Little Piratemaid
Dir. Luke Beatrice, 6 min, U.S.
Maurice’s Bar
Dir. Tom Prezman, Tzor Edery, 15 min, France
Nobody Knows
Dir. Ha-yeon HEO, 7 min., South Korea
Threaded
Dir Naaman Azhari, 5 min., UK
LET’S TALK ABOUT SEX
Angelo US Premiere
Dir. Helias Doulis, 14 min, Greece
Foraging
Dir.
Matthew Jacobs Morgan, 11 min, UK
I Hope He Doesn’t Kill Me US Premiere
Dir. Nora Dahle Borchgrevink, Lyndon Henley Hanrahan, 14 min, UK
Scratch That US Premiere
Dir.
Yaniv Lavi, 20 min, Israel
EVERYTHING UNDER THE RAINBOW SHORTS 2
808
Dir Sierra Schnack, 5 min, US
At Lucy’s Last Night,
Dir. Ethan Roberts, 17 min, U.S.
Flicker World Premiere
Dir. Samantha Coulter, 10 min, US
Great Canyon
Dir. Ella May Sahlman, 7 min, US
Izzy Aman: The Joy of Drag
Dir. Alba Fernandez, 13 min, UK
Skin
Dir. Leo Behrens 7 min, U.S.
Some Kind of Paradise
Dir. Nicolas Finegan, 21 min, US
LATINEXTRAORDINARY
Barbie Boy
Dir. Remi Gabriel 16 min, U.S.
Body of Christ
Dir. Angel Villahermosa, 11min, Spain
Papi,
Dir. Ashley L. Canfield 23min, U.S.
Quinceañera
Dir. Jessica V. Garcia, U.S.
LOCAL SHORTS
9 Lives
Dir. Millie Rose Evans, 18 min, U.S.
All These Leftovers
Dir. K. Parker, 9 min, U.S.
The Answers
Dir. Delaney O’ Neal, 9 min, U.S.
Order for Ben World Premiere
Dir. Kristina Arjona, Adam Plant, 12 min, U.S.
Queer Dystopian Short World Premiere
Dir. Iona Leighton, Ava Davis, 17 min, U.S.
Take Note
Dir. Ciera Thompson, 9 min, U.S.
SPOTLIGHT ON THE ATL
Day Bi Day
Dir. Ariel Zucker, 14 min, U.S.
Don’t Cry for Me
Dir. Devin McKay , 6 min, U.S.
In Retrospect
Dir. Carrie Miller, 8 min, U.S
The Space Between
Dir.
Luke Baker, 19 min, U.S.
Thursday US Premiere
Dir.
Alex Dauphin, 6 min, U.S.
DL Guy
Dir. Chad Zemel, 13 min, US
HORROR SHORTS
Bath Bomb,
Dir. Colin G Cooper, 10 min, US and Canada
Collette
Dir. Jack Walterman, 8 min, U.S.
Die Bully Die International Premiere
Dir. Nathan Lacey, Nick Lacey, 16 min., Australia
Hag.
Dir, Jay Najeea, 21 min., US
Oversight WorldPremiere
Dir. Kemp Baldwin, 8 min., US
Stink
Dir. Matias Breuer, 11 min, U.S.
INSPIRATIONS
The Canary World Premiere
Dir. Camilo Silva, 19 min, U.S and Canada.
Earth to KB
Dir. Em Shapiro, 19 min, US
Is Gay Marriage Next?
Dir. Emily Clark, 16 min, U.S
One Story at a Time: Celeste Lecesne
Dir. Eva Tenuto, Natalia Iyudin, 10 min, U.S.
The Soud of the Stonewall Uprising
Dir. Sian-Pierre Regis, 6 min, U.S.
Wouldn’t Make It Any Other Way
Dir. Hao Zhou, 21, U.S.
GIRL POWER
Bathsheba
Dir. Myah Asha Jeffers, 14 min, UK
Crazy Girl
Dir. Noémi VanSlyke, 18 min., U.S.
Fire F&cking Fire
Dir. Julia Eringer (lead) and Rachel Paulson, 17 min, U.S.
Lesbophilia
Dir. Michelle West 15 min, U.S
Longing,
Dir. Courtney Tan, 12 min, UK
Mistakes You Make Before You Die World Premiere
Dir. Nicole Lipp, 8 min, U.S.
We Met at Camp
Dir. MC Plaschke, 17 min, U.S.
DRAMA SHORTS
Buscando Alma World Premiere
Dir. Melissa Fisher, 15min, US
Leading Man
Dir. Amanda Michaels, Whitney Houser, 17 min, US
Sister Wives
Dir. Louisa Connolly-Burnham, 28 min, UK
Will I See You Again?
Dir. Michael Perez-Lindsay, 24 min, U.S.
INTERNATIONAL SHORTS
Bleach US Premiere
Dir. Daniel Daniel, 19 min, UK
If
Dir. Tathagata Ghosh, 26 min, India
Man>Code
Dir. Adrian Gardner, 14 min, UK
The Remaining Sundays
Dir. Manolo Pavón, 17 min, Spain
Their Universe
Dir. HAN Jeong-gil, 17 min, South Korea
Your Scissors Near My Ear
Dir. Carlos Ruano, 13 min, Spain
Main Image: A still from High Tide courtesy of Out On Film