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Qfest St. Louis
Friday, 26 April 2024 until Sunday, 28 April 2024 Friday, 03 May 2024 until Sunday, 05 May 2024
QFest St. Louis, now in its 17th year, uses the art of contemporary gay cinema to spotlight the lives of LGBTQ people and celebrate queer culture. QFest is presented by Cinema St. Louis, organizers of the St. Louis International Film Festival. Submissions should be relevant to LGBTQ audiences.
2024 films...
U.S / 2024 / 84 minutes
Directed by: Jan Miller Corran
In the world premiere of the latest film from Jan Miller Corran, a world renowned pianist faces the devastating news that she has progressive hearing loss and ultimate total deafness facing her just as love walks into her life as only the fear of the coming sounds of silence consume her days.… more
U.S / 2023 / 84 minutes
Directed by: Claudia Ymi Sanchez
This incredible documentary first screened at SLIFF 2023 and was a crowd favorite. Transwomen face more difficulties in Latin America than in any other part of the world. In most of these countries, unchecked transphobia severely limits trans people’s access to education, employment, housing,… more
NARRATIVE SHORTS - WHAT IS LOVE?
This series of shorts explore what it means to love in 2024 and include a story from India about a lesbian couple dealing with an arranged marriage, a visual, poetic exploration of identity and self-discovery, and a comedy about how far we’re willing to go for love, at a funeral.
WALK
Beth Ashby, United States, 2024, 6:06, Narrative, color, English
A fashion designer with social anxiety conjures an imaginary dominatrix to force her to face a career-defining presentation and move forward.
FOG UP
Eddie Yukun Long, United States, 22:30, narrative, color, English
Sadie, a translator who struggles to find the most accurate translation of words, tries to clarify her own emotions and visions as she helps Parker, an indie videographer, to translate her documentary.
SAFETY STATE
Jeanette L. Buck, United States, 15:37, narrative, color, English
In the dystopian near future, a gay and a lesbian couple form an unlikely friendship as they flee the midwest for safety in New England.
IF
Tathagata Ghosh, India, 25:41, narrative color, Bengali w/ English subtitles
An arranged marriage tears a lesbian couple apart, but with a mother’s love, perhaps another future is possible.
LESBOPHILIA
Michelle West, United States, 15:05, narrative, color, English
When free-as-a-bird bisexual Eliana questions giving up the "D" at her ex-boyfriend's funeral, her girlfriend Chase must decide how far she’s willing to go for love.
U.S 58 minutes
Directed by: Bobby Best
Ballroom culture is now a mainstay in popular culture. Not to be confused with waltzing, swinging, or doing the two-step, ballroom has become a global phenomena.
It’s… more
NARRATIVE SHORTS - LOVE ON THE EDGE
The filmmakers in this collection go past the traditional narratives we’re used to - both with cinema and relationships. In this collection, an Iranian couple navigates gender identity, a translator struggles to find the words, and St. Louis filmmaker Sofia Voss literally asks “What Would Jesus Do?”
SKIN
Leo Behrens, United States, 7:06, narrative, color, English
"Skin" is a poetic exploration of identity and self-discovery, using visual symbolism to depict a woman's transformation into a man.
EMERALD CITY
Josef Steiff, United Stares, 2024, 21;13, narrative, color, English
Two young men cross paths on the back roads of the American Southwest and despite their different backgrounds, find common ground along the Border.
MAKING UP
Ryan Paige, United Kingdom, 15:00, narrative, color, English
Ted is diagnosed with a hereditary illness. He must therefore reconcile with estranged daughter, Cassandra. However, being a celebrated drag queen, paired with the bitter feelings Cassandra harbours over their past, presents a larger obstacle for Ted to overcome.
THE NOTCH
Mina Sadati, Iran, 2024, 20:00, narrative, color, Persian w English subtitles
Despite the love they have for each other, a young Iranian couple are going through a separation because of the different sexual desires and gender identity that the husband has been noticing in the past years.
WWJD
Sofia Voss, United States, 2024, 12:26, Narrative, Color, English
On the morning of a date with her crush Ruth, 16-year-old Gertie wakes up with Jesus’ cross wounds on her hands and feet - panicked, she turns to her best friend Mary to help figure out what's going on.
These two films, one a narrative and one a documentary, look at the relationship between the LGBTQ+ community and body image and what we all do to be comfortable.
BODY ELECTRIC tells the story of filmmaker Nick Demos as he… more
The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert
Australia / 1994 / 104 minutes
Directed by: Stephan Elliott
Two drag queens and a transgender woman contract to perform a drag show at a resort in Alice Springs, a town in the remote Australian desert. As they head west from Sydney aboard their lavender bus, Priscilla, the three friends come to the forefront of a comedy of errors, encountering a number… more
DOCUMENTARY SHORTS - LOVE & HOPE & DREAMS
We’re so lucky to be able to screen a collection of documentary shorts that portray just how heroic the LGBTQ+ community has to be just to be accepted. In these films, queer individuals from throughout Africa bravely tell their individual stories of survival, queer superhero Urvashi Vaid fights for the rights of everyone to exist, and St. Louis filmmaker Jess Dugan shares the intimate story of the first five years of her daughters’ life.
LUCIE AND ANNIE
Amy Oden, United States, 6:00, Documentary, Color, English
Old friends and lovers reflect on a life together.
BARBETTE & FONTAINE
John-Carlos Estrada, Zak Zeh, United States, 14:23, Documentary, Color, English
A century apart, two drag icons unite through art, resilience, and a shared legacy of self-expression and freedom. Leading the cast is Cynthia Lee Fontaine of RuPaul's Drag Race.
CUT
Samuel Lucas Allen, Australia, 19:00, Documentary, Color, English
Daniel just wants to get through this world as best he can, if he can.
THERE ARE THINGS TO DO
Mike Syers, United States, 18:00, Documentary, Color, English
Urvashi Vaid, an outspoken immigrant, lesbian and woman of color was an LGBTQ+ superhero helped shape the modern day gay rights movement. Her vision for the movement serves as a roadmap of initiatives & tools for generations of activist as they face anti-LGBTQ+ backlash.
PRIDE OF TEXAS
Ashley Seering, United States, 7:17, Documentary, Color, English
A look at the Texas Gay Rodeo Association and its participants who prove that rodeo, and Texas, is a place for everyone.
MAGHREB'S HOPE
Bassem Ben Brahim, Tunisia, 24:00, Documentary, Color, Arabic & French w English subtitles
Queer individuals from the Big Maghreb region share their stories, spanning across their home countries and various locations worldwide.
LETTER TO MY DAUGHTER
Jess T. Dugan, United States, 16:00, Documentary, Color, English
Letter to My Daughter is an autobiographical video about the filmmakers’journey to become a parent and their experiences throughout the first five years of their daughter’s life.
U.S / 2011 / 86 minutes
Directed by: Dee Rees
A Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak, and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.
Germany 90 minutes
Directed by: Markus Stein
In 1979, 19-year old Jürgen Baldiga moves to Berlin and decides to become an artist. Faced with certain death from HIV infection, he discovers photography as his medium. Between despair, longing, rebellion and an irrepressible will to survive, Baldiga becomes a chronicler of the queer West… more
Turkey / 2022 / 85 minutes
Directed by: Burcu Melekoglu, Vuslat Karan
A transgender man struggles with self-realization and acceptance in traditional society of Turkey. Constrained by identification cards color-coded for gender, will he finally be considered for a Blue ID?