East Village Queer Film Festival

2025 films...

THURSDAY, AUGUST 21st
7:00 PM Feature Film
Llueve sobre Babel (Rains Over Babel), Gala del Sol, Writer & Director, Colombia (Spanish language with English subtitles) TRAILER
In a tropical-punk twist on Dante’s Inferno, a group of misfits converges at Babel, a mythical club that doubles as purgatory, where La Flaca—the city’s Grim Reaper—presides. Here, souls gamble years of their lives, daring to outwit Death Herself.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22nd 
5:00 PM Shorts 1

Gillyfish, Sarah Sellman, Writer & Director, USA
When GILLIAN takes on her partner’s identity to confront their father, she finds a connection she didn’t expect in the strange exchange she has with him. A short about healing by proxy, and stepping into new identities.

My Age Now, Daniel Talbott, Writer & Director, USA
On a Sunday that is a brief respite from everyday life, a young man is haunted by a final voice message, a break up, and a ‘goodbye’ he can’t take back.

The Diary of Valeria, Athena Jay, Director, USA
This experimental short film is an adaptation of the fictional main character’s diary entry. This diary, belonging to a transgender woman named Valeria, deals with personal and existential anxieties about her body.

Tutto il resto è noia – Everything is so boring, Federico Cianferoni, Writer & Director, Italy (Italian language with English subtitles) TRAILER
[ENG] Lupo is a queer millennial facing a thousand doubts and uncertainties. He is bored and frustrated because he can’t find inner peace. Meri tries to help him but when Lupo meets Tancredi everything breaks because he feels inadequate, he feels he’s not right. He knows he’s not normal, because normality is not the right path. The only way of feeling safe is to spend time together.

FRIDAY, AUGUST 22nd
7:00 PM Shorts 2

Wishing on Stars, Rosie Maddox, Writer & Director, USA TRAILER
Mare, a graduating high school senior, must navigate the bittersweet complexities of leaving her hometown for her dream school while grappling with her growing romantic feelings for her best friend, Jules.

Smoking Kills, Liv Martinez, Writer & Director, USA
A teenager sets out to smoke their first cigarette with their crush, the night before their First Holy Confirmation in the Catholic church.

Queer and Longing, Bear Hanrahan, Writer & Director, USA TRAILER
In the space between reality and dreams, two souls connect.

What Are We?, Eileen Hanley, Writer & Director, USA
Jess and Kayley, two platonic queer bffs with benefits and unfortunately both bottoms, have a threesome with the top of their dreams and define their unorthodox relationship.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23rd
3:00 PM Feature Documentary

Goddess, Cyprien Clément-Delmas, Director, Spain/France (Spanish language with English subtitles) TRAILER
JOAN, a Barcelona Queer icon also known as MARINA, feels like both a man and a woman. DIOSA follows them as they try to overcome the boundaries between masculinity and femininity in order to become a true non-binary person. In this struggle to fuse the two genders and create a “hybrid body”, JOAN/MARINA will face the combined resistance of society, their family and sometimes even themselves.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23rd
5:00 PM Shorts 3

Riis: The People’s Beach, Kendall Alex Payne, Director | Claire McClain, Writer, 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.

Mia Mio, Roxanne Peguet, Writer & Director, Luxembourg (Luxembourgish and Portuguese languages with English subtitles)
After an umpteenth after-party, Mia has an identity crisis, and for a few hours, her two best friends help her to overcome an important, if not the most important, stage in her life.

California Highway 99, Katie Ann Marks, Director | The Softies, Writers, USA
While Rose and Jen of The Softies have been on some adventures touring along California’s Highway 99 back in the 90’s, they’ve also known sadness and change. The visuals depict years of fun excursions adapted from stories told by the band members themselves, while their melancholy track represents the heartbreak. Shot using stop-motion paper puppets, follow Rose and Jen for their comeback as a group.

Nuh Uh, Dean Farella, Writer & Director, USA TRAILER
Nuh Uh follows the daily struggles of a queer college student Leif, weaving in and out of his friendships, romantic life, and career goals to paint a picture of one’s early twenties in 2025.

SATURDAY, AUGUST 23rd
7:00 PM Shorts 4

Interference, Lila Woodbridge, Director | Stephanie Saavedra, Lila Woodbridge, Al Bouchillon, Nic Wells, Writers, USA TRAILER
“Interference” tells the story of one teenage boy’s struggle with paranoia and identity amidst the start of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s.

Unknown, At Large, Andrew-Kalus Vineyard, Writer & Director, USA
An evening of self-care slowly begins to turn ominous for Kyle as they try to relax and enjoy their favorite true-crime podcast.

Binge, J.C. Heins, Writer & Director, USA
A woman struggling with a binge eating disorder attends her ex-girlfriend’s bachelorette party in an attempt to reconnect. But the social pressures and her body anxiety build up until she panics and binges on the party’s hilarious vulva-themed cake.

Iconic, April Daneau, Director | Performer Aizysse Baga, Writer, Canada
ICONIC is a raw, unapologetic blend of music video, experimental cinema, and queer manifesto. Featuring the original song ICONIC, this fully independent short is powered by an all-trans and non-binary team. No budget safety net. No rules. Just pure self-expression. Shot entirely on vibrant Super 8mm, it captures the fierce presence of Montreal’s Aizysse Baga, who performs, styles, and designs every detail herself.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 24th 
2:00 PM Feature Documentary

TransMexico, Claudia Ymi Sanchez, Writer & Director, USA (Spanish language with English subtitles) TRAILER
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, and medical services. In Mexico, which has one of the highest murder rates of transwomen in the world, the prosecution of these crimes is regrettably uncommon. But despite these challenges, many transwomen live empowered lives; they live in truth and have found respect, acceptance, love, and fulfilling careers.
This film is a story like no other. Focusing on a narrative of triumph and not trauma. How we go from victim to victorious. Trans people are powerful and resilient. Based on true stories—written and recounted by the protagonists themselves—TransMexico is built around the incredible lives of these Latinas Transwomen. Our goal is to present their stories to a global audience, especially those who still struggle with who they are. We hope that TransMexico will let the world know that the female trans community in Mexico exists, is proud, and will remain so, even in the face of devastating adversity.