29 Queer Film Festival

2025 films...

Slay All Day: Queer Horror (Gala) 

Blood Oranges (Dir. Steve Flavin)

An unsuspecting shopper brings home a bag of carnivorous fruit. 5 mins.

 

SCRUMPTIOUS (Dir. Paul Jacob Presley)

A foxy thief gets more than she bargained for when a routine money drop turns to terror. 8 mins.

 

Dry January (Dir. C.J. Arellano)

When Maya commits to a month of sobriety and takes up sculpting as a hobby, her crab sculptures terrorize her former drinking buddy, her brother Toby. 19 mins.

 

The Last Story on Earth (Dir. Aaron Immediato)

Facing angry protesters, a determined drag queen does her best to finish a fairy tale reading at the local library. But when an alien invasion upends Earth’s existence, the queen encounters new challenges that carry terrifying outcomes for humanity. Trapped within the library, her storytelling skills are suddenly put to extraordinary tests, jeopardizing the lives of the last humans on Earth — the families who’ve cherished her stories and the protesters who’ve scorned them. Ultimately, it is the supreme power of imagination that holds the key to both the queen’s survival and the invaders’ domination. 18 mins.

 

Minister Chucky (Dir. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton)

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. Filmmakers Graham Kolbeins and Jonathan Andre Culliton document their wild, heartfelt journey, offering a uniquely trans and nonbinary perspective on love, resistance, and the absurdity of our times. 11 mins.

 

Butterfly Kiss (Dir. Zohar Dvir)

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. Ray's transformation, the invasion of the outside world into their home, and the growing tension between the two threaten their relationship. Carol is afraid of losing Ray... but devoting yourself to your girlfriend could come at a price. 10 mins.

 

In The Valley: A Cosmic Queer Abduction (Dir. Adam Van Dyke)

Lost in the vast Southern California desert, Josh wakes alone after a night with a mysterious Cowboy. As the landscape twists into a waking nightmare, Josh must uncover the truth about the Cowboy, the cloaked figures watching him, and his own forgotten past—before the desert claims him forever. 28 mins.

 

Leather Graves from director Malic Amalya! 12 mins. 

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Queens of Drama (2024)

Pop diva Mimi Madamour's career peaks in 2005 before spiraling downwards due to her tumultuous love affair with punk icon Billie Kohler, their passionate and rage-fueled relationship playing out on stage for half a century. 114 mins. 

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Wigging Out: Comedy, Camp, and Drag 

Lipsync Assassin (Dir. Jon Galvez)

Sampaguita, a fabulous drag queen, moonlights as a hired killer to earn extra money and provide a good life for her talented daughter and sickly mother. Just when she thought she could handle any contract killing mission, her new target tests how far she can go to support her loved ones. 21 mins.

 

The 2007 Miss Southern Diva Pageant (Dir. Levi Maxine Johnson)

On the night of the 2007 Miss Southern Diva Pageant, Sasha Cunt & her best friend Balls are RUNNING LATE! One dead deer, a car chase, and a gay singalong later can the two drag artists make it on time for the pageant? 4 mins.

 

Just Girlythings (Dir. Veda Sage Simone Fuller)

As girls we are told becoming a woman is the most important thing that will ever happen to us we all sit there excited to get our periods feeling left out watching our friends bleed. FUCK THAT. As an intersex person assigned female at birth my period HURT all it ever did for me was make me bleed for month at a time. This film is an artistic rendition of the time my period sent me to the hospital. 1 min.

 

Rent, Please! (Dir. Jaanan Mirza Pandya)

While living together, two drag-performing roommates struggle to find balance with one another until they're forced to team up and work together in order to take down their evil landlord, who is trying to evict them. 3 mins.

 

When I Run (Dir. Mauricio Momo Meneses)

When I Run is a magical realism short film that blends humor, surreal moments, and quiet reflection to explore the struggle of getting out of bed and moving forward physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Set in the quiet, open landscapes of rural Raton, in Northeast New Mexico, Mario, a hesitant early-morning runner, grapples with self-doubt, internal contradictions, and everyday temptations as he loops the track, searching for meaning in motion.

Though absurd at times, the film invites viewers to reflect on deeper questions of self-discovery, guilt, escapism, and the nature of progress. Life, like running, isn’t always about speed, but about presence, pace, and the people beside us. 9 mins.

 

G L O R Y (Dir. Kai Kim)

When Benji’s long-term boyfriend, Sam, dies suddenly in a freak hot dog cart accident, Benji finds himself vacillating between grief-stricken catatonia and manic horniness. His fixation on glory holes in particular leads him to Ari, an unconventional therapist, who guides Benji on a psychedelic journey through his own queer consciousness via the glory hole in his mind. Benji navigates shame, fear, piles of hot dogs, and a series of queer supervillains, on the road to understanding himself and his sexuality outside the context of his relationship with Sam. 13 mins.

 

Man of God (Dir. Jon Hook)

After losing his lover & his church, David, a closeted preacher in the 1980s Deep South, comes to inherit his estranged father's Miami nightclub — pitting him against his dangerous stepmother & plunging him into a world that could be his ruin or his rebirth. 14 mins.

 

The King (Dir. Mirene Castelltort)

After attending a Drag King show, closeted Ramona embarks on a journey of self-acceptance and performing on stage. 9 mins.

 

After What Happened at the Library (Dir. Syra McCarthy, Kyle Casey Chu)

In the wake of a terrifying encounter, an overwhelmed drag queen struggles under the weight of public attention.

Inspired by Kyle Casey Chu’s viral true story. 15 mins. 

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Under the Joshua Trees: Queer Desert Stories (Gala) 

Gummy Worms (Dir. Sophie Lee Bennett)

Teenage Bunny confronts grief and looming danger as ze reckons with the loss of zir other half in a post-apocalyptic world where gender no longer exists and nothing is as it seems. 10 mins.

 

Old Girl in a Tutu: Susan Rennie Disrupts Art History (Dir. Cheri Gaulke)

Feminist scholar, Susan Rennie, seizes her iPhone and sneaks her queer, octogenarian body into master works of art, disrupting the narrative of the male gaze. 8 mins.

 

Thoughts and Prayers (Dir. Roxanne Manders, Ella Richie Teresa DeMaria)

A transgender angel crash lands in the desert and finds her way to Las Vegas, where she is exposed to earthly pleasures. 10 mins.

 

Nova (Dir. Olivia Roberts)

Miriam and JoJo, exes living in the same building, reconnect with only 27 hours left before the end of the world. Accompanied by their neighbor's dog, they decide to search for an abandoned military base, all while navigating their complicated feelings about their relationship and the looming apocalypse. 19 mins.

 

Outage (Dir. Graham Kolbeins)

With the heat threatening a grid outage, a queer couple sets out on their “perfect desert day.” There’s just one hitch: their bored pre-teen nephew is tagging along. But if anything can get him out of his video game, maybe it’s an encounter with a visitor from outer space. 15 mins.

 

Roughing It (Dir. Michael D. Cohen)

A trans teen and her mom must survive a night of winter camping after being challenged by her politically incorrect uncle. 16 mins. 

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Showgirls (1995)

In Paul Verhoeven’s camp classic, a mysterious young drifter who calls herself Nomi Malone hitches a ride to Las Vegas, where she finds work as a stripper and sets about clawing her way to the top of the Vegas showgirls. 131 mins. 

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Ponyboi (2025)

Unfolding over the course of Valentine's Day in New Jersey, a young intersex sex worker must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront his past. 103 minutes. 

Preceded by “Grace,” a short film directed by and starring Alexandra Grey. In 1986, a resilient black trans woman defies all odds by forging a music career during the height of the AIDS epidemic. 19 mins. 

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Queer Planet: International Shorts 

My Endless Eclipse (Dir. Bijan Aarabi)

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. 14 mins.

 

Palcorecore (Dir. Dana Dawud)

Palcorecore by Dana Dawud is a chilling, mesmerizing series of dances and repurposed archival footage that circulated on the internet in and around Palestine. 6 mins.

 

For Sheyda (Dir. Meysam Shamsi)

"For Sheyda" is a suspenseful coming-of-age story about a teenage girl determined to escape the constraints of her society. In a daring plan to fund her migration and gender transition, she decides to steal her grandmother’s gold. As the journey unfolds, Sheyda faces choices that redefine courage, identity, and the meaning of family in a delicate balance between dreams and reality. 14 mins.

 

Abby Stein (Dir. Yulia Starostina)

Through thoughtful storytelling and striking visuals, Yulia Starostina captures Abby Stein’s journey as a transgender woman and Congregational Rabbi, shedding light on the intersection of gender, faith, and personal freedom. Her work invites viewers to reflect on the courage it takes to live one’s truth and the importance of creating space for everyone to be seen and heard. 6 mins. 

 

Ethereal Creature (Dir. Tinshine Mont)

Gene persuades her close friend, Tien, to go to the mythical forrest to return the stolen Naripon fruit to the God of Naripon. 19 mins.

 

A ghosting story (Dir. Iñaki Goldaracena)

An interior monologue mourns a past relationship. In the present, the revenge plan of a broken heart. 8 mins.

 

Intervention (Dir. Kamonkarn Samutratanakul)

Lin sits alone at a bar, where she meets Jane, an alluring but unpredictable woman. They decide to spend the night together. As the night progresses, their forgotten problems and insecurities threaten to ruin the blossoming relationship. 30 mins. 

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The Golden Coyote Awards (Gala) 

Born Again (Dir. Mary Evans)

The official music video for Freak Daddy's "Born Again" featured on his debut album S.G.S.M. (Sorry, god. Sorry, mom). 5 mins.

 

Cocksure (Dir. Lauren Wolpert)

Gillie Dean (played by multi-media chicken artist) as Luke Warm in the PG 1X “Cocksure”. 3 mins.

 

Where Are You From? (Dir. Stevie Vickery)

A doco-style music film, introducing Melbourne-based musician and debut film maker Naavikaran and her South Asian futurist lore. 6 mins.

 

Corto y Libero (Dir. Matías "Lucho" Viera)

 

Corto y Libero - Andy Falcone Ft Fabik. 3 mins.

 

Drive (Dir. Sam Sullivan, Taylor Hughes)

A woman disappears into the city’s after‑hours glow, her guitar and suitcase crammed into the backseat. The road becomes both refuge and reckoning — a dreamlike limbo between what she’s leaving and where she’s headed. 4 mins.

 

Super Smash Bros (Dir. Kai Kim)

Super Smash Bros, the latest music video from Oslo-based artist Sid Hart, is a tender exploration of intimacy within the fast-paced world of hookup culture. Shot on hazy 16mm film, it blurs the line between memory and fantasy, unfolding through a series of fleeting encounters. 4 mins.

 

Deep Dish Dimples (Dir. Manuel Villareal)

When Gio, a Black trans man, calls his best friend Lazette for help burying a body, the two are pulled into an unexpected confrontation with the past. As whispers of family wounds and unresolved trauma echo through the night, Gio must face a surreal encounter with his pre-transitioned self.

What begins as a desperate mission transforms into a journey of acceptance, love, and self-forgiveness, reminding us that healing comes from embracing every part of who we are. 9 mins.

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