NewFest35 Program Guide

TICKETING AND FESTIVAL INFORMATION

ATTENDING NEWFEST IN-PERSON

Silver Pass: $350

Gold Pass: $750

Diamond Pass: $1500

In-Person General Admission Ticket: $19.50

In-Person Centerpiece Ticket: $27.50

In-Person Opening Night + Party Ticket: $75

In-Person Closing Night + Party Ticket: $75

WHERE TO SEE IN-PERSON SCREENINGS:

SVA Theatre: 333 West 23rd Street, New York, NY 10011

The LGBT Community Center: 208 W 13 St, New York, NY 10011

BAM Rose Cinemas: 30 Lafayette Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11217

Nitehawk Cinema Prospect Park: 188 Prospect Park West, Brooklyn, NY 11215

***VENUE BOX OFFICES WILL OPEN 1 HOUR PRIOR TO THE FIRST SCREENING OF THE DAY AND CLOSE 30 MINUTES AFTER THE START OF THE LAST SCREENING OF THE DAY. WILL CALL TICKETS CAN BE PICKED UP AT ANY BOX OFFICE LOCATION WITH A VALID PHOTO ID.

FOOD & BEVERAGES AT SCREENING VENUES

SVA: No outside food or drinks may be brought into the venue; concessions including snacks and drinks are available for sale.

NiteHawk: No outside food or drinks may be brought into the venue; food and drink is available for sale.

BAM: No outside food or drinks may be brought into the venue; food and drink is available for sale.

The LGBT Community Center: No outside food or drinks may be brought into the venue.

VENUE ACCESSIBILITY

ATTENDING NEWFEST VIRTUALLY

Virtual All-Access Streaming Pass $95

Individual Film Streaming Tickets $14

HOW TO BUY TICKETS & PASSES

ONLINE: NewFest.org

OVER THE PHONE: (929) 480 - FEST

October 2-October 11, Monday-Friday, 2pm-6pm; October 12-24, everyday, 2pm-9pm

HOW TO RUSH AT NEWFEST

For events where there are no longer advanced tickets available for purchase, we highly encourage guests to make use of our successful Rush Sales policy. Rush Sales Lines will form at the venue approximately 45 minutes prior to the scheduled event start time. Admission will begin approximately 10-15 minutes before the event’s start time based on availability. Admission is not guaranteed. Rush Sales are limited to one (1) ticket per person. We accept cash or credit card.

***PLEASE NOTE: EACH VENUE MAY HAVE A SLIGHTLY ADJUSTED RUSH PLAN; PLEASE CHECK IN WITH VENUE AND BOX OFFICE STAFF FOR EXACT INSTRUCTIONS.)

ADMISSION & SALES POLICIES

To guarantee admission, all pass and ticket holders must be present in line at the venue at 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time. We reserve the right to sell any empty seats after that time. Late seating is at the discretion of the venue management team and is not permitted 30 minutes after the start time of any screening or event.

SVA: SVA accommodates wheelchair seating and provides listening devices for the hearing impaired. For a listening device, locate the house manager or visit the office immediately to the left upon entering the building.

Nitehawk: Nitehawk theaters are accessible by elevator and can accommodate wheelchair seating. To ensure that the wheelchair seating is available for your showing, please contact prospectpark@nitehawkcinema.com. Assistive listening and closed captioning devices are available for most movies and may be obtained at the manager’s office.

BAM: All BAM venues are wheelchair accessible. Accessible seats for films and events cannot be reserved in advance. Audio amplifying headsets are available at all films upon request. If you require accommodations, contact BAM Ticket Services at 718636-4100 or let an usher or BAM staff member know when you arrive.

The LGBT Community Center: The LGBT Community Center is wheelchair accessible and can accommodate wheelchair seating.

FESTIVAL GUIDELINES & THINGS YOU SHOULD KNOW

Content may not be suitable for all ages. Children under the age of 12 years old are not permitted at any festival event due to this reason.

Saving space in line or saving seats within the theater for other guests is not permitted.

Any and all audio or video recording and/or photography is strictly prohibited at the event.

The festival reserves the right to refuse service and maintains a zero-tolerance policy regarding harassment of any kind. The festival is committed to providing an environment that is free from discrimination and harassment for its staff and guests. (If you are found in violation of this policy, you will be asked to leave and not return. You will not be issued a refund.)

By attending any NewFest screening or event, you give NewFest permission to use your image or likeness for marketing and promotional purposes, both digital and print.

Please remember to be a good film-goer: silence or turn off your electronic devices prior to the film presentation, no talking during the film, and don’t forget to turn in your completed Audience Award ballots immediately following the screening.

HELP DESK & SUPPORT

Please visit newfest.org/festival/faq for the answers to all your questions about virtual and in-person attendance for this year's festival. If you need more assistance please email us at boxoffice@newfest.org or call us at (929) 480 - FEST October 2-October 11, Monday-Friday, 2pm-6pm; October 12-24, everyday, 2pm-9pm

HOW TO STREAM BASICS

What do I need to have to be able to watch NewFest, virtually?

You will need to be based in the US, have a valid email address, a NewFest virtual Festival Pass or ticket, and a computer, mobile phone, tablet, or Apple TV (device not the app) , Amazon Fire Stick, or Roku on your television. For additional Technical Requirements, please visit https://newfest.org/festival/faq.

HOW DO I STREAM A PROGRAM?

After purchasing your Festival Pass or Individual Film Streaming Ticket, and logging into our on-demand platform, simply click on your desired selection, then click on the play button to begin.

WHEN CAN I BEGIN STREAMING?

Based on individual rights from content licensors, the majority of our films will be available for Pass and Ticket-holders to stream beginning at 12 PM (EST) on Thursday, October 12 All programs must be watched by 11:59 PM Tuesday, October 24.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

STAFF & BOARD OF DIRECTORS

YEAR ROUND STAFF:

David Hatkoff, Executive Director

Nick McCarthy, Director of Programming

Gina Hsu, Development Manager

Arieta Palevic, Marketing & Communications Manager

Kim Garcia, Technical Director & Programmer

Will Ruiz, Operations and Production Coordinator

J.S. Mateo, Community Outreach Coordinator

Rachel Malia Newkirk, Social Media Manager

Arno Mokros, New Voices Grant Coordinator

FESTIVAL STAFF:

Monisha Gandhi, Festival Producer

Anita Raswant, Programming Manager

Murtada Elfadl, Programmer

Anto Astudillo, Programmer

Jorge Molina, Assistant Programmer and Industry Coordinator

Bill Curran, Director, Industry and Special Events

Natalie Polanco, Production Manager, Special Events

Molly Fulton, Publications Manager

Hannah Tymann, Marketing and Publications Coordinator

Carly Reicho, Director, Filmmaker Relations

Patrick Carnes, Manager, Filmmaker Relations, Shorts

Kim Moran, Manager, Filmmaker Relations, Features

Jen Jacoby, Audience Services Manager

Katy Gumble, Venue Operations Manager

Derek Klevitz, Volunteer Manager

Robert Sawyer, Production Assistant

Johnny LeMaire, Box Office Supervisor

Sabrina Kissack, Audience Services Assistant

Tee Harris, Development Coordinator

Rachel Mary Cox, Virtual Exhibition Manager

Isabella Jackson, Virtual Exhibition Assistant

Dustin Ersek-Mull, Technical Coordinator

PROGRAM DESIGNER

LuisMarquesDesign.com

NEWFEST BOARD

Jane Sasseen, Co-Chair

Ellery Washington, Co-Chair

Josh Schiowitz, Treasurer

Adam J. Natale, Secretary

Lisa Alexis-Jones

Mike Balaban

Bill Berman

Ann Bradstreet Brown

Thomas Dima

Michael Dinwiddie

Afua Kafi-Akua

Mathew Lasky

Ronald Lense

Sandy Markman

Aviva Michelman-Dumas

Isabel Sandoval

Ron Simons

Ramón Torres

Andrew Uriarte

SCREENING COMMITTEE

Jared Abbott

Rasheed Bailey

Kwame Berry

Netti Covrigaru

Jonaya Gustafson

Sophie Howery

Monica Janvier

Rabia Kassam

Aniko Kovecsi

Leon Lister

Anna Marcus-Hecht

Jordan Mattos

Maeve Murphy

Rachel Malia Newkirk

Solomon Peck

Jerry Portwood

Katie Prince

Oscar Ramirez

Jude Schoenfeld

William O. Tyler

Sophie Underwood

K Valada-Viars

Ting-Hao Timothy Zhou

NEWFEST THANKS OUR MAJOR DONORS AND PASSHOLDERS

Membership is the bedrock of NewFest, and we include an Annual Membership with all Festival Passes. Membership allows us to offer year-round programming and annually present New York’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival, now in its 35th year. As a not-for-profit organization, we’re proud to offer fun, thought-provoking and even free screenings and events throughout the year that bring our community together to share stories, open minds, and celebrate the LGBT+ experience. Thank you to all of our Annual Members, as well as the following Major Donors and Festival Passholders:

MAJOR DONORS

Robert A. Ouimette

Richard Fye

Josh Schiowitz

Michael Dinwiddie

DIAMOND PASSHOLDERS

Mike Balaban

Bill Berman

Ann Bradstreet Brown

P.J. Dantonello

Terrance Daye

Drew de Pinto

Thomas Dima

Michael Dinwiddie

Richard Fye

Milly Gleckler

Marlene Graham

Mark Horn

Emily Jampel

Lisa Jones

Mike Karp

Mathew Lasky

Ron Lense

Jerry Leo

LaQuan Lewis

Sandy Markman

Aviva Michelman-Dumas

Adam Natale

Robert Ouimette

Gregory Pratt

Isabel Sandoval

Jane Sasseen

Josh Schiowitz

Ronald Simons

Ramon Torres

Andrew Uriarte

Ellery Washington

GOLD PASSHOLDERS

Bayley Boecker

Daniel Clemens

Darrell George

Michael Gordon

Jen Jacoby

Monica Janvier

Luke Jimenez

Rabia Kassam

Matthew Lavietes

Leon Lister

Maureen Masters

Kenyatta Matthews

Jordan Mattos

Maeve Murphy

Richard Pleak

Ozzi Ramirez

Daniel Sager

Catherine Scheinman

Steve Seidmon

Brooke Sopelsa

Paul Travis

K Valada-Viars

Jana Welch

SILVER PASSHOLDERS

Katherine Bargar

R S Barton

Chris Carter

Thomas Clark

Rachel Cox

John Davis

Clarke Griffith

Scott Hunter

Gerry Kendrick

Kevin McAnarney

Michele McEnroe

Sam Miller

Matthew L Moore

Tammy Oler

Conor O'Neil

Nikola Pavelic

Cindy Rizzo

Miguel Yriberry

EXCEPTIONALLY SMOOTH

©2023. GREY GOOSE, ITS TRADE DRESS AND THE GEESE DEVICE ARE TRADEMARKS. IMPORTED BY GREY GOOSE IMPORTING COMPANY, CORAL GABLES, FL. VODKA – 40% ALC. BY VOL. DISTILLED FROM FRENCH WHEAT.

PREMIER SPONSOR

SPONSORS

OFFICIAL SPONSORS

SUPPRTING SPONSORS

LEAD HOTEL PARTNER

INDUSTRY PARTNER

MEDIA SPONSORS

VENUE PARTNERS

CONTRIBUTING PARTNERS

GOVERNMENT SPONSORS

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR WELCOME LETTER

Sharing LGBTQ+ stories in a space designed specifically for queer audiences is, in a word, magical. And so, on behalf of everyone at NewFest, I am thrilled to welcome you to the 35th Annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival.

Yes, you read that right – NewFest is commemorating a milestone birthday this year! Anniversaries are cause for celebration, and also provide an opportunity to to consider how far we've come and where we're going. For 35 years – starting at the height of the AIDS crisis and continuing through today’s essential fight for trans rights – NewFest has provided a safe and joyful environment for the queer community to see themselves on screen. During this year’s thrilling anniversary edition of the festival, we will reflect on our legacy, assess the current moment with clear and lovingly critical eyes, and gaze toward the future of our community and art form, confident in our belief that visibility, authentic representation, and connection will continue to change and save lives for a long time to come.

Since 1988 NewFest has provided an essential platform for LGBTQ+ stories and storytellers, premiering landmark films like Paris is Burning, But I’m A Cheerleader and Hedwig and the Angry Inch. We can’t wait to celebrate this anniversary by introducing audiences to new queer classics as we gather over 12 days in person at venues throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn and stream virtually throughout the United States.

The Festival is an invitation to immerse yourself in the joy of being in queer community. While you’re in line waiting to get into the theater, or grabbing a drink at one of our many parties, or if you run into someone on the subway holding this program guide in your hand, we encourage you to engage with them! The intersection of film and community is so powerful, and NewFest35 is an opportunity to really listen to, learn from, and spend time with each other.

Once you’ve gotten a taste, we’d love to have you join us a NewFest Member and to see you at our other annual gatherings—NewFest Pride, Queering the Canon, and NewFest Presents—as well as at our frequent advance screenings and community events. Let’s keep the queer party going all year long!

We are so grateful to our generous sponsors, the incredible NewFest Board of Trustees, and the tireless Festival and year-round teams, for making this year's event possible.

Thank you for being a part of the NewFest community and helping us mark this moment in our history. We are so glad you’ve joined us, and can’t wait to celebrate with you.

Enjoy the Festival!

All the best,

David Hatkoff Executive Director

NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE

RUSTIN

Dir. George C. Wolfe, USA, 2023, 102 min

THURSDAY, 10/12 AT 7PM SVA THEATRE

The architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Bayard Rustin was one of the greatest activists and organizers the world has ever known. He challenged authority, never apologized for who he was, what he believed, or who he desired. And he did not back down. He made history, and in turn, he was forgotten. Directed by DGA Award and five-time Tony Award winner George C. Wolfe and starring Emmy Award winner Colman Domingo, Rustin shines a long overdue spotlight on the extraordinary man who, alongside giants like the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., Adam Clayton Powell Jr., and Ella Baker, dared to imagine a different world, and inspired a movement in a march toward freedom. Produced by Academy Award winner Bruce Cohen, Higher Ground's Tonia Davis and George C. Wolfe, the film features an all-star cast including Chris Rock, Glynn Turman, Aml Ameen, Gus Halper, CCH Pounder, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Johnny Ramey, Michael Potts, with Jeffrey Wright and Audra McDonald.

EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS:: Higher Ground’s Barack & Michelle Obama, Mark R. Wright, Alex G. Scott, David Permut, Daniel Sladek, Chris Taaffe

All tickets to the Opening Night Film include an invitation to the Opening Night Party Slate (54 W 21st St, New York, NY) following the screening.

ALL OF US STRANGERS

Dir. Andrew Haigh, UK, 2023, 105 min

SUNDAY, 10/22 AT 7PM SVA THEATRE

One night in his near-empty tower block in contemporary London, solitary writer Adam (Emmy Award® nominee Andrew Scott) has a chance encounter with a mysterious neighbor Harry (Academy Award® nominee Paul Mescal), which punctures the rhythm of his everyday life. As a relationship develops between them, Adam is preoccupied with memories of the past and finds himself drawn back to the suburban town where he grew up, and the childhood home where his parents (BAFTA Award® winner Jamie Bell and Emmy Award® winner Claire Foy), appear to be living, just as they were on the day they died, 30 years before.

Writer/director Andrew Haigh makes a triumphant return to NewFest following his beloved WEEKEND (NewFest23’s Narrative Centerpiece in 2011). ALL OF US STRANGERS is a marvelous ensemble piece and deeply emotional experience – at once otherworldly and fully grounded – and distinctly exudes queer catharsis and decades-long resonance.

CAST: Andrew Scott, Paul Mescal, Claire Foy, Jamie Bell

All tickets to the Closing Night Film include an invitation to the Closing Night Party Slate (54 W 21st St, New York, NY) following the screening.

U.S. CENTERPIECE NYAD

NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 7PM SVA THEATRE

A remarkable true story of tenacity, friendship, and the triumph of the human spirit, NYAD recounts a riveting chapter in the life of world-class athlete Diana Nyad. Three decades after giving up marathon swimming in exchange for a prominent career as a sports journalist, at the age of 60, Diana (four-time Academy Award® nominee Annette Bening) becomes obsessed with completing an epic swim that always eluded her: the 110-mile trek from Cuba to Florida, often referred to as the “Mount Everest” of swims.

Determined to become the first person to finish the swim without a shark cage, Diana goes on a thrilling, four-year journey with her best friend and coach Bonnie Stoll (two-time Academy Award® winner Jodie Foster) and a dedicated sailing team. This inspirational film marks the narrative directorial debut of Academy Award®-winning documentary filmmakers Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin (FREE SOLO, THE RESCUE).

CAST: Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, Rhys Ifans, Ethan Jones Romero, Luke Cosgrove, Jeena Yi, Eric T. Miller

Dir. Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, USA, 2023, 120 min

INTERNATIONAL CENTERPIECE

NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE

MONSTER

Dir. Kore-eda Hirokazu, Japan, 2023, 127 min

SATURDAY, 10/21 AT 6PM SVA THEATRE

When her young son Minato starts to behave strangely, Saori feels that there must be something wrong. Suspecting a teacher’s involvement, she confronts the school for answers. As the story unfolds through the eyes of mother, teacher, and child, the undeniable truth gradually begins to emerge.

Echoing the multiple-perspective approach of Akira Kurosawa’s classic RASHOMON, celebrated auteur Hirokazu Kore-eda (SHOPLIFTERS) updates storytelling tradition to a refreshingly contemporary setting in MONSTER – which also features the final score from legendary late composer Ryuichi Sakamoto. Unlock the mystery of the puzzling incident in this award-winning film, recipient of Best Screenplay and the Queer Palme at this year’s Cannes Film Festival.

CAST: Ando Sakura, Nagayama Eita, Kurokawa Soya, Hiiragi Hinata

WORLD PREMIERE

QUEEN OF NEW YORK

Dir. Emma Fidel, USA, 2023, 80 min

MONDAY, 10/16 AT 7:30PM

SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Drag has never been more political! As NYC emerges from the chaos of 2020, Marti Cummings (they/them), an audacious and big-hearted drag queen, goes all out in a historic bid to become a City Councilperson. It’s one of the most hotly contested Council races in years, and Marti’s strongest competitor is Shaun Abreu, a tenants’ lawyer with deep roots in the district’s Latinx community. As these first-timers race to do the most good for their Upper Manhattan neighbors, they offer very different visions for Democratic politics – one in a suit and tie, the other in combat boots and floral print.

As this immersive documentary reveals, Marti’s passion inspires queer activists and allies to change the political system. Their campaign becomes a community of its own, especially for Marti’s non-binary peers who have never before seen themselves represented. The film features narration by superstar Billy Porter and appearances by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, BROAD CITY’s Ilana Glazer, and nearly 20 NYC-based drag artists.

CAST: Marti Cummings, Billy Porter, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilana Glazer

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

WORLD PREMIERE

BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES: 25 YEARS LATER

Dir. Daniel Peddle, USA, 2023, 80 min

WEDNESDAY, 10/18 AT 7PM SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Two decades ago, the groundbreaking film THE AGGRESSIVES (2005; NewFest17) showcased the remarkable stories of Chin, Octavio, Trevon, and Kisha — a watershed moment of visibility for masc-presenting and/or identifying BIPOC individuals that gave voice to a community that hadn’t seen themselves authentically represented in cinema before. Now, nearly 25 years later, the same four protagonists reunite to reflect on their past and envision new futures.

Interwoven with fresh voices from the wider queer BIPOC community, the highly anticipated BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES: 25 YEARS LATER continues to challenge normative ideas about gender through its profound celebration of growth, resilience, and shared humanity.

CAST: Kisha Batista, Octavio Sanders, Trevon Haynes, Chin Tsui

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

MAY DECEMBER

Dir. Todd Haynes, USA, 2023, 117 min

THURSDAY, 10/19 AT 7PM

Popular television actor Elizabeth (Academy Award® winner Natalie Portman) heads to Savannah, Georgia to research a new film that follows a scandalous tabloid romance. That love affair — between Gracie (Academy Award® winner Julianne Moore) and Joe (Charles Melton) — was once a fixture of the gossip pages. After all, Joe is significantly younger than Gracie, who served time in prison when they were caught together. When she was released, the pair were married, and they now have two children together who are about to graduate from high school.

At first glance, their untraditional marriage looks more predictable than Elizabeth expected. But soon, her observation brings long-dormant feelings to the surface, and the decades-old scandal reveals deeper and deeper layers. The new work from brilliant director Todd Haynes (recipient of the NewFest35 Queer Visionary Award), MAY DECEMBER is a deliciously witty film about performance and exploitation that juggles surreal melodrama with humane perception.

CAST: Natalie Portman, Julianne Moore, Charles Melton

+ QUEER VISIONARY AWARD (TODD HAYNES)

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

Prior to the special screening of MAY DECEMBER, NewFest will host Academy Award® nominated director Todd Haynes in a conversation and present him with the NewFest35 Queer Visionary Award.

NewFest will be honoring Haynes for his legacy and contributions to cinema — from New Queer Cinema and beyond, including his canonical directorial achievements such as POISON, VELVET GOLDMINE, FAR FROM HEAVEN, and CAROL (NewFest27’s Centerpiece Film).

GODS AND MONSTERS (FILM FEAST)

Dir. Bill Condon, USA, 1998, 105 min

WEDNESDAY 10/18 AT 6:45PM

NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK

Join us for our third-annual Film Feast and enjoy a contemporary classic along with a thematically paired multi-course meal! Once a powerful Hollywood director, James Whale (Ian McKellen, in an Academy Award®-nominated role) has long retired and is in increasingly poor health. His stalwart housekeeper, Hanna (Academy Award® nominee Lynn Redgrave), quietly disapproves of Whale’s catty candor and faceless, nameless parade of young gay lovers. But when the director takes an interest in new gardener Clayton Boone (Academy Award® winner Brendan Fraser), a former Marine and Korean War veteran, it seems to be for something more than his usual casual conquest.

Don’t miss this chance to sip and dine along to this delirious, delicious melodrama — winner of the 1998 Academy Award® for Best Adapted Screenplay — in its 25th-anniversary year.

CAST: Ian McKellen, Brendan Fraser, Lynn Redgrave

About FILM FEAST: This special event features a delicious screening that combines a film with inspired food and drink menus! The best part? Audiences are served during the specific moments that inspired the dishes so that you’ll experience the edible sensations while watching the action unfold on-screen. This FILM FEAST event partners with local food purveyors, breweries, wineries, and cocktail specialists to serve up theatrical presentations with multi-course dinners that always satiate.

A PLACE OF OUR OWN

Dir. Ektara Collective, India, 2022, 87 min

SUNDAY,

CO-PRESENTED BY

+STREAMING

Besties Laila and Roshni have been evicted by their landlord and are now in search of a new place to live. As trans women in India, they face roadblocks all along their journey. But despite societal prejudices and countless obstacles, Laila and Roshni have each other. They share a friendship built on resilience that movingly speaks to the profound and tangible impact of queer community. The film’s co-directors, the Ektara Collective, offer audiences a resonant story about being pushed to the margins. As Laila and Roshni’s search for a home continues, A PLACE OF OUR OWN uncovers that what they’re looking for transcends physical spaces and biological ties.

CAST: Manisha Soni, Muskan, Akash Jamra

NEW YORK PREMIERE

ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE

Dir. Babatunde Apalowo, Nigeria, 2023, 93 min

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

MONDAY, 10/16 AT 7:30PM; BAM

A delivery driver and a photographer fall tentatively in love in this evocative film from Nigeria. Against the backdrop of a bustling Lagos, filmmaker Babatunde Apalowo weaves a poignant story of connection in a community still learning to recognize and accept queer love.

Winner of the Teddy Award at Berlinale 2023, this restrained, tender story follows two men navigating a society in which samesex relations remain taboo and even punishable. With stunning cinematography that captures both the intimate connections between the characters and the busy metropolis around them, this film emerges as a politically significant narrative about finding love where you least expect it.

CAST: Tope Tedela, Riyo David, Martha Ehinome Orhiere, Uchechika Elumelu, Floyd Anekwe

10/15 AT 5:30PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

NORTH AMERICAN PREMIERE

ALL THE FIRES

Dir. Mauricio Calderón Rico, Mexico, 2023, 96 min

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 6PM; SVA THEATRE

It seems like the only things Bruno can control are the fires he starts. He is still grieving his father’s unexpected death, his mother has started a new relationship, and his best friend seems to have a crush on him. Confused and conflicted, Bruno escapes the city in search of a girl he met online.

Although Bruno initially wants to pursue a romantic relationship with this alluring stranger, she ends up forcing him to confront the grief and pain he has been avoiding and address his burgeoning sexual identity. Writer-director Mauricio Calderón Rico paints a fittingly slow-burning portrait of young adulthood, queer identity, and lingering loss, in which the raging flame of adolescence is not just metaphorical.

CAST: Sebástian Rojano, Ximena Ayala, Natalia Quiroz, Ari López

NEW YORK PREMIERE

ALMAMULA

Dir. Juan Sebastián Torales, Argentina, 2023, 95 min

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

MONDAY, 10/16 AT 6:45PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK

After experiencing relentless bullying, Nino and his family decide to spend the summer in a remote countryside house in Argentina. This new location is surrounded by a mysterious forest and situated in a conservative Catholic town. Unfortunately, Nino finds himself unable to escape the suffocating grip of the traditions that drove him out in the first place. All the while, Nino begins to see visions of the titular mythic monster who haunts the forest.

With temptation and curiosity around every corner, Nino wonders how long it will take before this creature pushes his desires to the breaking point. Director Juan Sebastián Torales captures the turmoil of adolescence in ALMAMULA with a dark sense of humor and unflinching honesty to produce a truly beguiling narrative.

CAST: Nicolás Díaz, Martina Grimaldi, Cali Coronel

NEW YORK PREMIERE

BIG BOYS

Dir. Corey Sherman, USA, 2023, 90 min

SATURDAY, 10/14 AT 6PM; SVA THEATRE

Jamie’s (Isaac Krasner) dream camping trip goes awry before it even begins when he finds out his beloved cousin is bringing her new boyfriend. But despite Jamie’s initial jealousy, he quickly bonds with Dan (David Johnson III) over cooking, games, and both being “big boys.” As the weekend progresses, all Jamie wants to do is hang out with Dan, despite his brother’s attempts to set him up with a girl at the campground.

With his burgeoning crush getting him into awkward arguments, Jamie begins to uncover who he is and who he desires. Hilarious and heartwarming without ever becoming too earnest, BIG BOYS — which took home the Audience Award at this year’s Outfest — is a budding-bear crowd-pleaser seldom seen within stories of self-discovery.

CAST: Isaac Krasner, Dora Madison, David Johnson III, Taj Cross, Emily Deschanel, Marion Van Cuyck, Emma Broz, Jack De Sanz

NEW YORK PREMIERE

CHESTNUT

Dir. Jac Cron, USA, 2023, 88 min

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

WEDNESDAY, 10/18 AT 7:30PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK SUNDAY, 10/22 AT 2:00PM; SVA THEATRE

+STREAMING +STREAMING

Recent college graduate and aspiring writer Annie (Natalia Dyer) is reluctant to leave her hometown of Philadelphia for a new job across the country. But sparks fly and her life takes an unexpected turn when she crosses paths with two individuals: vivacious party girl Tyler (Rachel Keller) and the introspective Danny (Danny Ramirez).

A magnetic connection with Tyler draws Annie deeper into a whirlwind of excitement, and she increasingly chooses to avoid friends and family in favor of a summer of late-night barhopping. Ultimately, though, she must confront the looming reality of her career and make a decision about her future. Vibe with this exhilarating tale of twentysomethings navigating a relatable period of angst, lust, and growth — and the excitement of what may await just around the corner.

CAST: Natalia Dyer, Rachel Keller, Danny Ramirez

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

CHUCK CHUCK BABY

Dir. Janis Pugh, UK, 2023, 101 min

SATURDAY, 10/14 AT 6:45PM; SVA THEATRE

Living a mundane life in industrial North Wales, the shy and submissive Helen (Louise Brealey, SHERLOCK) spends most of her days toiling away at a chicken factory. She is a container of emotions that is about to explode, and she may very well do just that when Joanne (Annabel Scholey, BEING HUMAN) returns from the past to ignite a star-crossed romance. This reunion between the two working-class women unfolds into a harmonious story of love and friendship — complete with thrilling musical interludes — in director Janis Pugh’s CHUCK CHUCK BABY, a crowd-pleaser that will motivate audiences to live every second to the fullest.

CAST: Louise Brealey, Annabel Scholey, Sorcha Cusack, Celyn Jones

EAST COAST PREMIERE

CLASHING DIFFERENCES

Dir. Merle Grimme, Germany, 2023, 74 min

FRIDAY, 10/20 AT 7:30PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

+STREAMING

The House of Womxn’s all-white board has an inclusivity issue, one they’ll have to address in order to attend an elite international women’s conference. When a junior member is tasked with satisfying the “diversity checklist,” she invites a group of queer and BIPOC women to create a panel for the forum.

Forced into cohabitation, the guests quickly clash on their views of tokenism, colorism, and intersectionality. Will their commonalities unite them to address a bigger threat? With bitingly subversive humor, writer and director Merle Grimme’s film provides a candid critique on the differences between being performative and being genuinely impactful.

CAST: Inka Friedrich, Anna Stieblich, Eva Bay, Rabea Lüthi, Jane Chirwa, Lisa Hrdina, Thelma Buabeng, Minh-Khai Phan Thi, Christine Wilhelmni, Safak Sengül, Tucké Royal

NEW YORK PREMIERE

CORA BORA

Dir. Hannah Pearl Utt, USA, 2023, 92 min

FRIDAY, 10/13 AT 9PM; SVA THEATRE

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 12:45PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK

Breakout queer comedian Megan Stalter (HACKS) stars as Cora, a musician with no career who performs screwball songs that mask a deeper hurt. In a moment of aimlessness and desperation, she heads back to her hometown of Portland, Oregon. Her mission: to salvage her shaky open relationship with her girlfriend (TWENTIES’ Jojo T. Gibbs).

Navigating a series of misadventures, Cora collides with Tom (THE GOOD PLACE’s Manny Jacinto), who finds himself inexplicably drawn to her gruff demeanor. A chance for romance presents itself — if she could just get it together! Embarking on an absurd, volatile journey of self-discovery, Cora confronts the self-induced roadblocks that have halted her progress and attempts to clean up her messes with riotously rocky results.

CAST: Megan Stalter, Ayden Mayeri, Jojo T. Gibbs, Caitlin Reilly, Chelsea Peretti, Manny Jacinto, Margaret Cho

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE

EILEEN

Dir. William Oldroyd, USA, 2022, 97 min

SATURDAY,

Adapted from Ottessa Moshfegh’s acclaimed novel of the same name, EILEEN unfolds against the backdrop of a harsh winter in 1964 Massachusetts. The story centers on Eileen (Thomasin McKenzie), a disillusioned secretary working at a juvenile prison whose world is transformed by the arrival of Rebecca, a new counselor from Cambridge (Anne Hathaway).

CAST: Thomasin McKenzie, Anne Hathaway

NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE

FANCY DANCE

Dir. Erica Tremblay, USA, 2023, 90 min

WEDNESDAY,

After her sister’s disappearance, Jax (Lily Gladstone, KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON) takes on the role of caring for her niece, Roki, on the Seneca-Cayuga Reservation in Oklahoma. While tirelessly searching for her missing sister, Jax faces mounting family tensions and the looming threat of losing custody of Roki to her own father, Frank (Shea Whigham).

Determined to prevent this, Jax and Roki embark on a journey across the heartland to locate Roki’s mother in time for a crucial powwow ceremony they cannot afford to miss. In her remarkable directorial debut, Erica Tremblay delves into the challenges Indigenous women confront in a colonized world and the unwavering strength they demonstrate while navigating an unforgiving justice system.

CAST: Lily Gladstone, Isabel Deroy-Olson, Ryan Begay, Crystle Lightning, Audrey Wasilewski, Shea Whigham

10/14 AT 9:30PM; SVA THEATRE

10/18 AT 7:30PM; BAM

NEW YORK PREMIERE

GOLDEN DELICIOUS

Dir. Jason Karman, Canada, 2022, 120 min

CO-PRESENTED BY

SUNDAY, 10/22 AT 1PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Asian-Canadian teen Jake finds himself trying out for the basketball team to spend more time with his dreamy, openly gay new neighbor Aleks, which complicates things with his girlfriend and her desire to deepen their relationship. Caught between his father’s varsity expectations and new feelings bubbling to the surface, Jake finds himself heading for a serious reckoning. A classic coming-of-age comedy/drama set in the digital age, director Jason Karman’s GOLDEN DELICIOUS skillfully captures the complications of young love, teen angst, and the winding path to adulthood.

CAST: Cardi Wong, Hunter Dillon, David Kaye

NEW YORK PREMIERE

HOUSEKEEPING FOR BEGINNERS

Dir. Goran Stolevski, Croatia | Kosovo | North Macedonia | Poland | Serbia, 2023, 107 min

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

MONDAY, 10/16 AT 6:30PM; SVA THEATRE

Dita never wanted to be a mother, but circumstances force her to raise her girlfriend’s two daughters: tiny troublemaker Mia and rebellious teen Vanesa. With the addition of a few local queer folks in need of refuge, her house becomes a shelter of sorts for outcasts.

A battle of wills ensues as Dita and the kids continue to butt heads and become an unlikely family that must fight to stay together. From acclaimed NewFest alum Goran Stolevski (OF AN AGE), this winner of Venice’s illustrious Queer Lion award is at its core a story about the universal truths of family — both the ones we’re born into and the ones we find for ourselves.

CAST: Anamaria Marinca, Alina Serban, Samson Selim, Mia Mustafi, Vladimir Tintor, Dzada Selim

NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE

LIE WITH ME

Dir. Olivier Peyon, France, 2022, 98 min

THURSDAY, 10/19 AT 8PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Celebrated novelist Stéphane takes a trip down memory lane to the sun-splashed summer of his first love. As a shy teenager he had fallen for Thomas, a rough-and-tumble boy from their small picturesque town. Now, 30 years later, Stéphane returns home for a book tour and meets his former lover’s grown son who is searching for answers about his deceased father.

Adapted from Phillipe Besson’s beloved novel, LIE WITH ME is a timeless tale of love found and lost that will sweep audiences away on Stéphane’s wave of nostalgia and questions of what might have been. Even tragic love stories have magical moments — and this one’s full of them.

CAST: Guillaume de Tonquédec, Victor Belmondo, Doriane Chastanet, Julien de Saint Jean, Jérémy Gillet, Guilaine Londez

NEW YORK PREMIERE

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Dir. Luke Gilford, USA, 2023, 99 min

TUESDAY, 10/17 AT 7:30PM; SVA THEATRE

Dylan (Charlie Plummer) is stuck in the New Mexico plains, juggling temporary construction jobs to support his alcoholic mother (Robyn Lively) and his younger brother. But when he’s offered a job on a unique ranch, his life takes a surprising turn. Here, he stumbles upon a vibrant community of openly queer farmers and rodeo performers — played by a dynamic ensemble including breakout stars Eve Lindley and Mason Alexander Park — who not only welcome him but also ignite a previously dormant side of his identity.

Steeped in rugged masculinity and historical repression, the American West may seem like an improbable setting for queer liberation. Yet, in this exhilarating film, director Luke Gilford boldly reimagines the heartland as an ethereal haven of queer self-discovery and profound connection. This is the Wild West, stripped down and reassembled, like you’ve never seen it before.

CAST: Charlie Plummer, Eve Lindley, Mason Alexander Park, Rene Rosado, Robyn Lively

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT

Dir. Luis De Filippis, Canada | Switzerland, 2022, 96 min

THURSDAY, 10/19 AT 6:45PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK

+STREAMING

After losing her job, aspiring writer Ren sets off on a beach vacation with her Canadian-American family. As she grapples with the weight of family expectations, Ren’s inner world is unsettled as her sister and parents fail to truly understand her. What ensues is a transformative journey of self-affirmation, where Ren confronts the uneasiness of being trans on a beach and her desire to break free from her suffocating family.

Written and directed by Luis De Filippis and executive produced by Julia Fox (UNCUT GEMS), SOMETHING YOU SAID LAST NIGHT captures a fresh story about navigating family dynamics as a trans person and finding personal autonomy within complex relationships.

CAST: Carmen Madonia, Ramona Milano, Paige Evans, Joe Parro

NEW YORK CITY PREMIERE

SUMMER SOLSTICE

Dir. Noah Schamus, USA, 2023, 80 min

CO-PRESENTED BY

SATURDAY, 10/21 AT 4PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

The relationship of two longtime friends is challenged during a weekend escapade in Noah Schamus’ auspicious feature debut. Leo (Bobbi Salvör Menuez) navigates the world of casting calls and the limited options offered to trans masc actors; but despite these challenges, Leo has a clear purpose. In contrast, his cis straight friend Eleonor has no clue which way her chaotic life will lead her.

With emotional depth and humor, SUMMER SOLSTICE underscores the impact of old friendships and how connections can both fray and heal with time. As the characters traverse their disunited paths, this playful film paints a relatable portrait of growth and acceptance.

CAST: Bobbi Salvör Menuez, Marianne Rendón

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

NEW YORK PREMIERE

THE LOST BOYS

Dir. Zeno Graton, Belgium | France, 2023, 85 min

SATURDAY, 10/14 AT 8:45PM; SVA THEATRE

In a youth correctional facility, Joe is preparing for his return to society, uncertain as to what life will look like on the other side of the barbed-wire fence. But when new arrival William moves into the cell next door, Joe’s desire for freedom quickly gives way to a desire of another kind.

Director Zeno Graton’s debut feature charts the twists and turns of passion between these two young men who thought their lives had been put on hold. With electric performances from Khalil Gharbia (Francois Ozon’s PETER VON KANT) and Julien De Saint Jean (also featured in NewFest35’s LIE WITH ME), THE LOST BOYS offers an uncompromising vision of love that will break and mend hearts in equal measure.

CAST: Khalil Gharbia, Julien De Saint Jean, Eye Haïdara, Jonathan Couzinié

NEW YORK PREMIERE

THE MATTACHINE FAMILY

Dir. Andy Vallentine, USA, 2022, 99 min

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 1PM; SVA THEATRE

+STREAMING +STREAMING

Married couple Thomas (Nico Tortorella, YOUNGER) and Oscar (Juan Pablo Di Pace) have their lives thrown into turmoil when their foster child is returned to his birth mother. In the midst of this upheaval, they look to their chosen family — including Leah (Emily Hampshire, SCHITT’S CREEK) and Annie (Heather Matarazzo) — for support.

Director Andy Vallentine teams up with real-life husband Danny Vallentine to deliver a tender, star-studded dramedy about forging your own path with the help of friends and family.

CAST: Nico Tortorella, Juan Pablo Di Pace, Emily Hampshire, Carl Clemons-Hopkins, Heather Matarazzo

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

THIS PLACE

Dir. V.T. Nayani, Canada, 2022, 87 min

CO-PRESENTED BY

Led by star and co-writer Devery Jacobs (RESERVATION DOGS), THIS PLACE explores the stories of two women in Toronto: Kawenniióhstha, a half-Iranian, half-Mohawk poet searching for her estranged father, and Malai, a Tamil graduate student grappling with her own father’s alcoholism.

Connected by complicated feelings towards their heritage and families, a palpable bond blooms between the women in director V. T. Nayani’s artful debut. What results is an intricately crafted narrative that warmly bridges the gaps between their two worlds and reconciles the love they feel for each other.

CAST: K. Devery Jacobs, Priya Guns, Ali Momen, Muraly Srinarayanathas, Alex Joseph, Brittany Leborgne, Janisa Weekes

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

EAST COAST PREMIERE

ACSEXYBILITY

Dir. Daniel Gonçalves, Brazil, 2023, 87 min

SATURDAY, 10/14 AT 6PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER +STREAMING

CO-PRESENTED BY

Acclaimed Brazilian filmmaker Daniel Gonçalves returns with his latest film about the intersection of sexual life and disability within the queer space. The documentary highlights the complexities and challenges of being disabled and leading a fulfilling sex life. Its featured subjects do not shy away from exploring or discussing their erotic fantasies, and offer engaging insight in the community with vulnerability and without shame. Gonçalves shines a light on an underrepresented community both on screen and in the real world and allows for these important conversations to be heard and seen.

CAST: Giovanni Venturini, Lelê Martins, Estela Lapponi,

NEW YORK PREMIERE

ANHELL69

Dir. Theo Montoya, Colombia | France | Germany | Romania, 2023, 74 min

TUESDAY, 10/17 AT 6:45PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK +STREAMING

A standout at SXSW and the recipient of Outfest LA’s Grand Jury Award, this poignant docufiction takes a candid look at the senseless violence affecting LGBTQ+ people in Medellín, Colombia. Blurring the lines between fiction and reality, director Theo Montoya creates a compelling portrait of a generation of artists pushing to be heard, battling for survival, and refusing to fade into obscurity.

ANHELL69 seamlessly melds the personal with the universal, the artistic with the confrontational, and despair with unwavering resilience. The film is both a heartfelt tribute to Montoya’s friends and a plea for the well-being of an entire community.

Tuca Munhoz, Cida Leite Amanda Soares, Dudé, Clara Sasse

EAST COAST PREMIERE

BLUE ID

Dir. Burcu Melekoglu & Vuslat Karan, Turkey, 2022, 84 min

SATURDAY, 10/21 AT 7PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

On October 4, 2012 a beaming Rüzgar Erkoçlar received his first testosterone injection, a joyous occasion in his gender affirmation. Formerly a well-known actor throughout Turkey, Rüzgar hoped he could lead a private life as a transman. With a new job at a bakery and a supportive mother and friends, things looked positive at first – until he was outed on Twitter.

A media frenzy ensues, and suddenly Rüzgar’s journey is thrust onto the front pages. It is against this backdrop that we join Rüzgar, a reluctant figurehead in the discussion of trans-rights in Turkey, and witness the many obstacles he overcomes to live authentically and get his Blue ID.

EAST COAST PREMIERE

COMING AROUND

Dir. Sandra Itäinen, USA, 2023, 75 min

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 7PM; BAM

A young queer woman is at a crossroads with her devout Muslim mother. Eman navigates the compromises and lies she needs to overcome to arrive at her authentic self. Her mother tries to be understanding but she’s boxed in by her faith and upbringing.

Sensitively probing the link between homophobia and religious beliefs, this affirming portrait is a complex examination of an experience many queer people go through no matter their cultural background. Director Sandra Itäinen is deftly attuned to both her subjects state of mind and POV, making this documentary an empathetic vehicle for more conversation and understanding.

CAST: Eman Abdelhadi, Fatten Elkomy

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

2023 FILM SCHEDULE

MONDAY, OCTOBER 16

SHORTS: LOOKING FOR MISTER RIGHT NOW 87MIN

ALL THE FIRES

Shorts Program

Documentary

Centerpiece

Episodic

Narrative Events

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21

ALMAMULA 95MIN

ALL THE COLOURS OF THE WORLD ARE BETWEEN BLACK AND WHITE 93MIN

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 22

NATIONAL ANTHEM 99MIN

NEW VOICES FILMMAKER GRANT SHOWCASE 90MIN

ANHELL69 74MIN

CHOCOLATE BABIES 81MIN

BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES 80MIN

GODS & MONSTERS 105MIN

SHORTS: MAKE ‘EM LAUGH 88MIN

FANCY DANCE 90MIN

SHORTS: WOMEN’S NIGHT OUT REMIX 93MIN

CLASHING DIFFERENCES 74MIN

MONSTER (INTERNATIONAL CENTERPIECE) 125MIN

102MIN

FELLOW TRAVELERS 60MIN

GOING TO MARS: THE NIKKI GIOVANNI PROJECT

Dir. Michèle Stephenson & Joe Brewster, USA, 2023, 102 min

SATURDAY, 10/21 AT 6:30PM; SVA THEATRE

Charting the life of poet Nikki Giovanni through tumultuous decades in American history — from the Civil Rights and Black Arts movements to present-day Black Lives Matter — this Sundance Grand Prize winner shatters any notions you may have had about what is possible in a biographical film.

Directors Michèle Stephenson and Joe Brewster mix archival and contemporary footage to deliver an unvarnished portrait of Giovanni as she is: bold, fearless, and, most importantly, unapologetically herself. And just like the film’s subject, the kaleidoscopic filmmaking is risky and audacious in its depiction of a truly visionary artist.

CAST: Nikki Giovanni

NEW YORK PREMIERE

HIDDEN MASTER: THE LEGACY OF GEORGE PLATT LYNES

Dir. Sam Shahid, USA, 2023, 96 min

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

FRIDAY, 10/13 AT 6PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Photographer George Platt Lynes is best known for his iconic portraits of early-to-mid 20th-century celebrities, but his greatest passion was his work exploring the male nude. Sensuous and radically explicit for their time, these photos have only recently begun to be fully appreciated for the revolution they represent — a man who captured his fantasies, and who created a window to a future his camera saw coming before anyone else.

From visionary art director Sam Shahid, HIDDEN MASTER features a stunning collection of photography from the 1930s through the1950s and gives moving dimension to the life of Lynes that is less known: his gifted eye for the male form, his long-term friendships with Gertrude Stein and Alfred Kinsey, and his lasting influence as one of the first openly gay American artists.

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

NEW YORK PREMIERE

HUMMINGBIRDS

Dir. Silvia Del Carmen Castaños, Estefanía ''Beba'' Contreras, USA, 2023, 77 min

SATURDAY, 10/21 AT 9:30PM; SVA THEATRE

On the Texas border, best friends Silvia and Beba dance, read tarot, make music, and savor the long summer nights of their youth. Yet, their carefree facades conceal a fragile future as they’re stuck in an endless immigration process in a politically divided America. Much like their hometown, they inhabit two worlds without truly belonging to either.

In this vigorous documentary — honored with the Jury Grand Prix at the recent Berlinale Generation 14plus — Silvia and Beba wield the camera, turning its lens on themselves and their surroundings. The result is a montage of home footage that captures the uncertainty of their predicament while highlighting the unwavering joy they carry with them through life’s ups and downs.

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

IT’S ONLY LIFE AFTER ALL

Dir. Alexandria Bombach, USA, 2022, 123 min

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 3PM; SVA THEATRE

The iconic folk-rock band Indigo Girls has been making beautiful music for over 40 years, with Amy Ray and Emily Saliers having made their mark as musicians, songwriters, and dedicated activists. The Indigo Girls have represented radical self-acceptance to many — leading multiple generations of fans to say, “the Indigo Girls saved my life.”

Despite decades of success, Ray and Saliers have battled misogyny, homophobia, and a harsh cultural climate chastising them for not fitting into a female pop-star mold. With joy, humor, and heart-warming moments, Sundance award-winning director Alexandria Bombach brings us into a contemporary conversation with Ray and Saliers — alongside incredible home movies and intimate present-day verité.

CAST: Amy Ray, Emily Saliers

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

MÁ SÀI GÒN (MOTHER SAIGON)

Dir. Khoa Lê, Canada, 2023, 99 min

THURSDAY, 10/19 AT 7:30PM; BAM

+STREAMING

In the Vietnamese metropolis of Saigon, family culture carries on as it has for centuries, even when blood ties are severed.

MÁ SÀI GÒN (MOTHER SAIGON) intimately explores the timeless human yearning for love, acceptance, connection, and a sense of belonging, all seen through the prism of LGBTQ+ experiences.

Directed by the talented Khoa Lê, this stunning documentary serves as a love letter and heartfelt tribute, a bittersweet ode to a comforting yet domineering mother and to a city as liberating as it is oppressive.

CO-PRESENTED BY

ORLANDO, MY POLITICAL BIOGRAPHY

Dir. Paul B. Preciado, France, 2023, 99 min

SATURDAY,

10/14 AT 7PM; BAM

In 1928’s Orlando, writer Virginia Woolf wove a gender-bending narrative that continues to resonate. These echoes are amplified in a grand gesture of literary legacy by trans activist and writer Paul B. Preciado, who responds to Woolf through a generous letter in the form of this dazzling directorial debut. Preciado gathers an all-trans and non-binary ensemble to shape a vivid tapestry of identities and experiences in the name of Orlando, as the character emerges from fiction to playfully navigate a gender euphoric reality.

Recipient of the Special Jury Prize and Teddy Award at the Berlinale, this gift of a film is a groundbreaking testament from the trans community that comes to us at a historic moment in the ongoing fight for trans rights.

NEW YORK PREMIERE

QUEENDOM

Dir. Agniia Galdanova, USA | France, 2023, 98 min

FRIDAY, 10/13 AT 6:30PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Gena, a 21-year-old queer artist from a small town in Russia, dazzles in otherworldly costumes she crafts from tape and found materials. As Putin’s government increasingly encroaches on the rights of LGBTQ+ communities, Gena takes to the streets of Moscow, staging provocative performances that challenge the status quo. But her artistic activism comes at a price as political tensions in Russia escalate, jeopardizing her own personal freedom.

Director Agniia Galdanova’s vivid documentary delves into Gena’s extravagant subconscious creations and her search for free expression, illustrating how unleashing one’s inner world can create ripples of change.

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

NEW YORK PREMIERE

TRUTH BE TOLD

Dir. Nneka Onuorah, USA, 2023, 81 min

SATURDAY, 10/14 AT 4PM; BAM

+

The Black church presents many opportunities to establish ties with a community that can offer significant support, sometimes for as long as a lifetime. But for LGBTQIA+ folks, entering a religious environment can mean exposing themselves to rejection and constant vulnerability.

Emmy Award® winner and NewFest alumna Nneka Onuorah (NewFest27 Audience Award winner, THE SAME DIFFERENCE) invites us to join her to closely witness the activism of those fighting for safer spaces for LGBTQIA+ individuals within the Black church. Magnifying the voices of activist leaders, Onuorah’s documentary presents an unfiltered look at their experiences and emerges as a demand for both recognition and change.

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

Educate. Entertain. Empower.

We are proud to sponsor the 2023 NewFest Film Festival and their mission to give the New York LGBTQ+ community a platform to change the world. Congratulations on 35 years of believing that visibility matters.

© 2023 Warner Bros. Discovery, Inc. or its subsidiaries and affiliates. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners. All rights reserved.

CHOCOLATE BABIES (1996; 4K RESTORATION)

Dir. Stephen Winter, USA, 1996, 81 min

CO-PRESENTED BY

TUESDAY, 10/17 AT 7:30PM; BAM

A spirited collective of queer, self-described “raging, atheist, meat-eating, HIV-positive, colored terrorists” fight back against conservative politicians on the streets of New York in Stephen Winter’s wild guerilla satire. Calling out government apathy to the AIDS crisis — particularly as it affected communities of color — CHOCOLATE BABIES combines exuberant camp and searing societal anger into a radical statement of Black queer power that continues to endure.

At once exuding ’90s resistance and evoking contemporary resilience, this SXSW award winner returns to NewFest (the film first screened at NewFest10) with the New York Premiere of a glorious 4K Restoration.

CAST: Claude E. Sloan, Bryan Webster, Jon Lee, Gregg Suzanne Ferguson, Michael Lynch, Dudley Findlay Jr.

THE AGGRESSIVES (2005)

Dir. Daniel Peddle, USA, 2005, 72 min

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

After watching the original THE AGGRESSIVES (2005), join us for the World Premiere of the highly anticipated followup BEYOND THE AGGRESSIVES: 25 YEARS LATER (NewFest35 Documentary Centerpiece) at SVA Theatre on Wednesday, October 18th at 7pm.

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 4PM; BAM

Filmed over the late ’90s and early 2000s, THE AGGRESSIVES is a significant contribution to the historical narrative of New York’s LGBTQ+ community and an enduring milestone within the realm of queer cinema. The personal, observational film provides an intimate look at six masc-presenting and/or identifying QTBIPOC New Yorkers who are defying societal norms and embracing their inner selves in an outward statement of visibility.

Initially screened at NewFest17 in 2005, the documentary sheds light on the challenges faced by young queer folks of color and archives the spaces they thrive in, including gender expansive performances in the Black and Latinx Ballroom scene.

CAST: Kisha Batista, Octavio Sanders, Trevon Haynes, Chin Tsui, Rjai Johnson, Marquise Balenciaga

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

(SCREENING + CONVERSATION)

Join NewFest and the American LGBTQ+ Museum as we commemorate the pioneering organizer Urvashi Vaid alongside additional leaders & activists from the 80s and 90s via the 30th anniversary of the 1993 March on Washington for LGBTQ+ rights.

URVASHI VAID + A SIMPLE MATTER OF JUSTICE

Dir. JEB (Joan E. Biren), USA, 1993, 57 min

SATURDAY, 10/14 AT 3PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER

CO-PRESENTED BY

We’re honored to present the New York Premiere of the short documentary THERE ARE THINGS TO DO about the life and legacy of Urvashi Vaid, followed by the JEB (Joan E. Biren)’s feature-length documentary A SIMPLE MATTER OF JUSTICE: THE 1993 MARCH ON WASHINGTON FOR LESBIAN, GAY, AND BI EQUAL RIGHTS AND LIBERATION. Through full-access footage of joyful protest, this rousing doc features sections on civil rights, AIDS and health care, the military, and families; and includes a passionate speech from Urvashi Vaid alongside vital organizers and celebrities such as Larry Kramer, Kathy Najimy, Cybil Shepard, Jesse Jackson, Melissa Ethridge, Ian McKellan, RuPaul, Barney Frank, Lea Delaria, and Eartha Kitt.

PRECEDED BY THE SHORT FILM: THERE ARE THINGS TO DO

Dir. Mike Syers, USA, 2023, 18 min

EAST COAST PREMIERE

THESE FILMS WILL BE FOLLOWED BY AN EXTENDED CONVERSATION

YOUNG SOUL REBELS (1991): 4K RESTORATION

Dir. Isaac Julien, Canada, 1991, 105 min

FRIDAY, 10/13 AT 7:30PM; BAM

+

In 1970s East London — just days before the Queen’s Silver Jubilee — underground DJs Chris and Caz have their worlds rocked when a close friend is murdered in a queer hook-up park. Their tight-knit local Black community suspects potential right-wing involvement, while the police point fingers at Chris as the prime suspect.

Iconic New Queer Cinema director Isaac Julien weaves an improbable romance between Caz and his white punk boyfriend amidst these mounting political and racial tensions. Set to a pulsating soundtrack featuring X-Ray Spex, Parliament, The Heptones, and Sylvester, Julien’s stylish narrative feature will be presented at NewFest35 in a stunning new 4K restoration.

CAST: Valentine Nonyela, Mo Sesay, Dorian Healy

ADVANCE SCREENING

OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH: SEASON 2

USA | New Zealand, 2023, 52 min

MONDAY, 10/16 AT 7:30PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK ADVANCE SCREENING OF SEASON 2, EPISODES 6 AND 7

CO-PRESENTED BY

OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH is based (very) loosely on the true adventures of 18th century would-be pirate Stede Bonnet (Rhys Darby). After trading the seemingly charmed life of a gentleman for one of a swashbuckling buccaneer, Stede became captain of the pirate ship Revenge. Struggling to earn the respect of his potentially mutinous crew, Stede’s fortunes changed after a fateful run-in with the infamous Captain Blackbeard (Taika Waititi). To their surprise, the wildly different Stede and Blackbeard found more than friendship on the high seas…they found love. Now, they have to survive it.

CAST: Rhys Darby, Taika Waititi, Samson Kayo, Vico Ortiz, Ewen Bremner, Joel Fry, Matthew Maher, Kristian Nairn, Con O’Neill, David Fane, Samba Schutte, Nat Faxon, Leslie Jones, Ruibo Qian

ADVANCE SCREENING

FELLOW TRAVELERS

Dir. Daniel Minahan, USA, 2023, 60min

THIS FILM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

SATURDAY, 10/21 AT 8:45PM; SVA THEATRE

CO-PRESENTED BY

Created for television by Oscar nominee Ron Nyswaner (Philadelphia, Homeland), and based on the novel by Thomas Mallon, FELLOW TRAVELERS is an epic love story and political thriller, chronicling the clandestine romance of two very different men who meet in McCarthy-era. Washington. Matt Bomer plays charismatic Hawkins Fuller, who maintains a financially rewarding, behind-the scenes career in politics. Hawkins avoids emotional entanglements – until he meets Tim Laughlin (BRIDGERTON’s Jonathan Bailey), a young man brimming with idealism and religious faith. They begin a romance just as Joseph McCarthy and Roy Cohn declare war on “subversives and sexual deviants,” initiating one of the darkest periods in 20th-century American history.

Over the course of four decades, we follow five main characters — Hawk, Tim, Marcus (Jelani Alladin), Lucy (Allison Williams), and Frankie (Noah J. Ricketts) as they cross paths through the Vietnam War protests of the 1960s, the drug-fueled disco hedonism of the 1970s, and the AIDS crisis of the 1980s, while facing obstacles in the world and in themselves.

CAST: Matt Bomer, Jonathan Bailey, Jelani Alladin, Allison Williams, Noah J. Ricketts

SHORTS: LOOKING FOR MISTER RIGHT NOW

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 4PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Runtime: 87 min

A knowing glance across the room. Sweat rolling down your back. Breathing that grows heavier and heartbeats that grow louder. Two people coming together before going their separate ways again. In this sweet and sexy short film program, boys, men, and masculine bodies meet each other in explosive encounters that are as ephemeral as they are meaningful — tender romances with bike-riding strangers, unexpected debauchery in a bathroom stall, and learning what your crush smells like. Close encounters come in all shapes, forms, and identities. Look up from Grindr, let go, and discover a different experience of “Into?” and “Looking for right now.”

MY DEAR BOY

Dir. Leaf Lieber, USA, 2022, 5 min

Within the first few seconds of meeting each other, two men experience the rise and collapse of their destined relationship through a surreal journey.

STAY LOST

Dir. Chris Coats, USA, 2022, 12 min

After meeting a charismatic nomadic musician, the life of an aimless young man takes an entirely new trajectory.

EITR

Dir. Fateema Al-Hamaydeh Miller, Canada, 2022, 15 min

A closeted Arab wholesale perfume seller, attempting to mask his identity with excessive amounts of Polo Sport adjacent cologne, is knocked off centre when a charming customer sees through his act.

COWBOY, CHOKER, HARNESS & HEART

Dir. Nicolas Blanco & Julia Ponce Díaz, USA, 2023, 8 min

A bathroom stall hookup gets complicated when some unexpected guests arrive.

SUMMER

Dir. Rafael Ruiz Espejo and Luis Pacheco, Mexico, 2022, 22 min Night, speed, and adrenaline. A wild world and the longing for someone who will never love you back.

THE DALLES

Dir. Angalis Field, USA, 2022, 12 min

Cam is used to seeing the same customers while working at his family’s cherry stand. After a handsome cyclist passes through and asks for directions to a local cruising site, Cam takes it as an invitation to follow him.

WHAT BECAME OF DAVID BURKETT?

Dir. Duane Michals, USA, 2023, 3 min

Memories of an old friend are filled with questions and longing.

GAUZE

Dir. Kevaughn Reid, USA, 2023, 10 min

A semi-meditative love story between an Airbnb host and his guest. Because of Amir, Noah felt something he never thought he would.

THIS PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

SHORTS: DRAMA QUEENS

Runtime: 69 min

FRIDAY, 10/13 AT 7PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER +STREAMING

Outsized personalities and imaginations take center stage in this shorts program. Whether loud or quiet, these chaos agents lash with impulsive words and rash actions that they may regret later. Their emotions are easily available to them and wholly apparent to those around them, but in the end that just means they have lots of heart. Featuring an anxious trip to the movies, a hyper-domestic flight of fancy, a mad-dash across state lines to seek an abortion, and a spicy tofu recipe that’ll heighten every emotion.

SWEETGREEN

Dir. Phillip Vernon, USA, 2023, 11 min

A couple on the rocks hopes that a simple night out at the movies will help smooth things over, but they’re hangry and running late.

THESE GAMES WE PLAY

Dir. Mike Klubeck, USA, 2021, 7 min

A man goes on a quest across New York City at night: one that risks tearing his fantastical reality apart.

T-MINUS

Dir. Emily Lerer, USA, 2022, 12 min

T-Minus tells the story of Andrew, a trans mechanic, and a drag queen named Lex as they road-trip from Ohio to Detroit to obtain an abortion.

A BED FOR THREE

Dir. Jan-Peter Horstmann, GERMANY, 2023, 17 min

Fred, Timo and Jona finally want to move in together. And to live together, you need a bed. But no one expected what happens when three people want to sleep in one. This leads to a relationship crisis for the throuple and suddenly everything is upside down. A small, queer comedy about bedroom furniture and the question of when we actually became bougie.

IT HAD TO BE YOU

Dir. Camryn Garrett, USA, 2022, 8 min

When Cleo falls for a customer at the coffee shop she works at, she must catch his attention before her more beautiful coworker does.

100% USDA CERTIFIED ORGANIC HOMEMADE TOFU

Dir. Gbenga Komolafe, USA, 2022, 14 min

Nikki spices things up at her mom’s struggling tofu restaurant while working to afford her breast augmentation surgery.

SHORTS: WE CARRY THE LOVE

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 2:30PM; THE LGBT COMMUNITY CENTER +STREAMING

Love is conjured in many forms, and when it comes with expectations it can become so heavy that it needs to be carried. In this perceptive program of the ties that bind, we explore connections with parents, siblings, and lovers reeling from the love they can’t let go of, the time and physical space that separates, the complications it brings to their lives, and the unconditional pull we feel towards those who know us best.

DEAR NANA

Dir. Han Nguyen, USA, 2023, 3 min

In this heartfelt tribute to his late grandmother, a trans man reminisces about growing up queer in a small, conservative town in Vietnam.

NOVENA

Dir. Fernando Lopez, USA, 2022, 16 min

A death in the family forces old friends back together where, over the course of a night, their relationship unravels into unresolved emotion.

默 (TO WRITE FROM MEMORY)

Dir. Emory Chao Johnson, USA, 2023, 18 min

Opaque memories seep into a quotidian flow despite efforts to move onward.

BECOMING

Dir. Tramaine Raphael Gray, USA, 2023, 25 min

An imaginative queer teen weaves in and out of his own fantasy world while struggling to connect with his older brother.

IT HAD TO BE YOU

Dirs. Juan Barquin, Trae DeLellis, USA, 2023, 6 min

A couple reminisces on the wild night on South Beach that kicked off their ten year relationship.

THE DADS

Dir. Luchina Fisher, USA, 2023, 10 min

Five fathers of trans children join Dennis Shepard – the father of slain gay college student Matthew Shepard – for a fishing trip in rural Oklahoma. As the men cast their lines, they find common ground across racial, geographical, and generational lines: their unconditional love for their children.

THE END

Dir. Fernando Reinaldos, Spain, 2022, 10 min

In the last years, Carmen has dedicated herself body and soul to caring for her wife Rosa, who suffers from Alzheimer’s. In each gesture, Carmen maintains the hope that Rosa will look at her as she used to do when they were younger.

SHORTS: FRISKY FRIDAY

EPISODICS Runtime: 86 min

FRIDAY, 10/13 AT 9:30PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Vibrant storytelling and desire are the key in our annual showcase of short episodics. Sex parties, sex workers, thirst traps, and a bit of sweet surreal romance sprinkled in for flavor: We are all connected by the constant quest for pleasure and validation like the characters in this collection of scintillating series. Discover your new binge watch and come #NewFestandChill.

HOW TO HAVE SEX IN A PANDEMIC: EPISODE 2

Dir. Michael Leibenluft, USA, 2023, 19 min

A Park Slope dungeon hosts Brookyn’s quirkiest, most inventive Queer parties, after restrictive laws drove them underground in the 1980s. When COVID arrives, party organizers strive to keep communities safe without replicating the stigma, past and present.

PRO

Dir. Sarra Ryma, France, 2023, 7 min

In PRO, we’ll get a peek in the world of a 20 something full service sex worker named Lou while she manages her love life, personal life and work life.

THE UNIVERSE CONSPIRES (EPISODE 7)

Dir. Leonardo Pintos, Uruguay/Argentina, 2022, 15 min Montevideo, gay pride day and a group of young people in their twenties trying to find a direction in that stage of life where everything is usually uncertain. Love, bonds, friendship, work, the future. In this context of partying and chaos, there seems to be no chance for Bruno and Bruno to meet. However, the universe conspires.

S&M RECORDS (PILOT)

Dirs. Drew Bolton, Jose Alvarez, USA, 2022, 17 min An anthology drama series unveiling conventional people’s unconventional sexual desires.

I HATE PEOPLE, PEOPLE HATE ME (EPISODES 1 & 2)

Dir. Blake Mawson, Canada, 2023, 28 min Perpetually disturbed by the world around them, two friends navigate their lives as outliers in the queer community.

THIS PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

SHORTS: WAKE AND BAKE BRUNCH

Runtime: 75 min

SATURDAY, 10/14 AT 12PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK +STREAMING

You’re cordially invited to join us for an afternoon feast where the devil’s lettuce is cinematically on the menu. Lightly inspired by the goofy genius of Gregg Araki’s 2005 cult hit SMILEY FACE, this queer stoner combo of very exaggerated and very real stories of canna-bliss will turn that morning frown upside down.

Gather your buds and sink into your seat with this Mary Jane-tinged mixtape that features a makeshift dealer, a mythic puppet, a dangerous appliance, angels and demons, and more surprises that await at our annual Brooklyn Brunch.

DEALING

Dir. Kendall Alex Payne, USA, 2023, 12 min Dealing is a stoner comedy about Kai, a depressed lesbian, who picks up a part-time gig delivering weed for a day and through the power of human connection learns to love life again.

BABY YAGA SMOKED ME OUT

Dir. Julia B, USA, 2023, 10 min

In this puppet-tastic queer 420 comedy, a heartbroken and unemployed dyke unknowingly smokes magical weed and summons the mysterious Baba Yaga — an old hag witch that grants wishes for a price.

MONSTER COOKIE

Dir. John E. Kilberg, USA, 2023, 10 min Frankie wants to pay their rent, go to work, and be a good roommate but is hijacked by their love for weed.

GIRL BLUNT

Dir. Clementine Narcisse, USA, 2023, 11 min

Two young women decide to use their newly found drug-dealing business to get revenge against a conniving man of their past.

GIANNA

Dir. Kait Schuster, USA, 2022, 11 min

Gina, a Filipina Gemini doing her best, takes the the advice of her sliding scale therapist to spend a day with her INNER SABOTEUR. Enter Gianna. Will they make peace, or does Gianna, like, literally want Gina dead?

CRARYLAKE BOATS AND FLOATS

Dir. Spencer Thielmann and Emily Berge, USA, 2022, 10 min

Summer is over. At the combo hot dog stand boat rental shop, Lane hopes to wait out her shift by getting high and avoiding the rain. The arrival of a flirty late-season boat renter, Cara, throws her plans into chaos.

AC UNIT

Dir. Grace Godvin, USA, 2023, 13 min

Hilton and Drew are two best friends living in Brooklyn during the height of a heatwave. After a futile attempt at installing an AC unit, a disaster turns their world on its head and the future becomes incredibly unclear.

SHORTS: AFTERNOON DELIRIUM

Runtime: 92 min

SATURDAY, 10/21 AT 12:45PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK +STREAMING

A genre-fluid, gender-bending program that’ll make you feel as if you’re in a waking delirium. Step into a realm where the ordinary transforms into the extraordinary, where the tapestry of queer experiences intertwines with mystical, eerie, fantastic worlds, and where the unseen takes center stage. We’ve come a long way voicing our demands through cinema; now we can sit back and enjoy the mesmerizing shorts that these visionary creators have prepared for us. Each film in this program will enchant, haunt, and take you through fever dreams where anything is possible!

PIPES

Dirs. Kilian Feusi, Jessica Meier, Sujanth Ravichandran, Switzerland, 2022, 4 min Bob the plumber is hired to fix a broken pipe and lands to his surprise in a gay fetish club.

GOLD AND MUD

Dir. Conor Dooley, USA, 2023, 9 min

A sprawling story of love and loss, as reflected on a single face.

SKIN

Dir. Cyrus Gainer, USA, 2023, 10 min

In a present-day post-apocalypse where New York City has become a wasteland with a resting temperature of 140 degrees, Kai struggles to find an intimate connection using an online dating device that allows you to feel someone else’s touch.

BLIND

Dir. Cory Nixon , USA, 2022, 19 min

A blended group of close friends discover unforeseen things about each other over the course of a tense Halloween week in 2020.

ECSTACY

Dir. Carolina Costa, Mexico/USA, 2023, 8 min

A mystical sci-fi based on Saint Teresa de Avila’s writings. Inside a ghostly mausoleum that is an artifact of both the past, and future, these nuns are being affected by a black hole. Ecstasy is an eerie exploration of pleasure.

SAM AND THE UNIVERSE

Dir. Alicia Ramirez, USA, 2023, 13 min

A queer sci-fi film about a non-binary person named Sam who goes on a birthday trip with friends, despite hating their birthday. The film explores mental health, friendship, and the experience of feeling alienated even around the people that love you the most.

TICKS

Dir. Sam Max, USA, 2022, 10 min

In the midst of a violent breakup, Jenny-a drifter-encounters a presence in the woods that causes them to turn against their partner.

I CAN SEE THE SUN BUT I CAN’T FEEL IT YET

Dir. Joseph Wilson , UK, 2023, 18 min

Five young queer people are admitted into a clinic to undergo conversion therapy, but, the sterile space of abject trauma struggles to suppress the abundance and beauty of queer love.

SHORTS: TRANS+ REALISM

Runtime: 89 min

THURSDAY, 10/19 AT 7:30PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK +STREAMING

Is Trans+ Realism a new genre, or an undefined category? The origin of the word trans is “to expand beyond,” and this powerful program evolves beyond genres, identities and pre-conceptions for an augmented expression of our community. Each film in this program — predominantly trans and non-binary-directed — offers a glimpse into the diverse spectrum of the trans experience, illuminating the screen with stories about characters fearlessly forging their path and living their truths. These fiction, documentary, and hybrid stories navigate the subtleties of T4T relationships, celebrate radical acceptance, deconstruct the medical paradigm, imagine possible futures, and present the multiple realities in which we care for and inhabit.

THE SCRIPT

Dirs. Noah Schamus, Brit Fryer, USA, 2023, 15 min Blending personal interviews with dramatized genre recreations, The Script explores the complicated relationship between trans and nonbinary communities and medical providers regarding gender-affirming care.

I IDENTIFY AS ME

Dirs. Tina Colleen, Monick Monell, USA, 2021, 10 min

Through the intimate lens of eight Black & Brown Trans, gender-diverse people, and masculine-presenting women, the social concept of gender is challenged.

THE DEVICE THAT TURNED ME INTO A CYBORG WAS BORN THE SAME YEAR I WAS

Dir. Chella Man, USA, 2023, 3 min Chella Man explores his complex relationship with the cochlear implant, and navigating identity between the deaf and hearing worlds.

DO DIGITAL CURANDERAS USE EGGS IN THEIR LIMPIAS?

Dir. Roberto Fatal, USA, 2023, 13 min

A struggling Latinx healer considers abandoning the physical world for promises of a digital utopia.

VAPOR TRAILS

Dir. Willow Skye-Biggs, USA, 2023, 11 min

In 1997 against the backdrop of distant violence, two displaced women find transcendence through connection.

DISMANTLE ME

Dir. Max Disgrace, UK, 2023, 13 min

A comical proposition turns into an arousing powerplay when a smoldering-hot trans woman helps a heartbroken trans man tidy his messy bedroom. Made in collaboration with Trans+ On Screen.

THE YEAR LONG BOULDER

Dir. Brielle LeBlanc, Canada, 2022, 9 min

rushed by a messy unrequited love, a young queer poet, through the confidence of their best friend and the inner world of their art, finally reckons with their own emotional baggage (or ‘boulder’).

HOW TO CARRY WATER

Dir. Sasha Wortzel, USA, 2022, 15 min

This punk rock fairy tale follows Shoog McDaniel, a fat, queer, disabled photographer who works in and around the freshwater springs of northern Florida. The film dives into a world of fat beauty and liberation, one in which marginalized bodies — including bodies of water — are sacred.

THIS PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

SHORTS: QUEER TEEN MAGIC

Runtime: 89 min

PROGRAM ON THURSDAY 10/19 AT 4PM IS ONLY OPEN TO LGBTQ+ STUDENTS & STAFF, YOUTH ORGANIZATIONS, AND SCHOOL GSAS SPECIFICALLY AND IS FREE TO REGISTER. EMAIL GSAFILM@NEWFEST.ORG FOR MORE INFORMATION. +STREAMING

THE IN-PERSON SCREENING FOR THIS

For the sixth consecutive year, NewFest is delighted to collaborate with NYC’s Department of Education and participating schools on this cheerful shorts program — curated specifically for LGBTQ+ teen audiences. These affirming short films from emerging filmmakers give young queer folks the opportunity to see themselves reflected on screen and inspiration to share their own stories.

This year’s lineup includes stories about growing into yourself, rewriting the script, Florida’s first trans homecoming queen, and the importance of speaking up.

THE PRINCE’S DILEMMA

Dir. Devin Rowe, USA, 2023, 5 min Prince Philip, who longing to be with a prince of his own, must decide to follow the traditional tale or forge his own happily ever after.

MIKEY’S ARMY

Dir. Andrew Keenan-Bolger, USA, 2023, 11 min

16-year-old Mikey Alvarez finds himself at a pivotal moment where he must decide whether or not to be open and honest about what he is feeling inside. Can a Drag Queen, an international pop star and an action film heartthrob give Mikey the confidence he needs?

EVAN EVER AFTER

Dirs. Ariel Mahler, Radha Mehta, USA, 2023, 15 min

This short documentary explores Florida’s first transgender Homecoming Queen, Evan Bialosuknia, her confidence, and her impact on youth faced with Florida’s harmful anti-trans legislation.

SKY AND LUCIA

Dir. Violet Gallo, USA, 2022, 11 min

Sky is an introverted high school student, who when faced with turbulent emotional situations, literally disappears. In order to overcome this strange phenomenon, she must learn to stand up for herself in order to be seen for who she really is – a confident and strong woman.

JAMIE’S POND

Dir. Reid Sandlund, USA, 2023, 4 min

A lonely naiad discovers a crying human child at the edge of their pond and tries to cheer him up. They soon discover they have more in common than meets the eye.

SHOOT YOUR SHOT

Dir. Mishaal Memon, UK/India, 2022, 12 min

Teenage best friends Ronit and Brennan open up to each other as they skateboard on a hot sunny London afternoon, and come to terms with that fuzzy feeling in their stomachs.

HEX THE PATRIARCHY

Dir. Anne Brashier, USA, 2022, 6 min

Sick of being bullied by their classmates, two queer high schoolers Bex and Wren strike back like anyone else would: with witchcraft.

SHORTS: WOMEN’S NIGHT OUT REMIX Runtime:

FRIDAY, 10/20 AT 7:30PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

88 min

This compilation of short films range from surprising to sizzling, and are all directed by women and nonbinary filmmakers. Get out and get your groove on in celebration of our community’s expansive sapphic stories — featuring two lovers on the outs, mothers who discover their baby makes gold, a chance encounter with an ex, a sweet romance, and some ghostly fun. Join us following the screening + Q&A for our Women’s Night Out Party, where we’ll take over the SVA Theatre!

A HISTORY OF SITTING IN WAITING ROOMS

Dir. Lorena Russi, USA, 2022, 9 min

Meet Lorena: a rambunctious, six-year-old, butch Latina fighting to find herself in Queens, NY in the 90s. With the help of her imaginary BFF, Boo, a civil war ghost, Lorena will poorly navigate the pains of puberty and the grief of adulthood.

AS YOU ARE

Dir. Daisy Friedman, USA, 2023, 15 min

When an interabled queer couple spends the night together for the first time, they must confront their complex relationships with desire, sexuality, bodily autonomy, and what it means truly to love another person.

DEAR VANESSA

Dir. Roku Jingwen Long, USA, 2023, 14 min

Amidst a heart-wrenching night out in NYC, two Asian girls, Lucy and Vanessa, unexpectedly discover love in each other’s arms. Lucy envisions a film that tells their story, and in secret, she resolves to turn that dream into reality.

WONDERS

Dir. Huriyyah Muhammad, USA, 2023, 17 min

Two hard-working moms are struggling to make a better life for themselves and their toddler, but their luck turns around when their baby gives them an unexpected gift.

COUSINS

Dir. Karina Dandashi, USA, 2022, 13 min

Two cousins born in separate countries reunite in Brooklyn when a run-in with an ex turns the night even more chaotic.

SIS

Dir. Miranda Haymon, USA, 2023, 13 min

In this surrealist black comedy, a woman’s curiosity in her ex-crush’s new girlfriend complicates after their cosmic meet cute at a Brooklyn rooftop party.

ROMANCE PACKAGE FOR TWO

Dir. Carlen May-Mann, USA, 2022, 14 min

The monotonous life of Cleo and Judy, a queer couple who run a kitschy love motel, is thrown into disarray when Cleo falls for a visiting dominatrix.

SHORTS: POP! GOES THE CULTURE

Runtime: 92 min

SUNDAY, 10/15 AT 12PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK +STREAMING

MIKEY’S ARMY

Dir. Andrew Keenan-Bolger, USA, 2023, 11 min 16-year-old Mikey Alvarez finds himself at a pivotal moment where he must decide whether or not to be open and honest about what he is feeling inside. Can a Drag Queen, an international pop star and an action film heartthrob give Mikey the confidence he needs?

I LOVE NANCY MEYERS

Dir. Narineh Tahmasebian, USA, 2023, 15 min

Two feminist women on a date contend with their love (and hate) for Nancy Meyers movies, debating issues that arise when viewing the past with present day eyes…and what a kitchen island really means.

RUMPELSTILTSKIN

Dir. Ethan Fuirst, USA, 2023, 8 min A filmmaker compares his love life to the Rumpelstiltskin fable.

THROCKADACIA

Dir. Blake Lucius Griffey, USA, 2023, 13 min Sterling and his co-host begin filming their variety talk show as usual, when an unexpected visitor arrives. The man at the door is Sterling’s ex-lover, flowers in hand. But the show must go on.

BOYBEND

Dir. Eva Malmberg, Sweden, 2023, 14 min

In an alternate reality Boybend is the world’s biggest boyband, about to take over the world. But in our reality, Boybend challenges the image of who gets to play the role of a fangirl’s dream boy.

SOMEWHERE ALL THE BOYS ARE BIRDS

Dir. Apa Agbayani, USA, 2023, 11 min

Benjie’s obsession with long-dead Filipino movie star Jaime Reyes leads him to the rooftop where the actor killed himself. Here, he summons Jaime’s ghost for a conversation.

CRUSH ICEBERGS

Dir. Hannah Rafkin, USA, 2022, 15 min

Four queer adults reflect on the onscreen characters that captured their adolescent hearts.

THE PRINCE’S DILEMMA

Dir. Devin Rowe, USA, 2023, 5 min

Prince Philip, who is longing to be with a prince of his own, must decide to follow the traditional tale or forge his own happily ever after.

As queer people, we often turn to pop culture for escape, refuge, and guidance. The movies we love, the stories we absorb, the music we listen to on repeat, and the celebrities we idolize become an essential part of ourselves and inform how we move and see the world. This sensational shorts program showcases the unbreakable link between queerness and pop culture — the posters that adorn a childhood bedroom, the talk shows in which we seek comfort, the boy bands we obsess over, the romantic comedies we swoon over, and the fairy tales we read before bed. We are what we watch. THIS PROGRAM WILL

SHORTS: MAKE ‘EM LAUGH

Runtime: 89 min

WEDNESDAY 10/18 AT 8PM; SVA THEATRE +STREAMING

Who doesn’t want to laugh? Dive into this delightful and darkly comic collection of laugh-out-loud shorts, featuring the world’s worst pizza, the best methods to dilate, a microaggressive pool party, a pair of assassin besties, a queer Indigenous spin on INSIDE OUT, and the biggest daddy issue of all time.

DADDY ISSUES

Dirs. Matt Campanella, Stephanie Chloé Hepner, USA, 2022, 5 min

A young dominatrix encounters an unexpected client.

DIDN’T THINK I’D SEE YOU HERE

Dir. Dylan Guerra, USA, 2023, 13 min

Rory thinks there’s a ghost in his shower. Hope it’s not after him. And also, there’s that party.

POOL PARTY

Dir. Megan Chumbley, USA, 2023, 5 min

In an effort to stand in her power post-transition, Max attends her high school buddies' pool party where she’s repeatedly hit with ignorant comments. Resilient as she may be, Max is exhausted; when she reaches the tipping point she just might break.

BUSHWITCHES

Dir. Jasia Ka, USA, 2023, 8 min

A supernatural dark comedy series that follows an angsty coven of witches in Bushwick as they seek alternative sources of income.

DILATING FOR MAXIMUM RESULTS

Dir. Nyala Moon, USA, 2023, 14 min

A whack, irreverent comedy about a black trans woman who tries to dilate, after four years of not dilating, to hook-up IRL with her online boyfriend.

INTERDIMENSIONAL PIZZA PORTAL

Dir. Aron Kantor, USA, 2023, 5 min

After opening a portal to another dimension, Grover and his best friend Aliee face the perilous unintended consequences of their actions.

HEADDRESS

Dir. Tai Leclaire, USA, 2022, 10 min

When a Queer Native Person at a music festival sees a Non-Native person wearing a ceremonial headdress, they retreat into their mind to find the perfect insult.

HIT FRIENDS

Dir. Daniel Rashid, USA, 2023, 13 min

Alice and Paul are best friends who do everything together, but when Alice reveals that she went to Six Flags without Paul, he starts to question their friendship. Oh, and they’re hired assassins.

FANATIC

Dir. Taran Killam, USA, 2023, 16 min

Charlie and Gerald revive their failed 2000’s boyband, 2N1, for a competition with prize money that could remedy all of their financial woes. What could go wrong?

NEW VOICES FILMMAKER GRANT SHOWCASE

TUESDAY, 10/17 AT 7:30PM; NITEHAWK PROSPECT PARK +STREAMING

Runtime: 89 min

CO-PRESENTED BY

Celebrate the four recipients of the 2023 New Voices Filmmaker Grant, a program NewFest launched last year in partnership with Netflix, with a screening of their recent short films and exciting works-in-progress. Join us as we share the auspicious work from 2023 grantees Terrance Daye, Drew de Pinto, Emily May Jampel, and LaQuan Lewis, and hear what’s to come in their future projects and emerging careers.

LUCKY FISH

Dir. Emily May Jampel, USA, 2022, 9 min

Two Asian-American teenagers meet in the bathroom of a Chinese restaurant while having dinner with their families.

MĀNOA VALLEY (WIP)

Dir. Emily May Jampel, USA, 2023, 10 min

Two friends living in Mānoa Valley spend a summer day together before one of them moves to New York City.

ONLY FOR THE NIGHT

Dir. LaQuan Lewis, USA, 2021, 15 min

A young trans man struggles to date someone with whom he authentically connects until he meets a charismatic man who genuinely wants to get to know him.

WHERE DO WE GO FROM HERE

Dir. LaQuan Lewis, USA, 2022, 8 min

A moment of tension between two queer women on the eve of their one year anniversary.

-SHIP:

A VISUAL POEM

Dir. Terrance Daye, USA, 2020, 13 min

A black boy learns contradicting lessons of manhood and masculinity on the day of his cousin’s funeral.

PRITTY (WIP)

Dir. Terrance Daye, USA, 2022, 14 min

On a scorching summer day at a community pool, a black teen steps out of his comfort zone, and overcomes his fear of the deep end.

LAST CALL

Dir. Drew de Pinto, USA, 2021, 4 min

A magical realist 16mm short following the caretakers of three historic queer bars in San Francisco as they close their establishments, temporarily and permanently, amidst the 2020 COVID lock down.

COMPTONS ’22

Dir. Drew de Pinto, USA, 2022, 17 min

Three years before Stonewall, trans sex workers and drag queens rioted against police violence at Compton’s Cafeteria. In a poetic intergenerational dialogue, contemporary trans artists interpret oral histories from the legendary Compton’s Queens.

THIS PROGRAM WILL BE FOLLOWED BY A Q&A

Northern Lights in Northernmost Europe

Join us on a voyage of discovery and wonder. Sail Norway’s coast into the realm of the magical Northern Lights.

Our North Cape Express voyage sails the full length of Norway’s coast and stops at 16 handpicked destinations along the way. Experience exclusive excursions, locally-sourced cuisine, and our newly renovated ship MS Trollfjord under the dreamscape of nature’s most captivating light show.

Your adventure begins here.

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