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Dark Star Pictures | Drama | English | 93 minutes | 2024
Dakota Riley (Jake Holley) is a high school quarterback, and he lives a typical life of a teenage sports star. His father was a famous NFL player until an injury brought an early end to his career. The family settled down in a small town near the Rockies, where Dakota’s father becomes the local High School football coach. Beyond this hint of glamor in his past and a bit of a leg up on his peers on the football team, Riley’s life is pretty unremarkable. That is, until his girlfriend decides to take things to the next level. Unable to perform and haunted by desires he refuses to give into, Dakota begins to spiral, trying to live his life in a way he thinks won’t disappoint anyone. As his behavior becomes more erratic, some chalk it up to teenage stupidity while others probe into the heart of the problem, and a secret Dakota wants to keep from even himself.
A high school drama, a football flick, a queer tragedy; Riley is many things. First and foremost, however, the movie is a story about the proverbial closet. While lms like ButI’mACheerleaderpop to mind, most of the exploration of being closeted in queer lm takes place in comedy or satire and focuses on acceptance. Riley stares right into that uncomfortable space between truth and the expectations of others, making the rawness of the emotions vivid and almost painful. I think it's of note too that few lms delve into the duality of the implicit homoeroticism of gender-segregated sports that typically co-exists with an outright homophobic locker room culture, and Riley brings a clear focus to that social paradox.
Read the full LGBTQ lm review here.
EPF Media | Documentary | Spanish, English subtitles | 77 minutes | 2023
After raising a family and rising to a top position at her architecture rm, Canela decides to transition at the age of 48. This documentary delves into Canela's inner conflict as she grapples with the tension between the expectations of others and her authentic self. Embarking on a quest for selfdiscovery, Canela seeks guidance from healthcare professionals, con des in her children, and reconnects with old friends along the way. As she navigates this transformative path, unexpected revelations about her desires emerge, challenging preconceived notions and societal expectations.
Featured at numerous esteemed lm festivals worldwide, Canela offers a poignant portrayal of resilience, courage, and the pursuit of personal truth. Through its intimate storytelling and candid exploration of identity, the documentary invites viewers to contemplate the complexities of selfacceptance and the transformative power of embracing one's true identity.
Intersected by artistic interludes and fly-on-the-wall moments, Canela tells Canela’s story in a slice-of-life style, showing us everyday moments from the worksite to the dinner table. Canela goes on dates, visits with her aging mother and her now-adult children, and navigates the stressful world of trans healthcare. Through it all, we see Canela stand for herself and her happiness. Through several tear-jerking moments, she opens up to her family about her needs during her upcoming surgery and reconnects with a trans woman she dated many years ago.
Read the full LGBTQ documentary review here.
Film Movement | World Cinema Drama | Italian, English subtitles | 112 minutes | 2024
The Beautiful Summer (La Bella Estate), directed by Laura Luchetti, is a coming-of-age drama set in 1938 Turin. The lm follows seventeen-year-old Ginia (Yile Yara Vianello), who moves to the city with her brother Severino (Nicolas Maupas) in search of a better life. Struggling with the nancial constraints of their new life, Ginia works as a seamstress while Severino flits between jobs.
Ginia’s life takes a dramatic turn when she meets Amelia (Deva Cassel), a striking and free-spirited model who poses nude for artists. Amelia introduces Ginia to a vibrant, bohemian community of painters, including Rodrigues (Adrien Dewitte) and Guido (Alessandro Piavani). Drawn to Amelia’s boldness and sensuality, Ginia begins to explore her own identity and desires. As she becomes involved with the artists and contemplates posing nude, Ginia’s journey through self-discovery unfolds against the backdrop of a city under the shadow of a rising fascist regime.
The lm captures the tumultuous experience of rst love and sexual awakening through Ginia’s transformative summer, marked by both excitement and emotional complexity. Featuring poignant performances by Vianello and Cassel, The Beautiful Summer explores the intricacies of adolescence and the profound impact of a single life-changing encounter.
Read the full LGBTQ drama lm review here.
Level 33 Entertainment | Pop Culture Documentary | English | 92 minutes | 2024
It started with a 2018 TED talk titled “The rom-com that saved my life.” Or maybe it started further back, when lmmaker Sav Rodgers was twelve years-old, a queer child in Kansas, and discovered Kevin Smith’s controversial, truthful, sweet, problematic, and life-changing 1997 lm, ChasingAmy. Rodgers’ documentary ChasingChasingAmyseeks “to pay tribute” to the movie, but also to ask questions like “Why do LGBTQ people not like this movie?” and the more complicated “What makes good representation?”
Through interviews with crew and cast members, including Kevin Smith (whose relationship with Rodgers develops into that of a mentor and friend), GoFishscreenwriter and actor Guinevere Turner, and Joey Lauren Adams (the Golden Globe-nominated star of Chasing Amy), Chasing Chasing Amy not only critically reflects on Chasing Amy and its cultural moment in American independent lm, but also captures a pivotal time in Rodgers’ own life.
Shortly after Rodgers’ rst viewing of Chasing Amy – a comedy “about a guy who falls in love with a lesbian, nds out she’s had heterosexual relationships and can’t deal with that” - he began to experience homophobic bullying at school. “The spirit of Chasing Amy kept me alive for years to come,” he confessed to the TED audience. And yet, the lm faced equal parts scrutiny and praise in 1997, a paradox that continues today.
Read the LGBTQ pop culture documentary review here.
Dark Star Pictures | World Cinema Drama | French, English subtitles | 95 minutes | 2024
One foggy evening in the Normandy port town of Dieppe, solitary sherman Erwan (Victor Grillot) stumbles into “The Bearded Mermaid,” a faded little cabaret that turns out to be anything but ordinary. Run by a ercely committed trio of drag performers - recracker Sweety Bon Bon (Maxime Sartori), anxious stage manager Beluga (Fabrice Morio), and gentle aerialist Alonso (Alonso Ojeda) - the cabaret is struggling to keep its doors open. Their dream? A glitter- lled, lip-sync-and-circus spectacle that will put them on the tourist map. But the road to stardom is paved with budget woes, small-town prejudice, and fragile egos.
The lm isn’t a musical per se, but it does feature a few fun and spirited numbers. The production value is modest at best and the acting, while endearing, ranges from stiff to sweetly sincere. Still, there's something about the amatuer energy here that gives the lm a surprising charm. Corny oneliners and awkward line deliveries are balanced by moments of real vulnerability and backstage camaraderie. When the seams show, there is always something that helps plaster over the cracks.
The Bearded Mermaid won’t have the broadest appeal. Its pace is uneven at times, and its most resonant jokes are insider nods that will speak loudest to queer audiences, drag fans, and anyone who’s ever pulled off a show on nothing but duct tape and determination.
Read the full LGBTQ drama review here.
Grasshopper Film | Art Documentary | Spanish, English subtitles | 74 minutes | 2022
Anhell69 revolves around the charismatic 21-year-old Camilo Najar, chosen for the lead role in a lm of the same name by director Theo Montoya. However, tragedy strikes as Camilo succumbs to an overdose just a week after the casting, echoing the fate of many others in their circle. Drawing from his earlier work, such as the short lm “Son of Sodom” (2020) starring Camilo, Montoya paints a bleak picture of a generation engulfed by drug abuse and despair against the backdrop of a city de ned by violence.
Grappling with profound grief and existential emptiness, Montoya courageously wields his camera once more. Inspired by Victor Gaviria, he crafts a transcendent lm that de es conventional boundaries, capturing the essence of a community marginalized by society a “trans lm” that speaks to those who feel they belong nowhere.
Anhell69 has already garnered critical acclaim, winning the Golden Dove at DOK Leipzig and an of cial selection at the Tribeca Film Festival. Critics praise Montoya's compassionate approach amidst the darkness, creating a mesmerizing portrait imbued with magical realism. It's a de antly hybrid piece, pulsating with queer punk energy, challenging viewers to confront the blurred lines between life and death, expression and nonexistence.
Read the LGBTQ art Documentary review here.
Dark Star Pictures | Comedy | English | 90 minutes | 2024
Director Corey Sherman’s debut lm Big Boys mashes up two genres to great effect. The lm is both a coming-of-age as well as a coming-out tale. Mix that in with a camping trip device and you get a surprisingly stellar lm debut.
Teenager Jamie (Isaac Krasner, who shines here) is unsure what to make of himself. He tries dissuading himself that he may be gay by listing all the reasons he’s not. But Jamie is gay. And as the lm’s title would suggest, he is especially fond of larger men.
Jamie and several family members and friends are set to go on a camping trip, where most of the lm’s action occurs. Sherman drops a blatant innuendo before they leave, albeit one that flies over Jamie’s head. Jamie’s cousin is bringing her boyfriend Dan (David Johnson III), an extra-sized man. When Jamie’s parents mention their gratitude for taking Jamie along, Dan replies, "I’ll sure they’ll be ne. But, if not, we can always feed ‘em to the bears.”
This is a clear connection to “bears” in the LGBTQ community, yet Jamie, newly discovering his identity, wouldn’t know this. It is just one of many scenes that cement Jamie as a lovable, goofy hero. He is obsessed with cooking and drawing and spends most of the lm trying to win Dan’s approval. Some of those scenes may seem awkward, but they’re incredibly relatable to anyone who’s ever had a crush on someone. There’s a particularly strong scene where Jamie weasels his way out of losing his virginity that’s bound to resonate with any former adolescent viewer.
Read the full LGBTQ comedy lm review here.
Collective Eye Films | History Documentary | English | 99 minutes | 2024
InHerWordstraces the evolution of 20th-century lesbian ction, guided by LGBTQ+ historian Lillian Faderman and featuring new insightful interviews with prominent authors such as Jewelle Gomez, Dorothy Allison, and Sarah Waters and archival footage of countless others. Directors Lisa Marie Evans and Marianne K. Martin skillfully explore the journey from early lesbian pulp novels to contemporary bestsellers, capturing the changing socio-political landscapes that influenced the genre's development.
Beginning with “The Well of Loneliness” published in 1928, the lm examines how lesbian ction progressed from tragic and covert narratives to more diverse, overtly sexual, and multifaceted stories by the late 1990s. Through archival footage and modern interviews, the documentary celebrates the triumphs of lesbian literary gures while addressing the challenges they faced, including racism, homophobia, and censorship.
Even if lesbian ction isn’t your bag, InHerWordswill draw you in with stories of writers publishing their rst books and the feminist movements of the last century. Just as a writer myself, I was enthralled by many stories the writers in this documentary shared, laughing along with them as they described miscommunications with editors and the struggle of simply sitting down and writing something coherent.
Read the full LGBTQ documentary review here.
Altered Innocence | Classic World Cinema | French, English subtitles | 263 minutes | 2024
Dubbed by Dazed as “France’s most unpredictable lmmaker,” lm distributor Altered Innocence brings lmmaker François Ozon’s early narrative features to home video with their new Blu-ray and DVD release of Ozon's Transgressive Triple: Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, and Water Drops on Burning Rocks.
Having directed over twenty feature lms in less than thirty years, Ozon’s work de es genre labels, whether between lms or within the same movie. This unof cial trilogy – Sitcom, Criminal Lovers, and Water Drops on Burning Rocks – plays with time, sexual taboos, dreams, and age with elements of melodrama, eroticism, and pitch-black comedy.
While he flits between genres and rises above any of the audience’s expectations with con dence, Ozon’s camera often frames his characters within cages and mirrors, representing the repression and literally reflecting the duality of human sexuality. Bold, sensual, wild, and disturbing, Ozon’s Transgressive Triple belongs in any LGBTQ+, foreign language, or arthouse lm collection.
Read the full World Cinema lm review here.
Film Movement | Documentary | English | 101 minutes | 2025
2013 was a dark time for the Philippines. Those who survived Typhoon Yolanda, one of the largest typhoons ever recorded, were scarred by the loss of loved ones and livelihood or scarred by their injuries. With this as a backdrop, the story follows TV host-turned-teacher Jaya (Rey “Jaya” Aclao), who, having lost their job, hopes to return to show business by winning the Miss Gay Sicogon Pageant. Without the support of their boyfriend, Cyrus (Ricky Gacho Jr.), Jaya begins the long trek to Sicogon alone. There, Jaya encounters a former student, Arnel Pablo (himself), who is trying to travel to a similar destination to confront his absent father about funding his mother’s memorial. The two travel together in a strange buddy movie/documentary that delves into the corruption that descended upon the islands most affected by the typhoon.
Asog is an incredibly well-crafted lm in every aspect. Not only is the cinematography beautiful and the use of magical realism enchanting and vivid, but the blending of ction and real life is masterful, both in the plot and in the lm’s content. I’ve never seen such a success in any attempt to blend documentary activism with drama and comedy. Jaya brings a charming, paradoxical irreverence and reverence to the lm, with persistent interjections of humor and perspective: Even when disaster strikes, humans remain human with all their complexities, competing desires, and biological functions. They are one of the few people featured in this lm with previous performing experience, making Asog a must-see for lovers of guerrilla lm and documentary.
Read the full LGBTQ documentary review here.
Cinephobia Releasing | Romantic Drama | Spanish, English subtitles | 100 minutes | 2023
16-year-old Manuel (Martín Miller) is the son of a renowned guitar builder and musician. His family is thrilled when they hear that he has formed a garage band with his closest friends. Manuel plays the bass and helps to write songs, much to his father’s delight.
Manuel’s best friend since childhood, Felipe (Teo Inama Chiabrando), plays guitar and sings. The two have an old bond and an easy friendship, and being bandmates comes easily to them. Manuel has a talent for lyrics, a skill Felipe struggles with. Together, they and the two other band members scrape up the money to record a debut album.
Along the way, they plan to play at a friend’s birthday party: Their rst real show. As the pressures of being in a band mount, Manuel begins having strange dreams about Felipe. He’s unsure what exactly they mean, but he’s afraid no one will understand if he talks about them. Could he be falling in love with his best friend?
This Argentinian teen drama is skillfully produced and incredibly well-acted. Music is a huge part of the lm, and several full songs are played by the garage band. Lovers of pop-punk will really enjoy some of these tunes. The thing that stood out most about Sublime is the casual realism of the entire lm, drawing viewers into an authentic and relatable world. This makes Sublime a standout choice for those appreciating genuine storytelling and musical passion.
Read the full romantic drama lm review here.
The Chicago gay bar, Sidetrack, features so prominently in Mercedes Kane’s documentary Art and Pep that it’s basically a character itself. By tracing the history of the bar and its owners, Kane delivers a powerful message of hope and equality.
We soon meet Sidetrack’s proprietors Pepe Peña (Pep) and Art Johnston. Pep was a bartender in Chicago in the 1970s, and after meeting Art, who moved to Chicago to continue his academic career, they fell in love but also found out the power of community. Opening Sidetrack wasn’t only a passion project for the couple: it was a chance to create a safe haven, a sanctuary for those who felt as if they were on the outskirts of society at the time.
You witness the evolution of the bar, and one particularly gleeful moment Pep discovers the power of themed nights and show tunes. You see Art becoming a pivotal gure for LGBTQ rights in the city, including his role in “The Gang of Four,” a group that fought for LGBTQ rights and helped pass an anti-discrimination ordinance in 1988. One thematic element Kane does very well is tying in the AIDS epidemic with the current pandemic, signifying the great uncertainty of each period while maintaining a focus on the two eponymous stars.
Read the LGBTQ documentary review here.
PlanaDragQueen StoryHourforYour Library
As much as we say, “it gets better,” it is undeniably a challenging time for LGBTQ+ children and their allies. With schools and libraries facing backlash for providing resources and stories about the spectrum of gender and sexual identity, queer youth risk being marginalized amid a push for heteronormativity—often manifesting as homophobia and transphobia.
To uplift LGBTQ+ youth, librarians, educators, and community organizers can look to those who have long been at the forefront of the queer rights movement: drag performers.
Founded in 2015 by writer Michelle Tea and RADAR Productions, alongside Julián Delgado Lopera and Virgie Tovar, Drag Queen Story Hour (DQSH) is exactly what it sounds like—drag queens reading stories to children in libraries, schools, and bookstores.
Learn more about DQSH's history here.
With chapters across the United States and around the globe, Drag Queen Story Hour offers family-friendly events that are inclusive, entertaining, and educational. While many associate drag with nightlife or club culture, DQSH’s “drag queens, kings, and creatures” tailor their performances for diverse audiences. Drag art is not inherently sexual; rather, it plays with gender to highlight its fluidity and contradictions. DQSH envisions “a world where kids can learn from LGBTQ+ herstories and experiences, fostering self-love, celebrating the fabulous diversity in their communities, and advocating for each other.”
Despite this positive impact, DQSH events have faced protests from conservative and religious organizations, such as during an April 9 event at Ohio State University. These claims, rooted in homophobia and transphobia, reflect a misunderstanding of biology and the distinction between sex and gender. The irony lies in the fact that mainstream children's literature and lms often depict heteronormative romance and sexuality without similar scrutiny. The conservative argument is less about protecting children and more about perpetuating discrimination against queer existence and joy.
Like all queer individuals, the performers at DQSH encounter discrimination and vitriol from those who misunderstand them deliberately or otherwise. Tall Tales with True Queens, a short lm directed by Kristina Budelis and Leandro Badalotti, showcases the DQSH mission and the performers’ dedication to fostering inclusion.
Watch the lm here.
“I believe that hate isn’t inherited, it’s taught,” says Ms. B, one of the program’s rst performers in New York City. “If we can teach these kids to love and accept everybody, they’ll be the best generation we could ever hope for.”
The lm captures the genuine reactions of those whose opinions matter most: the children. They express excitement over the diverse books the queens read, admiration for their extravagant out ts, and eagerness for the next story hour.
“They’re setting a great example of being different, and there’s nothing wrong with that,” says eleven-year-old Kennedy.
The work of DQSH in promoting inclusion through art, literature, and performance is vital for all children, helping them understand themselves and each other. Children's media plays a crucial role in identity formation, and every child deserves access to af rming stories in classrooms and libraries.
To learn more about hosting a virtual or in-person DQSH event, starting your own chapter, or exploring the variety of programming DQSH offers, visit Drag Queen Story Hour.
For a list of DQSH performers’ favorite queer-af rming children’s books, click here.
Movies
ThemostlucrativeconceptsinHollywoodsometimesbeginas books.Theymayalsobeaterrificsourceforstoriesfromvoiceswe needtohearinanerawhendiversityinfrontofandbehindthe cameraisdesperatelyneeded.
ThesevenLGBTQ+booksVideoLibrarianwantstobemadeinto moviesarelistedbelow.ConsideraddingthesetitlestoyourLGBTQ+ bookcollection.
TheOneWomanbyLauraMay
As a graphic designer, Julie manipulates what the eye cannot see, yet regardless of the lens she employs, her life and her relationship with her lover Mark remain routine. Until Ann comes along. Ann is charming, attractive, and successful. Julie is unable to ignore the chemistry they shared when they randomly crossed paths. The spark will rekindle in Barcelona as their pasts converge once more. When tragedy strikes, Julie is forced to choose between her love for Ann and her commitment to Mark. Can true love endure when the circumstances aren't right? Find out in this new book by Laura May.
Read the book The One Woman by purchasing it here.
AllThat'sLeftintheWorldbyErikJ.Brown
Andrew is starving and hurt when he nds Jamie's home and has nothing left to lose. The majority of the world's population has been wiped off by lethal injection, including everyone the two boys have ever loved. Why does it seem so simple for them to trust each other when if this new world has taught them anything, it's to be afraid of what other desperate people will do?
They leave their safe haven in the face of peril and head south in quest of civilization. But something about Andrew's story doesn't add up, and it might cost them everything. Jamie also has a secret. He's beginning to sense a connection with Andrew that goes beyond friendship, which adds another level of uncertainty and worry to an already turbulent voyage.
They have a long road ahead of them, and in order to survive, they will need to come clean about their past, take responsibility for their choices, and muster the strength to stand up for one another in their quest for a better future. There is only one thing left in their universe that feels certain, and that is the strong tug they feel for one another.
Read the book All That's Left in the World by purchasing it here.
TheLesbiana'sGuidetoCatholic SchoolbySonoraReyes
Yamilet Flores, 16, would rather be recognized for her impeccable eyeliner than for being one of the few Mexican students at her brand-new, predominantly white, extremely wealthy Catholic school. However, nobody around here is aware that she is lesbian, and Yami wants to keep it that way.
In order to keep her brother out of trouble, please her mother, and, most importantly, avoid falling in love, Yami has new priorities after being outed by her crush and ex-best friend before going to Slayton Catholic. Even though she has never been particularly good at any of those things, Future Yami has an issue with it. The problem is that Bo, the only openly lesbian female at school, is so painfully perfect, making it dif cult to pass for straight. And shrewd. And gifted. And cute . In either case, Yami isn't going to repeat the error. Even worse than rejection would await her if word reached her mother. So she'll have to start thinking about what a straight girl would do, or WWSGD
Read the book The Lesbiana's Guide to Catholic School by purchasing it here.
GoldenBoysbyPhilStamper
Best friends Gabriel, Reese, Sal, and Heath share a tiny rural community because they are all queer, have high academic standing, and have lofty aspirations. Each is ready to set out on a brand-new, exciting adventure during the summer before their nal year of high school. In Paris, Reese is enrolled in a design program. In order to help out with an environmental NGO, Gabriel is traveling to Boston. Sal is working as a senator's intern on Capitol Hill. And Heath is compelled to visit Daytona Beach to assist at his aunt's arcade on the sand.
What will each person's summer of novel encounters and globetrotting entail for them individually and for their friendship?
Read the book Golden Boys by purchasing it here.
YoungMungobyDouglasStuart
Mungo, a Protestant, and James, a Catholic, were both born under separate stars and raised in a Glasgow housing estate. If they are to be considered men at all, they should be sworn enemies. Nevertheless, despite all chances, they end up becoming best friends as they nd refuge in the pigeon dovecote James erected for his prize racing pigeons. While Mungo struggles to keep his actual identity hidden from everyone around him, especially from his big brother Hamish, a local gang boss with a brutal reputation to uphold, as they fall in love, they both dream of nding a place they belong.
Mungo will need to muster all of his inner strength and courage to try to return to a place of safety, a place where he and James might still have a future when his mother sends him on a shing trip to a loch in Western Scotland several months later with two strange men whose drunken banter belies murky pasts.
Read the book Young Mungo by purchasing it here.
AMillionQuietRevolutionsbyRobinGow
Aaron and Oliver have only ever had each other for as long as they can remember. They have shared milestones like coming out as trans, and falling in love together in a tiny town with few LGBT teenagers, much alone young trans males.
Aaron, though, leaves just as their relationship is beginning to take off. They look for solace in delving deeply into the history of America because they feel lost and cut off from the only person who can relate to them. They are motivated to honor these heroes by taking their names, Aaron and Oliver, after learning about the story of two Revolutionary War soldiers who they believe to have been trans men in love.
They explore deeper into untold LGBTQ experiences as they study and come to understand the transforming potential of taking back one's place in history.
Read the book A Million Quiet Revolutions by purchasing it here.
TheTemperatureofMeandYouby BrianZepka
When Dylan Highmark, 16, fell in love with a kid who was practically too hot to handle, he believed his winter would be lled with dull shifts at the Dairy Queen.
Dylan has always wanted a boyfriend, but there aren't many possibilities in the Philadelphia suburbs. Jordan, a boy who is entirely normal (and undoubtedly cute) and runs at a cool 110 degrees Fahrenheit, then enters the scene. Dylan has a variety of emotions when the boys spend time together, and when he suddenly starts coughing up flames and spikes a fever for two weeks, he worries that he may be dealing with anything other than just a crush.
Dylan is compelled by Jordan to conceal his symptoms. Dylan, though, presses Jordan for explanations as the strain grows and he drifts away from his closest friends and family. Dylan comes to understand how extraordinary rst love really is after Jordan makes discoveries about why he behaves in this way, where he came from, and who is out to get him. Jordan and Dylan can only be together for so long through love if Earth is home to live that need oxygen to survive.
Read the book The Temperature of Me and You by purchasing it here.
To check availability and purchasing options visit:
DVDs: Midwest Tape Baker & Taylor
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Streaming: Kanopy
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Film Platform
Licensing: Get Digital Site Licenses (DSL) and Public Performance Rights (PPR) directly from the lm's distributor.
Cinephobia Releasing 'Sublime'