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Banner: the 59th Chicago International Film Festival

Genre: LGBTQ


In-Person
A man and woman smile while clinking glasses, as they focus on the man facing them.

All of Us Strangers

Andrew Haigh  |   United Kingdom
English  
Drama, LGBTQ, Literary Adaptation, Romance

As Adam falls into a new relationship, he’s drawn back to his childhood home. There, his parents are living just as they were on the day they died.

In-Person
The black and white image of a woman leaning against a wall, the city street with a vintage car can be seen beyond.

The Battle (A Batalha da Rua Maria Antônia)

Vera Egito  |   Brazil
Portuguese  
Drama, Historical, LGBTQ, Political

On a pivotal night during Brazil’s dictatorship, a leftist student movement braces for violent conflict in this moody, stylized nod to history.

In-Person
People dancing in a vintage dance hall. Two women at center screen dance together.

The Beautiful Summer (La bella estate)

Laura Luchetti  |   Italy
Italian  
Coming of Age, LGBTQ, Romance, Women Centered

Summer 1938. Ginia moves to Turin and immerses herself in a sensual, bohemian world where she finds the courage to truly be herself.

In-Person

Beyond the Frame: 376 Days (Nick Cave: Keep it Movin’) + Chronicle of a Summer Day

Various  |   United States
English  
Art, Documentary, LGBTQ

This suite of films explores the fusion of the natural world and cultural narratives, as well as the limitless possibilities of creative expression and transcending convention.

In-Person
A man and woman sit beside eachother in front of a fireplace. The man looks pleased and relaxed, the woman is upset.

The Bride

Myriam U. Birara  |   Rwanda
Kinyarwanda  
Drama, LGBTQ, Social Commentary, Women Centered

Kidnapped and forced into marriage, Eva forms a tender friendship with her new husband’s cousin as together they face the ghosts of Rwanda’s past.

In-Person
A young man with glasses glares straight ahead. His face is sweaty and battered.

Carnal Sins (Almamula)

Juan Sebastián Torales  |   France, Argentina, Italy
Spanish  
Drama, Horror, LGBTQ, Religion

Seduced by the myth of a local monster that punishes impure acts, gay teen Nino pursues temptation within a deeply religious community.

In-Person
A trippy, almost 3D colored image of a boy staring fearfully right into the camera.

Departing Seniors

Clare Cooney  |   United States
English  
Comedy, Horror, LGBTQ

In this Chicago-set update on the teen slasher, a gay Latinx high school student becomes an unlikely vigilante when he develops psychic powers.

In-Person
Virtual
An activist wearing blue makeup and flowers on his head raises his fist.

Flores del otro Patio [short film]

Jorge Cadena  |   Colombia, Switzerland
Spanish  
Drama, LGBTQ

A group of queer activists in the north of Colombia uses fearless performance art and direct action to protest the region’s largest coal mine.

In-Person
Virtual
Two friends in their early twenties look up at a tree in a park at night. One of them drinks from a can.

Geranios [short film]

Lou Marino  |   Chile
Spanish  
Comedy, LGBTQ

An intimate and endearing work of docu-fiction which follows best friends whose effortless charisma and fierce dedication carries them through tough times.

In-Person
In a large brick waiting room, 4 people sit across a table from two others, all dressed professionally.

Housekeeping for Beginners (Domakinstvo za pocetnici)

Goran Stolevski  |   North Macedonia, Poland, Croatia, Serbia, Kosovo
Albanian, Macedonian, Romani  
Drama, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Sex and Sexuality

When the head of the household passes away suddenly, a collective of queer misfits reluctantly come together to protect their found family.

In-Person
Virtual
A woman sitting on the bathroom floor looks at the black goo on her fingers with disgust

In the Flesh [short film]

Daphne Gardner  |   United States
English  
LGBTQ, Women Centered

Tracey is pleasuring herself in the shower when the pipes explode and she starts to leak black goo.

In-Person
Virtual
A young man removes his green and white jacket while looking at another person. Behind him are wine bottles and a houseplant.

Man>Code [short film]

Adrian Gardner  |   United Kingdom
English  
LGBTQ

Techie Lucas finds his casual hookup taking an unexpected turn.

In-Person
Virtual
A drag queen holds two faces close to her's.

Maurice’s Bar [short film]

Tzor Edery, Tom Prezman  |   France, Israel
Arabic, French  
Animation, LGBTQ

Remembrances of a former drag queen’s experience in one of the first queer bars in Paris.

In-Person
Two young children, splattered with mud, look towards the camera with serious expressions.

Monster (Kaibutsu)

Hirokazu Kore-eda  |   Japan
Japanese  
Drama, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Mystery

Young Minato is behaving strangely, and his mother demands answers. Through the eyes of mother, teacher, and child, a complex truth emerges.

In-Person
A woman wearing a vibrant green wig and elaborate makeup, blows smoke into the air from a cigarette.

The People’s Joker

Vera Drew  |   United States, Canada, Scotland
English  
Comedy, LGBTQ

A trans coming-of-age story encased in a comic-book parody, The People’s Joker kicks down the doors of IP with witty humor and surprising heart.

In-Person
A group of well-dressed people dance in a ballroom.

The Persian Version

Maryam Keshavarz  |   United States
English, Persian  
Comedy, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Music

In this snappy comedic drama featuring vibrant dance numbers, an Iranian-American woman must navigate her relationship with her opposing cultural identities and her mother.

In-Person
A man in the passanger seat of a car looks backwards over his shoulder past camera.

Pet Shop Days

Olmo Schnabel  |   United States, Italy, United Kingdom, Mexico
English, Spanish  
Drama, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Sex and Sexuality

Two young men meet in New York City and enter a whirlwind romance, sending them into a dead-end world of passion, drugs, and depravity.

In-Person
A civil rights march. People standing arm in arm and walk in unity.

Rustin

George C. Wolfe  |   United States
English  
Biopic, Historical, LGBTQ, Political
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 [...]
In-Person
A man in a tuxedo is seated at a mirrored table. His face is reflected up at him between the table settings.

Saltburn

Emerald Fennell  |   United Kingdom
English  
Comedy, Drama, LGBTQ, Sex and Sexuality

Struggling to find his place at Oxford University, student Oliver Quick (Barry Keoghan) finds himself drawn into the world of the charming and aristocratic Felix Catton (Jacob Elordi), who invites him to Saltburn, his eccentric family’s sprawling estate, for a summer never to be forgotten.

In-Person
Virtual

Shorts 2: Animation – Desires

Various  |   Argentina, Belgium, France, Hungary, Israel, Mexico, The Netherlands, United States
Arabic, Dutch, English, French, Hungarian, Spanish  
Animation, Comedy, Documentary, Horror, LGBTQ

These animated shorts create an idiosyncratic mosaic of the difficulties, joys, enigmas, and triumphs of the human experience.

Drive-In
In-Person
Virtual

Shorts 3: After Dark – Twisted Tales & Shadows of Innocence

Various  |   Canada, France, United States
English, French, Tagalog  
Coming of Age, Horror, LGBTQ, Social Commentary, Women Centered

These tense and terrifying shorts reflect how everyday life can turn into horror.

In-Person
Virtual

Shorts 5: Drama – Breaking Points

Various  |   Argentina, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Egypt, France, Qatar, Switzerland, Turkey
Arabic, English, Persian, Spanish, Turkish  
Crime, Drama, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Social Commentary

These powerful shorts reflect on life’s twists and turns, exploring what we do in moments of profound impact.

In-Person
Virtual

Shorts 6: Comedy – Awkward Laughs

Various  |   Canada, Chile, Iran, United States
English, French, Persian, Spanish  
Comedy, Coming of Age, Drama, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Science Fiction, Sex and Sexuality

The works in this program muck around the dark corners of human experience, bringing forth the darkly comedic, can’t-help-but-laugh moments that arise in difficult times.

In-Person
Virtual

Shorts 7: Black Perspectives – Resonance

Various  |   Tanzania, United States
English  
Comedy, Documentary, Drama, LGBTQ, Sports

Vibrant cultural legacies come to life, hidden histories are unearthed, everyday life is illuminated, and resonant stories unfold in captivating splendor in this collection of shorts.

In-Person
A drag queen in a long wig and leotard performs in front of an adoring crowd.

Solo

Sophie Dupuis  |   Canada
English, French  
Drama, Family Affairs, LGBTQ, Music

A talented drag performer searches for love from a passionate yet domineering new relationship, and from his long-estranged mother.