Schedule of Events:

Thursday April 18th 2024

7:00 pm: Opening Night Film - Turtles

Runtime: 83 minutes
Language: In French and English with English subtitles
Director: David Lambert
Country: Belgium/Canada, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Gay, Narrative

Since Thom and Henri met 35 years ago, their love for each other has never faltered. The seemingly perfect life they had built in Brussels started to go awry when Henri retired from being a police officer. Now, Henri’s days seem to stretch endlessly, each one as bland as the next while his feelings for Thom are fading fast. They drift away from each other a little more each day, to the point that their house has become a battleground. Thom’s love for Henri remains strong though and he is not ready to give up. He will do anything to save his relationship and rekindle their love, even if that means asking Henri for a divorce. Although the subject of divorce is no laughing matter, Turtles is alive with dry humor and joyous moments.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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Friday April 19th 2024

4:00 pm: 40 Years of Care

Country: USA
Genre: AIDS, Documentary

In 1983, a group of volunteers came together to help those affected by HIV & AIDS in our South Florida communities. Little did they know, this volunteer-led organization would grow and evolve into Care Resource, a leading healthcare provider serving residents of Miami-Dade and Broward Counties. Watch the history unfold and discover our humble beginnings of Health Crisis Network, The White Party, AIDS Walk Miami, and Community Research Initiative of South Florida, as narrated by our founding members and community volunteers.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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5:00 pm: Studio One Forever

Runtime: 96 minutes
Language: English
Director: Marc Saltarelli
Country: USA, 2023
Genre: Documentary, Gay, Historical, Music

Studio One was more than just the first gay disco in America; it was a mecca for gay men seeking acceptance in a world that saw them as outcasts. Connected to the disco was the Backlot Theatre, which merged the Hollywood elite from the golden era with the gay community for the first time; from Bette Davis to Jimmy Stewart to Cary Grant, they all came to party at Studio One. From 1974-1993 Scott Forbes' club became a staging ground for the rise of the gay rights movement and the fight against the AIDS crisis. Studio One Forever takes the audience on an excursion of gay history through the lens of this groundbreaking club.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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7:15 pm: Riley

Runtime: 93 Minutes
Language: English
Director: Benjamin Howard
Country: USA, 2023
Genre: Gay, Sports, Youth

Ambitious high school athlete Dakota Riley begins his senior year like most of his peers; within the confines of the steady monotony that comes with adolescence, sports, classrooms, dinner tables and school halls. With high expectations for his athletic pursuits, Dakota lives within carefully designed boundaries, a calculated blueprint upon which he’s formed the basis of his identity. But when the reality of this identity is thrown into disarray, Dakota is forced to confront the consequences of denying himself or come to terms with who he really is. Filled with terrific performances, including a star-making turn by Jake Holley, this stunning feature debut from writer-director Benjamin Howard eschews cliches, resulting in one of the best coming-of-age films in years.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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7:20 pm: Chuck Chuck Baby

Runtime: 101 minutes
Language: English
Director: Janis Pugh
Country: United Kingdom, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Lesbian, Musical

Helen leads a dull life in a Welsh town, her days split between packaging chickens at the local processing plant and caring for her ex-husband's mother. Her unexciting routine is broken by the mysterious arrival of Joanne, an old high-school friend whose appearance stirs dormant feelings. Together, the duo rediscovers the joys of living and falling in love, finding in their beloved community of fierce, independent working-class women the strength necessary to overcome small-town prejudice. Mixing big laughs, romance tropes, and musical elements (featuring the inspiring music of Neil Diamond, Janis Ian, Minnie Riperton and others), vibrant Chuck Chuck Baby tells a modern love story that is as refreshing as it is heartwarming.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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9:30 pm: Lessons of Tolerance

Runtime: 91 minutes
Language: In Ukranian with English subtitles
Director: Arkasha Nepytaliuk
Country: Ukraine, 2023
Genre: Foreign , Gay

A Ukrainian provincial schoolteacher who wants to strengthen her family bond and to pay off some loans, thinks she has found a way to do both. She persuades her husband and children to register for “Lessons of Tolerance”, a government program on acceptance. The family takes the bait of favorable preferential terms and enrolls in the program. According to the regulations, a gay person, settles in their apartment to show them that LGBTQ people are just like everyone else. In this satire, the “chosen” family will learn a lot more than tolerance. Lessons of Tolerance is one of the first Ukrainian films exploring the topic of LGBTQ+ rights, discrimination, and human rights in general and is a lot of fun and laughs!

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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9:45 pm: Power Alley

Runtime: 100 Minutes
Language: In Portuguese and Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Lillah Halla
Country: Brazil/Uruguay/France, 2023
Genre: Foreign , Lesbian, Narrative, Sports

Sophia, a fiery and talented young woman, lives in a humble Brazilian suburb where conservative values reign. When her volleyball talents are noticed, she gets a chance for a different life. But after some unexpected news threatens to jeopardize her and her girlfriend’s future, she is faced with an overwhelming choice. The neighborhood is against her, as are the fundamentalist groups, but Sophia has her own community: a diverse and rebellious group determined to have fun, express themselves, define their own lives, and protect each other. In this team no one is alone. Together they are powerful.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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Saturday April 20th 2024

5:45 pm: Neirud

Runtime: 72 Minutes
Language: In Portuguese with English subtitles
Director: Fernanda Faya
Country: Brazil, 2023
Genre: Documentary, Foreign , Historical, Lesbian, Sports

Neirud died shrouded in mystery, leaving behind no trace of her past. Confronting family secrets, the filmmaker pieces together the life of her enigmatic aunt, who toured Brazil as a wrestler in an underground all-female circus troupe throughout the 60s and 80s. As she investigates Neirud's controversial ring persona, Gorilla Woman, the filmmaker uncovers a taboo-breaking love story, revealing the surprising nature of Neirud's role in her own family. Neirud is a fascinating story about race and identity, and queer life in last century’s Brazil.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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6:00 pm: The Shadow of the Sun

Runtime: 98 Minutes
Language: In Spanish with English, Subtitles
Director: Miguel Ángel Ferrer
Country: Venezuela, 2023
Genre: Drama, Gay, Music, Narrative

Set in the Venezuelan city of Acarigua, The Shadow of the Sun is the heart-tugging tale of two impoverished brothers who long for a better life. Leo, a factory worker, slaves away day after day for pennies while Alex, his deaf and closeted younger brother, endures malicious taunting from his peers. When they learn of a music contest with a cash prize that could lift them out of poverty, Alex makes a proposal: he'll write the song if Luis, gifted with a beautiful voice, sings it. Reluctant at first to use his musical abilities, Luis takes a leap of faith and gets a literal band together to attempt to win the contest — and change the brother's lives forever.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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8:00 pm: LATIN SPOTLIGHT - Blue Lights

Runtime: 100 minutes
Language: In Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Lucas Santa Ana
Country: Argentina, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Foreign , Gay, Narrative

This emotionally charged ensemble piece unfolds during Alejandro’s 70th birthday celebration, where friends and family members gather for an unforgettable night that will redefine their relationships. As secrets surface, tensions simmer and truths emerge, Blue Lights explores the intricacies of love, loss, friendship and the evolving dynamics of gay and lesbian relationships in a changing world. With stellar performances and a poignantly insightful narrative, the film offers a nuanced reflection on life’s complexities and the ties that bind us.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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8:15 pm: LATIN SPOTLIGHT - All The Silence

Runtime: 78 Minutes
Language: In Spanish and Sign Language
Director: Diego Del Rio
Country: Mexico, 2023
Genre: Foreign , Lesbian, Narrative

Miriam has two passions in life: teaching Mexican Sign Language and acting in a theatre group. As a CODA (A Child of Deaf Adult) who lives with her deaf girlfriend who doesn’t use sign language, her hearing is paramount to her experiences. Yet when Miriam herself begins to lose her hearing, she refuses to confront a future in which her passions may not be sustainable. With input from multiple deaf advisors and featuring an extensive deaf and hard of hearing cast, the film immerses the audience in Miriam’s experience and her emotional turmoil through innovative sound design, while asking us to contemplate what it is to hear, see and speak.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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9:00 pm: The Missing

Runtime: 90 Minutes
Language: In Filipino with English subtitles
Director: Carl Joseph E. Papa
Country: Philippines, 2023
Genre: Gay, Narrative

Eric lives a rather normal life working as an animator in the Philippines. He has a nice apartment, a good paying job, and Carlo, a guy he likes. One thing glaring about Eric though is he does not have a mouth, literally. One day, he receives a call from his mother, asking him to check up on his seemingly lost uncle, only to find out that his uncle has been dead for days. While still in shock, a familiar alien arrives wanting to take Eric away from Earth. The Missing follows Eric’s life as it twists and turns after the arrival of the familiar alien, and the death of his uncle; both of which triggers Eric to remember his past and untangle his memories.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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Sunday April 21st 2024

3:00 pm: Dalton's Dream

Runtime: 91 Minutes
Language: English
Director: Kim Longinotto and Franky Murray Brown
Country: UK, 2023
Genre: Documentary, Gay, Music, Youth

In 2018, Jamaican national Dalton Harris became the first non-British and Black man to win X-Factor UK. Shot over four years, Kim Longinotto and Franky Murray Brown’s film charts a tumultuous period in Dalton’s life. It deals with his traumatic upbringing and journey to the X-Factor final, as well as the subsequent challenge to build on his success. However, in contrast to other portraits of pop singers’ lives, Dalton’s Dream celebrates the way Harris emerged, embracing his identity, often in the face of prejudice – both at home and in his adopted country – and forged a life defined by his own desires and ambitions.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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4:45 pm: It's Ladies Night - LESBIAN SHORTS

Genre: Lesbian

The Reflection of the Cranes
Juan Ballesteros, 19 minutes, Venezuela and Bolivia, In Spanish with English subtitles
Lucia, a 45-year-old woman, leads a routine life in her roadside inn, when one day Amelia, a young traveler trying to find part of her past in some local waterfalls, shows up at her reception. When an immediate attraction arises between them, the insecurities of one and the fears of the other will hinder the contact between them. It is only through a game of reflexes that one will be able to approach the vulnerabilities of the other.

Goodbye Tango
Jason Laurits, 15 minutes, USA
The sudden death of Ruth’s beloved hamster reveals a decaying marriage with her curmudgeonly wife, Connie. Ruth must either accept the death of things or keep spinning the wheel.

Longing For Light
Alba Cros Pellisé, 11 minutes, Spain, In Catalan with English subtitles
The sun has a central role to play in almost every shot of this analogue cinematic declaration of love to Barcelona, the adopted home of filmmaker Alba Cros Pellisé. Barcelona is where she met other lesbian women for the first time, where she found lovers and where the members of her chosen family live. She films them in their homes and on the streets, where sunlight illuminates the cobblestones and walls, as well as people’s faces. Cros complements her journal-style voice-over with title cards, jazzy music and the familiar, nostalgic sound of film running through the camera. The affectionate shots of lovers, mothers with a young child, and girlfriends at an outdoor café are rhythmically intercut with scenes of sunbeams in cloudy skies, interplays of light and shadows, and glistening sunlight on water. While she acknowledges that it’s difficult to find your own place in the world if you’re “different,” the filmmaker makes it clear that this is not a political film. Rather, it is a personal, intimate and warm portrait of the city where she found love. In these sunlit streets there is no place for darkness, at least for now

Tomorrow Will Be Better (Morgen Doen We Het Beter)
Jottum Kok, 20 minutes, Netherlands, In Dutch with English subtitles
After the relationship with her girlfriend turns sour, Jona moves back in with her mother Mirjam. Their loving relationship is occasionally plagued by miscommunication and when Mirjam is secretive about her daughter's queer identity, the tension mounts. Filmmaker Jottum Kok proposes a vision of generational conflict that can be overcome.

Jackrabbit Homestead
Kimberlea Kressal, 20 minutes, USA
A bereft widow inherits a 5-acre homestead in the desert. As she struggles to forget her past and build a new life for herself in this isolating and unrelenting landscape, she starts to believe someone (or something) is tormenting her.

L’Echappee
Siham Bel, 29 minutes, France, In French with English subtitles
Since she left Corsica where she grew up, Safia has always secured family balance. To protect her relationship with her father, she has never told him about her homosexuality. On a summer evening, she breaks the secret and runs away. On the road along the Calanques creeks, as she makes her way through a new life, she has now to learn to live for herself beyond other people’s eyes and maybe against those she loves most. This summer, an announcement is going to shake up the family and take Safia on an unexpected journey of self-discovery on the winding and rocky roads of the Mediterranean island.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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5:00 pm: Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story

Runtime: 91 minutes
Language: English
Director: Barnaby Thompson
Country: UK, 2023
Genre: Documentary, Gay

OUT OF THE BOX: Different Thinking Films for Different Thinking People
Out of the Box is a showcase for films that expand the offerings of films normally associated with a GLBT Film Festival. This edition highlights a cult-like, b-movie thriller, that is outrageously campy and outlandishly fun and way, way, way over the top.

Noel Coward grew up in poverty and left school when he was only nine years old. He was queer in a very straight world. And yet by the age of 30, he was the highest paid writer in the world and a star on the Broadway stage, movie screens and even writing and performing music. And if that wasn’t enough, he was also a spy during the Second World War! Against all odds, Noel Coward became the most successful multi-talented artist of the Twentieth Century. He defined an era and led an extraordinary life. This is his inspirational story told in his own words and music, and unique home movies.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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7:10 pm: I Don't Know Who You Are

Runtime: 103 minutes
Language: English
Director: M. H. Murray
Country: Canada, 2023
Genre: Drama, Gay, Musician, Narrative, Romance

After a sexual assault, Toronto musician Benjamin must pull together the money for HIV-preventive PEP treatment if he’s been exposed to the virus — while also avoiding the man he's just started dating. Short of cash and determined to solve the problem himself, Benjamin spends a frantic weekend trying to raise the $900 he needs in the 72-hour window when PEP is most effective. Benjamin’s increasingly fraught visits to his friends serve as a tour through the city’s unspoken class system, shading in further aspects of his mounting anxiety with a frenzied protagonist trying so hard to hide his desperation and panic. I Don’t Know Who You Are is a ferocious film about inner conflicts forcing themselves to the surface.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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7:20 pm: Gondola

Runtime: 85 minutes
Language: No Dialogue
Director: Viet Helmer
Country: Georgia, 2023
Genre: Foreign , Lesbian, Narrative, Romance

In the Georgian mountains, a cable car connects a village with a smaller town in the valley. Iva started working for the cable car as a conductor and is now in charge of handling the gondolas. While one gondola goes up to the village, the other goes down to the valley. Halfway down, the gondolas meet every half hour. This is exactly the moment when Iva and Nina, the conductor of the other gondola, meet each time. Where at the beginning only collegial greetings were exchanged, over time a flirtation develops. What follows is the big love and stress with the boss.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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9:25 pm: The Fisherman’s Daughter

Runtime: 80 minutes
Language: In Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Edgar de Luque Jácome
Country: Colombia, 2023
Genre: Drama, Foreign , Narrative, Trans

Samuel, the last freediving fisherman of grouper, lives isolated on an island. One day, he unexpectedly receives a visit from his son, now called Priscila. He allows her to stay despite his constant rejection. The area's shermen observe everything with strangeness and disdain. After suffering an accident, Samuel must accept the care of his daughter, thus bringing them closer together. They take the opportunity to dive together in life to heal a broken past. The Fisherman’s Daughter is a visually mesmerizing, colorful, and dreamy journey. While we not only dive into the crystal-clear Caribbean Sea, but we are also immersed in a beautiful story of family relations, diversity, acceptance, and love.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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9:35 pm: The Monster of Many Noses

Runtime: 96 Minutes
Language: In Catalan with English subtitles
Director: Abigail Schaaff
Country: Spain, 2024
Genre: Foreign , Gay, Narrative

In the winter of 1968, in a small village in the mountains, the story follows three children who embark on a daring quest to evade the ominous Man of Many Noses, a formidable figure deeply ingrained in Catalan folklore. This sinister character is known for hunting down children who have spun too many lies on the final day of the year. But the children are not the only ones gripped by fear; the film also explores how lies from the past can have a haunting presence. The film follows a proven formula of taking a deeply rooted legend from Catalan folklore and transforming it into a universal story. The Man With Many Noses is a captivating exploration of history, myth, and the human condition.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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Monday April 22nd 2024

7:30 pm: COCKTAILS AND CINEMA - South Florida Filmmakers Showcase

Genre: Comedy, Documentary, Gay, Lesbian, Trans, Youth

Cocktails & Cinema Celebrates South Florida Filmmakers:
Please join us after the screening for cocktails in honor of the South Florida Filmmakers/Cast/Crew whose films are playing on this program. The reception will be in the Lounge at the Silverspot Cinema!

South Florida Filmmakers Showcase
South Florida has a small but mighty filmmaking community with plenty of interesting and compelling films. Some are students, or beginners while others are seasoned veterans of the industry who just happen to call South Florida HOME.

Total Run Time: 64 minutes
There will be a Q&A with all the Filmmakers/Cast/Crew after the screening.

Double Life
Mellie Parks and Trinity Byonie, 5 minutes, USA
Max, a 22 year old man leads a double life; working in the hypermasculine corporate world in one life yet performing as a drag queen in another, realizing the duality of both existences.

Frag
Christopher Frentzel, 13 minutes, USA
It's a regular night at a local gay bar. That is until a disgruntled war vet sets a grenade on the bar counter, turning his bad day into everyone else's problem.

Myrna’s Secret Spies
Andy Perrott, 27 minutes, USA
In this 6th installment of a series of short "telenovela style" film comedies, we find Myrna pregnant about to have the baby of her deceased husband, Oscur, who was shot at the altar during their wedding by Myrna's arch nemesis Heidi Ho. Heidi was attempting to kill Myrna's Mama who tried to drown Heidi for stealing yet another of Myrna's great loves. The joy of the baby's arrival is quickly dashed when Myrna, her maid Ping and her Mama and Papa discover one of the delivery nurses is an imposter who steals baby Oscur. The madcap rush to find the baby is filled with twists and turns and some deep-seated revelations from the Juana family's past.

Open Dialogue: Generation QueerZ
Freddy Rodriguez, 19 minutes, USA
Open Dialogues: Gen QueerZ captures the LGBTQ+ narratives of eight South Florida students who are part of Generation Z. The fourth film in the Center’s Open Dialogues series, Gen QueerZ gives voice to students who are among the first generation to be “out” while attending school and living at home. Their stories reflect a diversity of gender identities, cultural backgrounds, and academic studies while exploring allyship, threats, and the dynamics of being out at home with family.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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Tuesday April 23rd 2024

7:30 pm: COCKTAILS AND CINEMA - Fallen Fruit

Runtime: 85 Minutes
Language: English
Director: Chris Molina
Country: USA, 2024
Genre: Gay, Narrative, Youth

Alex is a 20-something-year-old who begrudgingly moves back to his childhood home in Miami from New York after a breakup. Blinded by his optimism of returning to New York after the Summer, Alex underestimates the inevitable hurricane that is adulthood. As his Miami life takes its turns, Alex documents his version of rock bottom with an old camcorder found in his bedroom-turned-storage closet. Looking for an escape, he soon finds comfort in Chris, a random hookup, who shows him what a life in Miami might have to offer. Blinded by optimism and lust, the reality of adulthood comes flooding in, forcing him to begin to grow up.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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Wednesday April 24th 2024

7:00 pm: CENTERPIECE FILM - Sebastian

Runtime: 113 Minutes
Language: English
Director: Mikko Makela
Country: Finland/UK, 2024
Genre: Gay, Narrative

Max, is a 25-year-old freelance writer and aspiring novelist who seems well on his way to success in London. Yet by night, he finds a different kind of exhilaration as a sex worker with the pseudonym Sebastian, meeting men via an escorting platform. Max uses his experiences as Sebastian to fuel his stories and the worthy debut novel that he has been longing to write, finally seems within reach. As Max increasingly struggles to remain in control of a delicately balanced double-life, he must reckon with whether Sebastian is merely a writer’s tool in their quest for the ultimate sense of first-hand authenticity or whether something more is at stake. One of the many joys of Sebastian is the film is sex positive and explicit without feeling gratuitous.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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Thursday April 25th 2024

5:00 pm: The Beautiful Summer

Runtime: 111 minutes
Language: In Italian with English subtitles
Director: Laura Luchetti
Country: Italy, 2023
Genre: Drama, Foreign , Lesbian, Narrative, Youth

Turin, 1938. Young Ginia has just moved from the countryside and the future seems to offer her endless possibilities. But the war is casting its shadows over the present. Desperate for adventure, Ginia begins an electric affair with a painter she meets in the dazzling artists’ world. The woman who leads her into the bohemian quarters is Amelia. Sensual and provocative, Amelia is not much older than Ginia, but different from anyone she has ever met and ready to shake her certainties. During her “beautiful summer”, Ginia will surrender to her first great love. She will finally give in to her overwhelming feelings, celebrating the courage to be truly herself.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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7:30 pm: Bonus Track

Runtime: 98 minutes
Language: English
Director: Julia Jackman
Country: United Kingdom, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Narrative, Youth

It’s 2006, and George, a small-town sixteen-year-old, is on the road to complete social and academic failure. He dreams of being a star, knows he’s a gifted musician, but no one else seems to agree. So, when Max, the son of a mega-famous musical duo, enrolls at his school and takes an interest in his music, George can’t believe it! Neither can anyone else. But as the boys grow closer, George begins to question why he wants to spend time with Max, finding himself faced with a dream come true scenario, if only he knew what his dream come true really is

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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9:45 pm: Close to You

Runtime: 100 minutes
Language: English
Director: Dominic Savage
Country: Canada and UK, 2023
Genre: Drama, Narrative, Trans

Sam (Elliot Page) hasn’t been home since his transition and after four years in Toronto, he takes a long-dreaded trip back home for his father’s birthday. On the train, he runs into Katherine, a friend from high school and feelings from their unresolved past begin to bubble to the surface. It’s a serendipitous encounter as Sam worries about seeing his family after so much time apart, not for fear that they’ll reject him, but because of the unsolicited comments, questions, misgendering and misunderstanding he’ll receive about his transition, placing the weight of his family’s ignorance and discomfort squarely on his shoulders. Close to You is an emotionally observant drama about coming home as yourself, only for everyone to treat you like a completely different person.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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Friday April 26th 2024

4:45 pm: A House Is Not a Disco

Runtime: 91 Minutes
Language: English
Director: Brian J Smith
Country: USA, 2023
Genre: Documentary, Gay, Historical

A House is Not a Disco is a feature length documentary that captures a year-in-the-life in the world’s most iconic “****-normative” community: Fire Island Pines. Situated fifty miles from New York City, this storied queer beach town finds itself in the midst of a renaissance as a new generation of Millennial homeowners reimagine The Pines for a new, more inclusive era. Filmed like a Wiseman movie on magic mushrooms, a large cast of unforgettable eccentrics, activists, drifters and first-timers reflect on the legacy of The Pines while preparing their beloved village for the biggest challenge it has faced since the AIDS crisis: rising seas caused by climate change.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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5:00 pm: Sunflower

Runtime: 82
Language: English
Director: Gabriel Carrubba
Country: Australia
Genre: Gay, Narrative, Romance, Sports

Seventeen-year-old Leo has his life together in the high school hierarchy: drunken parties, decent grades, the popular girlfriend; and comes home to the loving bickering only a family can provide. But Leo experiences an identity crisis as he becomes increasingly attracted to his best friend, Boof. His well-groomed facade begins to crack and with every step Leo takes towards embracing his sexuality. This includes overcoming the incessant socialized homophobia of the boy’s locker room. Hopeful and romantic, this is an enticing drama about growing up with your heart stuck in your mouth. With tender performances, Sunflower is a classic queer coming of age film elevated by a heartfelt authenticity from debut filmmaker Gabriel Carrubba.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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6:45 pm: The Queen of My Dreams

Runtime: 97 minutes
Language: In Urdu and English with English subtitles
Director: Fawzia Mirza
Country: Canada/Pakistan, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Lesbian

Azra, a queer Pakistani woman living in Toronto, is worlds apart from her conservative Muslim mother. When her father suddenly dies, Azra finds herself on a Bollywood-inspired journey through memories, both real and imagined, from her mother’s youth in Karachi to her own coming-of-age (and out) in rural Canada. Inspired by real events, Fawzia Mirza's vibrant and stylish film, uses a candy colored palette, to explore the chasm between individual desires and cultural expectations, fluidly slipping between the textures of Indian cinema and the concerns of a coming-of-age film. Infused with humor, romance, music, and fantasy, The Queen of My Dreams, explores the intergenerational ties between mothers and daughters, East and West, home and away.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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7:00 pm: Toll

Runtime: 101 minutes
Language: In Portuguese with English subtitles
Director: Carolina Markowicz
Country: Brazil/Portugal, 2023
Genre: Drama, Gay

Suellen is running late for work but still makes a stop to light a candle for her son. It becomes clear why she lights this candle when Suellen watches videos of her son lip-syncing while wearing pink, glittery clothes. While Suellen saves up to send her son to a conversion camp, she goes to great lengths to gather the money. Director Carolina Markowicz presents a cinematic study of intolerance and hypocrisy. In a town where confession and prayer relieve you of the sins of infidelity, theft, and judgment, no sin is greater than a boy wearing makeup and learning English so he can lip-sync to his favorite American singers.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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9:05 pm: Throuple

Runtime: 98 Minutes
Language: English
Director: Greysin Horst
Country: USA, 2024
Genre: Comedy, Gay, Lesbian, Music

Michael, a lonely, gay singer-songwriter, has lost his way and his voice. He’s hopeless when it comes to dating - and struggles to express what he needs from the people in his life. Not to mention, he hasn’t really played much of his music for anyone in years. His social circle consists of his best friend Tristan (who leads the staple local rock band (Dakota Jones) and Tristan’s girlfriend Abby (a successful DJ.) Much to Abby’s chagrin, Michael leans on them to fulfill his needs for emotional intimacy. One night as Michael mans Tristan’s merch table, he catches the attention of Georgie and Connor, a married couple looking for something, or someone, to do. A nonchalant hookup becomes a night of vulnerability that none of them expected. With encouragement from Tristan and Abby, Michael pursues Georgie and Connor. The couple challenges Michael to open up about his feelings and even write some new songs. And for his part, Michael ignites a flicker in their marriage they feared was long gone. But Michael’s world is thrown into chaos when Georgie, Connor, Tristan, and Abby all make life-altering decisions that leave him feeling abandoned. Michael must decide whether to express his feelings and go after what he wants, both in his music and his relationships, or watch them all slip away. Throuple is the feature-length queer non-monogamous rock n’ roll romcom that you never knew you needed…but you certainly do!

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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9:20 pm: The Summer with Carmen

Runtime: 104 minutes
Language: In Greek with English subtitles
Director: Zacharias Mavroeldis
Country: Greece, 2023
Genre: Foreign , Gay

While enjoying a day at Athens’ queer beach, 30-something hunky Demosthenes offers to help his bestie and aspiring filmmaker flamboyant Nikitas in drafting an idea for his feature debut, inspired by the events surrounding a dog named Carmen. Two summers ago, Demosthenes was stuck in Athens dealing with the health issues of his father. This serves as an excuse to reach out to his ex, Panos. Meanwhile, Panos got the overly cute Carmen, something he soon regretted. Likewise, Demosthenes seems to have regretted breaking up with Panos. Or did he not Struggling to transform real events into a hero’s journey, the two friends question the no.1 rule of script writing theory – the hero that changes – while turning a page in their long-lasting friendship.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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Saturday April 27th 2024

4:30 pm: Where The Men Are: GAY SHORTS

Genre: Gay

I laughed, I cried, I bought the T-Shirt, the ever popular and sought after shorts program is a staple of OUTshine.

Total Run Time: 124 minutes

Muscat
Philippe Grenier, 16 minutes, Canada, In French and Moroccan with English subtitles
Samir, a 16-year-old Moroccan fisherman, discovers his attraction towards men when he meets Louis, a tourist traveling with his wife. When Louis faces the worst, Samir is the only one who can help him.

Some Kind of Paradise
Nicholas Finegan, 21 minutes, USA
In a chance encounter on Grindr, a reclusive barman at an Arkansas line-dancing bar connects with a charismatic Hollywood actor. The sheer force of their chemistry pushes him to question the isolated life he has built for himself- and embrace the transformative power of intimacy and vulnerability.

The White Crows (Les corneilles blanches)
Denis Liakhov, 16 minutes, France, In Russian with English subtitles
Vlad, a young Russian homosexual in the closet, returns from Moscow to his small hometown. His brother Liokha has arranged a surprise for him: a night in the sauna with a prostitute.

Dream Burger
Sami Kali, 9 minutes, Switzerland, In English
Luke and Simon always go for burgers together after tennis. But this time, Luke wants to tell Simon how he really feels about him. How will Simon react Luke's vivid imagination leads us into some intense scenarios, only to reveal a surprising truth.

The Last Take
Brian Foyster, 14 minutes, USA
Facing the end, a movie star from the golden age of Hollywood must reconcile with the only man he ever loved.

The Pansy of Pickadee
Gus George, Paddy Morahan, 8 minutes, Australia
The Pansy of Pickadee tells the story of a queer young man and a town on the verge of destruction. When all else fails, the young man uses his special skills to save his friends and family and becomes the hero he was born to be.

Car Wash
Lucas Sogas, 30 minutes, Spain, In Spanish with English subtitles
Two boys from a soccer team disguise their love relationship as sheer friendship so as not to be discovered. One night of passion inside a car wash could trigger a different path in their lives.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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5:15 pm: Lesvia

Runtime: 77 Minutes
Language: In English, Greek, French and Italian with English subtitles
Director: Tzeli Hadjidimitriou
Country: Greece, 2023
Genre: Documentary, Foreign , Historical, Lesbian

Since the 1970s, lesbians from around the world have been drawn to the island of Lesvos, birthplace of the ancient Greek poet Sappho. When they find paradise in a local village and carve out their own lesbian community, tensions simmer with the local residents. With both groups claiming ownership of lesbian identity, filmmaker Tzeli Hadjidimitriou, a native and lesbian herself, is caught in the middle and chronicles 40+ years of love, community, conflict, and what it means to feel accepted. Lesvia is a sun-soaked, blissfully nostalgic yet impressively complex insight into the stories of Lesbos that you have never heard.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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7:00 pm: MEN'S SPOTLIGHT FILM: F.L.Y.

Runtime: 105 Minutes
Language: English
Director: Rafael Albarran and Trent Kendrick
Country: USA, 2023
Genre: Drag Queen, Gay, Narrative, Slice of Life

When two ex-boyfriends (Max and Rafael), who haven't seen each other in five years, reunite -- the covid pandemic hits, and they're forced to quarantine together. In the years that have passed since they last saw each other in New York, Max has built a new life in Los Angeles working as a freelance editor. Max has spent most of his free time with his new boyfriend Hunter, who's a fitness instructor, while Rafael has been rebuilding his identity as a non-binary human who's excited to explore the art of drag with hopes of becoming a drag superstar. F.L.Y. celebrates living your truth, and trusting the journey it takes you on.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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7:15 pm: LADIES SPOTLIGHT FILM: Backspot

Runtime: 93 Minutes
Language: English
Director: D.W. Waterson
Country: Canada, 2023
Genre: Drama, Lesbian, Narrative, Sports

Riley is the formidable backspot on her mid-level cheerleading squad until professional coach Eileen McNamara gives her an opportunity to join the Thunderhawks, a high-performance All-Star team. Young, ambitious, and fiercely in love with her girlfriend Amanda, Riley would be on top of the world if only she could get her crippling anxiety under control. Desperate to be heard and appreciated, two qualities her home life severely lacks, Riley will do anything to ingratiate herself to her new coach. Overwhelmed, obsessive and with a competition looming, this young, queer athlete must decipher her own voice from the women around her and form a healthier relationship to the sport that she loves.

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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9:30 pm: Mamántula

Runtime: 48 Minutes
Language: In Spanish with English subtitles
Director: Ion de Sosa
Country: Spain, 2023
Genre: Gay, Horror, Narrative

Preceded By: Amoeba
Ian Fallon, 16 minutes, Ireland
After surviving a brain eating parasite, Levi, a young queer man, is invited to his secondary school crush Roan's house for the weekend. Waking from an intoxicated night of reconnecting, Levi becomes convinced Roan kissed him. As Levi seeks the truth of what happened that night, his grip on reality loosens. Amoeba is a story about the destructive power of unrequited love.

Dreadful and gory killings create panic in the queer community: a semen thirsty killer is on the loose and nobody is safe. In this humorous and provocative gem, Ion de Sosa creates an alternative present in which the surreal takes the lead to narrate yet another threat that the LGBTQIA+ community needs to face. In an alternative present of brutalist saunas, endless metro corridors and trench-coated hat-wearing detectives, each of Mamántula's lovers falls victim to his insatiable lust for blood and semen; a thread in the stellar web he's weaving to return to the dimension where he belongs. Savvily playing with genres from noir through to sci-fi, Mamántula explores cinematic queerness at its most compelling.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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Sunday April 28th 2024

3:45 pm: What a Feeling

Runtime: 110 Minutes
Language: In German, English and Presian with English subtitles
Director: Kate Rohrer
Country: Austria, 2024
Genre: Comedy, Foreign , Lesbian, Narrative

Marie Theres, 52, has the seemingly perfect life: married to her husband for 20 years, raising their teenage daughter and being a successful doctor. In an instance everything changes: her husband leaves, her daughter rebels, she gets suspended from the hospital and her friends abandon her. Thats when she meets Fa, a self-confident, independent, free spirited Iranian woman, who runs her own carpentry business and takes care of their elderly mother. The two women could not be more different and more attracted to each-other. Each will have to break free from the confines they have built for themselves if they truly want to be happy. What A Feeling is a heartfelt and clever romantic comedy about two middle aged women who refuse to be pushed to the sideline of life

Location: Silverspot Cinema - 300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami, FL 33131

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4:00 pm: Listen Up!

Runtime: 86 Minutes
Language: In Norwegian and Urdu with English subtitles
Director: Kaveh Tehrani
Country: Norway, 2023
Genre: Comedy, Narrative, Trans

Mahmoud (15) spends his summer in Oslo, sitting on a bench with his one-eyed friend Arif, waiting for life to start happening. He hasn’t applied for a summer job because he knows people named Mahmoud Mahroof won’t even be called in for an interview. This summer will be different, however. When his Uncle Ji comes visiting from Pakistan and his little brother Ali (9) tells him a secret, the world according to Mahmoud and his family changes drastically. Listen Up! is a comedy about identity, gender, class and family, based on Gulraiz Sharif’s novel of the same name.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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6:00 pm: CLOSING NIGHT FILM - Mascarpone: The Rainbow Cake

Runtime: 105 Minutes
Language: In Italian with English Subtitles
Director: Alessandro Guida
Country: Italy, 2024
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Gay, Narrative

After three years, Antonio and Luca see each other for the first time after their best friend Denis' death. Luca, who has hit rock bottom, has been lucky enough to meet Tancredi, his current boyfriend, while Antonio has focused on his work, so much so that he is now a well-known chef in a pastry boutique. It is clear that there is still a special relationship between the two, but Antonio mistakes Luca's affection for something more and does everything he can to ruin his relationship with Tacrendi. Will Antonio learn to let go of the past in order to fully experience what the future has to offer him With a beautiful cast, a beautiful story, and intoxicating bakery goods, Mascarpone: The Rainbow Cake builds off the original to a sexy and compelling sophomore feature.

Location: Regal South Beach - 1120 Lincoln Rd Mall, Miami Beach, FL 33139

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Date: April 18-28, 2024

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