CinemaQ Film Festival, presented by William Labahn, returned yesterday for a celebration of LGBTQ+ films and filmmakers. The festival, which started on August 26 and runs through August 29, will feature both virtual and in-person events for a more accessible experience.
“We’re beyond thrilled to present a fresh new slate of the best LGBTQ+ films for this year’s CinemaQ Film Fest and come together, virtually, to share in the stories, voices and viewpoints of our community once again,” said Keith Garcia, artistic director of Sie FilmCenter.
The festival, hosted by DenverFilm and Sie FilmCenter, was founded in 2009 with an aim to spotlight the voices of the queer community through the use of film and bring the best of LGBTQ+ programming from around the globe to Colorado. These films showcase new experiences, issues, interests and more to bring visibility to a more marginalized group while giving moviegoers as a larger audience a look into the queer experience.
The four-day festival’s opening night kicked off with an in-person and virtual screening of My Name is Pauli Murray directed by Julie Cohen and Betsy West. The film follows the life and career of the non-binary Black poet, lawyer and activist Pauli Murray who influenced figures such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Thurgood Marshall.
You can also view films such as Jump, Darling directed by Phil Connell, The Leather Boys directed by Sidney J. Furie and Workhorse Queen directed by Angela Washko that can be streamed online, through the DenverFilm app on Roku TV and Apple TV or viewed in person. You can check out the full schedule of films, filmmaker content, panels and more here.
Garcia exclaimed, “With fresh documentaries about fascinating pioneers (My Name is Pauli Murray, Building a Bridge, Rebel Dykes, No Straight Lines, Raw! Uncut! Video!) to stirring narratives of queer lives in motion (See You Then, My Best Part, Jump, Darling) to the recent rediscovery of lost pieces of our cinema, restored and back for the world to see (The Leather Boys, The Films Of The Gay Girls Riding Club), this year’s CinemaQ has something new to explore for every member and ally of our burgeoning community.”
Festival passes are available for purchase for $55 for DenverFilm members or $65 for non-members. You can also purchase individual film tickets for $12 for DenverFilm members and $15 for non-members through the DenverFilm website.