The 2021 NewFest New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival will open with the East Coast premiere of Mayor Pete from award-winning filmmaker Jesse Moss (Boys State), a fascinating look at Pete Buttigieg’s campaign to be the first openly gay U.S. president.
The Closing Night film will be Flee, from Jonas Poher Rasmussen, which took home the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance this year and the Centerpiece film will be Rebecca Hall’s Passing, the story of New York City during the 1920s Harlem Renaissance about two Black women (Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga) who traverse through high society passing as white. The countryside of contemporary South Korea in A Distant Place is the fest’s International Centerpiece.
The 33rd edition of NewFest will take place October 15-26 in New York City theaters and virtually on the festival’s on-demand platform. The lineup includes 130 films and episodic series from 31 countries. There are 30 narrative features, 14 docs and 11 shorts program screenings.
“This year’s festival is all about connection. The LGBTQ+ community thrives on connecting to one another, and having spent most of the past 18 months apart, we are hungry for experiences that remind us we are a part of something bigger than ourselves,” NewFest executive director David Hatkoff said. “We believe queer film provides an opportunity to connect in a unique and celebratory way. This year‘s program highlights that everyone in our community has a story to tell, and shows just how meaningful it is when we really listen to, learn from, and spend time with each other.”
The program will also feature anniversary screenings of Alek Keshishian’s Madonna: Truth or Dare and Dee Rees’s Pariah and the world premiere of the 4K restoration of John Cameron Mitchell’s Shortbus.
“There’s nothing like a room full of queer people,” Hatkoff continued. “We are thrilled to offer more than 50 in-person screenings and events throughout NYC, while still maintaining a virtual streaming element that will be available throughout the United States. Whether at the theater or at home, everyone will be able to experience these incredible films in the way that feels most comfortable for them.”
2021 NewFest New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival Lineup Films
A DISTANT PLACE (International Centerpiece)
A rural sheep farmer’s quiet life in South Korea is disrupted by surprise visits from his lover and twin sister
ALL BOYS AREN’T BLUE
A poetic visual representation of George Matthew Johnson’s memoir about growing up Black and non-binary
AIDS DIVA:THE LEGEND OF CONNIE NORMAN
The previously untold story of Connie Norman, an ACT UP/LA spokesperson in early 90s Los Angeles who stood proudly in her fluid and evolving LGBTQ+ identities
BEING BEBE: THE BEBE ZAHARA BENET DOCUMENTARY
The world fell in love with BeBe Zahara Benet as the first-ever winner of RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE, and now the legendary queen has even more to say
BEING THUNDER
A Two-Spirit teenage dancer fights for inclusion at Powwows around New England and beyond
BLISS
Two sex workers fall in love while working at a Berlin brothel in a candid drama of unparalleled intensity
BOY MEETS BOY
Two young men share a brief yet joyous romantic encounter in modern-day Berlin
BRING DOWN THE WALLS
An exuberant NYC community fights the U.S. prison system while dancing for liberation to classic house tracks
CAER (CAUGHT)
An innovative hybrid narrative-documentary about trans Latina sex workers in Queens, NY
CELTS
In 1990s Serbia a group of friends and couples misbehave at a child’s birthday party, airing out their grievances and indulging in hidden passions
CUT!
The director of a low-budget queer thriller tries to solve a violent murder mystery that threatens his set
DEATH AND BOWLING
A struggling trans actor goes on an adventure of self-discovery after the death of his close friend and captain of his lesbian bowling league
DRAG INVASION
The ultimate insider look at the queens of RUPAUL’S DRAG RACE and their Peruvian LGBTQ+ fans
EPISODIC SHOWCASE
Get ready to laugh and have your heart warmed by this premiere collection of the best in web series
FIREBIRD
A sumptuous romance between two Soviet Air Force recruits during the Cold War, based on true events
FIRSTNESS
A non-binary child, their father, and a stranger form tenuous connections in this award-winning drama
FLEE (Closing Night + Party)
A Sundance award-winning animated documentary tells the story of an Afghani immigrant and his journey to safety in Denmark
HOMEBODY
A kid questioning their gender swaps bodies with a beloved babysitter, leading to a hilarious quest across NYC to get back to the way things were and imagine the way things could be
INVISIBLE: GAY WOMEN IN SOUTHERN MUSIC (Documentary Centerpiece)
The unsung story of the queer women behind some of country music’s greatest hits
JUMP, DARLING
An aspiring performer rekindles a bond with their ailing grandmother (the late great Cloris Leachman) in this intimate dramedy
LEADING LADIES
A dinner party among friends takes a disastrous turn when long-held secrets bubble to the surface
LEGEND OF THE UNDERGROUND
A group of bold, non-conformist youth fight against rampant LGBTQ+ discrimination in today’s Nigeria
LOVE, SPELLS AND ALL THAT
After two decades apart, a young woman reappears to profess her devotion to her teenage sweetheart — but is it all just the workings of a love spell?
MADONNA: TRUTH OR DARE: 30th Anniversary
Celebrate the 30th anniversary of this rare behind-the-scenes look at Madonna during the 1990 international tour for “Blonde Ambition”
MAKE ME FAMOUS
An irresistible exploration of a little-known painter’s legacy and mysterious disappearance from the iconic 1980s downtown art scene in NYC
MAYOR PETE (Opening Night + Party)
A riveting and intimate documentary about Pete Buttegieg’s campaign to be the first openly gay U.S. president
METAMORPHOSIS
A sensitive and illuminating portrait of intersex identity from Filipino director J.E. Tiglao
MIGUEL’S WAR
A Teddy Award-winning interpretation of a gay man’s past life during the Lebanese civil war
MY BEST PART
French superstar Nicolas Maury directs himself as an actor fleeing to his mother’s countryside home to recover from a break-up
PARIAH: 10th Anniversary
A decade since its release, Academy Award nominee Dee Rees’ debut feature remains an enduring exploration of a Black, queer 17-year-old
PASSING (New York Centerpiece)
On a summer day during New York’s Harlem Renaissance, two school acquaintances unexpectedly reunite
POPPY FIELD
A closeted Romanian policeman tries to diffuse a protest at a queer film screening in this subversive thriller
POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA (U.S. Centerpiece)
A Hollywood-obsessed mother and her gay son move from 1980s USSR to the United States
RAW! UNCUT! VIDEO!
A XXX documentary about kink, safe sex, and the independent porn studio that championed them both at the height of the AIDS epidemic
REBEL DYKES
A rabble-rousing documentary set in 1980s post-punk London tells the unheralded story of a community of activist dykes
SEDIMENTS
Six trans women travel to a rural town in Spain to explore the natural landscape and uncover their innermost selves
SEE YOU THEN
A decade after breaking up, college exes Kris and Naomi catch up on their complicated lives, loves, and Kris’ transition
SHORTBUS: 15th Anniversary 4K Restoration
John Cameron Mitchell’s exuberant exploration of life, sex and happiness in NYC still shines fifteen years later in this 4K restoration
SHORTS: ALWAYS A PLEASURE
Get immersed in the healing magic of queer sex, touch, and desire
* This program contains sexually explicit material
SHORTS: BEYOND THE BINARY
Dive into the gender-expansive world of trans filmmakers and their resonant stories
SHORTS: BRIEF ENCOUNTERS
These encounters might be brief but the promise of romance is in the air, so invite your crush and prepare to swoon together
SHORTS: DYKE DRAMA!
Relationship drama, therapy in the back of a rideshare drama — you want it, lesbians will give it to you!
SHORTS: FINDING REFUGE
Electric queer stories about seeking refuge – in found family, friendship, and new parts of the world
SHORTS: I KNOW WHAT BOYS LIKE
Eclectic stories of dudes and dilemmas showing just how fun (and messy!) finding the right connection can be
SHORTS: QUEER FEAR
A dark, campy, and downright bizarre short film program for the thrillseeker in you
SHORTS: QUEER KID POWER
Inspirational and affirming shorts curated specifically for LGBTQ+ youth and teen audiences
SHORTS: SENSE & SPIRITUALITY
Explore the unique bonds queer and trans people form with spirituality, religion and divinity
SHORTS: THE FUTURE IS QUEER
Travel through time, fly out into space, and awaken your imagination with stories of queer futurity
SHORTS: WHAT’S ON YOUR MIND?
Communication is key in these candid shorts about expressing yourself, reconciling differences, and reaching greater understanding
SWEETHEART
An angsty teenager realizes family vacation isn’t so bad when she meets her first crush in this hilarious feature
THE FIRST DEATH OF JOANA
During a hot Brazilian summer, 13-year-old Joana uncovers hidden truths about her family and herself
THE NOVICE
A college freshman obsessively climbs the ranks of her school’s rowing team in this Tribeca award-winner
THE SCARY OF SIXTY-FIRST
After moving into their new Upper East Side apartment, two roommates’ lives are upended by the lingering impact of its infamous former owner
THE SIXTH REEL
Hilarious hijinks ensue when a group of classic film collectors pursue a long-lost film in this homage to 1930s comedies starring Charles Busch
UNDER MY SKIN
An uptight lawyer falls in love with a free-spirited musician, but dynamics shift when one of them begins to question their gender