See the full lineup below for NewFest’s 37th New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival.
Opening Night Film & Party
BLUE MOON, directed by Richard Linklater (USA, Ireland)
Richard Linklater directs Ethan Hawke, Andrew Scott, and Margaret Qualley in a witty, bittersweet tale unfolding at Sardi’s on Broadway’s most historic opening night: Oklahoma!.
Closing Night Film & Party
CHRISTY, directed by David Michôd (USA)
Based on remarkable true events and starring Sydney Sweeney and Ben Foster, CHRISTY tells the story of a small-town boxer who becomes a champion — and a rare queer sports icon — while fighting her fiercest battles outside the ring. New York City Premiere
U.S. Centerpiece
FUCKTOYS, directed by Annapurna Sriram (USA)
Award-winning at SXSW and Fantasia, FUCKTOYS explodes with sex, satire, and fantasy — a riotous, heartfelt comedy packed with eccentric characters, wild visuals, and the energy of a cult classic in the making. New York Premiere
International Centerpiece
NIGHT STAGE, directed by Filipe Matzembacher & Marcio Reolon (Brazil)
In this neon-soaked erotic thriller, an ambitious actor and a rising politician enter a dangerous affair of public sex and private secrets — a passion that threatens to consume them both. New York Premiere
Documentary Centerpiece Screening
COME SEE ME IN THE GOOD LIGHT, directed by Ryan White (USA)
This Sundance Festival Favorite captures poet Andrea Gibson’s cancer journey and love story with wife Megan Falley — a tender, life-affirming portrait that now serves as a moving tribute following Gibson’s passing earlier this year.
New York Centerpiece Screening
A DEEPER LOVE: THE STORY OF MISS PEPPERMINT, directed by Oriel Pe’er (USA)
This intimate, uplifting documentary celebrates Miss Peppermint, a radiant NYC nightlife icon and rising trans activist. With unwavering determination and the support of her chosen family, she brightens her own path to success. New York Premiere
Special Events
2025 New Voices Filmmaker Grant Showcase – Screening & Conversation
Celebrate the four recipients of the 2025 New Voices Filmmaker Grant, a program NewFest launched in 2022 in partnership with Netflix as part of the Netflix Fund for Creative Equity, with a screening of their recent short films. Join us as we share the auspicious work from 2025 grantees MG Evangelista, Shuli Huang, Farah Jabir, and Kevin Xian Ming Yu, and hear what’s to come in their future projects and emerging careers.
Netflix’s BOOTS: Screening & Conversation with Star Miles Heizer, Showrunners and More
Join NewFest for a screening of Netflix’s new coming-of-age series, BOOTS. After episode one, creator and co-showrunner Andy Parker, showrunner Jennifer Cecil, and star Miles Heizer will be joined by one of the show’s veteran advisors Leon Ingleright. Together, they’ll explore the importance of sharing LGBTQ+ military stories, the depiction of resilience and brotherhood in boot camp, and how real-life experiences from the show’s veteran advisors helped inform the series. Don’t miss this powerful conversation about transformation, authenticity, and the ongoing challenges—and vital importance—of telling LGBTQ+ stories in and out of uniform.
Legacy Screening + Events
THE CELLULOID CLOSET (1995), directed by Rob Epstein and Jeffrey Friedman (USA)
Narrated by Lily Tomlin and based on Vito Russo’s landmark book, this classic 1995 documentary traces a century of LGBTQ+ representation on screen. 30th Anniversary Screening. Presented in partnership with the American LGBTQ+ Museum.
DESERT HEARTS (1985), directed by Donna Deitch (USA)
Nearly four decades since its release in April 1986, join us in revisiting Donna Deitch’s classic of lesbian cinema – and one of the greatest love stories of all time.
MAMMA MIA! (2008), directed by Phyllida Lloyd (USA)
In our first-ever audience-chosen musical screening, a young bride invites the three men who may potentially be her father to her Greek wedding, all set to the irresistible music of ABBA.
Film Feast: MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE (1985), directed by Stephen Frears (UK)
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of Stephen Frears’ groundbreaking queer classic, pairing romance, politics, and neon flair in Thatcher-era London — served with a thematically curated multi-course meal at NewFest’s 5th annual Film Feast. 40th Anniversary Screening
Mocktail Matinee: JOSIE AND THE PUSSYCATS (2001)
Rediscover the purr-fect all-girl rock band in this outrageous satire nearly 15 years after its very millennial release in 2001 at our inaugural mocktail matinee celebration.
1950 Best Actress Trifecta
This tantalizing triple feature is your chance to relive one of the most iconic Academy Award Best Actress races on its 75th anniversary, when Judy Holliday won in an upset over the heavily favored Gloria Swanson and Bette Davis.
ALL ABOUT EVE (1950), directed by Joseph L. Mankiewicz (USA)
In Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s iconic showbiz satire, Bette Davis plays an aging actress who takes a younger fan under her wing, unaware the fan’s ruthless ambition will threaten her own career. 75th Anniversary Screening
BORN YESTERDAY (1950), directed by George Cukor (USA)
A junkyard tycoon hires a journalist to educate his mistress, only for her to outgrow him. Judy Holliday’s Oscar-winning turn is an effervescent highlight of classic Hollywood comedy. 75th Anniversary Screening
SUNSET BOULEVARD (1950), directed by Billy Wilder (USA)
In Billy Wilder’s enduring masterpiece, Gloria Swanson plays Norma Desmond, a silent-movie star who hires a hapless screenwriter to mount her ultimately doomed comeback. 75th Anniversary Screening
Narrative Features
AT THE PLACE OF GHOSTS, directed by Bretten Hannam (Canada)
Siblings Mise’l and Antle must confront a past that still haunts them. Only by returning to Sk+te’kmujue’kati (the Place of Ghosts), can they face what lingers in the shadows and begin healing. U.S. Premiere
BEARCAVE, directed by Krysianna B. Papadakis and Stergios Dinopoulos (Greece, UK)
Set in the green mountains of Greece, in a rural town attached to tradition, two longtime girlfriends are confronted with a bond that is suddenly shifting into a deeper attraction. North American Premiere
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