STEVEN LINDSEY | Contributing Writer
StevenCraigLindsey@gmail.com
Launched with fewer than 1,000 attendees, South by Southwest (SXSW) has grown into an internationally celebrated entertainment festival attended by more than 300,000 fans each year. This Sept. 24-27, the All Genders, Lifestyles and Identities Film Festival (aGLIFF), the Austin LGBT Chamber of Commerce and SXSW have joined forces to create The Big Queer Weekend.
The brand-new four-day festival brings together a variety of entertainment options at venues across the city. Showcasing feature films and documentaries, red-carpet arrivals, filmmaker Q&As, drag shows, queer music, art, a queer artist and artisan marketplace, parties, after-parties and a Sunday brunch, the gathering offers a little something for every interest.
Films presented by aGLIFF and SXSW Film will all be screened at Galaxy Theatres Austin. Titles include Lady Champagne, a high-camp comedy sequel starring Peaches Christ, Jackie Beat, Alaska and Varla Jean Merman; documentary features The Best Little Tiny Park in Texas, The Dads, Give Me the Ball, Out Laws, Assembly and Wicket and the coming-of-age short Aiden & Dean Don’t Fall in Love.
for purchase.
SXSW Music and the ALGBTCC combine their resources to present the Pride In Local Music Showcase, a night of queer music, drag and art at Drinks Backyard. The evening event will be hosted by Maxine LaQueene and feature live music sets from Maru Haru, Painterly and headliner Melissa Carper. DJ Gabriel “Bboy Wicket” Jaochico (the subject of the Wicket documentary screening the same weekend) rounds out the dance inspirations at this free public event.
The Big Queer Weekend culminates at Hotel Indigo in Downtown Austin for a networking brunch for local filmmakers, musicians, artists and other creatives. Attend for a suggested $10 donation, which includes a breakfast taco buffet, cocktails for purchase and the added bonus of a guest pass to use the hotel pool, transforming it into the queerest scene in Austin for the afternoon.
Though it may be small in its debut year by comparison to other festivals in this neck of the Texas Hill Country, The Big Queer Weekend has the potential to become a major draw for LGBTQ+ pop culture fans from around the state and across the globe. So, consider a road trip in two weeks to be part of the next big thing from the get-go.
In addition to the free music festival, a la carte general admission tickets are $20 and weekend passes are $50. For the most up-to-date information and a full schedule, visit bigqueerweekend.com.