‘Black Rainbow Love’

Programs to include short films, double/triple bills of mid-length films and two feature films

You can have movie night at home and a whole independent film festival at the same time.

Last Thursday, Pride Film Fest announced its first schedule of LGBTQ-themed films since its separation from PrideArts where it began in 2012 as the in-person Queer Bits Film Fest. Although based in Chicago, Pride Film Fest promises year-round LGBTQ film programming for streaming including shorts to features and everything in between expressing the variety and complexity of queer life across the globe.

The fall schedule will include six separate programs streaming for 12 days each. Themes will explore the experiences of gay men and women, trans, gender queer, nonbinary and asexual identities.

The newly independent Pride Film Fest will launch Oct. 26, with the first of two programs of short LGBTQ-themed films. This first program will include 10 short films and will stream Oct. 26-Nov. 6. The second will feature nine shorts that will stream from Nov. 7 -13.

Five mid-length films will showcase over two weeks from Nov. 9-20 and feature films will compete the fall festival beginning Nov. 16-Dec. 11.

Programs are $10 each for 12 days of streaming. Season passes are available for $50, but discounted to $45 if purchased by Oct. 1. Passes for those 65+ are  $30 and also discounted to $27 if purchased by Oct. 1 and passes for students are $25 and discounted to  $22.50 if also purchased by Oct. 1. Gift cards are also available. Films and passes can be purchased and accessed here.

Fall 2022 Pride Film Fest schedule of films:

Week One – Oct. 26-Nov. 7: International Shorts Program A

‘The Nailing of an Older Woman’

Ayor (Netherlands, 11:00). Directed by Tom Bakker, two men in 1970 try to make a statement against gay discrimination.

Cut Short (USA, 5:33). A young nonbinary person comes to terms with a difficult new reality while giving a haircut to their father.

Embrace (USA, 5:18). Directed by Latesha Merkel, this animated short explores the common asexual experience of feeling different than most people.

Flashes of Beauty: Livia (USA, 14:16). Steve Gatlin explores the life of LGBTQ+ human rights activist and transgender woman, Livia Wolfe.

I Could Be Your Girlfriend (USA, 6:48). Forced to interact with her ex, Ameillia tries to win Bobbi back from her new boy toy Jules.

Once I Passed (Germany, 10:00). Martin Gerigk explores a Walt Whitman poem about an affair with a man that may have been his first time with a man.

Panah (Iran, 14:49). A middle-aged transgender mom, is rejected from trying to leave Iran for sex reassignment procedures and has to face her true love.

Queer Bodies (USA, 10:30). A queer documentarian explores gender identity and queer bodies through the lives and works of other queer artists.

The Aquarium (Iran, 9:56). Two trans people fall in love with each other and have to hide it in their workplace, and make a date in a hotel.

The Nailing of an Older Woman (UK, 10:12). Maria, who is trans, meets Ingrid, and begins to question the whereabouts of her transphobic grandmother.

Week Two – Nov. 2-13: International Shorts Program B

‘Clover’

Busia’s Babushkas (USA, 5:56). A personal memoir by filmmaker Dan Pal about a grandmother’s babushkas and a boy’s obsession with long hair.

Clover (USA, 12:03). Written and directed by Jonathan D’Rozario. Jon has something he needs to say to Sam. He just isn’t quite sure what that is yet.

Dash (Ireland, 14:56). A small-town stable man struggles with his femininity amidst a rugged rural landscape. Will he continue to live like this?

Frida (Germany, 22:00). An encounter between a nurse and her patient, Frida, hangs on the border of professional distance and the desire for closeness.

Keep/Delete (USA, 19:00). In a future world, two lovers decide to undergo a procedure and have their entire relationship wiped from their brains.

Kiss Me (Mexico, 10:00). A mischievous teen explores an empty beach house unaware of the video cameras watching his every move.

Tabanca (Canada, 11:50). A genderqueer Trinidadian woman, Marlinn, misses Carnival season back home.

To All that We Are (Canada, 5:00). Kristian Cahatol’s love story explores the budding relationship between two queer 20-somethings.

Washing Off Makeup (USA, 17:00). A timid high school student finds a classmate trying on a dress and find strength and validation within each other.

Week Three – Nov. 9-21: Midlength films

Black Rainbow Love (USA, 40:00). Authentic stories of the Black LBGTQ+ community extracted from the 17 interviews of 28 lovers.

Call Me Miles (Republic of South Africa, 51:27). A story about a transgenderAfrikaans child fighting to find their place in the world by Wynand Dreyer.

Week Four – Nov. 9-21: Feature

Prognosis: Notes on Living (USA, 1:21:00). Oscar winner and LGBTQ+ activist Debra Chasnoff responds to a deadly disease by turning the camera on herself, her wife and their chosen family.

Week Five – Nov. 23-Dec. 4: Midlength films

‘Inside the Beauty Bubble’

Inside the Beauty Bubble (USA, 31:15). “America’s hairstorian” Jeff Hafler struggles to keep his roadside attraction afloat.

Static Space (USA, 23:00). Jamie makes contact on her HAM radio with astronaut Noa currently orbiting Earth and finds a meaningful connection.

Become the Wounded (Canada, 35:00).  A couple tries to mend old wounds but realize it’s not about fixing things – it’s about true empathy.

Week Six – Nov. 30-Dec. 12: Feature

Thanks to Her (USA, 1:20:21) Initially, two high school girls butt heads during their community service, but the tension quickly blossoms into friendship as they learn more about each other.

– Rich Lopez