NewFest
The 33rd Annual NewFest LGBTQ+ Film Festival
Introducing the 2021 hybrid edition of The New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival! This year’s festival will be available virtually across the U.S., and in-person throughout Manhattan and Brooklyn.
The festival will feature a robust lineup of films, premieres, and panels, including in-person screenings here at The Center, as well as The SVA Theatre, Nitehawk Prospect Park, and The Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM). Additionally, audiences will once again be able to access all virtual films from anywhere in the U.S. via NewFest’s on-demand platform.
View Films Screening at The Center
The full program for #NewFest2021 can be found here.
Following NYC guidelines, in-person attendees must provide proof of vaccination and must wear masks.
ABOUT THE EVENT
Please note: We are thrilled to be welcoming our community back to in-person events with The Center! Our utmost priority is the health and safety of our staff, visitors, and community. The Center is actively monitoring the ongoing situation with COVID-19 and the Delta variant as well as the guidelines from New York City, New York State, and the CDC. The Center will keep guests apprised of all requirements for entry to the building, and will continue to update this page with current safety policies.
To request an accommodation for this event, please contact Richard Morales at rmorales@gaycenter.org or 646.502.6370 by Thursday, October 7.
DETAILS
Festival will take place October 15-26, 2021
Times will vary.
Presented in Partnership With
NewFest 2021 Film Festival—Schedule of In-Person Screenings at The Center
Saturday, October 16, 2021
“All Boys Aren’t Blue”
3 p.m. ET
Director: Nathan Hale Williams
Writer: George M. Johnson
Cast: Dyllón Burnside, Bernard David Jones, Thomas Hobson, and Jenifer Lewis
Duration: 40 minutes
In a poetic visual reading of George Matthew Johnson’s intimate memoir, Dyllón Burnside (FX’s “Pose”), Bernard David Jones, and Thomas Hobson play Johnson at pivotal stages of their life to recount their experiences growing up Black, queer, and nonbinary.
Most touchingly, “All Boys Aren’t Blue” captures the warm relationship they had with their grandmother, warmly voiced by legendary actor Jenifer Lewis. Prose is king, and Johnson’s couldn’t be more captivating—made only stronger by the actors’ imaginative interpretations of the material.
Preceded by the following short films:
“Black Boy Joy”
Directed by Avery Archie & Joshua Walker, USA, 1 min
When being yourself is more than enough. Closed Captioning will be available for this screening.
“Smoke, Lilies, and Jade”
Directed by Deondray and Quincy LeNear Gossfield, USA, 28 mins
Alex, a Harlem Renaissance artist, meets Beauty and wavers on the brink of passion until his girlfriend forces his hand. Presented in partnership with Harlem Pride.
“Shorts: Always A Pleasure”
6 p.m. ET
Presented in partnership with Aorta Films
Duration: 72 minutes
This program contains sexually explicit material.
Get immersed in the healing magic of queer sex, touch, and lust with “Shorts: Always a Pleasure,” a sensual program that prioritizes and destigmatizes LGBTQ+ desire. Mixing the experimental with the explicit, this uncensored shorts block will take you from a sadomasochistic quantum leap to romantic monsterf*cking and all the hot, hypnotic evenings in between.
“Monsterdykë”
Directed by Kaye Adelaide & Mariel Sharp, Australia, 4 mins
A transgender sculptress who is unhappy dating men has a lesbian awakening when a monster sculpture comes alive and rocks her world.
“Sex(ual) Healing”
Directed by Max Skaff, USA, 22 mins
Amplifying the voices of sex workers, this mini-doc aims to expose the public to the healing powers of sex without shame. Closed Captioning will be available for this screening.
“Black Sex Magic”
Directed by Beyondeep, Colombia, 8 mins
An entrancing BDSM film mixes rough impact with sensual romance, guided by music, thunder, and flames.
“Silver Femme”
Directed by Nico Reano, USA, 4 mins
A digital ode and visual poem to corporeal as well as celestial bodies, envisioning a future where trans people are safe.
“Hole Theory”
Directed by Mahx Capacity, USA, 12 mins
“The hole is not the entry nor the exit—it is the infinite interior, the space which cannot be Seen, only Felt.”
“And Then We Touch”
Directed by Benjamin Egger, Switzerland, 14 mins
An intimate scene between two pup players in a living room.
“Love in the Time of Corona”
Directed by Lila Schmitz, USA, 8 mins
Closed Captioning will be available for this screening.
The story of two horny singles and the lengths human imagination can go when faced with trying circumstances—especially when it comes to sex and belonging.
Sunday, October 17, 2021
“Being Thunder”
3 p.m. ET
Director: Stephanie Lamorre
Duration: 85 minutes
Closed Captioning will be available for this screening.
Two-Spirit teenager Sherenté Mishitashin Harris from the Narragansett tribe performs traditional dance at Pow Wows around New England, but not everyone is supportive of Sherenté’s inclusion in the ”girls” category. “Being Thunder” is the stirring story of Sherenté’s persistence, aided by love from peers and family.
From facing biased judges to tackling college applications, Sherenté shines through as a role model for youth worldwide to go against the grain and live as their authentic selves with tenacity and grace. Director Stephanie Lamorre’s stunning observational documentary is a rare example of a three-dimensional, Indigenous LGBTQ+ story, demonstrating the need for far more on-screen representation.
“AIDS Diva: The Legend of Connie Norman”
6 p.m. ET
Director: Dante Alencastre
Cast: Connie Norman, Valerie Spencer, Torie Osborn, Mary Lucey
Duration: 62 minutes
As the self-appointed “AIDS DIVA” and ACT UP/LA spokesperson in early 90s Los Angeles, Connie Norman stood proudly in her fluid and evolving LGBTQ+ identities. Both beloved and confrontational, Connie’s rants and intersectional politics were heard widely through her newspaper column, pioneering radio program, and cable TV talk shows.
Serving as a bridge in the realms of both gender and politics, Connie’s piercing, compassionate voice urges us into action once again, to fully engage in our own lives and the world around us.
Preceded by the following short film:
“The Beauty President”
Director: Whitney Skauge, USA
Duration: 10 mins
Drag queen Joan Jett Blakk ran for US President in 1992 as one of the first openly queer candidates. Today, Terence Smith, the man behind the persona, reflects on his place in history. Presented in partnership with ACT UP NY.
Friday, October 22, 2021
“Sediments”
7:30 p.m. ET
Director: Adrián Silvestre
Duration: 89 minutes
Closed Captioning will be available for this screening.
Six trans women travel to a rural town in Spain to become one with nature and participate in a communal experience that leads to emotionally vigorous conversation and conflict. As the women discuss the evolution of trans rights in Spain and its legal system, they ultimately gain a deeper understanding of their innermost selves.
Director Adrián Silvestre’s free-flowing documentary delves into their connections and differences as a collective, capturing the women with empathy and as they truly are: unique and unrepeatable.
Saturday, October 23, 2021
“The Legend of the Underground”
Free screening
4 p.m. ET
Director: Giselle Bailey, Nneka Onuorah
Duration: 100 minutes
Presented in partnership with Women Make Movies
Struggling against rampant LGBTQ+ discrimination in Nigeria, a new generation of non-conformist youth use social media, underground radio, and any other resources at their disposal to fight for their right to live out loud.
“The Legend of the Underground” follows two tight-knit groups communicating between New York and Nigeria on their journey to spark a cultural revolution and challenge national ideals about gender and civil rights. Don’t miss this triumphant new work from co-directors Giselle Bailey and Nneka Onuorah (NewFest 2015 Audience Award winner for “The Same Difference”).
“Caer (Caught”)
7 p.m. ET
Director: Nicola Mai
Cast: Ashley Rendon; Manolo Rivera; J. Leigh Oshiro-Brantly; Rafael Samanez; Jennifer Orellana Delgado / Jennifer St. Cartier; Douglas DeFalco; Mayra Colon; Lorena Borjas; Linda Carolina Dominguez; Liaam Winslet; Jillian Modzeleski; Daniela Simba; Peyton Castillo; Nayra Lee Berrios; Divay Mendez Ramires; Jhon Sebastian; Amy Lobo; Laura Martinez; Victor Vasconcellos; Anthony Pereira
Duration: 61 minutes
Presented in partnership with Cinema Tropical
A trans Latina sex worker is arrested in a sting operation in Queens, NY, but this time it’s all a staged recreation, and when ”Cut!” is shouted off-camera, the actors relax before the next take. Merging fiction and documentary, Nicola Mai’s innovative hybrid feature explores the epidemics of U.S. incarceration and deportation, making room for the women at the center of the violence to tell their own stories.
Created in collaboration with the TRANSgrediendo Intercultural Collective, a grassroots nonprofit defending the rights of trans Latina migrant women in New York City, “Caught (Caer)” expresses this struggle for justice and recognition and calls its audience to urgent action.
Sunday, October 24, 2021
Shorts: Finding Refuge
12 p.m. ET
Duration: 73 minutes
Closed Captioning will be available for this screening.
Countless LGBTQ+ individuals and communities around the world are unable to travel freely or are forced to leave their homes. “Shorts: Finding Refuge” illuminates queer stories of seeking refuge—in found family, friendship, and entirely new countries. These uplifting short films explore what it means to forge a new life while dreaming of the people and places left behind.
“Frozen Out”
Directed by Hao Zhou, USA, 5 mins
An émigré retreats to frozen prairies and swamps, hoping to find a meaningful story and escape the anxieties of dislocation.
“On My Way”
Directed by Sonam Larcin, Belgium, 22 mins
The unexpected arrival of a Nigerian migrant in the Belgian countryside shakes up the fragile daily life of two men living a secret relationship.
“Expatriate Dreamer”
Directed by Yihao Zheng, USA, 11 mins
Alexander Kargaltsev, a Russian-born asylum seeker in the United States, draws on his memories and recreates his home on an unidentified beach.
‘F1-100″
Directed by Emory Chao Johnson, USA, 14 mins
Video, illustration, and animation are combined in this portrait of an international art student studying abroad in the United States.
“Shift”
Directed by Daniela Martinez, USA, 6 mins
After coming out and getting kicked out by her mother and stepfather, Amaia hesitantly seeks refuge with her grandmother.
“Prayers for Sweet Waters”
Directed by Elijah Ndoumbe, South Africa, 16 mins
The stories of a Burundian refugee, an elder dedicated to her community, and a member of Gen Z provide vivid dreamscapes and realities of three trans sex workers in Cape Town, South Africa.