Queering the Canon: We’re Out Here
The sixth edition of our annual five-day retrospective series runs from March 26-30, 2026.
The series shines a spotlight on LGBTQ+ films and filmmakers who deserve increased recognition for their contribution to the queer canon.
Celebrate cinema that spotlights queer life and community within small towns, suburbs, and rural areas in the U.S. and around the world.
Queer folks are everywhere – from small towns to the ‘burbs to vast rural areas. Discover connection and identity in this collection of retrospective films that celebrate LGBTQ+ existence, resilience, and perseverance across the map – no matter the setting’s size and population. Full of romance, friendship, and close-knit communities, “Queering the Canon: We’re Out Here” shares small town stories that span the globe – from the American West, Midwest, and South to Sweden, Mexico, and Guinea.
Featuring anniversaries, restorations, 35mm, and in-person Q&As with legacy filmmakers and special guests, this homegrown series champions that we’re out here and we always have been.
Individual Film Ticket — $19.50 | Discount for NewFest Members
In-person access to a single film
In-Person 6-Ticket Package — $95 | Discount for NewFest Members
Includes 6 tickets to use across any of the in-person films. Save over $20 with this package!
Includes 6 tickets to use across any of the in-person films. Save over $20 with this package!
Virtual All Access Pass — $25 | Discount for Members | Free for Membership Plus and above
Virtual access to all five streaming films (excludes DESERT HEARTS and WAITING FOR GUFFMAN);
Does not include in-person Q&A’s
Does not include in-person Q&A’s
All five streaming films are available virtually March 26 at 12 PM through March 30 at 11:59 PM EST.
Virtual Pass required to view streaming titles, and provides access to all screening films.
* Virtual passes and individual tickets are discounted for NewFest Members. Haven’t joined yet? Become a member today!
Virtual Pass required to view streaming titles, and provides access to all screening films.
* Virtual passes and individual tickets are discounted for NewFest Members. Haven’t joined yet? Become a member today!
LINEUP
DESERT HEARTS (1985)
dir. Donna Deitch
BAM Rose Cinema – 3/26, 7:30PM
Celebrating 40 years since its theatrical release, experience or revisit Donna Deitch’s Nevada-set classic of lesbian cinema – and one of the greatest love stories of all time in a 2K restoration.
Celebrating 40 years since its theatrical release, experience or revisit Donna Deitch’s Nevada-set classic of lesbian cinema – and one of the greatest love stories of all time in a 2K restoration.
DAKAN (1997)
dir. Mohamed Camara
BAM Rose Cinema – 3/27, 7:30PM
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
Touted as the first queer love story from West Africa, this poignant, unapologetic, and rarely screened drama drew applause and controversy upon its premiere at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
Touted as the first queer love story from West Africa, this poignant, unapologetic, and rarely screened drama drew applause and controversy upon its premiere at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.
WAITING FOR GUFFMAN (1996)
dir. Christopher Guest
BAM Rose Cinema – 3/28, 4:00PM
Welcome to Blaine, Missouri, as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of this seminal satire, featuring a dynamic comedic ensemble that includes Parker Posey and the late great Catherine O’Hara, on a 35mm print.
Welcome to Blaine, Missouri, as we commemorate the 30th anniversary of this seminal satire, featuring a dynamic comedic ensemble that includes Parker Posey and the late great Catherine O’Hara, on a 35mm print.
SHOW ME LOVE (1998)
dir. Lukas Moodysson
BAM Rose Cinema – 3/28, 7:00PM
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
Underwhelmed by her small Swedish hometown of Åmål, teenager Agnes yearns to find validation among her high school peers while daydreaming about the rebellious sister of the most popular student.
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
Underwhelmed by her small Swedish hometown of Åmål, teenager Agnes yearns to find validation among her high school peers while daydreaming about the rebellious sister of the most popular student.
SOUTHERN COMFORT (2001)
dir. Kate Davis
BAM Rose Cinema – 3/29, 5:00PM
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
This Sundance award-winner is a profoundly human portrait of Robert Eads, whose story is a testament to the strength, compassion, and solidarity that define a trans community in the American South.
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
This Sundance award-winner is a profoundly human portrait of Robert Eads, whose story is a testament to the strength, compassion, and solidarity that define a trans community in the American South.
THE PLACE WITHOUT LIMITS (1978)
dir. Arturo Ripstein
BAM Rose Cinema – 3/30, 7:00PM
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
Selected by Mexico as its Oscar entry in 1978, Arturo Ripstein’s formidable film follows Manuela—the owner of a bordello in remote El Olivo—as a returning outsider awakens buried memories that threaten the tumbleweed town’s fragile peace.
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
Selected by Mexico as its Oscar entry in 1978, Arturo Ripstein’s formidable film follows Manuela—the owner of a bordello in remote El Olivo—as a returning outsider awakens buried memories that threaten the tumbleweed town’s fragile peace.
GREETINGS FROM OUT HERE (1993)
dir. Ellen Spiro
Streaming 3/26 – 3/30
Accompanied by her dog Sam and a video camera, filmmaker Ellen Spiro travels from Virginia to Texas and back, exploring the openly gay culture in the Deep South.
Accompanied by her dog Sam and a video camera, filmmaker Ellen Spiro travels from Virginia to Texas and back, exploring the openly gay culture in the Deep South.
STREAMING
March 26 – 30
Streaming films do not include in-person filmmaker Q&A’s. Individual tickets are not available for virtual screenings.
Virtual Pass required to view streaming titles, and provides access to all screening films. Streaming only available in the U.S.