NewFest36 Programming Lineup

HIDDEN FLORA

A hopelessly romantic New Mexico teen navigates first love and friend crushes while exploring gender identity and self-discovery

SHORTS: WOMEN’S NIGHT OUT (Screening + Party)

Seven sapphic short films, followed by our annual Women’s Night Out Party

PONYBOI

Writer/producer River Gallo and Dylan O’Brien star in this thrilling neo-noir that follows a sex worker entangled in a perilous drug deal – in, of all, places, New Jersey

THE SILENCE OF MY HANDS

A couple navigates their long-distance relationship as they rely on their shared trust and deep level of communication

SHORTS: TLC (TRANS LOVING CARE)

Celebrate trans lives through journeys of self-empowerment and love

VENENO (Season 2: DRESSED IN BLUE)

The second season of international cultural phenomenon VENENO is back with a look at the subjects behind a lost-to-time documentary

SHORTS: BESTIES BRUNCH

Kick back with your besties at our annual Brooklyn Brunch as we celebrate the vibrant and vital role queer friendship plays in our lives

ALOK: Screening & Conversation

A compelling portrait of Alok Vaid-Menon, the internationally acclaimed nonbinary author, poet, comedian and public speaker

HIGH TIDE (U.S. Centerpiece)

A Brazilian emigré and an American hunk fall in love amid the beach splendor of Provincetown

LAYLA

A vivacious nonbinary drag performer finds themselves drawn to an unexpected new beau and faces pivotal decisions about their identity

DRESSED IN BLUE (1983)

A stunning restoration of the groundbreaking documentary that immerses audiences in the glamorous world of six trans women in post-Franco Spain

SHORTS: T4TRANSGRESSIVE

This radical program features bold, unapologetic narratives where trans characters take center stage

CARNAGE FOR CHRISTMAS

Prepare for a spine-chilling sleigh ride and bloodbath in Alice Maio Mackay’s audacious thriller

REAS

An exhilarating and cathartic nonfiction musical that celebrates the power of community within a women’s prison

LADY LIKE

RuPaul’s Drag Race star Lady Camden comes into her own as a unique artist in this entertaining doc. You better work!

TOPS

A brash, satirical mockumentary in the style of early aughts reality shows finds filmmaker Ames Pennington exploring life after top surgery

SHORTS: COMEDY COMES OUT

A collection of comedic short films that will make you cringe and giggle in equal measure

LIFE IS NOT A COMPETITION, BUT I’M WINNING

A daring group of athletes queer an Olympic Stadium to challenge the antiquated rules of the game

THE MATRIX (1999): 25th Anniversary

Celebrate the 25th anniversary of this classic by taking the red pill…to TRANScendence

SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE Season 3 (Episodes 1 + 2) Brunch Screening + Q&A

EMILIA PÉREZ (Closing Night Film + Party)

A star-studded, double Cannes prize-winning pop opera from renegade auteur Jacques Audiard that defies genres and expectations

SHORTS: LOVE IS STRONGER THAN SHAME

A wise and uplifting program about demanding to be celebrated for queer identities despite family pressure or outdated norms

ASOG (Virtual Exclusive)

A nonbinary femme teacher embarks on a thrilling journey of love, resilience and discovery

A HOUSE IS NOT A DISCO (NewFest Pride Encore, Virtual Exclusive)

A compelling, lovingly-captured documentary portrait of Fire Island as queer paradise that sees past and present blur within the iconic beach town