NewFest36 Programming Lineup

EPISODIC SHOWCASE

Five pilots. Five opportunities to find your new series obsession

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A wise and uplifting program about demanding to be celebrated for queer identities despite family pressure or outdated norms

SHORTS: QUEER LIVES ACROSS TIME & AMERICA (with the American LGBTQ+ Museum)

This celebratory short film program, in partnership with the American LGBTQ+ Museum, spans decades and our vast national landscape to capture a holistic portrait of queer life in the USA

SHORTS: T4TRANSGRESSIVE

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

SHORTS: TLC (TRANS LOVING CARE)

Celebrate trans lives through journeys of self-empowerment and love

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: QUEER TEEN MOXIE

An affirming shorts program curated for LGBTQ+ teens and allies, presented in partnership with the NYC Department of Education

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: LET’S DO THE TIME WARP AGAIN

We are here now because of who we have been before

NEW VOICES FILMMAKER GRANT SHOWCASE

Join us in celebrating the 2024 New Voices Filmmaker Grant recipients with a screening of their exciting short film work and conversation around what's to come

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

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

THIS IS BALLROOM

Brazil’s vibrant ballroom scene takes center stage in this electrifying documentary

TOPS

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

WHAT A FEELING

Hit the dance floor with this raucous and poignant romantic comedy about two women meeting in middle age

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

TEACHES OF PEACHES

Alt queer rocker Peaches is unvarnished, candid, and electric in this thrilling music doc

LESVIA

This expansive documentary chronicles 40-plus years of lesbian identity and conflict between visitors and locals on a small village on the Greek island of Lesvos

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

DRIP LIKE COFFEE

An intimate connection between two Brooklyn baristas brews a journey of mutual empowerment and sensual transformation

DUINO

A film director’s encounter with an old friend reopens old wounds

GONDOLA

Two women fall in love as they pass each other daily in their gondolas

HIDDEN FLORA

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

I’M NOT EVERYTHING I WANT TO BE

A vibrant, bittersweet and cathartic bio doc that explores what it meant to be a queer artist during a tumultuous time in European history

ALOK: Screening & Conversation

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

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

LOOKING FOR LANGSTON & TONGUES UNTIED: 35th Anniversary Double-Bill

Join NewFest for this landmark double-bill celebrating the 35th anniversary of two groundbreaking works of Black queer male identity, expression and catharsis

MEANWHILE

A docu-poem in six verses about artists breathing through chaos, created in dynamic collaboration between artists of different disciplines

OUT

Two young men from a conservative town lose themselves in the seductive world of the Amsterdam gay nightlife

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

SHORTS: BOY, SO CONFUSING

Boy desires boy, and confusion ensues

SHORTS: CARIBBEAN PRIDE POWER

Champion queer expression with this vivid showcase of Caribbean LGBTQ+ experiences, joys and reclamations

SHORTS: COMEDY COMES OUT

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

A NICE INDIAN BOY (Opening Night Film + Party)

Karan Soni and Jonathan Groff star in this jubilant rom-com about cultural differences and joyful family reconciliations

THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS (NewFest Pride Encore, Virtual Exclusive)

Grad student Azra feels worlds apart from her seemingly rigid mother but uncovers their unexpected connections in this intergenerational crowd-pleaser.

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

ASOG (Virtual Exclusive)

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

DALTON’S DREAM (Virtual Exclusive)

A powerful documentary following a young musician from rural Jamaica forced to reconcile sudden stardom with dangerous allegations about his sexuality