Get ready for the second annual Newark LGBTQ Film Festival happening from April 26-28 at various venues throughout downtown Newark. The festival celebrates Queer BIPOC films and filmmakers.
“To know that folks in the LGBTQIA+ community and our allies will get to have this amazing experience right in our backyards means everything,” Denise Hinds, co-chair of the festival, said. “Being able to show the works of so many unseen BIPOC queer filmmakers and to do it in Newark, a place with such rich queer history, is so fitting.”
Out Montclair board members and NJPAC LGBTQ+ Advisory Council Co-Chairs Reubena Spence and Madeline Gale expressed their pride for once again partnering with the Newark LGBTQ+ Community Center, Out Montclair, and numerous other community organizations and individuals to produce and organize the Newark LGBT Film Festival. According to them, the festival unapologetically promotes and gives opportunities to independent BIPOC LGBTQ+ filmmakers to showcase their incredible work.
Marie Cottrell, Executive Director of Out Montclair, said “We are honored to stand as a proud sponsor of the Newark LGBT Film Festival. Our commitment extends beyond mere support; it’s a dedication to uplifting the voices of BIPOC Queer Filmmakers, often unseen and unheard.”
“Newark, with its profound queer history, serves as the perfect backdrop for this vital celebration of diversity and representation. Together, we illuminate narratives, amplify voices, and foster a more inclusive cinematic landscape,” she added.
The Newark LGBTQ Film Festival Line Up
Beatrice Simpkins, executive director of Newark LGBTQ Community Center, invites the community to “Come see stories of struggle, renewal, love, freedom, and triumph…OUR stories on the big screen—you don’t want to miss it!” She added, “The stories, imagery, imagination and creativity move my heart and inspire my work. I am sure you will find something or someone to connect to and that you will be touched in some way by these films.”
Friday, April 26 at Newark Museum of Art
The festivities start with an opening reception on Friday, April 26, 5–7 p.m. at the Newark Museum of Art (49 Washington Street). The reception is free with advance registration.
Immediately following, at 7:15 p.m., there will be a screening of the festival’s opening night feature, “The Stroll,” directed by Zackary Drucker and Kristen Lovell. The film follows the history of New York’s Meatpacking District told from the point of view of transgender sex workers who lived and worked there. They recount the violence, policing and gentrification that lead to a movement for transgender rights.
The screening will conclude with a panel discussion featuring Lovell, moderated by Jack Mizrahi, executive producer of “The Ball.” A new film that takes an in-depth look at Ballroom culture. Mizrahi worked on the TV show “Pose” and as co-executive producer of “Legendary” on HBO.
Saturday, April 27 at Express Newark
The Newark LGBTQ Film Festival moves to Express Newark, 54 Halsey Street 2nd Floor, on April 27, for a full day of programming.
- At noon, there will be a free Filmmaker Meet and Greet Luncheon. Attendees can join some of the filmmakers from the festival for a free lunch and engaging conversation. Registration is required.
- At 1 p.m. enjoy a set of local short films by Newark and New York City filmmakers.
- At 2:45 p.m. there will be a screening of “Barrio Boy.” The story follows a Latine barber in a macho world who faces adversity when feelings develop for a handsome stranger during a summer in Brooklyn. Dennis Shinners, wrote and directed the film.
- Starting at 5 p.m. there is a free reception and performance from the New Jersey Symphony Chamber Players. A clip from the film “Opulent” will precede the performance. The unique opera film is a collaboration between legendary Drag Superstar Monet X Change and the New Jersey Symphony.
- At 6 p.m., there will be a presentation of “Dreams Resurrected: The Other Lives of Sakia Gunn.” This filmmaking opportunity was a partnership between the Newark LGBTQ Film Festival and Express Newark’s Community Media Center. It will feature the premier screening of two short films inspired by Sakia Gunn’s life and legacy. A panel discussion with the filmmakers will follow.
- Later, at 7 p.m. there will be a screening of the feature length film “Beyond the Aggressives: 25 Years Later.” A conversation with director Daniel Peddle will follow the showing.
- The final screening of the night, at 9:10 p.m., is the shorts program “Date Night.” The screening explores an assortment of loves, found and lost…and all the points in between.
Sunday, April 28 at Rutgers Paul Robeson Center
The festival’s final day of programming takes place at Rutgers Paul Robeson Center, 350 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd.
- The afternoon kicks off at noon with the feature film “Egghead & Twinkie.” The LGBTQ teen coming of age story follows a newly out teenage girl. She off on a road trip to meet her online crush with the help of her nerdy best friend.
- At 12:15 p.m., watch a segment called “Be-Longings,” a series of short films focused on the queer immigrant experience.
- At 2 p.m., “Being and Becoming,” presents a range of short films that explore identity, self and the ways in which queer people present themselves to the each other and to the world.
- At 2:15 p.m., there will be a filmmaker workshop. It’s a free event for those looking to learn more about telling their own stories and becoming filmmakers.
- Finally, at 3:45 p.m., the festival concludes with “Our Son,” a heartfelt narrative of a gay couple embarking on the challenging journey of divorce, entangled in a poignant custody battle. Bill Oliver is the director of the film, which stars Billy Porter and Luke Evans.
Tickets to the opening night screening are $15 for general admission and $10 for students and seniors. Tickets to all other screenings are $10 for general admission and $7 for students and seniors.
All-Access Festival Passes, covering admission to all screenings and events for the entire festival, are available for $50.
Visit the Newark LGBTQ Film Festival website for more information and tickets.