March 28, 2024 The Newspaper Serving LGBT Los Angeles

Behold: The Queerest Films to Come Out of Sundance

Each year, for a few days in mid-January, the Sundance Film Festival takes over the small town of Park City, Utah, to screen some of the most prestigious new works from seasoned and emerging filmmakers from around the world. Many of them go on to get wide releases, win prizes, and set the tone for the rest of the cinematic year to come. Some are just fantastically, amazingly gay. And some, like last year’s now-Oscar contender “Call Me By Your Name,” are proudly both. The 2018 Sundance Festival has given us a number of amazing queer-themed and queer-directed films to watch out for in the coming year. Here are just a few of our favorites from a long, long list.

Lizzie, dir. Craig William Macneill

In this fictionalized retelling of the Lizzie Borden story, the famous turn-of-the-century killer who “gave her mother 40 whacks” with an ax is also a lesbian. And played by none other than Chloe Sevigny. Kristen Stewart co-stars. So, yeah, we’re sold.

Colette, dir. Wash Westmoreland

It’s another lesbian biopic! This time about the famous late-19th-century French writer Colette, whose husband locked her in a room (yikes!) until she produced best-selling novels. She later left the marriage and went onto have many steamy affairs with girls and guys. Though the casting of Keira Knightley as the titular character is questionable at best, the rest of the cast (including Fiona Shaw and Dominic West) give it a fair shot at being great.

The Miseducation of Cameron Post, dir. Desiree Akhavan

Yes, it’s the lesbian-directed lesbian-YA novel adaptation we’ve all been waiting for since roughly 2016, when the project was first announced. This harrowing tale of gay conversion therapy stars Chloe Grace Moretz and Sasha Lane as troubled teen lovers.

We the Animals, dir. Jeremiah Zagar

Adapted from gay author Justin Torres’ 2011 book of the same name, “Animals” tells the story of three brothers (the youngest of whom is gay) trying to escape their parents’ fate.

Don’t Worry, He Won’t Get Far on Foot, dir. Gus Van Sant

If your idea of a good time is Joaquin Phoenix and Jonah Hill co-starring in a dark comedy penned by Gus Van Sant, well…it’s mine too. Welcome to the club. Throw in performances by Beth Ditto, Jack Black, and Carrie Brownstein, and we’re easily in heaven.

The Happy Prince, dir. Rupert Everett

This biopic, written and directed by Wilde scholar Rupert Everett, borrows the title of one of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tales to tell the author’s story in detail. During Wilde’s last days, post-imprisonment and public disgrace, the writer reflects on his life during his last days in Paris.

A Kid Like Jake, dir. Silas Howard

“Transparent” director Silas Howard enlisted the talents of Jim Parsons, Claire Danes, and Priyanka Chopra to tell the story of Jake, an assigned-male child trying to understand her trans female identity.

Studio 54, dir. Matt Tyrnauer

The story of the gayest, hottest, most epic club of all time comes to life in Matt Tyrnauer’s new documentary about the ‘70s hotspot. Tyrnauer recently made waves with his 2017 documentary “Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood,” about a gay male pimp living in ‘50s L.A.

Related Posts

‘Commitment To Life’ Documentary Exploring HIV Fight In Los Angeles

December 7, 2021

December 7, 2021

Production has begun on “Commitment to Life” a new documentary that explores the fight against HIV/AIDS in Los Angeles.  Directed...

New Documentary Pays Tribute to Transgender ‘AIDS diva’ Connie Norman

October 26, 2021

October 26, 2021

A new documentary titled “AIDS Diva: The Legend of Connie Norman,” will pay tribute to the transgender leader in AIDS...

Sex and the City Star Willie Garson Dead At 57

September 28, 2021

September 28, 2021

Acclaimed actor and Los Angeles resident Willie Garson passed away on September 21 after a short battle with pancreatic cancer,...

Elvira Shocks Fans By Coming Out Of The Closet

September 28, 2021

September 28, 2021

Just in time for Halloween, the spook queen herself, Cassandra Peterson, a.k.a. Elvira, has come out of the closet.  In...

QFilms Long Beach Returns

September 15, 2021

September 15, 2021

QFilms Long Beach, Long Beach’s oldest film festival, returns September 30 – October 3 to celebrate the diversity of LGBTQ...

WeHo Poet Laureate Reviews LGBTQ Documentray “Senior Prom”

June 24, 2021

June 24, 2021

West Hollywood poet Laureate, RENT Poet founder and author of “The Poetry of Strangers: What I Learned Traveling America with...

Buzzfeed’s Docuseries “The Andrea Mares Project”

June 11, 2021

June 11, 2021

BuzzFeed’s As/Is presents “The Andrea Mares Project,” a docuseries that shadows Andrea Mares, a trans-feminine Latinx, as she embarks on...

LGBTQ Center Long Beach Screening “The Wizard Of Oz”

June 6, 2021

June 6, 2021

Celebrate LGBTQ Pride with an interactive screening of The Wizard of Oz, a fundraiser for the LGBTQ Center Long Beach. ...

LA Pride Announces LGBTQ Cinespia Event At Hollywood Forever Cemetery

May 23, 2021

May 23, 2021

In honor of 2021’s “Thrive With Pride” theme LA Pride has announced a special night at the Hollywood Forever Cemetery. ...

WeHo Celebrates Asian American History Month

May 9, 2021

May 9, 2021

With Covid hate crimes on the rise against Asian Americans on the rise WeHo Reads 2021 season is Creating Hollywood...

Disarm Hate Documentary Presented By onePULSE Foundation

April 23, 2021

April 23, 2021

The onePULSE Foundation announced its free virtual film screening of the director’s cut of the documentary, Disarm Hate, which takes...

Trans Los Angeles A Film Full Of Queer Latinx Talent

April 4, 2021

April 4, 2021

Trans Los Angeles is an anthology composed of four short films directed and written by transgender director Kase Peña. Each...

New Harry Potter Video Game Will Feature Trans Witches & Wizards

March 14, 2021

March 14, 2021

The newest Harry Potter video game titled Hogwarts Legacy will allow players to create trans characters.  The game will allow...

Disney Shuts Down Studio Making First Feature Film With Queer Lead Character

February 25, 2021

February 25, 2021

Disney has shut down a studio that was making the company’s first feature length animated feature with a queer lead,...

Hal Holbrook, Actor Who Played Mark Twain, Dies At 95

February 3, 2021

February 3, 2021

Hal Holbrook, the actor best known for his accurate portrayal of Samuel Clemens — better known as Mark Twain —...