Cinema Diverse 2026 Schedule Highlights: Spotlight on Friday, Sept. 18

It’s the first full day of screenings, and we’re off to a FABULOUS start!
Don’t miss these GREAT films!

Sept 18:  Schedule at a Glance.

11:30AM THEATRE ONE: SHORTS: Hooking Up (93 min. total) DEMONBOY 12 min. A reclusive twenty-something develops an all-consuming obsession with another man he encounters on the internet. Out of Checklist 26 min. Twelve-year-old, hyper-rational David pays an unannounced visit to his father’s Prague apartment. Following a coming out and a subsequent divorce, his father lives alone and already has weekend plans. In a pinch, he convinces the only person available – a hook-up from Grindr – to look after David for the weekend. What could possibly go wrong? The Orchestra 18 min. The Orchestra follows Micah, a warm and optimistic gay man searching for a meaningful connection — until one day he meets Vaughn, a seemingly perfect match he encounters in an impulsive moment. As their connection deepens, shifting perspectives reveal how easily desire can blur the boundaries of trust. UNICYCLE 7 min. Brian desperately tries to swipe his way to happiness when a strange encounter reveals that he may be looking for love in all the wrong places. Zaddy! 30 min. After fifteen years of marriage, newly divorced 55-year-old doctor Walter Connelly attempts to re-enter the gay dating world, only to fall for a 25-year old stripper named Colby.

11:45AM THEATRE TWO: Shorts: Pot Pourri (66 min. total) (0,∞) 11 min. Gus and Clark would like to apply for a mortgage. But in their chilling near future, they must first prove their sexuality through a government-mandated medical exam to secure basic civil rights. A Bench for Darren 17 min. During the unveiling of a memorial bench for their late husband and father, a grieving family is forced to confront addiction, mental illness, faith, and long-buried secrets. CHURCH GIRL 11 min. Olivia, a Filipino lesbian, pretends to be Christian to impress her non-binary crush, finding herself at Bushwick’s oldest queer Bible study. Find Another Girl To Fix 5 min. Out and proud lesbians Jennifer Corday and Cathy DeBuono star in this campy, mid-century Palm Springs frolic as Corday lays down the ground rules for the relationship. Hail Maya 17 min. On her last night in the dorms, a faithful Catholic undergraduate trades salvation for sin, diving headfirst into a tangle of lust, love, and betrayal that confession can’t absolve. Pole Are Opposites – 5 min. WORLD PREMIERE A grey-haired Gen-X butch lesbian and a graceful Gen-Z stripper take on pole dancing as a queer meditation on radical self-acceptance, sisterhood and the cycle of birth, death and rebirth.

NOON THEATRE THREE: Shorts: Our Favorite Docs. (53 min.) Her Last Day In The U.S. 19 min. When Leonor, a 70-year-old undocumented single mother, decides to return to Mexico after nearly 40 years in the U.S., her undocumented adult children must face the painful truth that she may never be able to come back. LOVE DOES NOT ASK 3 min. This cinematic spoken-word short film explores love as a force beyond labels, permission, or fear – an undeniable truth that exists wherever two souls find one another.  The Queer Imagination 8 min. A lyric portrait of artist and performer Courtney Desiree Morris asks what the queer imagination makes possible in the face of erasure. Welcome to Tool Shed 23 min. This documentary takes an in depth, searing dive into the colorful community of queer senior citizens who congregate at the Tool Shed, a long-standing gay bar and sanctuary for queer people in Palm Springs, CA.

2:00PM THEATRE ONE: Armani and the Birth of Italian Fashion (92 min.) Featuring his first and final on-camera interview, Giorgio Armani reflects on a remarkable life as this stylish documentary explores the legendary fashion dynasties that defined Italian luxury.

With rare access, iconic designers, and Hollywood insiders, it reveals the passion, rivalries, and enduring glamour behind the world’s most influential fashion houses. In English and Italian with English Subtitles.

2:15PM THEATRE TWO: Femmenella Ballad (95 min.) A vibrant celebration of Naples’ historic femmenelle community, this intimate documentary follows seven transgender individuals whose lives bridge centuries-old traditions and modern realities.

Through resilience, ritual, and joy, their stories reveal a culture where identity, spirituality, and community intertwine in extraordinary and deeply moving ways. In Italian with English Subtitles.

2:30PM THEATRE THREE: Mermaid (93 min.) After losing the one person who truly saw her, ten-year-old Cass finds hope in an unexpected friendship with a struggling drag queen and a vibrant chosen family. This moving story of identity, acceptance, and unconditional love celebrates the courage to live authentically—even when the world isn’t ready.

4:30PM THEATRE ONE: A Man Walks Down The Street (93 min.) “After thirty years abroad, Raanan returns to Israel to sell his mother’s apartment. A chance encounter with an elderly stranger and a brief affair with a younger man force him to confront decades of internalized homophobia, sending him on an emotional journey toward forgiveness and reconciliation. In Hebrew with English Subtitles

4:45PM THEATRE TWO: Barbara Forever 102 min. A compelling tribute to pioneering lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer, this documentary celebrates the artist who transformed lesbian visibility through more than eighty groundbreaking films. Drawing from her own voice, personal archives, and never-before-seen footage, it reveals a fearless visionary whose work forever reshaped queer cinema, feminist art, and LGBTQIA+ history.

5:00PM THEATRE THREE: ReelKev Presents WebOUT Deja View (90 min.) Programs Include: Tyler Martin’s award-winning “Don’t Suck” is back with the premiere of season two. This time around our main character takes on Broadway and the drama behind the scenes. With “Single, Out” from HERE TV, we have watched our main character Adam grow through the previous seasons and now one wonders if his life has changed forever since having his first sexual experience. “The Homo Sapien Experience” – this big hit on TikTok and Instagram returns for another hilarious, laugh-out-loud episode dealing with “Twink Death.” “Unrequited” already showed us shy Liam’s crush. Will he make headway in making something happen in this black LGBTQ dramedy? “Guys Like You” offers another tale of the misadventures of hooking up and dating. And like always, there’s a holiday involved.

7:00PM THEATRE ONE: Bi-Coastal (90 min.) SPONSORED BY HERE TV An aspiring filmmaker heads to New York to collect a debt from a friend, but as the months slip away, so do his Hollywood dreams. Drawn into a world of desire, excess, and self-discovery, he embarks on an unexpected journey that challenges his ambitions, gender identity, and understanding of himself.

7:15PM THEATRE TWO: In This Moment (82 min.) After a devastating betrayal shatters their marriage, a Filipino American writer and his husband struggle to find their way back to one another. This tender, emotionally resonant drama explores love, forgiveness, and the quiet acts of care that can mend even the deepest wounds.

7:30PM THEATRE THREE: The Divine Tragedy (101 min. ) Middle-aged Cristian, a former telenovela actor, has been living in luxury with his wealthy partner for 25 years. But when his lover dumps him, the distraught Cristian moves in with his younger half-brother Roy, an unrepentant gay sex addict. The two wildly different men must learn to coexist while trying to rebuild their lives. A sexy, funny Mexican romp. In Spanish with English Subtitles

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