Cinema Diverse 2026 Schedule Highlights: Spotlight on Sunday, Sept. 20

Sept 20:  Schedule at a Glance.

11:30AM THEATRE ONE: SHORTS: Three Decades to Remember (104 min.) April 14, 1982 16 min. WORLD PREMIERE On the eve of recording Thriller, Michael Jackson’s carefully controlled world is unexpectedly disrupted by an encounter with a hotel room service attendant. Here, Queer, and On TV 16 min. Before YouTube, “Lavender Lounge” lit up public access TV with a ’90s queer and trans dance party and groundbreaking show, capturing San Francisco’s first Dyke March and the first official Pride video. Thirty years later, creator Mark Kliem brings rare footage to light, reuniting the original crew with younger generations when queer history is again under attack. Kansas, 1989 13 min. The story of a Midwestern teen in the 80s on the verge of coming out, and the night of danger that changes the course of his life. Lesbians in Boystown 27 min. LESBIANS IN BOYSTOWN reveals the forgotten history of lesbians and queer women in West Hollywood, the first “gay city” in the U.S. The documentary honors lesbian activism through Dyke Marches, the AIDS crisis, nonprofit organizing, and grassroots work ensuring that this legacy is remembered despite our culture’s predilection towards lesbian invisibility. Shelly’s Leg 17 min. In 1970, an eccentric young stripper named Shelly Baumann loses her leg in a freak parade canon accident, then uses her settlement money to open ‘Shelly’s Leg’ disco – one of the nation’s first and most consequential openly gay spaces. Narrated by Oscar-nominee, Kathleen Turner. Spinach 15 min. WORLD PREMIERE. In the neon soaked shadows of 1989, an experimental immersion into queer nightlife and the silent encroaching AIDS crisis reveals that for a generation under siege, survival is the ultimate revolutionary act

11:45AM THEATRE TWO: Other Voices (73 min.) Not Exactly Strangers 15 min. A tipsy hookup between a Latine trans woman and a rough-edged skater boy from her past becomes a comedic, yet intimate deep-dive into post-surgical sex, lingering history, and a body she’s still learning to celebrate. Peter 13 min. Peter, an intoxicated trans man, leaves the bar late at night. On his way to meet a love interest, he gets followed by a mysterious man. Peter questions whether this man is just a pedestrian or if he has sinister intentions, specifically a hate crime. Quinn 20 min. After surviving a sexual assault, Quinn, a young person exploring their identity, decides to track down their attacker. Dutch with English Subtitles Top 16 min. Finally at the hospital for his long-awaited gender affirming top surgery, Matt Levit, with lively girlfriend Leisha Meyer by his side, navigates the bureaucracy of the top surgery process. Tr(ace)y 9 min. A young woman garners interesting reactions when explaining her sexuality to her dates. Through these experiences, she comes to realize that being authentic to herself is ultimately more valuable than being accepted by society or potential romantic partners.

NOON THEATRE THREE: Shorts: Shorts: For the Boys (106 min.) Cicada 17 min. After inheriting a restaurant from her late father, Jin must navigate the emotional legacy left behind, while clashing with an estranged chef, Justin, whose unresolved love story with her father Ray intertwines with her own journey to find closure and meaning. Get Into The Spirit 4 min. While attempting to communicate with a handsome ghost haunting their house, two husbands discover there are many ways a spirit can reach out from beyond the grave. GROSS INCOME 13 min. After a troubling meeting with his accountant, Jonathan is visited by increasingly bizarre figures offering solutions to his financial problems. Morning Echo 19 min. “Some mornings don’t let you move on.” After months of silence, Gabriel wakes to find his ex-boyfriend, Omar, unexpectedly in his kitchen cooking breakfast as if nothing ever happened. The Next Day 6 min. The day after a traumatic event a gay man decides to confront his fiancé, forcing him to question if they can repair their strained relationship or should call off their upcoming wedding. The Stick Up 7 min. When an impulsive teen’s half-baked robbery goes spectacularly wrong, it sparks the most chaotic — and unexpectedly charming — meet-cute imaginable. West Texas Home 15 min. A new home in West Texas became his savior when he was a teen, but now as an adult, Ben has made a decision that may jeopardize everything he knows. おめでとう (Omedetō) 25 min. Oscar and Iván, two best friends, are having a party for Iván’s 25th birthday. During the celebration, they promise to each other that next year they will fulfill the dream of their lives: Traveling to Japan together.

2:00PM THEATRE ONE: A TASTE OF HEAVEN: The Ecstatic Song & Gospel of Maestro Raymond Anthony (80 min.)  A stirring portrait of gospel visionary Raymond Anthony Myles, whose extraordinary voice lifted congregations and captivated festival audiences while he struggled to reconcile his faith with his identity as a queer Black man. On the verge of stardom, his life was tragically cut short, leaving behind an enduring legacy of music, courage, and grace.

2:15PM THEATRE TWO: Girls and Boys (85 min.) A chance reunion at a Halloween party rekindles the bond between Charlie, a trans woman, and her childhood best friend—who doesn’t recognize her. As one unforgettable night unearths long-buried memories, both must confront the past, embrace who they’ve become, and discover whether love can rewrite their shared history.

2:30PM THEATRE THREE: The Queerdos (93 min.) WORLD PREMIERE A down-on-her-luck delivery driver inherits a Hollywood Hills mansion with strings attached. As she fills her new home with quirky queer tenants to make ends meet, she navigates viral fame, past celebrity, and an unexpected love interest.

4:30PM THEATRE ONE: Uncle Roy (87 min.) Spanning nine decades of extraordinary archives, this moving documentary celebrates the remarkable life of photographer and figure skating historian Roy Blakey. As his niece works to preserve his groundbreaking queer artistic legacy in the face of dementia, the film becomes a touching tribute to family, memory, and the enduring power of living authentically.”

4:45PM THEATRE TWO:  Punkie (74 min.) Go behind the scenes with Saturday Night Live star Punkie Johnson as she navigates the relentless demands of stand-up comedy while confronting a deeply personal crisis. Honest, funny, and unflinchingly vulnerable, this intimate documentary reveals the resilience required to stay true to yourself—onstage and off.

5:00PM THEATRE THREE: ReelKev Presents WebOUT: The Long Shorts (90 min.) Enjoy an entire season of “One for the Team” as well as HERE TV’s newest hit “Jamaal.” Then feast your eyes on some sexy young men in the new series format called Verticals and with these boys, we definitely want them horizontal. Programs Include: “One for the Team” has been slaying the film festival circuit and we’re happy to include it here. This queer sports drama, from Emmy-winning filmmaker Rain Valdez (and co-written by Darryl Stephens from “Noah’s Arc”) is about a talented trans athlete who transfers schools so his talent is what’s noticed and not that he’s trans, which stifled his chances at his previous school. “Jamaal,” the latest smash from HERE TV, is an AI robot that will hopefully be bringing joy to a couple’s home. Keyword: hopefully. “Waterboy” is part of the new wave of digital content: the vertical series. These are over-the-top and campy and sexy shows that remind us of soap operas from days long ago or telenovelas. You can find these on apps like ReelShort, who is sharing two of its best shows with his. Since these pop-up on social media, we’re able to get 13 episodes in under 19 minutes.  Our hot leads are certainly thirst traps that make you enjoy every double entendre. ReelShort also provides us with “The Prince’s First Love,” 9 episodes told in less than 17 minutes. This time around we have a rebel with a cause who gets entangled with a young prince with more than love on his mind.

7:00PM THEATRE ONE: Lady Champagne (99 min.) Step into D’Arcy Drollinger’s bold, irreverent comedy that follows the outrageous life of Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White, a notorious San Francisco erotic dancer.

Filmed entirely in San Francisco and featuring over 80 queer and trans performers, Lady Champagne is a slapstick love letter to 1970s exploitation cinema. Q&A with writer/director/star D’Arcy Drollinger, as well as cast members Matthew Martin, Steven LeMay, and Nancy French.

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