Cinema Diverse 2026 Schedule Highlights: Spotlight on Saturday, Sept. 19

Sept 19:  Schedule at a Glance.

11:30AM THEATRE ONE: SHORTS: Relationships (M) (106 min.) Afterparty 20 min. When a hopeless romantic falls for his charismatic new roommate, he imagines a future that collides with the realities of polyamory and unspoken expectations. B. Yourself 7 min. A struggling woman accepts a job assisting a rising social media influencer on a luxurious weekend getaway, only to find herself caught in a world where image is everything and nothing is quite as it seems. Final Frame 15 min. Carlos, a film editor, is quickly trying to finish editing a film when he gets a call from a friend urging him to get to the hospital where his partner, Ben, is about to have a critical surgery. Muse 18 min. A withdrawn teenager searches for inner peace at a desert meditation center, only to be paired with a picture perfect roommate. Richard & Allan’s Crazy Adventure 13 min. Two men. One untold past. And a journey they’ve never taken before. This powerful, intimate, and fun documentary follows two gay men traveling across Eastern Europe for the first time, as they revisit their youth and share what it meant to grow up gay in 1950s America. True Love 17 min. Elliot wants to reconnect with his ex-boyfriend, Will, but a dark turn reveals the true nature of their relationship. Upon Starvation 16 min. Vivek, a 30-something pickpocket in Pune, uses seduction as distraction. Detached, he exploits others’ hunger while suppressing his own…until he meets Kartik, a soft-spoken student seeking genuine intimacy. Kartik disrupts Vivek’s control.

11:45AM THEATRE TWO: Shorts: Coming Out and Coming of Age (78 min.) Ashamed 10 min. Before his childhood best friend leaves forever, a closeted married man is given one final chance to reveal the truth he’s buried for years. Closet Combat Episode 3 10 min. Closeted high school boy Theodore experiences an argument with his brother as a video game fight to endure his fear of being outed. hi mom 4 min. Maya struggles to find the right words to come out to her mom. Holding your breath 14 min. Summer 2003. Miguel and Javi, two fourteen-year-old friends, spend their days between swims, video games, and a bet that follows them all summer long: to see who can hold their breath underwater the longest. Javi always wins; he says his swimsuit is magical. Intrigued by the mystery, Miguel begins to see his friend in a different way. I wanna hold your hand 3 min. In a dark movie theater, a young boy’s anxiety swells as he debates making the first move—until a small act of courage speaks louder than words. Open All Night 14 min. Set in Queens, Woodside, NYC, 1991. When Denis, played by Kevin Bohleber (Under the Influencer), a closeted Irish immigrant, is assaulted during a St. Patrick’s Day parade, he takes refuge in a quiet diner. Separate Roads 15 min. When former high school sweethearts Daniel and Tyler meet again years after a painful breakup, they’re forced to confront the scars of their past – including Tyler’s attempt to ‘cure’ his love through religious conversion therapy. The Late in Life Guide to Modern Day Lesbianism – 8 min. Congratulations on finally coming out! Equal parts orientation, indoctrination, and camp, this satirical 90s corporate training video onboards “late-in-lifers” with everything you didn’t know you needed to survive modern-day lesbianism. Uniformed 25 min. A gay military police officer, Gustavo lives two irreconcilable realities. In a world where the uniform condemns him to hiding, he feels his true nature being crushed by fear. But for how long is silence a shield, and when does it become a weapon?

NOON THEATRE THREE: Shorts: Thrillers (87 min.) Bad Dad 12 min. Seeking a fresh start after a painful divorce, Warren retreats to a secluded lake house with his young son. But when a mysterious stranger arrives asking for help, an ordinary evening spirals into a gripping psychological thriller. HVAC 11 min. In a blue-collar Missouri town, a 13-year-old HVAC apprentice grappling with confusing desires becomes entangled in a surreal, dangerous encounter at the local theatre—where longing and innocence bleed together in one irreversible night. Latin Lover 12 min. In 1968, a smooth-talking hustler, Paul Ferguson, details the fateful night he and his younger brother murdered closeted silent film star, Ramon Novarro. Tales of the Macabre 17 min. On Halloween night 1984, a grief-stricken late-night radio host shares the legend of the Crimson Witch with his listeners—but as exhaustion and isolation take hold, he begins to fear the story may be coming to life. The Ghost at Skeleton Rock 20 min. In the summer of 1992, at the height of the AIDS crisis, 18-year-old VINNY is reeling after being with another boy for the first time. In the tiny enclave of Callicoon, New York, his only confidant is CHRIS, a ghost he’s been secretly communicating with through a handmade Ouija board. Wake 15 min. WORLD PREMIERE A young man is menaced by a tentacled monster lurking under his bed.

2:00PM THEATRE ONE: Inside the Oasis: The Story of South Florida’s Gay Mecca (48 min.) Narrated by Emmy Award winner Sharon Gless, this compelling documentary chronicles the rise of South Florida as an LGBTQ+ sanctuary. Through powerful archival footage and firsthand accounts, it celebrates decades of resilience, activism, and hard-won progress while confronting the renewed challenges facing the community today.

2:15PM THEATRE TWO: Some Kind of Wonderful (89 min.) Be among the first audiences to experience the World Festival Premiere of the two newest episodes of Some Kind of Wonderful (now set in Palm Springs), the acclaimed LGBTQ+ comedy-drama series created, written, and directed by Palm Springs filmmaker Ricky Reidling. Think Sex and the City… with a gay twist.

2:30PM THEATRE THREE: Not Your Average Girl (120 min.) This inspiring documentary follows trailblazing activist, author, and National Trans Visibility March leader Hope Giselle as she champions equality, visibility, and social justice. From breaking barriers in Alabama to advising major organizations, her remarkable journey is a powerful testament to courage, authenticity, and the transformative power of advocacy.

4:30PM THEATRE ONE: MADFabulous (107 min.) When the flamboyant Henry Paget arrives in 1890’s North Wales to claim his aristocratic inheritance, his defiant eccentricities send shockwaves through the upper-class elite, much to the amusement of the local townspeople. Alongside his spirited cousin, Lily, and loyal butler, Gelert, Henry tries to carve out his own identity as the Fifth Marquess.

4:45PM THEATRE TWO: Karen Williams: I Had To Laugh, a documentary by Andrea Meyerson (72 min.) WORLD PREMIERE Karen Williams burst onto the San Francisco Bay Area comedy circuit in the early 1980s. As the country’s first openly lesbian Black comic to use specifically lesbian material, Karen’s humor was unlike any other. A feminist and LGBTQ+ rights activist, Williams became known for her quick repartee and insightful commentary. But while her popularity as a performer grew, off-stage she was a single mom, struggling to raise her children. In 1988, Karen founded the HaHa Institute, dedicated to helping others find healing through humor. Award-winning director Andrea Meyerson brings Karen Williams’ story to the screen, covering her hard-fought battle to break into male-dominated comedy clubs and the joy that has guided her through it all. Rarely-seen vintage performance footage woven together with interviews from family members and industry colleagues—including Kate Clinton, Marga Gomez, and Diane Amos, as well as Karen herself—reveal the life of this amazingly creative and prolific woman.

5:00PM THEATRE THREE: ReelKev Presents WebOUT Seeking Size Queens, Bears, Dicks and Barbie (90 min.) Catch new shows “Seeking,” “Size Queens,” “Only Bears,” “Dick Bunny” and Barbie in one of the most famous scenes from TV’s “Designing Women.” Programs include: “Size Queens” is a welcome new entry in the WebOUT family in which our main character Paul, through his podcast, explores queer life, love, dating, friendships and all of the chaos. “Only Bears” from festival favorite director Billy Clift and bear creator/actor Adam Kern about the challenges involved in rekindling love. Look for cameos by Tom Goss and Jason Stuart. “Dick Bunny” shares a three-episode arc about a sleep-deprived new mom who starts chatting with a British storybook character played by the gay’s best friend Drew Droege. Is this real or has she just lost her mind? “Seeking…” deals with the break-up of a very hot (straight?)  man whose gay roommates use him to find favor at bars and any situation that requires a shirtless man to help them get what they want. Warrencito, the master behind the Barbie recreations, has Barbie as Julia Sugarbaker in the famous, and often-quoted scene from “Designing Women” about the night that the lights went out in Georgia. This will be a world premiere – provided Warren has it done before festival deadline.

7:00PM THEATRE ONE: On The Road (93 min.) A rebellious drifter and a solitary truck driver form an unexpected bond as they journey across northern Mexico’s rugged highways. But with danger closing in and painful secrets refusing to stay buried, their search for freedom becomes a gripping story of desire, survival, and the possibility of redemption.

7:15PM THEATRE TWO: Glitterbaited (107 min.) A fresh, queer twist on Cyrano de Bergerac, this charming romantic comedy follows a shy writer who lends his words to his handsome but tongue-tied best friend in a bid to win over the man they both admire. Clever, heartfelt, and delightfully funny, love takes center stage in unexpected ways.

7:30PM THEATRE THREE: Our Civil Rights: Racial Equity, Adoption and Marriage (65 min.)
REDLINING 18 min. REDLINING is about a black & white family who live on the same property during the 1970s in the Georgia REDLINING era. The film explores the themes of generational wealth, prejudice, homosexuality, women’s rights and the legacy of discrimination in the American South. What happens when the parents pass? Who gets the house? And why?

PROJECT FAMIGLIA – The Road to Us 24 min. An Italian queer couple’s journey leads them to Canada to pursue their dream of parenthood, challenging intolerance in their home country and prompting the global divide over who should have the right to be a parent in today’s modern age.

HONG KONG, Let’s Get Married! 23 min. Hong Kong Let’s Get Married is a short documentary examining the struggle for marriage equality in Hong Kong. Despite tightening political restrictions, activists and same-sex couples have secured incremental legal gains, including recognition of certain rights for couples married abroad. A landmark 2023 court ruling mandated the creation of a legal framework for same-sex couples, but a 2025 bill offering limited recognition was ultimately rejected.

---