A film production still from "Manok." Captured inside a open-air vehicle against a bright blue sky, two figures sit side by side on blue seats wearing sunglasses. On the left, a person reclines backward with their head tilted up, wearing a wide-brimmed black hat with a feather accent and a vibrant, multicolored geometric jacket over floral patterned trousers while holding a peace sign. On the right, a person with shoulder-length dark hair rests their arm along the seat back, wearing a black leather jacket, dark top, and jeans while looking toward the right.A production still from ‘Manok’ Credit: Production still

The gays are taking over the silver screen this month, on both sides of Tampa Bay.

The Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (now just “TIGLFF”) paused in January St. Pete festival and is moving forward with a rebrand that will span seven days across two weekends in two area codes.

St. Petersburg’s Green Light Cinema gets first licks this weekend that kicks off next Thursday with a night of shorts and a feature film, “Manok,” that takes place in South Korea. In it, the main character is a middle-aged lesbian running her own bar, the Lainbow, to its closure. She returns to her conservative, rural hometown, she runs into an ex-husband (there’s an emoji for that right??) and then decides to change the rules in her little village. The 108-minute film, like many of the main screenings during TIGLFF, is preceded by a short.

The Sunshine City gets screenings of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence-centered documentary “Hunky Jesus,” another doc about New College (“First They Came For My College”) and more before Tampa’s Sun-Ray Cinema gets three days of TIGLFF between Sept. 18-20.

Tickets to TIGLFF’s 33th annual queer film festival happening at Green Light Cinema (St. Petersburg, Sept. 10-13) and Sun-Ray Cinema (Tampa, Sept. 18-20) are still available for $10-$15.

TIGLFF—37th annual queer film festival schedule (2026)

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Taste of TIGLFF Shorts Program Thursday, Sept. 10. 7 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Manok Friday, Sept. 11. 7 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Hunky Jesus Saturday, Sept. 12. 1:30 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Drama, Drama, Drama Shorts Saturday, Sept. 12. 4 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Rocky Horror Picture Show w/Hell on Heels Saturday, Sept. 12. 9 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: First They Came For My College Sunday, Sept. 13. 2:30 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Bookends Sunday, Sept. 13. 5 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Festival Director’s Choice Shorts Sunday, Sept. 13. 7:30 p.m. $12. Green Light Cinema, St. Petersburg

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Laugh Out Loud Comedy Shorts Friday, Sept. 18. 7 p.m. $10. Sun-Ray Cinema, Tampa

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Ephemera Saturday, Sept. 19. 2:30 p.m. $10. Sun-Ray Cinema, Tampa

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Test Saturday, Sept. 19. 5 p.m. $10. Sun-Ray Cinema, Tampa

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Queer Macabre Shorts Program Saturday, Sept. 19. 7:30 p.m. $10. Sun-Ray Cinema, Tampa

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Meeting Marsha Sunday, Sept. 20. 5 p.m. $10. Sun-Ray Cinema, Tampa

37th Annual Queer Film Festival: Crying Out Loud Bittersweet Shorts (Closing Night) Sunday, Sept. 20. 7:30 p.m. $10. Sun-Ray Cinema, Tampa

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This article appears in August 27 – September 02, 2026.

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