New York’s preeminent LGBTQ+ film festival returns next month, featuring some of the most-anticipated movies of the year as well as special tribute screenings to the late Dolly Parton.
“La Bola Negra” will open the 38th edition of NewFest on October 15, kicking off 11 days of screenings across Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens. Select films will also be available to stream.
The festival will serve as the official New York City premiere of the buzzy Netflix film fresh off a Cannes Best Director win and the People’s Choice Award at the Toronto International Film Festival. It’s also Spain’s official submission to this year’s Oscars.
“The Man I Love,” from director Ira Sachs, will close out the festival. The movie stars Rami Malek, Tom Sturridge and Rebecca Hall, and is described as a 1980s-set drama of an artists experiencing a precious window between sickness and mortality.
Other notable titles include “Elsinore,” staring Andrew Scott, “Club Kid,” from first-time director Jordan Firstman, and “Clarissa,” an adaptation of Virginia Woolf’s “Mrs. Dalloway.”
The 2026 lineup boasts an impressive 144 films submitted from 23 different countries. The majority of the films selected are directed by woman, non-binary, trans and two-spirit filmmakers.
“This year’s sterling slate bursts with bold creativity, prestige, and civic-mindedness — reflecting the vibrancy and vastness of our community on a local and global scale,” Nick McCarthy, the festival’s director of programming, said in a statement.
“From the USA to Mexico to Nigeria to Nepal to Australia, NewFest38 honors the best in LGBTQIA+ film from around the world.”
The 38th edition of NewFest not only boasts an impressive selection of new, flashy releases, but a number of classics back on the big screen. This year’s festival will pay homage to Dolly Parton with back-to-back screenings of “9 to 5” and “Steel Magnolias.”
Tickets for the general public go on sale Monday, September 21, at 11 a.m.