A free three-day film festival is coming to the South Side’s City Base Cinema to tell the stories often ignored by Hollywood. From October 10-12, San Antonio QFest will screen 40-plus select features, shorts, and documentary movies that are “celebrating queer cinema in a multicultural world.”
Sean Wise, chair emeritus of the festival, says his original goal was to make QFest an educational film festival — not just to entertain moviegoers, but to help filmmakers themselves. Wise calls the event an immersive, informative experience for viewers and creators alike.
“That is why we are, to my knowledge, the only film festival that offers the filmmakers a rare glimpse into the decision-making process. The filmmakers can receive the juror comments at no additional cost to entry into the festival,” Wise says.
QFest’s global narratives reflect the diversity of the LGBTQ-plus community. Many of the movies are produced by student filmmakers or created in Europe or India. Some of the highlights of this year’s slate include:
Mom, I Have Something to Tell You, a short documentary that begins with psychotherapist Rick Miller, who shares the story of his coming out to his motherThree Vendors of Ipanema, a documentary short about three snack vendors who work the LGBTQ section of Ipanema, Brazil’s iconic beachLatter-Day Glory: The Aftermath of Growing Up Queer in the LDS Church, a documentary that focuses on two gay men who retrace their Mormon backgroundClam Diving for Beginners, a short, quirky comedy about Carmen, a young woman who finds a “coach” to help her prepare for her date with JuliaMy Comrade, an Indian-based short film about a wounded rebel who accidentally takes refuge in the home of a tribal villager, and a forbidden mutual attraction that develops between the two men300 Letters, a Spanish-made feature about a breakup explained by a box of 300 lettersSally!, a documentary about Sally Gearhart, a renowned lesbian-feminist activist, professor, and fantasy author
QFest wraps up at 7:30 pm on October 12 with its annual awards ceremony. Nine awards, each named after historical and contemporary LGBTQ figures, will be given to the talent involved in this year’s films.
While QFest is free for moviegoers, festival organizers recently launched a fundraising campaign to help support festival operations each year and to keep the event free for viewers.
“QFest is dedicated to presenting queer identity and experience through visual storytelling that helps to bridge understanding and connection with society at large,” Wise says. “Pride San Antonio considers this film festival to not only be an investment in the LGBTQ community, but an investment in enlightenment.”