Having just sat through BFI Flare London’s Queer Film Festival, which had an exceptional curated program of eclectic new queer movies, made us stop and think of the depth of the sheer choice. Great news, especially as the vast majority will get theatrical releases and reach the audiences they deserve. However, some movies ‘moment in the limelight’ is far too fleeting, so that’s why we are so excited to be in New York this weekend for the sixth edition of NEW FESTS ‘Queering The Canon Festival. This five-day retrospective shines a spotlight on LGBTQ+ films and filmmakers who deserve increased recognition for their contributions to the queer canon.
This collection of retrospective films celebrates LGBTQ+ existence, resilience, and perseverance across the map – no matter the setting’s size and population. Full of romance, friendship, and close-knit communities, “Queering the Canon: We’re Out Here” shares small town stories that span the globe – from the American West, Midwest, and South to Sweden, Mexico, and Guinea. Featuring anniversaries, restorations, 35mm, and in-person Q&As with legacy filmmakers and special guests, this homegrown series champions that we’re out here and we always have been.
PLUS if you cannot make it to NY. (shame!) Then the really good news is that the Fest can also be enjoyed ONLINE (see here)
We love the whole program, but the one that has to be our favorite is……
WAITING FOR GUFFMAN : We’ve always been big fans of all of Christopher Guest’s outrageous comedies, which always star such a wonderful ensemble, including the late great fabulous Catherine O’Hara. In the small city of Blaine, Missouri, a few residents prepare to put on a community theater production led by eccentric director Corky St. Clair. The show, a musical chronicling the town’s history titled Red, White and Blaine, is to be performed as part of the town’s 150th-anniversary celebration. It’s just a wonderful excuse for everyone to out ham each other, and we never get tired of this hysterically funny comedy
The rest of the program includes:
Touted as the first queer love story from West Africa, this poignant and unapologetic drama faced controversy and the celebration it received upon its premiere at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.
GREETINGS FROM OUT HERE (1993)
Accompanied by her dog Sam and a video camera, filmmaker Ellen Spiro travels from Virginia to Texas and back, exploring the openly gay culture in the Deep South.
Underwhelmed by her small Swedish hometown of Åmål, teenager Agnes yearns to find validation among her high school peers while daydreaming about the rebellious sister of the most popular student.
This Sundance award-winner is a profoundly human portrait of Robert Eads, whose story is a testament to the strength, compassion, and solidarity that define a trans community in the American South.
THE PLACE WITHOUT LIMITS (1978)
Selected by Mexico in 1978 as its Oscar entry, Arturo Ripstein’s formidable film follows Manuela—the owner of a bordello in remote El Olivo—as a returning outsider awakens buried memories that threaten the tumbleweed town’s fragile peace.’
This classic lesbian love story by Donna Deitch is the story of a repressed professor of literature, who, while waiting for her divorce papers, is unexpectedly seduced by a carefree, spirited young lesbian.
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Queering the Canon: We’re Out Here March 26-30, 2026 |
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