For 21 years, we’ve been bringing the best in LGBTQIA+ cinema from around the world to the Miami Valley.
Our committee has been hard at work over the past few months - looking at a bevy of new films in order to determine this year’s line-up, and we’ve got a great collection of films for you. Join us at THE NEON in downtown Dayton during the weekend of Oct. 9-11, 2026 for 8 different screenings featuring 20 short and feature-length films.
Our Friday night party at the new restaurant Piccolo Orsetto has some treats in store, and other special details for the weekend are still in the works. Be sure to keep your eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages – the best place to keep track of last-minute additions and announcements (that’s where you’ll soon be finding out about our special guests).
Building strong community is more important than ever these days. We can’t wait to share these great films in a space where we can celebrate our stories together.
Cheers to 21 Years!
We’ll see you OUT HERE,
Jonathan McNeal, Festival Director
Tennis icon Billie Jean King transformed sports and society. Through archives and intimate interviews with King and her inner circle, we see how she prioritized changing the world over self-preservation.
Part thank-you note and part memorial - a filmmaker’s search to know her uncle as he was.
Everyone with a festival pass or ticket to GIVE ME THE BALL! is invited to Piccolo Orsetto (the new restaurant created by our friends at Meadowlark & Wheat Penny) for a complimentary cocktail and light bites following the screening.
A transgender teen and his mother chronicle their lives, artistically weaving a rare and intimate portrait of a family in transition. Two decades of footage trace a boy’s path to manhood and his parents' vulnerability as they reckon with change.
When a dad stumbles upon a love letter his son has written to a boy from school, his clumsy attempt to “handle” the situation exposes the outdated views he still carries.
After decades away, a gay man returns home to Scotland to attend a traditional wedding. Starring Alan Cumming.
A sudden prison furlough unexpectedly bonds an estranged father with his emotionally avoidant daughter at their matriarch’s pass.
A boy with selective mutism and an aging widower, bound by loss and sorrow, discover a magical pen and journal.
In a quaint Welsh fishing village, a young Shirley Bassey impersonator and a fisherman are swept into a secret romance.
Closeted Luke cares for his dad with MS. When a queer carer arrives, he is forced to confront his fear of coming out.
A young dominatrix encounters an unexpected client.
A gay teenager becomes concerned when he suspects his well-meaning parents may be attempting to influence his younger brother's sexual orientation.
A lakeside bachelor party weekend devolves into chaos when the groom and his best man's past romantic feelings reignite, entangling the wedding party in pre-wedding drama. Jaffe’s previous films NEXT LEVEL SHIT and LAST SUMMER WITH UNCLE IRA played at our festival.
When her girlfriend dumps her for being an unreliable mess, Lucie accidentally signs up to pet-sit a “Princess”—only to discover she’s a nippy, Fox News-watching pig.
The untold story of the controversy surrounding the making of William Friedkin’s 1980 thriller CRUISING, the fierce protests around its production, and the real life murders that inspired the film. Emmy®-winning director Jeffrey Schwarz (HITCHCOCKED!, VITO, I AM DIVINE, TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL) brings his signature storytelling flair to this gripping chapter of queer history where true crime, moviemaking, and LGBTQ+ resistance collide.
A Trans woman takes on the care of her granddaughter after the sudden death of her daughter-in-law. While processing the grief, she tries to help her son connect emotionally with the baby.
Elisa, a worker from São Paulo city, decides to skip work to go to the beach.
A high-maintenance, has-been celebrity is kidnapped by his #1 fan. He could escape, but why? She’s the only one left to treat him like gold…until she sees he’s not the bubbly personality he plays on TV. Now she can’t get rid of him. This parody of Stephen King’s MISERY stars Rachel Dratch and Jack Plotnick. Laurits’ short GOODBYE TANGO screened at the festival in 2024.
In a karaoke bar in post-apocalyptic Los Angeles, an expired can of tuna fish and a fake Louis Vuitton purse encourage each other to believe in their artistic voices.
When the first date between the introverted Sander and urbanite Alex seems hopeless within the first 10 minutes, they decide to call it a night early. At that moment, the restaurant is robbed and they end up in a hostage situation. While ordered to sit under their table, they are forced to continue their date.
At a family Sunday dinner, matchmaking plans go hilariously wrong when two potential love interests discover they've already met online.
The best way to attend the fest! A festival pass gets you access to every screening plus the Opening Night Party!
ON SALE SEPT. 4Tickets can be purchased online or at THE NEON. No refunds or exchanges.
ON SALE SEPT. 14The fest takes place at THE NEON movie theater in downtown Dayton. There are several restaurants located within walking distance of the theater.
Free parking is available directly across the street from THE NEON.
Please arrive before the screening is scheduled to begin. The festival reserves the right to resell any unclaimed tickets or empty seats at the scheduled start time for each screening. Seating will be open this year, and Sponsors and "All Access" passholders will be given the first opportunity to select their seats.
Chase Whiteside / Drs Barry McCorkle & Jerry Clark / Johnny / Ken Byers / Kevin Moore & Scott Stoney / Kurt Fleagle & Warren Riffle / Larry Mullins / Paul Woodie / Sue Spiegel & Lisa Hanauer / Will Breeding & Tim Andrews