The 32nd annual Tampa Bay International Gay and Lesbian Film Festival (TIGLFF) will return in a new form Oct. 1-10, screening and streaming films by and for the LGBTQ community.
Read Watermark’s in-depth coverage about this year’s festival here and view the full schedule with film trailers below.
FRIDAY, OCT. 1
OPENING NIGHT FILM: “LANGUAGE LESSONS” (2021)
7:30 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 91 Mins. Natalie Morales and Mark Duplass tell a story that underscores the importance of human connection in this technologically isolating time.
SATURDAY, OCT. 2
“MASCARPONE” (2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHyq2TDd_n0
1 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 101 Mins. Antonio is a 30-year-old family man whose life finds an unexpected twist when he’s suddenly dumped by his husband.
“NIMBY” (2020)
3 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 94 Mins. Mervi and Kata, a lesbian couple living in Helsinki, are considering coming out of the closet but when they visit Mervi’s hometown and family, all hell breaks loose.
“JUMP, DARLING” (2020)
5 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 90 Mins. Screen legend Cloris Leachman gives a masterful final starring performance in this bittersweet family drama.
“THE NOVICE” (2021)
7 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 94 Mins. This sports drama about a queer college student climbing the ranks of her university’s rowing team is based on director Lauren Hadaway’s own experiences.
“BALONEY” (2021)
9 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 70 Mins. This provocative documentary tells the story of San Francisco’s beloved Gay All-Male Revue of the same name. Includes 23-minute short “Butch Please.”
SUNDAY, OCT. 3
“NORA HIGHLAND” (2020)
12 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 65 Mins. Based on out-actor Ryan Spahn’s play of the same name, “Nora Highland” follows the casting process of a notable gay character in an upcoming Broadway revival.
“BETWEEN THEM (TOUTES LES DEUX)” (2021)
1:30 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 90 Mins. This tongue-in-cheek homage to spy thrillers and screwball comedies follows a lesbian private eye who is hired by a desperately jealous professor to follow his wife.
“FIREBIRD” (2021)
3:30 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 107 Mins. This romantic drama tells the story of star-crossed lovers who have the supreme misfortune of falling into a relationship during the height of the Cold War.
“KISS ME KOSHER” (2020)
6 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 101 Mins. When two generations of Israeli women fall for a German and a Palestinian, chaos follows in this romantic misadventure crossing all borders.
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT: “INHERITANCE” (2021)
8 p.m. | Tampa Theatre, 84 Mins. After the murder of their parents, Nick and Steve Wellington are left to share their inheritance. Then a masked figure shows back up to finish what was started.
MONDAY, OCT. 4 – SUNDAY, OCT. 10
SHORTS PROGRAM #1: “IT’S A QUEER WORLD AFTER ALL”
TIGLFF Online | 115 Mins. Total. A series of international comedic, dramatic and foreign language shorts beginning Oct. 4 at 8 a.m. and ending Oct. 10 at 11 p.m.
“BEFORE THE ERUPTION (ANTES DE LA ERUPCION)” (2020)
9 Mins. Despite different types of warnings, a volcanic eruption can occur without any prior signal. This group of friends did not see it coming.
“GOD’S DAUGHTER DANCES” (2020)
25 Mins. Shin-mi, a transgender female dancer at a gay club in Korea, gets called in for a mandatory Military Service Examination.
“NIGHT RIDE (NATTRIKKEN)” (2020)
15 Mins. During a cold night in December, Ebba waits for the tram home but an unexpected turn of events will test her mental and emotional fortitude.
“UNLONELY” (2021)
9 Mins. 11-year-old Leo has to deal with her depressive father while secretly falling in love with her best friend Isabell.
“AS SIMPLE AS THAT (SIMPLES ASSIM)” (2021)
19 Mins. Suspicious that her son is gay, Joana shares her doubts with her husband. To her surprise, the boy’s father knows much more about the subject than she imagined.
“SWINGIN’” (2020)
23 Mins. When sixth-grader Qiu is bullied in school for having gay dads, his stepfather Howard, a flamboyant jazz trumpet player, comes to the rescue.
SHORTS PROGRAM #2: “PRIDE AND PREJUDICE”
TIGLFF Online | 106 Mins. Total. A series of documentary shorts focusing on activism and more beginning Oct. 4 at 8 a.m. and ending Oct. 10 at 11 p.m.
“A BIG FAT TAIWANESE SAME-SEX WEDDING” (2019)
4 Mins. In celebration of becoming the first country in Asia to legalize same-sex marriage, Taiwan threw a big wedding banquet in front of its Presidential Office Building in Taipei.
“BELONGING” (2020)
22 Mins. Two generations of gay activists are demonstrated when young LGBTQI+ campaigner Sam Watson takes a road trip.
“NO MAN’S LAND” (2021)
28 Mins. The 1970s saw the birth of womyn’s lands, communities where lesbian separatists could live together. A handful of these womyn formed Alapine in rural Alabama, where no men are allowed.
“CARO COMES OUT” (2020)
12 Mins. This film is an experiment, but it’s also a comedy, but it’s also a short film about coming out to your entire Cuban family.
“WE ARE NOT WHO THEY SAY WE ARE” (2020)
18 Mins. Arcoiris is a group of LGBTQ human rights defenders in Honduras that has endured public abuse, stigmatization, threats and attacks that go largely unpunished.
“THE LEAF” (2021)
4 Mins. A personal, poetic documentary about a filmmaker’s experience as a gay Asian immigrant during the pandemic.
“LET THERE BE COLOUR” (2019)
15 Mins. On Sept. 8, 2019 Sarajevo hosts its first Pride march. But are the people in their country ready for this event?
“TAIWAIN PRIDE FOR THE WORLD” (2020)
3 Mins. Last year, more than 400 pride events around the world were canceled. But Taiwan was fighting the virus effectively and decided to host a pride parade for the world.
SHORTS PROGRAM #3: “SUGAR AND SPICE”
TIGLFF Online | 108 Mins. Total. A series of womens’ comedic, dramatic and foreign language shorts beginning Oct. 4 at 8 a.m. and ending Oct. 10 at 11 p.m.
“WINGS” (2020)
18 Mins. Spanning over six decades, this lesbian love story during World War II is a partially silent film starring two BAFTA award-winning actresses.
“ROADKILL” (2020)
16 Mins. Tillie’s lonely life as a roadkill removal worker is destabilized when Wanda, a lively stranger, comes to town.
“TOTAL CATCH” (2021)
2 Mins. Dating is hard. Zoom dating is harder.
“BONSOIR” (2021)
17 Mins. Suzanne is a successful lawyer who is skeptical of dating apps but she finally decides to go on her first date with Lucille.
“COCOON LOVE” (2021)
15 Mins. Sent to stay with her grandparents, a teenager begins a budding friendship with her classmate and is forced to confront her past.
“FOUR B (CUARTO B)” (2021)
10 Mins. A couple of women return home to hear their neighbor in Apt. 4B having sex with a man, leading to a hostile situation.
“AIMEE VICTORIA” (2021)
10 Mins. Separated on their anniversary due to the pandemic, two deaf women have their relationship tested.
“LAURA’S VOICE” (2021)
20 Mins. A queer take on the legendary monodrama “The Human Voice” by Jean Cocteau where a woman has her last phone conversation with the woman she loves.
SHORTS PROGRAM #4: “SNIPS AND SNAILS”
TIGLFF Online | 116 Mins. Total. A series of mens’ comedic, dramatic, foreign language and romantic shorts beginning Oct. 4 at 8 a.m. and ending Oct. 10 at 11 p.m.
“COMPLICATED” (2020)
22 Mins. A chubby and depressed young man returns to his childhood home in the suburbs following a mental breakdown.
“VIRGIN MY ASS” (2020)
17 Mins. Ophir asks his friend Harel for a favor that might make him feel like a normal gay guy. They both learn a small lesson in intimacy and community.
“GETTING CLOSER” (2020)
6 Mins. Two stoned boyfriends navigate unexpected vulnerability (and the giggles) while attempting to get off.
“HARD” (2021)
12 Mins. An unexpected bout of performance anxiety throws a wrench into the plans of two men on their first night together.
“IN[APP]LICABLE” (2020)
11 Mins. After moving from small-town Louisiana to New Orleans, Ted navigates the city using a dating app.
“PRIVATE PHOTOS (FOTOS PRIVADAS)” (2020)
20 Mins. Rafa and Matheus face the excitement and weirdness of having a third member inside their apartment.
“PEACE” (2020)
11 Mins. A love story that dives into the complexities of a down-low queer relationship and really questions what it means to be at peace.
“FRANKIE” (2020)
11 Mins. Frankie, a nonbinary trans person, crashes their ex-partner’s men-only 12 step meeting, determined to be heard, no matter the cost.
“GRADUATION” (2020)
6 Mins. Following a graduation celebration, a Chinese couple must navigate their relationship’s future.
SHORTS PROGRAM #5: “DREAMS AND NIGHTMARES”
TIGLFF Online | 127 Mins. Total. A series of fantasy, horror and comedic shorts beginning Oct. 4 at 8 a.m. and ending Oct. 10 at 11 p.m.
“EARLY TO RISE” (2020)
24 Mins. On the way to a distant planet, three less-than-qualified astronauts are awoken 90 years too early and trapped inside their hibernation pods.
“GAYDREAM” (2021)
7 Mins. A young, imaginative man seeks the support of his outgoing lesbian roommate while trying to come out to his conservative mother.
“THE NIGHT OF THE BUTTERFLY (LA NUIT DU PAPILLON)” (2020)
15 Mins. Installed in their comfortable cocoon, a couple spends an ordinary vacation on the French Riviera until another woman captures the wife’s attention.
“HEAVEN REACHES DOWN TO EARTH”
10 Mins. After Tau comes to a realization about their sexuality, it sets in motion a cascade of thoughts and emotions in Tumelo – nothing will ever be the same between them.
“METUBE: AUGUST SINGS ‘UNA FURTIVA LAGRIMA’” (2020)
8 Mins. Intergalactic music nerds August and Elfie conquer the opera stage and orchestrate their final adventure in an opulent manner.
“POLTER” (2020)
10 Mins. José must discover the secret behind a paranormal event if he wishes to regain control of his home and his life.
“CATFISH KILLER” (2020)
13 Mins. Three gay besties on a camping trip are thrust into danger when one of them inadvertently catfishes a serial killer online.
“THORNS” (2020)
5 Mins. Stopping at a sketchy motel for some private intimacy, Gwen and Jade get the sense that someone’s watching them.
“FORGIVE US” (2021)
14 Mins. After years of estrangement, an embittered young man uncovers sinister threats when returning home with his boyfriend for Christmas.
“SUNDOWN TOWN” (2020)
10 Mins. Bryce & Mitchell’s trip home is disrupted after making a pit stop in a mysteriously unwelcoming town.
“THE LAST LETTUCEFEST” (2021)
11 Mins. A year after tragedy struck a small town’s annual street festival, the planning committee meets to determine the future of the beloved Lettucefest.
SHORTS PROGRAM #6: “LIFE’S A DRAG”
TIGLFF Online | 109 Mins. Total. Documentary shorts focusing on drag culture beginning Oct. 4 at 8 a.m. and ending Oct. 10 at 11 p.m.
“THE BEAUTY PRESIDENT” (2021)
9 Mins. In 1992, drag queen Joan Jett Blakk made a historic bid for the White House as an openly queer write-in candidate.
“THE STORY QUEENS (LAS REINAS DE LOS CUENTOS)” (2021)
13 Mins. A Latinx drag queen activist couple in San Diego use storytelling to educate and empower children, foster community and inspire a love of reading.
“A JOY LIKE ANY OTHER (UN METIER COMME UN AUTRE)” (2021)
21 Mins. A tribute to Pierre Lauzon, an ordinary shy 55-year-old man who has worked for the past 30 years as a Drag Queen Barmaid in Montreal known as “Aunt Gaby.”
“MAN UP IN LOCKDOWN”
20 Mins. At the start of the pandemic, Janina Smith invented Richard Energy, a provocative nonbinary digital drag king, and manages to get their job back on stage just as the second lockdown threatens.
“WHEN I’M HER” (2021)
15 Mins. Michael was a ballet prodigy who transformed into a Russian ballet instructor named Madame Olga to both embrace himself as an artist and reconcile with the trauma from his past.
“RED MASISI (MASISI WOUJ)” (2021)
22 Mins. Haitian artist and activist Sanba Yonel comments on the plight of the masisi, a slur used to describe feminine gay men, transvestites and non-binary folks in Haiti.
“PARALELO” (2021)
9 Mins. A filmmaker’s empowering drag performance in tribute to his mother who suffered from dementia and cancer and died of COVID-19 complications in 2020.
SHORTS PROGRAM #7: “QUEER-TOONS”
TIGLFF Online | 72 Mins. Total. A series of animated shorts beginning Oct. 4 at 8 a.m. and ending Oct. 10 at 11 p.m.
“THE QUEEN’S HEART” (2021)
3 Mins. A glance through LGBTQ+ history through the mirrors of a Drag Queen – a story of love, loss and chosen family.
“THE SAPPHO PROJECT: FRAGMENT 147” (2021)
8 Mins. This animation reflects the evolution of art movements and pays tribute to queer women through the ages.
“REVIVING THE ROOST” (2019)
6 Mins. This pulsating neon-light ode to a popular Edmonton gay bar that closed in 2007, is also a story about community complexity, longing and an elegy to a lost space.
“ARE YOU STILL WATCHING?” (2021)
6 Mins. Forced into near-isolation during Melbourne’s COVID-19 lockdown, Jamie binges on queer film and TV.
“EVERYONE HAS MY JACKET” (2021)
3 Mins. “One of us has to change” takes on a whole other meaning in this short animation about fashion, gender dysphoria and acceptance.
“ALL THOSE SENSATIONS IN MY BELLY” (2020)
13 Mins. While transitioning from male to female, Matia struggles with finding a genuine intimate relationship with a heterosexual man.
“OUR BED IS GREEN”
7 Mins. A young woman seeks digital refuge from an overwhelming world and a bewildering obsession.
“I BLEED (SANGRO)” (2019)
7 Mins. Through the intimate confession of a person living with HIV, this animated film aims to demystify issues that persist in society’s imagination about the virus.
“OUT OF THE DARK: AKEEM” (2021)
4 Mins. This is the story of AKeem Rollins, known for his viral slam poetry piece “Suicide Note,” and how he faced the greatest challenge of his life.
“MEN IN BLUE: 12 STORIES” (2021)
3 Mins. 12 men of all genders and backgrounds strip off for the camera in these revealing portraits animated in rotoscopy with more than 500 blue ballpoint pen drawings.
“GOLDILOCKS AND THE THREE FAMILIES OF BEARS” (2020)
2 Mins. Based on “Goldilocks and the Three Bears,” this story introduces three new bear families to represent family life as it is in the world today.
“MAMA HAS A MUSTACHE” (2021)
10 Mins. A quirky, animated documentary about gender and family seen through children’s eyes and driven completely by audio interviews of kids ages 5-10.
FEATURE: “REBEL DYKES” (2021)
TIGLFF Online, 82 Mins. A documentary about the explosion that happened when punk met feminism, told through the lives of a gang of lesbian, trans and queer people in the 1980s. Includes the “Tampa Baes” trailer and introduction.
TUESDAY, OCT. 5 – SUNDAY, OCT. 10
FEATURE: “BUILDING A BRIDGE” (2021)
TIGLFF Online, 82 Mins. Horrified by Catholic leaders’ silence in the wake of the Pulse nightclub massacre, Father James Martin writes a widely acclaimed book and tours the country with his message of “compassion, respect and sensitivity.”
WEDSNESDAY, OCT. 6 – SUNDAY, OCT. 10
DOUBLE FEATURE: ACTIVIST HEROES
TIGLFF Online, 124 Mins. Total. Portraits of two activist heroes.
“AIDS DIVA: THE LEGEND OF CONNIE NORMAN” (2021)
62 Mins. As the ACT UP/LA spokesperson in early 90s, Connie Norman stood proudly in her multiple, fluid and evolving LGBTQ identities, even as she stared her own mortality in the face being HIV positive. Her compassionate voice urges us again into action to fully engage with our lives and our world.
“YES I AM: THE RICK WEILAND STORY” (2020)
62 Mins. Ric Weiland was another critical activist during the height of the AIDS epidemic. He was notoriously shy but nonetheless put his money where his mouth was in an era where funding was (and continues to be) a critical component of the fight to effect change.
THURSDAY, OCT. 7 – SUNDAY, OCT. 10
VIRTUAL DOUBLE FEATURE: DRAG STARS
TIGLFF Online, 181 Mins. Total. Documentaries examining well-known drag artists from “RuPaul’s Drag Race.”
“BEING BEBE: THE BEBE ZAHARA BENET DOCUMENTARY” (2021)
https://youtu.be/8OmplK0NcJ8
93 Mins. Marshall Ngwa (a.k.a. renowned drag performer BeBe Zahara Benet) came to the United States from homophobic Cameroon with dreams of a better life and became the first winner of “RuPaul’s Drag Race” in 2009.
“WORKHORSE QUEEN” (2021)
88 Mins. By day, Ed Popil worked as the manager of a telemarketing center in post-industrial Rochester, New York for 18 years. By night, he transformed into drag queen Mrs. Kasha Davis, a 1960’s era inspired housewife trying to liberate herself.
SATURDAY, OCT. 9
“INVISIBLE: WOMEN IN SOUTHERN MUSIC” (2021)
https://youtu.be/SLsu8HruT4E
3 p.m. | AMC Sundial 20, 107 Mins. Growing up gay in the South is hard enough, but to be an openly gay woman in country music is nearly impossible. Nashville is a man’s town, yet this group of gay women have persevered anyhow.
“POTATO DREAMS OF AMERICA” (2021, USA)
5 p.m. | AMC Sundial 20, 95 Mins. Wes Hurley’s autobiographical dark comedy about growing up gay in the Soviet Union and emigrating to America.
CLOSING NIGHT FILM: “GLOB LESSONS” (2021, USA)
7 p.m. | AMC Sundial 20, 100 Mins. Move over Felix and Oscar, the latest odd couple is Alan and Jesse, two mismatched strangers who are paired together by a children’s theater company to perform low-budget productions of “Robin Hood” and “A Christmas Carol” in elementary schools.
