The 1st Annual 29 Queer Film Festival will take place in the stunning and tranquil desert oasis of Twentynine Palms, California, from September 20- 22. The inaugural festival line-up of screenings and events includes film premieres, drag performances, indoor and outdoor screenings, and themed culinary experiences in the heart of the Mojave Desert.
29 Queer Film Festival is a groundbreaking celebration of queer cinema set against the breathtaking natural expanse of Twentynine Palms, California. This unique festival brings the vibrant and diverse voices of the LGBTQ+ community to the heart of the Mojave Desert.
The 29 Queer Film Festival is dedicated to showcasing the creativity and diversity of queer filmmakers from the high desert and around the world. The festival offers an intimate yet dynamic program with narrative and documentary features, short films, music videos, and special presentations. With screenings, panels, and performances, the festival aims to foster dialogue, inspire new ideas, and promote LGBTQ+ representation through the art of cinema.
Founded by Twentynine Palms residents and LGBTQ+ filmmakers Graham Kolbeins and Jonathan Andre Culliton, 29 Queer Film Festival marks the first LGBTQ+ festival in California’s high desert area and serves as an important cultural bridge to connect audiences with LGBTQ+ filmmakers and their work. This inaugural film festival is the official kick-off of 29QFF programming, which will include filmmaking workshops for both adults and youth, classic film screenings, and special events celebrating trailblazing queer filmmakers.
29 Queer Film Festival Founders and Co-Curators Kolbeins and Culliton said, “As filmmakers who live in Twentynine Palms, we’ve always been incredibly inspired by the awe-inducing natural beauty of the high desert. What better place to create a unique destination film festival that showcases the best of LGBTQ+ cinema and highlights the exceptional creative community here? We look forward to welcoming the local community, and audiences from California and around the world in celebrating a truly excellent inaugural program of films, performances, and fun-filled unique events, all set amidst the magnificent backdrop of the Mojave Desert. This is a place for filmmaking.”
The festival will begin on Friday, Sep 20, with the Opening Screening, a World Premiere of PAPI’S PREGNANT. Directed by Oliverio Rodriguez, Papi’s Pregnant chronicles the intimate journey of a transgender, non-binary person navigating the complexities of pregnancy. Through a blend of montage, cinema vérité, traditional interviews with the medical community, and heartfelt familial discussions, the film offers a nuanced portrait of the challenges and biases faced by the queer community when entering parenthood.
Set against the backdrop of Chicago, Illinois, and later expanding to Los Angeles, California, Papi’s Pregnant provides an insider’s perspective on the seldom-discussed topic of trans pregnancy. The documentary delves into the intricacies of finding supportive medical care, the experience of going off hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and the pursuit of conception—all while highlighting the underrepresentation of trans pregnancies in contemporary cinema and medical research.
Papi’s Pregnant will be followed by the QUEER HORROR shorts program and an OPENING NIGHT AFTERPARTY at the local hotspot OUT THERE BAR with live DJs.
Saturday afternoon will feature a screening of THE PEOPLE’S JOKER, Vera Drew’s satirical masterpiece take on the iconic Batman villain. The evening will begin with the BEARS, LESBIANS, & QUEERS, OH MY! program, featuring a mix of narrative and documentary shorts covering the spectrum of the queer community. Saturday will continue with a gala event celebrating the World Premiere of WILLA JUSTICE: DRAG QUEEN PRIVATE EYE, starring hi-desert drag legend Lady Chilane and Emmy-nominee Scott Turner Schofield, from director Jonathan Andre Culliton. The event will feature a drag performance by Lady Chilane, drag bingo, a panel discussion with the cast, and an artisan pizza pop-up. The festival will also feature 29QFF x DIRTY LOOKS LA AFTER DARK for a late-Saturday-night 18+ program at Corner62, sponsored by Scorpion Lollipop.
The festival will wrap up on Sunday with its GAY AND ALL OVER THE PLACE shorts block featuring festival darlings BLUE SQUARE HEART by director William Venus Means and INSIDE THE BEAUTY BUBBLE by director Cheryl Bookout and Cheri Gaulke, the documentary about the legendary local salon. OFF-RAMP, the critically acclaimed feature about Juggalos from director Nathan Tape will precede the festival’s final award show event on Sunday evening. The COYOTE COURAGE AWARD will be presented to special guest VICO ORTIZ (OUR FLAG MEANS DEATH).
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