The 2nd Annual 29 Queer Film Festival, taking place in the stunning and tranquil desert oasis of Twentynine Palms, California, has announced its much-anticipated festival lineup of screenings and events, which includes film premieres, drag performances, and themed culinary experiences in the heart of the Mojave Desert. The three-day festival will take place from September 19 to 21.
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 presents an intimate yet dynamic program, featuring narrative and documentary films, 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.
Ponyboy
Founded by Twentynine Palms residents and LGBTQ+ filmmakers Graham Kolbeins and Jonathan Andre Culliton, the 29 Queer Film Festival is the first LGBTQ+ festival in California’s high desert area, serving as an important cultural bridge to connect audiences with LGBTQ+ filmmakers and their work.
“When we first brought the 29 Queer Film Festival to the high desert last year, we had the most rewarding experience showcasing the best of desert talent and queer film from around the world. Now in our second year, we are beyond thrilled to present a bigger, better, and queerer fest! With a spotlight on local desert films as well as an even more robust international program, 29 Queer Film Festival is a place to offer cultural exchange between the desert and the rest of the world,” said 29 Queer Film Festival Founder and Co-Director Culliton.
“For the second edition, we wanted to bring in more local desert voices as well as expand the festival’s perspective to include a wider assortment of global queer films. We collaborated with Baturu Cultural Festival, the organisation that runs the Bangkok LGBTQ+ Film Festival in Thailand, to provide an opportunity for a director from Southeast Asia to participate in the 29th Queer Film Festival. As a result of this collaboration, Lip Sync Assassin director Jon Galvez will be attending the festival from the Philippines,” explained Founder and Co-Director Kolbeins. “It’s our dream to keep growing the festival’s global relevance while staying rooted in high desert filmmaking.”
GLORY
The festival will begin on Friday with the Opening Gala, SLAY ALL DAY: QUEER HORROR, a collection of scary shorts that will have audiences crawling in their skin. The Gala will be hosted by desert drag king Mr. Her, with a Q&A conducted by Fangoria’s Sean Abley, and performances by Obsidienne Obsurd, Darren Wave, and Beautox Rocks. Free Rocky’s Pizza will be served, and a raffle will give away prizes from local businesses Desert Rat Roasters, Very Very, Joshua Tree Distilling Co., and more. An OPENING NIGHT AFTERPARTY will be held at Yucca Valley hotspot Tiny Pony as part of the monthly drag show Horse Girl, featuring a lineup of stellar drag performances and DJs.
Saturday afternoon will feature a screening of QUEENS OF DRAMA, French filmmaker Alexis Langlois’ pop-camp masterpiece tracing a tumultuous lesbian love affair across decades. The evening will begin with the program WIGGING OUT: COMEDY, CAMP, AND DRAG, featuring a mix of animated and live action shorts that highlight humour and tell audacious, personal stories of queer life. Saturday will continue with the gala event UNDER THE JOSHUA TREES: QUEER DESERT STORIES, celebrating local filmmakers and the cinematic landscape of the desert. The event will feature free food from a local restaurant, a raffle with prizes from high desert businesses, and drag performances by Mr. Her, Darren Wave, and Obsidienne Obsurd. The festival will also feature Paul Verhoeven’s camp classic SHOWGIRLS in a late-Saturday-night After Dark program.
The festival will conclude on Sunday with the acclaimed feature film Ponyboy, written by and starring River Gallo, preceded by “Grace,” a short film directed by and starring Alexandra Grey. QUEER PLANET, a program of international shorts whose directors hail from Thailand, Spain, Russia, Iran, and Palestine, will precede the festival’s final award show event on Sunday evening, THE GOLDEN COYOTE AWARDS. The awards show will feature drag performances, music videos, and the COYOTE COURAGE AWARD, which will be presented to special guest BRIAN MICHAEL SMITH (TV’s 9-1-1: LONE STAR).
For the full programme, visit the 29 Queer Film Festival website.
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