Aida

A fascinating and intimate exploration of the daily lives and struggles of 7 LGBT families in 7 different European countries: The Netherlands, Spain, Italy, France, Greece, Switzerland and in Catalonia. Although separated by borders, they are all united in their struggle to have LGBT family rights recognized. The differences between countries are highlighted, from having full equality in some, to a total lack of rights in others: we are exploring those different laws and irregularities, realizing how the children of LGBT families are being made vulnerable across Europe.

What is the heteronorm? What is the cultural canon and how is it related to this heteronorm?

Ewa Hołuszko is a remarkable figure. In the 1980s she bore the male name of Marek Hołuszko, an active Solidarity movement activist. After 1989 she could not fully enjoy the regained freedom as the place of communism was taken by another enemy, more difficult to defeat, intolerance and exclusion. Gender change made her realize how far away Polish society is from full freedom. Nevertheless, she still believes that it is possible to live in a different Poland, free from stigmatization, persecution and prejudice against others.

Victor and Fernando are hairstylists in Mexicali. They are the go-to professionals for the city's socialites. To their customers, they were a lovely couple until they decided to legally marry. Losing the support of people and friends an confronting a blacklash of criticism, through their fight they woke up members of Mexiciali's society to fight homophobia and inequality.

The journey of eight characters of different ages, regions, life trajectories and religions – and behind them, stories of overcoming difficulties, prejudice and self-acceptance, passing through themes transversal to the letters that form the acronym LGBTQIA+ – that culminate in the celebration of being able to be who you are and in the exaltation of these voices.

A filmmaker captures her wife’s journey of high-risk pregnancy, birth, and early motherhood in this short documentary. Consequently, she discovers her own fear and insecurity surrounding the adventures of parenthood — all while completing the adoption process for her non-biological son, as required by heteronormative North Carolina state law.

The story of the iconic singer's fascinating six-decade career in both music and Black and LGBTQ activism.

Fragments 83 rediscovers—and repurposes—Richard Millen 1983 experimental film If You Can’t Be with the One You Love, shot in Brooklyn and the West Village in the early days of the AIDS epidemic. The resulting documentary explores the hunt for sex/love, the joy of making cinema, and the inexorable passage of time.

An account of the life and work of the charismatic Spanish writer Terenci Moix (1942-2003).

The journey of a gay African refugee seeking asylum in Germany.

In the 50s and 60s, deep in the American countryside at the foot of the Catskills, a small wooden house with a barn behind it was home to the first clandestine network of cross-dressers. Diane and Kate are now 80 years old. At the time, they were men and part of this secret organization. Today, they relate this forgotten but essential chapter of the early days of trans-identity. It is a story full of noise and fury, rich in extraordinary characters, including the famous Susanna, who had the courage to create this refuge that came to be known as Casa Susanna.

THE PEARL is a cinematic and intimate portrait of four transgender women who come out in their senior years. Set in logging towns in the Pacific Northwest, the visceral, observational story explores what it means to leave behind presenting as a man.

Loving someone of the same gender is frowned upon in Sami communities. Sparrooabbán (Me and my little sister) shows what it’s like to be a minority within a minority. Suvi describes how her little sister Kaisa wishes to be accepted as she is. Like her sister, Kaisa is a Sami, but also in a relationship with a woman, and she also works as a deacon. There are obviously more constricting communities in the film than only one.

A collection film of additional footage from Paris is Burning

EQUALITY U is a feature-length documentary following 34 young activists on the Soulforce Equality Ride. At some stops they're welcomed with open arms, at others they're arrested for trespassing or for simply attempting to open up a dialog. At every stop though, they're connecting with young people who've often never met an openly gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender person who is comfortable with who they are. Written by Dave O'Brien

Former child prodigy James Harries and his family may at first sight seem to be a houseful of geniuses, but although every single member has a Ph.D. in Metaphysics, we soon discover that some were purchased from a fake university in the USA, while the others were awarded to them by themselves. They regard themselves as morally, intellectually, and financially superior to the rest of society, even though the clan (housed in a mock mock-Tudor cottage in the middle of a Cardiff council estate) includes a convicted arsonist, an astral projectionist, a former Bunny Girl, a part-time private detective and a transgender daughter (James is now Lauren), all of whom seem to live their lives in a parallel universe.

Vicky is fisherman by day and bar owner at night. When she was a little boy her dream was to be a radio soap opera star, nowadays she dreams of falling in love again. How is it possible that a small, barren place in the third world has managed to achieve this special form of freedom and tolerance?

An extraordinary tale of resilience unfolds against the backdrop of intense political rivalry and media scrutiny. Joanne Conte, the indomitable child of Italian immigrants, weathers the storm of public vilification as her past is unceremoniously plastered across the front pages of Colorado papers and on The Maury Povich Show. Yet, this assault on her character is not enough to halt the unwavering march of her life of service. She breaks barriers as the first transgender person to be elected to a city council in U.S. history, but her identity extends far beyond this groundbreaking accomplishment. As a valiant soldier, an impassioned activist, and a tenacious politician, Conte carves out a formidable legacy. This is an emotionally charged and evocatively detailed portrait of Joanne Conte, a multifaceted individual who lived her life far beyond the simplistic narratives of headlines.

Viviana Rocco is a photographer, visual artist, activist, model, actress and trans woman. This documentary takes us inside her life so that through her work she can show us the trans world and give voice to those who are part of a minority.

Contrary to the stereotype of Mississippi as a state of social conservatism and stagnation, the support, protection and love Rainbow families provide queer youth offers up an alternative view of the New Deep South.