Celebrate Pride Month with LGBTQ+ Centered Films From the Woodstock Film Festival Now in Theaters & Streaming
A wonderful way to learn more about LGBTQ+ communities is by immersing yourself in stories that highlight their lives. There’s no better time than Pride Month to look into them!
Monash University conducted a study that looked at films with LGBTQ inclusivity vs films without, and compared their box office numbers. They discovered that films including queer characters earned 29% more revenue than ones that didn’t. For a long time throughout history, producers would be hesitant, or completely deny, the creation of films that had these qualities due to the worry of poor audience reception. Now, even the money-hungry producers can’t deny that it’s what the people want! It’s wonderful that, despite it all, we are continuing to move towards a more inclusive film environment.
You can take a look at all of the films we’ve previously screened on our Letterboxd, or see this shorter list below!
AMMA’S PRIDE | Directed by Shiva Krish
Shiva Krish’s documentary short chronicles the trials and triumphs of Valli, a mother who offers unwavering support to her transgender daughter, Srija. The documentary focuses on their journey as Srija falls in love with Arun, a cisgender man, and their subsequent fight for legal recognition of their marriage, making it Tamil Nadu's first legally registered marriage between a trans woman and a cisgender man.
Krish’s third film as a director, Amma’s Pride was filmed over a four-year period from 2019 to 2023 and has screened at several festivals, including the BlackStar Film Festival and the Krakow Film Festival.
Available to watch on Kanopy.
PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE | Directed by Celine Sciamma
In late 18th-century France, a young painter named Marianne is commissioned to create the wedding portrait of Héloïse, the daughter of a French countess. Posing as a companion to observe her subject in secret, Marianne soon finds herself drawn to Héloïse, and the two women develop a forbidden and emotionally complex romantic connection.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire has become a modern classic of queer cinema. The film received critical acclaim and was awarded both the Queer Palm and Best Screenplay at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.
Available to watch on Max, Hulu, YouTube, Amazon, AppleTV, and Fandango.
BREAKUP TEXT | Directed by Elizabeth Baudouin
When Milla’s partner, Evie, suddenly leaves her, she must face the reality that their relationship is really over this time. Set amidst the backdrop of Los Angeles, this ethereal short film is an intimate look at the inevitable end of a relationship between two women.
Available to watch on Kinema.
GRACE | Directed by Natalie Jasmine Harris
Sixteen-year-old Grace prepares for her baptism in the rural 1950's South. When she learns she must repent before the ritual, Grace contemplates her budding romantic feelings toward her best friend Louise.
Grace debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, and has screened at dozens of film festivals since including Torino Film Festival (Turin, Italy), Palm Springs International ShortFest and BlackStar Film Festival. In February 2025, the film received a Vimeo Staff Pick distinction and was later acquired to stream by The Criterion Channel.
Available on Mubi.
FLEE | Directed by Jonas Poher Rasmussen
Flee tells the story of Amin Nawabi as he grapples with a painful secret he has kept hidden for 20 years, one that threatens to derail the life he has built for himself and his soon to be husband. Recounted mostly through animation to director Jonas Poher Rasmussen, he tells for the first time the story of his extraordinary journey as a child refugee from Afghanistan.
Flee was selected for the 2020 Cannes Festival, won the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, the best doc prize at Gothenburg and the Cristal award at Annecy among others. The film also made history by being nominated for an 94th Academy Awards in three categories in same year: Best International Film, Best Animated Film and Best Documentary.
MILKWATER | Directed by Morgan Ingari
Feeling abandoned by friends living more adult lives, Milo rashly decides to become the surrogate for an older gay man she meets at a bar. As the pregnancy progresses, she must contend with the implications of their evolving relationship.
Morgan Ingari is a Brooklyn-based queer writer/director, originally from Boston. She graduated from Tisch School of the Arts with a BFA in Film & Television in 2013. Since graduation, she has worked in New York as a writer and director. She has had short films screen at multiple festivals around the world, however "Milkwater" is her first feature film undertaking.
GAYBY | Directed by Jonathan Lisecki
Jenn and Matt are best friends from college who are now in their thirties. Single by choice, Jenn spends her days teaching hot yoga and running errands for her boss. Matt suffers from comic-book writer’s block and can’t get over his ex-boyfriend. They decide to fulfill a promise to have a child together… the old fashioned way. Can they navigate the serious and unexpected snags they hit as they attempt to get their careers and dating lives back on track in preparation for parenthood?
Jonathan Lisecki is known for Gayby (2012), Woman in Burka (2008), and the original Gayby short (2010), which inspired the feature film. Lisecki additionally takes on the role of “Nelson” in the feature-length version.
CONCUSSION | Directed by Stacie Passon
After suffering a mild concussion, Abby Ableman begins questioning her life as a seemingly content suburban mom. This incident sparks a personal awakening, leading her to challenge the monotony of her marriage and eventually explore a double life as a high-end escort for women.
The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival and was later awarded the Teddy Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival. It also received a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Film – Limited Release and was nominated for several other accolades, including the Gotham Independent Film Award for Breakthrough Director.
MY POLICEMAN | Directed by Michael Grandage
Set in 1950s England, My Policeman tells the story of a quiet love triangle between Tom, a closeted policeman, Marion, a schoolteacher who falls in love with him, and Patrick, a museum curator with whom Tom shares a secret romantic relationship. As societal pressures push Tom into a conventional marriage with Marion, the emotional weight of his true desires quietly simmers beneath the surface.
Michael Grandage is a British director known for his work in theatre and film, and is the former artistic director of London’s Donmar Warehouse. My Policeman marks his second feature film, showcasing his continued interest in emotionally complex, character-driven narratives.
SUMMER SOLSTICE | Directed by Noah Schamus
Leo, a trans man, and his cisgender and straight friend Eleanor go on an last-minute weekend trip to upstate New York. Reunited with new gender dynamics between them, and uncovering problems lurking behind Eleanor's "well-meaning" façade, Leo and Eleanor navigate how their old feelings towards one another exist within this new context, forcing them both to confront buried secrets and emotions.
The film premiered at Provincetown Film Festival, and went on to screen In Competition at Deauville, Mill Valley Film Festival 2023, BendFilm 2023, BFI Flare 2024, and others. The film received support from the Panavision New Filmmaker’s Program Grant, MovieMaker Production Services, Outfest Screenwriting Lab, and won the Platige Image Award at US In Progress at the American Film Festival.
HANNAH HA HA | Directed by Jordan Tetewsky and Joshua Pikovsky
Hannah is content living a hard-working life in the small town where she grew up. But to her visiting older brother Paul, she seems rudderless, without ambition, just wasting her time. As their summer together begins to wind down, Hannah decides to try something new, only to learn what wasting time really means.
Joshua Pikovsky and Jordan Tetewsky grew up together and filmed “Hannah Ha Ha” in and around their hometown on a tiny budget. They cast Hannah Lee Thompson, a musician from Baltimore who is also a friend of Tetewsky’s, in the titular role, and Tetewsky’s father, Avram Tetewsky, in the role of Hannah’s father, also named Avram.
The festival is proud to celebrate 26 years of fiercely independent cinema. The festival’s official lineup will be announced in September, and until then, grab your passes now and be a part of history in the making at the 26th Annual festival! See you at the movies!