Queer SIFFRAFF Selects: Pride Picks

Hey there, my beloved queers (and those peripheral to queerness), I'm Reese, SIFF's Graphic Design Manager and avowed "victim" Transgenderism™. For Pride Month, SIFF made the mistake of letting me put together a blurb for this list. My testosterone-fueled hubris agrees that I'm clearly the best man for the job.

I don't know if this is a common experience in the Queer Community, but movies were always my safe-haven and my route for exploring my identity. I remember many a late night, when I got full reign of my sister's and my shared computer, scouring the web for queer films. I remember the confusing excitement that I got when I related to a character. Often a queer man, which was the source of my confusion. I figured it out eventually. Films showed me the queer history I wasn't shown in school, they showed me that I was not alone in my dissatisfaction and disconnection with the cisheteronormative expectations I was confronted with.

If that wasn't your experience, perhaps this thoughtfully curated list from SIFF's own queer staff and programmers can be a jumping off point for you. If that was your experience, then we hope this list resonates with you and expands your viewing library. I'm gonna be real with y'all, existing as queer in America right now is anxiety-inducing. But I've had the pleasure of connecting with our queer siblings in person and through the screen which reminds me that we had a rich and robust community that has survived everything and has come out stronger. And we'll continue to do that. So watch some movies and enjoy Pride. With love from your friends at SIFF. ❤️

View the whole selection on our Letterboxd.