Galas & Centerpieces
Audience and Jury Awards
Eat, Drink, & Stay
TWIST 2018 FILM GUIDE
A Guide to Every Feature and Short Playing at the 23rd TWIST: Seattle Queer Film Festival.
2018 Program Guide (pdf)
2018 Schedule at a Glance (pdf)
2018 Print source list (pdf)
SIFF Cinema Egyptian
OPENING NIGHT: THE HAPPY PRINCE
THE HAPPY PRINCE focuses on the last years of the life of the infamous poet, author, and playwright Oscar Wilde (Dorian Grey, The Importance of Being Earnest). Now suffering from the effects of two years of hard labor, poverty stricken, and alienated from his wife Constance (Emma Watson) and children, Wilde (Rupert Everett, who also directed) finds his way back to his playboy love Lord Alfred Douglas, better known as Bosie (Colin Morgan); his devoted former lover Robbie (Edwin Thomas); and loyal friend Reggie (Colin Firth).
GEORGE MICHAEL: FREEDOM - THE DIRECTOR'S CUT
"Careless Whisper," "Faith," "I Want Your Sex," and, of course, "Freedom! '90" are just a few highlights from George Michael's career, cut short by his death at age 53. He created music that defined the '80s and the '90s, and this is his final gift to his fans.
Northwest Film Forum
KISS ME!
Océanerosemarie meets beautiful photographer Cécile (Alice Pol) and knows immediately that she is the love of her life. With the help of her eclectic group of friends, family, and past girlfriends—76 to be exact—she takes her best shot at winning Cécile's heart, but her playful banter makes an unfavorable impression.
AUTHENTICITY: TRANS SHORTS
These trans shorts are a testament to living authentically, whether it's running a dog-walking business, sitting by your grandmother's bedside, applying for a passport, or starting a revolution.
Yad (Majd Mardo), a Syrian medical student, leaves behind his life in Amsterdam to move back with his family in a small Dutch town. He settles for a temporary homecare job looking after an ebullient elderly woman, Ans (Jenny Arean), who slyly introduces him to her hunky grandson Joris (Josha Stradowski).
SIDNEY & FRIENDS
Back by popular demand, the documentary SIDNEY & FRIENDS (Translations 2018) explores the hopes, dreams, and everyday reality of Kenya's intersex and transgender communities. When Sidney's family disowns him and threatens his life, he flees to Nairobi, where he meets a group of transgender friends.
KILL THE MONSTERS
Featuring stunning black-and-white photography, wickedly funny dialogue, lots of nudity and sex, and a premise that is literally one for the ages, KILL THE MONSTERS is a historical, absurdist delight.
QTPOC-POV: SHORTS
QTPOC perspectives are showcased directly and on their own terms.
This 2018 LA Outfest audience winner for Best Narrative and grand jury winner for International Narrative Feature brings together an Odd Couple pairing of seasoned and brazen comedic elder drag queen Jackie (Derren Nesbitt) and naïve younger protégé Faith (Jordan Stephens).
Billie (Lisa Cordileone) is done putting up with her pointless job and sadistic boss (Alexandra Billings, Transparent). After telling everyone off, she breaks the news to her fiancée Gayle (Natasha Negovanlis), but after meeting a ragtag group of women who strike upon the idea of creating an app for freelancers like themselves, Billie lies to her about her "new job" to buy time until her start-up launches.
Mati (Sophie Stockinger) and her band of close male friends rule the neighborhood on their motocross bikes, wreaking havoc wherever they go. But unexpectedly, her best pal Sebi (Jack Hofer) falls in love with her—and her enemy Carla (Julia Franz Richter) turns into something new.
EVERY ACT OF LIFE
Terrence McNally takes center stage in this dynamic portrait of the prolific and trailblazing playwright that covers six decades of his influential works. Featuring archive performances, celebrity interviews, and readings by friends and colleagues (including Nathan Lane, Rita Moreno, and Chita Rivera).
When these gals throw a party, EVERYBODY'S invited. Tonight's agenda includes sex, laughs, secrets, and love.
LEITIS IN WAITING
From the team that brought us KUMU HINA (TWIST, Translations 2014) comes a story from Tonga, the last kingdom in the South Pacific. Leitis (Tongan for transwomen) have long been respected in the culture, but mainstream homophobia and transphobia have begun to infiltrate the island, threatening their livelihoods.
LATTER-DAY GLORY
Why are LGBTQ teens in Utah ending their lives at such an alarming rate? Ignoring one Utah lawmaker's explanation that the spike in youth suicide rates may be the result of his state's high altitude, two gay ex-Mormons embark on a mission to expose the truth in this documentary.
Cory Michael Smith (Gotham) shines in this compassionate drama set in the early days of the AIDS crisis. Adrian, a closeted gay man, returns to his conservative hometown for Christmas, weighed down with secrets and trauma.
EVA + CANDELA
Candela directs films; Eva acts in them. Their love story unfolds in shifting time frames, from their initial passionate meeting on a film set through the ups and downs of their relationship.
DOCUMENTARY CENTERPIECE: TRANSMILITARY
While the ban on transgender Americans serving openly in the military was lifted in 2016, given the current administration's stance, the futures of these warriors (as well as an estimated 15,500 others) remain uncertain. This timely, powerful documentary debut won the Audience Award at this year's SXSW Film Festival and opened Frameline42: San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival.
Lorenzo (Angelo Mutti Spinetta), a quiet, bright teenager better at music than sports, lives in a small town at the edge of the world in beautiful Patagonia.
THE HEIRESSES
After her longtime partner Chiquita is sent to jail, middle-aged Chela (Ana Brun, winner of the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress at the 2018 Berlin International Film Festival) decides to escape her reclusive lifestyle and become a taxi driver for her wealthy neighbors in Asunción.
WHEN THE BEAT DROPS
Category is…bucking realness! In the tradition of PARIS IS BURNING, this energetic, endearing documentary delves into "bucking," from its origins at historically black colleges in the South, through its evolution at underground queer clubs. Candid conversations with the performers illustrate their dedication and the risks they take.
MORONI FOR PRESIDENT
Determined to make radical change on the reservation where he grew up—the largest in the United States and plagued with widespread poverty and a lack of basic resources—Moroni Benally, a young, gay, Mormon professor at the University of Washington, launches an impassioned campaign for president of the Navajo Nation.
BAO BAO
Married lesbians Cindy and Joanne (Emmie Rays and Huan-Ru Ke), Taiwanese expats in London, are expecting their first child with gay couple Charles and Tim (Yukihiko Kageyama and Li-Yun Tsai).
BUILDING EMPATHY THROUGH INNOVATION: VIRTUAL REALITY STORYTELLING PANEL (Free Program)
AUTHENTICALLY US: STORIES FROM THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY introduces viewers to a diverse group of transgender and gender-diverse people using interactive virtual reality (VR). This project comes at a critical time in the fight for transgender equality.
ALL THE FEELS: FAMILY SHORTS
Families bring us joy and pain, comfort and anxiety. These shorts illustrate the emotional heights of family life—but also the depths, in which hope for reconciliation and love endures.
MAKING MONTGOMERY CLIFT
This deeply personal and ambitious look into the legacy of classic film star and queer icon Montgomery Clift was painstakingly created by his nephew Robert, who also narrates. A treasure trove of hidden memorabilia and unearthed film and audio reels collected by Monty's brother Brooks, along with interviews with his biographer, friends, and lovers, breathes much insight into this often misunderstood and fiercely independent man, who was insatiably committed to his craft.
AUTHENTICALLY US: VOICES FROM THE TRANSGENDER COMMUNITY (FREE - SEE SHORTS ON VR HEADSET - DROP IN NWFF 12:00 - 5:00)
Come put a headset on and view AUTHENTICALLY US using an Oculus VR headset.
Broadway Performance Hall
HARD PAINT
In this love story set in southern Brazil and punctuated with both genuine suspense and pure joy, socially awkward Pedro, traumatized by frequent bullying, finds relief only when he transforms into online adult webcam performer NeonBoy.
VIEWFINDER: SHORTS
Perform, dress-up, and dance—these queers are ready to thrust their way to new heights in imaginative and fantastical ways.
DYKES, CAMERA, ACTION!
A history of queer cinema from the women who made it happen—complete with juicy clips and stories—director Caroline Berler's accomplished first documentary goes beyond Hollywood myth-making to show how women, lesbians, and people of color helped transform the queer imagination.
POSTCARDS FR0M LONDON
Travel to a strikingly refreshing, neon-drenched, ultra cool, imaginary version of London's Soho in this not-so-usual rent boy story. Harris Dickinson (the sexy star of BEACH RATS in another riveting performance) stars as Jim, a newcomer to the high-end escorts known as the Raconteurs, who specialize in knowledge of literature and art.
SORRY ANGEL
Acclaimed openly gay French filmmaker Christophe Honoré details the complicated love story of two men who come from distinctly different places, both geographically and emotionally.
IN THE DARK SHORTS
After the sun sets, our darkest impulses come out to play.
After her grandfather's death and a 15-year absence, Efi (Noa Biron) returns to her family in the picturesque Mediterranean coastal town of Acre, where she begins a torrid affair with Karen, the sultry, married mother of two who now lives in Efi's childhood home.
CHANCE ENCOUNTERS: SHORTS
A one-night stand, love (and lust) at first sight, and that moment when you realize you've finally met "the one" are just some of the things that could happen when you have a chance encounter.
HOW TO BE A TRANS ALLY (Free Program)
Are you new to transgender concepts? Want to learn how to be a good ally? Join us for BEAUTY, a heartwarming documentary short about trans youth and their parents, and then stick around for a discussion with representatives from Gender Diversity.
BLANKET FORT FILMS PRESENTS APERTURE (Free Program)
The student showcase for graduates of the Blanket Fort Films Motion Picture Program. An eclectic mix of the shocking, sad, and funny moments of Queer life from a variety of perspectives, Aperture breathes new life into local Queer cinema.
WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 17, 2018
Determined and skilled soccer player Mario (Max Hubacher) has been working for this moment his entire life—he's being scouted by major European soccer teams. When he is paired with the equally talented Leon (Aaron Altaras) to increase their viability, a friendship begins that quickly includes something more: a stolen kiss, a long embrace.
BIXA TRAVESTY
Passionate, provocative, and extremely unapologetic, Linn da Quebrada electrifies the stage with daring performances of resistance against heteronormativity and machismo—complete with extravagant costumes and lots of twerking.
"I'm his father...mother… I'm working that part out." While transitioning to female and trying to live up to her Indian family's cultural expectations, Sid discovers she is the father of a teenage son.
NARRATIVE CENTERPIECE: RIOT
Jeffrey Walker's RIOT is a fictional re-telling of the true story of Australia's gay rights movement in the 1970s, it chronicles the creation of Sydney's LGBT Mardi Gras—but more importantly, illustrating why it was needed and vividly bringing to life those passionate individuals who were unwavering in their fight for recognition and equality.
AMC Pacific Place
Leave your inhibitions at the door as the queens of SHAKEDOWN break it down for you in this festival circuit favorite. For 15 years, LA's underground nightclub Shakedown created a haven for African-American lesbians to worship at the altar of Egypt, Jazmyne, and a team of gorgeous dancers assembled by founder Ronnie Ron.
TRACING DESIRE SHORTS
Desires rise to the surface in this eclectic collection of provocative and at times explicit queer short films from around the world.
THE MOST DANGEROUS YEAR
Did you know that The Advocate proclaimed 2016 as the most dangerous year for transgender Americans? That year, anti-transgender laws known as "bathroom bills" were on the ballot in our very own state, throwing the safety of the transgender community—and public ignorance surrounding their identities—into the spotlight and into the voting booth.
CANARY (Kanarie)
At the height of apartheid, Johan (comedian Schalk Bezuidenhout), a small-town army draftee with an affinity for Depeche Mode and Boy George, joins the South African military's traveling glee club—the "Canaries"—for his compulsory two-year service.
TWO IN THE BUSH: A LOVE STORY
After a painful breakup and sudden unemployment, bisexual Emily is looking for a new life. She moves in with her best friend Rosa and finds a job working for a local dominatrix, the very hot Nikki. Not only is Nikki a curiosity but so is her boyfriend Ben, and it dawns on Emily that she wants to date both of them.
THE DRAG ROAST OF HEKLINA
Enjoy or flee this filmed insanity, where the queens are bringing down The Queen herself. Starring Heklina aka Stefan Grygelko, founder of San Francisco's infamous drag show Mother (formerly known as Trannyshack), this roast is a no-holds-barred catfight.
Vivian Bang (YES MAN, Sullivan & Sons) delivers an extraordinary performance as Sophia, a Korean-American performance artist living in LA and struggling with her recent breakup. When she meets free-spirited photographer Victoria (Nana Ghana), she discovers a strong connection developing.
MAPPLETHORPE
Robert Mapplethorpe's photos of New York's underground gay male BDSM scene, male nudes, female bodybuilders, and bound-up penises helped fuel the notorious culture wars of the 1980s and 1990s.
#20GAYTEEN SHORTS
Whether you're in the city or the country, whether you're rich or poor, we all share the experience of growing up queer.
Two men stumble upon each other after dark in this intimate and sensual drama about courage and shame from different generational perspectives. Will, an aspiring soccer player young enough to have grown up in a time of tolerance, is handcuffed naked to a street lamp, whereupon fortysomething Michael, a strikingly handsome but damaged former pianist, rescues him.
ANCHOR AND HOPE
Living on a riverboat on London's picturesque Regent's Canal, a bohemian lesbian couple—boat remodeler Kat (Natalia Tena of the HARRY POTTER series) and part-time salsa instructor Eva (Oona Chaplin of Game of Thrones)—find themselves on a bittersweet journey of love when they decide to start a family.
50 YEARS OF FABULOUS
The Imperial Council, founded in San Francisco in 1965, is one of the oldest, most influential LGBTQ organizations in the world, played a pivotal role in advocating for LGBTQ rights and shaping gay culture. Unfortunately, most LGBTQ people are unaware of these brave men and women, including Imperial Council founder, activist and performer José Sarria, who fought for the rights they enjoy today.
JULES OF LIGHT AND DARK
Stunning cinematography highlights the beauty of rural Texas, where college students Maya and her girlfriend Jules are trying to figure out where their lives are headed. After a rave and a devastating car accident, Maya's life is forever changed when she meets Freddy, an older, closeted gay man, and an unlikely friendship is formed through this stranger's simple act of kindness.
PATERNAL RITES
Part road movie, part experimental animation, part found-footage collage, PATERNAL RITES takes its inspiration from podcasts like This American Life and Radiolab and filmmakers such as Jenni Olson and Marlon Riggs to deeply explore the American family and its false dreams of normalcy.
ROOM TO GROW is a refreshingly positive documentary about LGBTQ youth during some of the most formative years of their lives. Being a teenager can be exciting, awkward, and stressful, but even so, these queer teens are undaunted, surviving, and thriving.
STROWLERS
In this open-source series filmed in Seattle, magic is real—and it's getting stronger. Some fear it; others risk their lives for it. Our heroine Whit enlists the help of "strowlers" (who want to keep magic free) to protect a charmed young girl. Meanwhile, her girlfriend Amanda is developing a magic-hunting device for the government! Can true love survive such unlikely circumstances?
A mother's love for her son is the glue that holds this moving family drama together, despite strict social mores and a bigoted father that threaten to tear them apart after Kartik is pressured into coming out.
Pacific Place AMC
SATURGAY MORNING CARTOONS
Get your jammies on and pour yourself some Froot Loops for this adult-oriented collection of animated shorts that will entertain and inspire.
THE GENTLEMAN BANK ROBBER
Imprisoned for petty theft, rita "bo" brown was radicalized in prison. Once released, she robbed banks in Seattle as a member of the George Jackson Brigade, a Pacific Northwest underground revolutionary group, evading capture by being continually misidentified as a man.
CLOSING NIGHT: RAFIKI
This remarkable achievement by director Wanuri Kahiu—the first LGBTQ Kenyan film to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival (in the prestigious Un Certain Regard section)—received a 10-minute standing ovation but has been banned in Kenya for its "clear intent to promote lesbianism." Closing our festival with a moving, sexy, and unapologetically queer film about fighting for love is a reminder that our work continues. Through Kena and Ziki's strength, we find the hope we need so much today.
STILL WAITING IN THE WINGS
There's no business like show business in this extravagant sequel to WAITING IN THE WINGS: THE MUSICAL. Q. Allan Brocka (BOY CULTURE, EATING OUT) revives all the camp and whimsy of his prior films, showcasing starving actors (returning WAITING stars Jeffrey A. Johns, Adam Muss, and Lee Meriwether, as well as Joe Abraham) still trying to hit it big and make the leap from The Café Broadway Times Square to Broadway.
THE COMING BACK OUT BALL
Go down under in this grand tribute to LGBTQI seniors as they are invited to a celebratory ball in their honor during the contentious marriage equality debate in Australia. Often forced back into the closet in care facilities—or simply assumed to be heterosexual after they turn grey—this cast of wildly colorful characters share their fascinating life stories with insight and humor.