Out Film CT Announces Tentpole Films for 2023 CT LGBTQ Film Festival

Hartford - Out Film CT announced today select feature films and a Connecticut shorts program that will be highlighted as part of the 36th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival. Running October 6-15, 2023 in Hartford, CT, the festival is the Nutmeg State's longest-running and most diverse film festival.

36th Annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival highlights include:

Opening Night Film - Egghead & Twinkie
Screens Friday, October 6 at 7p at Cinestudio on the campus of Trinity College. Film followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and the Opening Night Party. Admission ticket required, includes film and party.

• Twinkie is a young lesbian-in-training who cons her sweet, platonic friend Egghead to accompany her to Dallas for a massive blow-out lesbian party where she hopes to hook up with the object of her desire. Hijinks ensue as the journey becomes an epic adventure filled with hilarious scenarios and moments of self-discovery.

Holding Space for Each Other: New London's LGBTQ+ Community
Screens on Saturday, October 7 at 3PM at Cinestudio. This screening event is free and open to all.

• While many people have fond memories of summer excursions to Ocean Beach Park, this documentary takes a look at another side of New London – the rich history of the LGBTQ community. From early gay bars, to the impact of the AIDS/HIV epidemic, and everything in between and beyond, the film explores the intersectionality of race, gender, sexuality and religion, and other aspects of queer life from 1960 to the present day, with a special focus on notable queer civil rights activist Bayard Rustin.

Centerpiece Film: Mutt
Screens Wednesday, October 11, 7:30PM at Cinestudio. The film will be preceded with a reception at 6:30PM. Admission ticket required, includes film and pre-show reception.

• Over the course of a single hectic day in New York City, Feña experiences an emotional roller coaster as three people from his past are thrust back into his life, including his hunky former boyfriend John, played by Cole Doman (Henry Gamble’s Birthday Party). While transitioning from female to male, Feña lost touch with these three people and now must navigate the new dynamics of old relationships while tackling the day-to-day challenges of living his new life.

No Place Like Home: Connecticut Shorts
Screens Saturday, October 14 at 3PM at the Wadsworth Atheneum. This screening event is free and open to all.

• Out Film CT is proud to showcase this special collection of films made in Connecticut or by creative people with a Connecticut connection.

Closing Night Film: Glitter & Doom
Screens Saturday, October 14 at 7PM at the Wadsworth Atheneum in downtown Hartford. Film followed by a Q&A with the filmmakers and the Closing Night Party. Admission ticket required, includes film and party.

• There’s fun for the guys and the gals in this fantastical summer romance featuring the iconic music of the Indigo Girls. With a “love at first sight” story focused on a charismatic musician and a carefree kid who wants to join the circus, it's fun, romantic, and sexy. And it's packed with great music and dance numbers, not to mention loads of fun cameos, including the Indigo Girls themselves and Lea DeLaria. Another inventive opus from the creator of festival faves Were the World Mine and The Go Doc Project.

With the exception of No Place Like Home: Connecticut Shorts and Glitter & Doom, all festival features and short film packages will be screened at the festival's longtime home, the historic and elegant Cinestudio on the campus of Trinity College in Hartford. In addition, there will be some virtual-only exclusives for film fans to enjoy at home.

Festival pass pricing for 2023 is as follows:

• 5-Show Pass (individual) - $55
• 5-Show Pass (household) - $90
• All Access FestiPass (individual) - $150
• All Access FestiPass (household) - $225

Passes are on sale now at outfilmct.org. The full 2023 festival lineup, film descriptions, special events, and individual screening tickets will be made available by mid-September.

Out Film CT’s mission is to entertain, educate and promote community through the exhibition of LGBTQ film. As a volunteer, nonprofit cultural organization, Out Film CT is dedicated to presenting outstanding LGBTQ cinema and other theatrical events throughout the year, culminating in the Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival. Connecticut’s longest-running film festival holds a special place in our state’s cultural landscape, bringing the community together to introduce, celebrate and rediscover the ideas and values that make the LGBTQ community unique. Out Film CT also presents the monthly Queer Thursdays film series in partnership with Cinestudio, usually shown on the second Thursday of each month.