Here's What EDGE Recommends at the Seattle Queer Film Festival

The LGBTQ+ Festival celebration continues with the 27th annual Seattle Queer Film Festival, showcasing a slew of fest favorites and some exciting new titles as well. This year's hybrid event boasts a diverse slate of queer cinema from around the world, with 59 programs comprising 150 films from 27 countries, including Poland, Germany, Canada, Switzerland, Australia, Brazil, Tunisia, Taiwan, Lebanon, Nigeria, India, Iran, China, Norway, and Chile. Basically, something for every queer.

The Fest runs from October 13-23, 2022, and opens with Adriana Guiman's "What the Funk?!" the story of the first What the Funk?! BIPOC Burlesque Festival, held in Seattle over a three-day period in August 2019.

The Closing Night entry is the U.S. Premiere of Jason Karman's thoughtful film "Golden Delicious."

There are two Centerpieces: Daniel Scott Montgomery's haunting "The Jessica Cabin," and Scout Durwood's zany "Youtopia."

"We are very excited to present this year's Seattle Queer Film Festival and the breadth and diversity of queer stories from around the world," said Billy Ray Brewton, managing director of Three Dollar Bill Cinema. "The importance of representation on screen, community connection, and the power that queer film has to inspire change is what we like to call queer magic, our theme for this year."

Tickets and more info can be found at https://threedollarbillcinema.org.

EDGE recommends you dive in, but here are some wonderful suggestions to start with.

"Golden Delicious"

Jason Karman's charming film "Golden Delicious" traces the travails of Asian-Canadian high school senior Jake (an appealing Cardi Wong), who is being pressured into becoming a basketball star by his pushy father (Ryan Man) while being pressured into having sex by his pushy girlfriend (Parmiss Hehat). The problem is Jake is closeted. But when sexy, hunky Aleks (impressive newcomer Chris Carson) arrives at school, Jake is smitten, causing all kinds of trouble for himself and everyone in his life. Gorrman Lee's script could've used some fine tuning (there is altogether too much focus on Jake's family drama), but what the film gets so right is how a teen's life today is truly not their own, thanks to social media. The movie also captures those coming-out pains in an authentic manner.

"Youtopia"

Scout Durwood's "Youtopia" is Irreverent, entertaining, insightful and madcap – and that's just for starters! This hilarious concoction weaves 11 music videos into a wacky narrative about a young millennial woman who, after being dumped by her girlfriend, starts her own self-involved cult called "Scoutopia." Durwood is the writer-director-star, and she is a gleaming beacon delivering a much-needed message about our current "Us vs. Them" social/political/cultural climate without ever devolving into polemics. And kudos to Mckenzie Trent for her acerbic line deliveries.

"The Jessica Cabin"

Writer-Actor Daniel Scott Montgomery makes his directorial debut with, "The Jessica Cabin," a strangely poignant supernatural comedy that eschews CGI effects and leans into a more meditative narrative that examines acceptance, alienation, death and the afterlife – basically, all themes that queer folk have grappled with all their lives. Montgomery stars alongside Riley Rose Chritchlow as two ghosts who are haunting a remote desert cabin (previously haunted by the title character, played by Kylee Thurman). A sexy young dude (Chase Williamson from "I Blame Society") arrives with his cheating boyfriend, and things get super bizarre from there. Chritchlow, Thurman and Williamson deliver terrific turns.

"Chrissy Judy"

Queer filmmaker Todd Flaherty (who wrote, directed, produced, edited and stars) proves he is a true cinematic indie force with "Chrissy Judy." The movie centers on NY drag artist Judy (Flaherty), who breaks with his close partner and friend, Chrissy (Wyatt Fenner), and must figure out who he is on his own. This dark comedy, lovingly photographed in black and white by Brendan Flaherty, digs deep in its exploration of a fragile soul and his missed opportunities, and the results are exhilarating. Flaherty the director is assured and bold in his choices. Flaherty the writer is incisive, sassy and authentic, taking stereotypes and inverting them. Flaherty the actor digs deep to find Judy's vulnerabilities. The film is magic.

"El Houb (The Love)"

Shariff Nasr's incredibly poignant and funny film, "El Houb (The Love)" examines the world of Karim (Fahd Larhzaoui), a Moroccan-Dutch man who is forced to come out to his uber-conservative Muslim parents as well as his homophobic brother. Their collective anger and outrage force Karim to literally lock himself in the family closet as he attempts to reach them. He also ruminates on the damage his repression has had on his life. "El Houb" is a loving, urgent film about having the courage to be one's true self in the face of hatred and adversity (cultural or religious). The final moments are sublime. In English, Arabic and Dutch with English subtitles.

"Elephant (Slon)"

Polish writer-director Kamil Krawczycki has crafted a sweet gay love story between a 22-year-old horse farmer (Jan Hrynkiewicz) and an older musician (Pawel Tomaszewski) returning to this small town after the death of his father. There are outside threats from local bullies and from the farmer's mother. The film was shot in one of Poland's notorious "LGBT-free zones" – areas that reject any form of "LGBT propaganda," much like in Russia. Even amidst such homophobia, Krawczycki sees a light at the end of the repressed tunnel for his lovers, a welcome tonic. In Polish with English subtitles.

"Lonesome"

Craig Boreham's intense and impressive feature "Lonesome" has graced almost every major LGBTQ+ festival in the last year. The movie centers on handsome cowboy Casey (Josh Lavery, riveting to watch), who has fled his small farm community for seedy Sydney (Australia), where he hooks up with super-sexually active Tib (Daniel Gabriel). Their tempestuous relationship reveals the damage their respective pasts have caused. The viewer is left disquieted but enlightened.

"Before I Change My Mind"

Canadian director Trevor Anderson has fashioned a delightfully odd film with "Before I Change My Mind." Set in the late '80s, the film centers on Robin (terrific newcomer Vaughan Murrae), who has moved from the States to Alberta. Is Robin a boy or a girl? schoolmates crassly wonder. When Robin forges a bond with school bully Carter (Dominic Lippa), things get super bizarre. The film's pièce de résistance is a wacky stage musical, "Mary Magdalene: Video Star," a campy show about the life of Christ seen through the eyes of the biblical prostitute. It's hilarious.

"The Sixth Reel"

Grand drag diva Charles Busch co-writes, co-directs and stars in "The Sixth Reel," a gloriously old-fashioned tale of a cinephile who, after the death of an old friend, discovers a Hollywood treasure long thought lost (an actual Lon Chaney film, "London After Midnight.") What ensues is madcap madness and mayhem. Busch and his co-conspirator, Carl Andress, have assembled a marvelous supporting cast that includes a scene-stealing Julie Halston, Tim Daly, and Margaret Cho. Lovers of old movies will kvell.

"In from the Side"

Alexander Lincoln and Alexander King play gay rugby players who embark on a sizzling secret affair, even though both are partnered, in Matt Carter's ambitious and emotional feature, "In from the Side." The film enthralls for the first three quarters of its running time, delving into the politics of sports as well as etching nicely drawn character studies. It's only in the final quarter that Carter (who also co-wrote, co-produced, edited, shot and scored the film) turns to melodrama and allows moral judgement to overtake the narrative. Still, the handsome Lincoln, onscreen for most of the film, makes the journey more than worthwhile with his passionate performance.