Charlotte’s LGBTQ+ Film Festival Returns May 11th-15th

April 20, 2022

Samantha Gilstrap,

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The Obituary Of Tunde Johnson 1
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Leading Ladies 1
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Framing Agnes 1
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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After two years of virtual events, Reel Out Charlotte, the Queen City’s Annual LGBTQ+ Film Festival, is set to return May 11th-15th.

Officials say the five-day lineup of screenings and special events will be held at Camp North End’s Boileryard Event Space on Camp Road in Charlotte.

Ten feature-length films will be screened, each making their premiere in Charlotte, according to a news release

Officials say for the 14th year this event serves as an opportunity to see unique and powerful stories told by independent filmmakers, and for the first time, every feature-length film being screened is at least a statewide premiere.

Officials say the festival kicks off Wednesday, May 11th at 6 p.m., with an opening night reception featuring remarks from representatives of the Charlotte Film Society.

The Society is currently in the process of building their Independent Picture House, the city’s first and only nonprofit movie theater.

Officials say the reception is free and complimentary hors d’oeuvres will be served.

A cash bar will also be available, with guests receiving one free beer/wine drink ticket, according to a news release.

Reel Out Charlotte’s Annual LGBTQ Shorts Night will be held Wednesday, May 11th at 7 p.m., following the opening reception.

Officials say since this free event is one of the film festival’s most popular each year, community members are encouraged to reserve their free tickets ahead of time.

The LGBTQ Shorts Night will feature more than a dozen independent LGBTQ short films.

Audience members will have the opportunity to cast a ballot for the festival’s Best Short – Viewer’s Choice Award.

Officials say feature-length screenings and special events will be held Thursday, May 12th through Sunday, May 15th.

Individual tickets are $5 per screening and all-access passes are $40 and grant the passholder entry to all film screenings, complimentary popcorn and other special perks including entry to the “Serving Cinema Sunday” Reel Out Charlotte Drag Brunch.

Click here for the full line-up of festival events and to purchase tickets.

Officials say in addition to the opening night reception and LGBTQ Shorts Night, a highlight of films and special events include:

WILDHOOD
- Thursday, May 11th at 7 p.m., with doors opening at 6 p.m.
- 2021, Canada.
- Director/Writer: Bretten Hannam.
- In a rural east-coast trailer park, Link lives with his toxic father and younger half-brother Travis. When Link discovers his Mi’kmaw mother could still be alive, it lights a flame and they make a run for a better life. On the road they meet Pasmay, a pow wow dancer drawn to Link. As the boys journey across Mi’kma’ki, Link finds community, identity, and love in the land where he belongs.
FRAMING AGNES
- Saturday, May 14th at 3:30 p.m., in partnership with Transcend Charlotte.
- 2022, Canada/United States.
- Director: Chase Joynt.
- In 1958, a young trans woman named Agnes entered a study about sex disorders at UCLA to get the gender-affirming care she needed, by any means necessary. Her story was long considered to be exceptional until never-before-seen case files of other patients were found in 2017. Directed by Chase Joynt (NO ORDINARY MAN) and featuring an all-star cast of transgender artists and performers, FRAMING AGNES uses re-enactment and genre-blurring storytelling techniques to breathe new life into previously unknown people who redefined gender in the midcentury. Featuring Angelica Ross, Jen Richards, Zackary Drucker, Silas Howard, Max Wolf Valerio, and Stephen Ira.
LEADING LADIES
- Saturday May 14th at 6 p.m., in partnership with Cine Casual.
- 2021, Columbia.
- Spanish with English subtitles.
- Director: Ruth Caudeli.
- This is not a movie. These five friends never had a script. This is an impromptu experiment that reflects how guilt affects us in different ways based on our perspective or memories. A welcome dinner is the excuse to discover that we always keep a secret from who know us the best. Five points of view that show us how these five young ladies try, as best they can, to lead their own lives. Some lies have been saved for years, other where hidden for months… but many of them will come to light during this special meeting.
“Serving Cinema Sunday” Reel Out Charlotte Drag Brunch
- Sunday, May 15th at 1:30 p.m.
- Tickets are $25 to enjoy the pre-screening Sunday drag brunch with local performers and entertainers. Complimentary hors d’oeuvres and mimosas will be served.
- Tickets include entry to 3 p.m. showing of MILKWATER.
The Obituary of Tunde Johnson
- Sunday, May 15th at 5 p.m.
- 2021, United States.
- Director/Writer: Ali LeRoi.
- A wealthy, Nigerian-American teenager is pulled over by police, shot to death, and immediately awakens, trapped in a terrifying time loop that forces him to confront difficult truths about his life and himself. Tackling the social issues of racism, police brutality, LGBTQ+ acceptance, mental health and addiction, The Obituary of Tunde Johnson confronts these seminal issues, all too prevalent in American society.