NOVEMBER 13-22
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Schedule + Tickets Welcome Judges Juried Prizes Premiere Night: Hunky Jesus Loves Company Saturday Shorts Showcase Glitterbaited Xanadu—Vanity Cinemanic Movies Out of the Woods Sunday Shorts Showcase Free Beer Tomorrow Test Before I Do Closing Double Feature: Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders Followed by Cruising Guide to Paired Shorts Streaming Program Poster Gallery
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FRIDAY — NOVEMBER 13 7:00PM
SO BE IT HUNKY JESUS
SATURDAY — NOVEMBER 14
SUNDAY — NOVEMBER 15
1:00PM
IT’S NOT HER FAULT (SHE’S A GEMINI RISING) LOVES COMPANY
10:30AM
TINY THINGS OUT OF THE WOODS
3:15PM
SHORTS SHOWCASE 1 WIFE WIFE BEYOND BALLROOM GET INTO THE SPIRIT SAM WANTS HER SWEATER BACK THE MOTIVE NOW PLAYING MASCLOOKING INFINITY MIRROR DR. POPPERS CHARLIE IS NOT A BOY
12:45PM
SHORTS SHOWCASE 2 SUNDAY LUNCH TOO DISGUSTING TO BE CONFUSED MAKING IT FIT STILL SPIRITS I’VE NEVER SEEN A STRAIGHT BANANA DOUG + ME HOW TO TIE A TIE NEVER NEVER NEVER MORPHEUS & CHARON KILORAN BAY
6:30PM
VOCABULARY GLITTERBAITED
3:30PM
H.D.I.D.T.B.A.L., CHURCH GIRL FREE BEER TOMORROW
9:15PM
XANADU HOSTED BY VANITY REX
6:00PM
UPON STARVATION TEST
kankanindy.com
WEDNESDAY — NOVEMBER 18
TICKETS
6:00PM
Film Screenings—$13 Closing Double Feature—$25 Full Festival Pass (All 11 screenings)—$125
THURSDAY — NOVEMBER 19
LIVE EVENTS AT KAN-KAN ARE NOVEMBER 13, 14, 15, 18, 19
Kan-Kan is located at 1258 Windsor St, Indianapolis, IN 46201 (317) 800-7099
7:00PM
SLEAZY TIGER BEFORE I DO
MINESHAFT: THE CRUISING MURDERS FOLLOWED BY CRUISING
STREAMING PROGRAM — November 16-22 See page 46 for streaming program information.
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For 26 years, the Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival has brought us together to discover new voices, revisit queer classics and experience the incredible range of LGBTQ+ storytelling. This year, we’re growing the celebration with an expanded lineup at Kan-Kan Cinema—and a full week of films available to stream online. We’re especially excited about the mix this year—funny, provocative, romantic, historic and occasionally just a little outrageous. From documentaries and dramas to comedies, musicals and two packed shorts showcases, this year’s program reminds us just how many different ways there are to tell a queer story. We kick things off with Hunky Jesus, a joyful and irreverent celebration of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence and more than four decades of activism, resistance and fabulousness. Saturday night, Kan-Kan’s own Vanity Rex hosts the gloriously over-the-top 1980 cult classic Xanadu—roller skates, Greek mythology, Olivia Newton-John and all. And on Sunday, Free Beer Tomorrow takes us inside the history of Jack’s/Summit Station, Ohio’s longest-running lesbian-owned and operated bar, celebrating the people and places that gave generations of queer women somewhere to belong. Then we come back for more! Before I Do brings us a warm and wonderfully messy queer romantic comedy, followed by a double feature that dives into one of queer cinema’s most controversial chapters. Jeffrey Schwarz’s new documentary Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders explores the history, protests and real-life events surrounding William Friedkin’s Cruising—and then we’ll screen the provocative 1980 film itself. It’s a rare chance to experience the documentary and the movie at the center of the controversy back-to-back. And this year, the festival continues online. Beginning Monday 11/16, we’ll keep the celebration going with a full week of films available to stream from home—bringing even more queer stories to our festival audience. Through all 26 years, one thing hasn’t changed: movies have an incredible power to connect us. We’re grateful to Kan-Kan, our sponsors, filmmakers, volunteers and everyone who continues to show up—in the theater and online—to take a chance on something new and make this festival feel like home. So grab some popcorn and join us at Kan-Kan or from your couch. We’re very glad you’re here!
Matt Mutchmore | Director Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival
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REMEMBERING
The Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival lost a dear friend this year with the recent passing of Kevin Kelly. Kevin served on our Steering Committee from 2003–2016 and as Festival Director from 2011–2016, helping shape the Festival through some of its most important years. Kevin brought humor, intelligence, enthusiasm and a genuine passion for film to everything he did. He understood that the Festival was about more than what appeared on the screen—it was about bringing people together, sharing stories and creating something special for our community. Most of all, Kevin was our friend, and those of us fortunate enough to work alongside him will remember the laughter, the conversations and the unmistakable spirit he brought to the Festival. We are grateful for everything Kevin gave us—and even more grateful that we had the privilege of knowing him. His influence can still be felt in the Festival he helped build and in the many friendships he made along the way.
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Our judges bring a diverse mix of filmmaking expertise, arts leadership and a longtime connection to the Festival. Together, they represent the creativity, curiosity and passion for independent film that have always been at the heart of our Festival. We thank them for lending their time and talents to this year’s films.
GABE ELLINGTON
Gabe Ellington is Senior Manager of Film Exhibition at Indianapolis’ Kan-Kan Cinema, helping curate its distinctive film programming. A passionate cinephile, he champions independent, international and bold new cinema.
JUDGES STEVEN STOLEN
CATHERINE CROUCH
Steven is an Indianapolis arts leader, vocalist, educator and host of WFYI’s Stolen Moments. He has spent decades championing the arts and culture throughout Central Indiana.
Catherine Crouch is an award-winning filmmaker, writer and director whose work explores gender, race and queer lives. Her films include Stray Dogs and The Gendercator.
KEISHANA VAZQUEZ WHITE-HICKS
KAT HICKS
Keishana is a longtime Festival supporter and former Steering Committee member who served as Co-Director in 2012. She also helped create—and memorably wore—our beloved Poppy mascot costume.
Kat is a longtime Festival supporter and former Steering Committee member known for their creativity and vision. Their fresh ideas helped shape and grow the Festival over more than a decade.
The BEST OF FESTIVAL Jury Awards recognize standout achievement in storytelling, originality, craft and impact. Our judges will select two winners—Best Feature Film and Best Short Film—to be announced at our Closing Feature.
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2026 NOMINEES FEATURE
LOVES COMPANY
FEATURE HUNKY JESUS
SHORT
FEATURE TEST
CHARLIE IS NOT A BOY
SHORT SHORT
WIFE WIFE
SHORT
KILORAN BAY
SHORT
SUNDAY LUNCH
BEYOND BALLROOM
SHORT
MORPHEUS AND CHARON
FEATURE
FREE BEER TOMORROW
FEATURE GLITTERBAITED
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INDYLGBTFILMFEST.COM Festival Selection Chairs Ted Letherer
Petra Fippen Festival Steering Committee Jerlyn Southwick Jim Fuller Social Media Assistance Annette Marino
Festival Director
Matthew Mutchmore Special Thanks Lilly
Indy Pride Kan-Kan Cinema SDA Marketing Indy Bag Ladies Zay Cooley TK King | Indy Honda Diagonal Hospitality Group Tracy Robbins Smith Scott Benson Steven Stolen Catherine Crouch Gabe Ellington Keishana Vazquez White-Hicks Kat Hicks Indiana Crossroads Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence Butler University LGBT Alumni Association
facebook.com/IndianapolisLGBTFilmFestival instagram.com/indylgbtfilmfest
November 13
PREMIERE NIGHT SO BE IT HUNKY JESUS
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Premiere Night!
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Documentary
Hunky Jesus
Bless us, Sisters, for we are in need of joy—and perhaps a loincloth or two! Hunky Jesus is a riotous, heartfelt celebration of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, blending outrageous pageantry, fearless activism and more than four decades of fighting for LGBTQIA+ rights. Founded in San Francisco in 1979 as a playful protest against religious conservatism, the Directed by Jennifer Kroot
Sisters grew into an unmistakable force for social justice. Director Jennifer M. Kroot (To
USA, 2026, 85 Minutes
Be Takei; The Untold Tales of Armistead Maupin) weaves the wildly entertaining 2023
Preceded by the short film
Hunky Jesus celebration in Dolores Park with archival footage tracing the Sisters’ history,
So Be It
from their emergence as queer icons and their work on the front lines of the AIDS crisis to unforgettable acts of protest and resistance.
Anchored by legendary figures including Sister Roma and founding member Grand Mother Vish-Knew, Hunky Jesus captures all the glitz, humor, heart and righteous irreverence that have defined the Sisters for generations. Beneath the outrageous habits and heavenly bodies is a story of compassion, resilience and a commitment to standing up for a community whose rights remain under threat. Funny, provocative and unexpectedly moving, it’s enough to resurrect your faith in the power of joy, resistance and each other. And may the church say, “Amen!”
Kan-Kan, Friday, November 13, 7:00pm
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November 14
LOVES COMPANY SHORTS SHOWCASE GLITTERBAITED XANADU with VANITY REX
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Comedy
Loves Company
Washed-up TV personality Blake de Troy is desperate for a comeback. Antoinette Funk is desperate for a little company. When a car crash strands Blake in the Florida Everglades and puts him in the care of his biggest—and possibly only—fan, celebrity obsession takes a hilariously twisted turn. Convinced he’s been kidnapped by the sweet-natured but slightly deranged Antoinette, Directed by Jason Laurits USA, 2026, 95 Minutes Preceded by the short film It’s Not Her Fault (She’s a Gemini Rising)
Blake plots his escape until he realizes he has nowhere to go and that a kidnapping scandal might be exactly the shameless publicity boost his dying career needs. Part Misery parody, part Hollywood satire and completely unhinged, Loves Company turns fame, fandom and loneliness into a wickedly funny story about two people who discover they may need each other more than either would ever admit.
Rachel Dratch (Saturday Night Live) and Jack Plotnick (Girls Will Be Girls) are a perfectly mismatched comedy duo in writer/director Jason Laurits’ outrageous, very gay spin on celebrity obsession. Making his feature-length directorial debut, Laurits returns to the Festival after winning our Best of Festival Award in 2023 for his short film Goodbye Tango. Beneath the camp, kidnapping and desperation for one more moment in the spotlight, Loves Company finds surprising heart. It’s a cautionary tale about meeting your heroes—and a reminder that sometimes the company you never wanted is exactly the company you need.
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Shorts
Kan-Kan, Saturday, November 14, 3:15pm
A little funny, a little fierce, a lot queer—short films with big personalities and even bigger heart.
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Wife Wife
Director: Sara Werner, USA, 5 Minutes Immediately after their wedding, two brides question the sanctity of their marriage.
Beyond Ballroom
Director: Javian Rodriguez, USA, 8 Minutes In Indiana, a grassroots ballroom community creates space for safety and belonging. Through Indy Kiki Circle, people discover connection, care, and the freedom of being themselves.
Get Into the Spirit
Director: David M. Booher, USA, 4 Minutes While attempting to communicate with a handsome ghost haunting their house, two husbands discover there are many ways a spirit can reach out from beyond the grave.
Sam Wants Her Sweater Back
Director: Whitney Chitwood, USA, 15 Minutes Three queer friends launch a half-witted heist to steal back a sweater from one of their exes. But recovering from heartbreak isn’t quite the slick-lit, neon-noir adventure one of them imagines.
The Motive
Director: Jorge Molina, USA, 14 Minutes A famed detective confronts a murderer at a remote mansion, only to discover the crime, and their shared history, is more complicated than it seems.
Now Playing
Director: Kathleen Maus, USA, 5 Minutes A daydreaming movie theater employee and a quiet cinephile connect through shared moments that mirror the films on the marquee.
Masclooking
Director: Jonathan Brandon Hammond, USA, 9 Minutes After two friends banter over the pros and cons of using Grindr, one is left chatting with a mysterious stranger. And he’s getting closer…
Infinity Mirror
Director: Aron Kantor, USA, 13 Minutes Trapped in a bar bathroom time loop with his ex-best friend, Bash must confront what tore them apart to escape.
Dr. Poppers
Director: Arthur Morard, France, 18 Minutes Following a poppers accident, Antoine's hookup turns into an unexpected heart-to-heart.
Charlie Is Not a Boy
Director: Pol Kurucz, USA/France/Hungary, 13 Minutes In an allegorical America, Charlie escapes a troubled home through his eccentric grandmother’s whimsical world, struggling to preserve his authentic self amid the harsh realities of family and the military. I N D I A N A P O L I S LG B T F I L M F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 6
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Comedy
Glitterbaited
Love, lust and a little well-intentioned deception collide in Glitterbaited, Cameron Cole’s delightfully queer spin on Cyrano de Bergerac. Sweet, sexy and unabashedly romantic, this modern farce proves that when it comes to matters of the heart, the right words and the right face can make things hilariously complicated. Charles (Jason A. Coombs) is a talented writer whose insecurities have a habit of getting in Directed by Cameron Cole
the way, especially when it comes to romance. When he falls for smart, handsome Rocky
USA, 2026, 107 Minutes
(Kavin Panmeechao), there’s just one problem: Rocky has his eye on Charles’s devastatingly
Preceded by the short film Vocabulary
attractive but socially awkward friend Christian (Zach Schanne). Christian may have the looks, but Charles has the words, inspiring the friends to hatch a plan that seems foolproof—at least at first.
Using Christian’s face and Charles’s romantic way with words, the pair team up to win Rocky’s heart, setting off a comedy of mixed signals, mistaken intentions and increasingly tangled emotions. But as their scheme takes on a life of its own, the line between helping a friend and hiding your true feelings becomes harder to navigate. Warmhearted, witty and refreshingly inclusive, Glitterbaited gives a classic romantic tale a colorful contemporary makeover. Beneath all the farcical fun is a story about self-confidence, friendship and discovering that being yourself might just be the most attractive quality of all.
Kan-Kan, Saturday, November 14, 6:30pm
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Musical
Xanadu
Roller skates, Greek mythology, neon lights and Olivia Newton-John collide in Xanadu, the gloriously over-the-top 1980 musical fantasy that has become a cult classic. Hosted by Kan-Kan’s own Vanity Rex, our screening invites you to surrender to the music, the magic and a movie that proves sometimes the most irresistible dreams are the ones that make absolutely no sense. Struggling Los Angeles artist Sonny Malone (Michael Beck) has reluctantly returned to
Directed by Robert Greenwald, USA, 1980, 96 Minutes
painting oversized album covers when a mysterious roller-skating beauty named Kira (Olivia Newton-John) glides into his life. What Sonny doesn’t know is that Kira is one of the legendary Nine Muses of Olympus, sent to Earth to inspire him. Along the way, Sonny befriends former big-band musician Danny McGuire (Gene Kelly), and together they plan to transform an abandoned Art Deco auditorium into the ultimate music and roller-disco palace: Xanadu.
There’s just one problem: muses are supposed to inspire mortals, not fall in love with them. As Sonny and Kira’s romance grows, she risks breaking the rules of the gods, and Sonny discovers that realizing his dream may require chasing her all the way to Olympus. Fueled by an infectious soundtrack featuring Olivia Newton-John and Electric Light Orchestra, Xanadu is an unapologetic explosion of disco, fantasy, romance and spectacularly shiny costumes. It may have baffled audiences in 1980, but decades later its earnest optimism, outrageous style and irresistible songs have made it a queer cult favorite. So lace up your skates and remember: subtlety is wildly overrated.
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November 15
OUT OF THE WOODS SHORTS SHOWCASE FREE BEER TOMORROW TEST
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Drama
Out of the Woods
Love, memory and the choices that shape a lifetime intertwine in Out of the Woods, Sal Bardo’s tender and deeply affecting feature debut. Led by a luminous Frances Fisher, this moving drama explores what happens when a love thought lost to the past suddenly returns just as the memories holding that past together begin to fade. Max (Fisher, Titanic, Unforgiven) is a fiercely independent woman confronting the early Directed by Sal Bardo, USA,
stages of dementia while trying to remain present in her longtime marriage to Charlie (Bruce
2026, 87 Minutes
Davison, Longtime Companion, X-Men). As winter settles around them and her good days
Preceded by the short film Tiny Things
become increasingly precious, a chance reunion with Diana (Mimi Kennedy, Midnight in Paris), an old friend and former pen pal, awakens feelings Max had tucked away decades ago. Their connection quickly brings memories, and possibilities, back to life.
Caught between her devotion to Charlie and the love she once shared with Diana, Max must confront questions that become more urgent as her memory begins to betray her. Faded photographs and yellowing letters offer glimpses of the life she might have lived, but they also force her to consider the life she still has time to choose. Bardo approaches Max’s journey with remarkable sensitivity, allowing past, present and an uncertain future to quietly converge. Anchored by Fisher’s mesmerizing performance, Out of the Woods is a compassionate portrait of aging, identity and the enduring power of love, even when memory can no longer be trusted.
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Shorts
Kan-Kan, Sunday, November 15, 12:45pm
Funny, thoughtful, touching, and wonderfully unpredictable—queer storytelling in all its short-form glory.
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Sunday Lunch
Director: Lyndon Henley Hanrahan, UK, 14 Minutes Grace, a young lesbian from a devout Catholic family, finally summons the courage to come out to her parents—on the most sacred day.
Too Disgusting to Be Confused
Director: Maya Avidov, UK, 12 Minutes Founded in 1972 by sculptor Andrew Logan, The Alternative Miss World celebrates transformation and unconventional beauty, all with humor, creativity and joy.
Making It Fit
Director: Mariana Leal, USA, 4 Minutes Making It Fit explores how LGBTQ+ people navigate death and mourning, reimagining traditional rituals to honor and remember loved ones.
Still Spirits
Director: Julien Lecat, France, 29 Minutes At a lakeside campground, anxious teen Max narrowly escapes drowning and meets the mysterious Gabin. As their bond deepens, their summer friendship takes on a haunting, otherworldly quality.
I’ve Never Seen a Straight Banana
Director: Marco Noé, Australia, 10 Minutes Vaudeville “boy impersonator” Effie Fellows defied the conventions of her era. Fifty years after her death, Geoffoire, who once shared her family home, is finally ready to follow her lead.
Doug + Me
Director: Cecile Fountain-Jardim, USA, 6 Minutes A filmmaker explores the life and legacy of an uncle she never met, whose death from AIDS in 1997 set in motion the events that led to her birth.
How to Tie a Tie
Director: Cooper Dalbo, Australia, 2 Minutes Adeline’s first attempt at tying a tie takes an unsettling turn.
Never Never Never
Director: John Sheedy, Australia, 18 Minutes In a Welsh fishing village, an aspiring drag queen’s forbidden romance with a fisherman forces them to choose between love, tradition and acceptance.
Morpheus and Charon
Directors: Luiz Ulian, Jocimar Dias Jr., Brazil, 14 Minutes As Zito’s dementia progresses, he imagines his final days as a dazzling samba musical while his longtime lovers, Morpheus and Charon, care for him through their final farewell.
Kiloran Bay
Director: Michael Bruce, Scotland, 13 Minutes Alan Cumming shines in this stirring musical. Returning to Scotland with his partner for a wedding after decades away, a gay man is confronted by painful memories—and a coming-out story marked by nostalgia and danger. I N D I A N A P O L I S LG B T F I L M F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 6
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Documentary
Free Beer Tomorrow
More than a bar, it was a sanctuary, a gathering place and, for generations of queer women, a home. Free Beer Tomorrow is a joyful and deeply personal celebration of Jack’s/Summit Station, Ohio’s longest-running lesbian-owned and operated bar, and the remarkable people who found friendship, freedom and family within its walls. The story begins in 1971, when young lesbian musician Petie Brown took a bartending job Directed by Julia Margaret Applegate and LuSter P. Singleton, USA, 2026, 77 Minutes Preceded by the short films H.D.I.D.T.B.A.L. and Church Girl
at Jack’s A Go-Go in Columbus and word quickly spread that a lesbian was behind the bar. A decade later, Brown bought the place, renamed it Summit Station and transformed it into a haven for lesbians and their friends at a time when openly queer spaces were rare. For more than four decades, the bar became a social hub where people could drink, dance, flirt, organize—and simply be themselves.
Filmmakers Julia Applegate and LuSter Singleton, both former Summit Station patrons, bring that history vividly to life through funny, moving and sometimes surprising firsthand stories. Musicians, feminist activists, professional women’s football players, bartenders, drag kings and pioneering LGBTQ+ legal scholar Rhonda R. Rivera recall a place that was equal parts neighborhood bar, community center and chosen family. Their memories reveal not only how much fun was had there, but how essential spaces like Summit Station were to queer survival, visibility and connection. Affectionate, spirited and rich with LGBTQ+ history, Free Beer Tomorrow raises a glass to the bars that gave us a place to belong—and to the people determined to make sure their stories aren’t forgotten.
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Drama
Test
In the intensely physical world of competitive bodybuilding, Test turns one man’s pursuit of the perfect body into a raw exploration of masculinity, desire and identity. Sexy, provocative and deeply human, Sam McConnell’s drama asks what happens when the life you’ve worked so hard to build collides with a truth you can no longer suppress. Small-town bodybuilder Eddie (writer/star Brock Yurich) is determined to transform years of Directed by Sam McConnell
discipline and sacrifice into a professional career. Living with his demanding mother (Tony
USA, 2026, 111 Minutes
nominee Tammy Blanchard), working as a cam model and pushing his body toward its limits,
Preceded by the short film Upon Starvation
Eddie finds new momentum with the help of an experienced coach and the possibility of a promising future—until an unexpected queer awakening challenges everything he thought he knew about himself.
Caught between his ambitions, a rekindled romance and the religious expectations reinforced by his pastor (Matthew Morrison), Eddie must decide whether perfection means becoming the man others expect him to be—or finally accepting the man he is. Gritty, sensual and emotionally charged, Test takes the familiar sports drama in an unexpected queer direction, confronting rigid ideas of masculinity while exploring the complicated relationship between body, faith and desire. As his most important competition approaches, the discipline that once gave Eddie purpose begins to collide with emotions he can no longer control. What emerges is an intimate character study about the courage it takes to look beyond the image in the mirror and confront who you truly are.
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Especially one that gets people talking. Strategy. Creative. Digital. Let’s tell yours. PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE 26TH ANNUAL INDIANAPOLIS LGBT FILM FESTIVAL sdamarketing.com
November 18
SLEAZY TIGER BEFORE I DO
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Comedy
Before I Do
Old flames, new possibilities and one complicated bachelor weekend collide in Before I Do, Gary Jaffe’s warm and wonderfully messy queer romantic comedy. Set against a perfect autumn getaway, this charming ensemble film mixes romance, friendship and gay chaos as one groom-to-be wonders whether saying “I do” is really what he wants. John Michael (Cole Doman) is headed for the altar, but first he’s gathering his closest Directed by Gary Jaffe,
college friends for one last weekend at a secluded lakeside cabin. Among them is best man
USA, 2026, 86 Minutes
Alex (Michael Hsu Rosen), an old flame John Michael may not be entirely over, along with
Preceded by the short film Sleazy Tiger
mischievous matchmakers Luís (Robin de Jesús) and Simon (Jared Reinfeldt) and newly out-and-kinda-proud bisexual Kit (Nico Greetham). Add old feelings, new attractions and a little meddling from friends, and the relaxing weekend quickly becomes anything but.
As romantic complications multiply and the festivities descend into hilarious chaos, including some unforgettable Meryl Streep karaoke, John Michael is forced to confront what he truly wants before walking down the aisle. Along the way, his friends discover that their own relationships may be just as complicated as his. Shot amid the gorgeous changing leaves of the Berkshires, Jaffe’s feature debut wraps its romantic mayhem in an irresistible cozy, autumnal glow. Funny, affectionate and full of heart, Before I Do celebrates the many forms love can take—from unexpected desire and second chances to the friendships that endure long after the weekend is over.
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November 19
CLOSING DOUBLE FEATURE MINESHAFT: THE CRUISING MURDERS CRUISING
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Double Feature Part 1 40
Documentary
Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders The 1980 production and release of William Friedkin’s Cruising sparked outrage and protests from the queer community, who feared it would fuel homophobic violence and legislation. Though the film has since been reclaimed by younger audiences as a cult classic, there’s much more to the story than the shorthand version.
Award-winning documentarian Jeffrey Schwarz takes another fascinating deep dive into our Directed by Jeffrey Schwarz
shared queer history with Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders. The film explores the controversy
USA, 2026, 84 Minutes
surrounding William Friedkin’s Cruising, its complicated legacy, and the shocking real-life
Followed by William Friedkin’s
murder that helped inspire the notorious 1980 film. Schwarz revisits the underground world
Cruising, 1980, 102 Minutes
of New York’s leather and gay S&M scene, the legendary Mineshaft club, and a moment when queer visibility, fear, sexuality, and violence collided.
Neither a salacious true-crime documentary nor a breezy nostalgic trip through the past, Mineshaft offers a compelling and nuanced look at a complicated chapter in LGBTQ+ history—and the lasting questions surrounding a film that remains provocative more than four decades later. To get the full picture, stick around as we screen Friedkin’s Cruising directly following Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, giving audiences the rare opportunity to experience the documentary and the controversial film at the center of its story back-to-back.
Kan-Kan, Thursday, November 19, 7:00pm I N D I A N A P O L I S LG B T F I L M F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 6
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Double Feature Part 2
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Drama
Cruising
Still as provocative and controversial as when it hit theaters in 1980, William Friedkin’s Cruising stars Al Pacino as a young cop sent undercover into New York City’s gay leather scene to track a serial killer. Inspired in part by real-life murders and an actual undercover police investigation, Friedkin plunges Pacino into a dark, dangerous world where the line between cop and quarry begins to blur. Leaving his girlfriend at home, he descends into the Meatpacking District’s leather bars Directed by William Friedkin
and underground S&M world. But the deeper he goes, the harder it becomes to return
USA, 1980, 102 Minutes
to the life he knew. More than four decades later, Cruising still inspires fierce debate—an
Preceded by Mineshaft: The
invaluable time capsule of a pre-AIDS New York and a vanished subculture, or a lurid piece
Cruising Murders, 84 Minutes
of voyeuristic exploitation? Jeffrey Schwarz’s new documentary Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders, screening directly before the film, dives headfirst into that enduring controversy.
Wherever you put your hanky in the debate, Cruising remains a fascinating, unsettling and thrilling piece of cinema from one of American film’s most fearless and adventurous directors. Fiercely protested during its production and attacked by many critics upon release, the film has since undergone a remarkable reappraisal, embraced by some as an unfiltered record of a leather culture and a New York that would soon be irrevocably changed. Ambiguous, sexually charged and deliberately disorienting, Cruising still refuses to provide easy answers—and nearly five decades later, it hasn’t lost its ability to provoke.
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Shorts
Alan Cumming in Sleazy Tiger
Guide to
Small films, big impact: These carefully paired shorts add another story to every feature presentation.
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BEFORE—HUNKY JESUS
So Be It
Director: Matthew Sortie, USA, 7 Minutes So Be It is an animated documentary offering a rare and tender portrait of lifelong queer love. Through candid conversation, the film shares the stories of five LGBTQIA+ couples reflecting on resilience, commitment, and the privilege it is to love and be loved.
BEFORE—LOVES COMPANY
It’s Not Her Fault (She’s a Gemini Rising)
Director: Sydne Horton, USA, 8 Minutes A queer couple’s dog adoption spirals into astrological hysteria when an argument over their dog’s birth chart spins wildly out of control.
BEFORE—GLITTERBAITED
Vocabulary
Director: Zhizi Hao, UK, 17 Minutes Andy, a young chunky Chinese newcomer, arrives in London’s gay scene full of wonderful dreams. What he finds instead: racist Grindr bios, slang he can’t decipher, and rules no dictionary can teach.
BEFORE—OUT OF THE WOODS
Tiny Things
Director: Christina Hulen, USA, 6 Minutes A woman finds solace, connection and fleeting joy in a recorded message from her astronaut wife.
BEFORE—FREE BEER TOMORROW
H.D.I.D.T.B.A.L.
Director: Kristin Meyer, USA, 6 Minutes How much do clothes really say about you? A woman has an existential crisis when she’s asked out by a woman for the first time.
Church Girl
Director: Bessie Fong, USA, 10 Minutes Olivia, a Filipino lesbian, pretends to be Christian to impress her non-binary crush, finding herself at Bushwick’s oldest queer Bible study.
BEFORE—TEST
Upon Starvation
Director: Saurav Dattatraya Mahind, India, 16 Minutes Pickpocket Vivek uses seduction to distract his victims while keeping his own desires at a distance. But when he meets Kartik, a soft-spoken student seeking genuine connection, tenderness begins to unravel Vivek’s carefully controlled world.
BEFORE—BEFORE I DO
Sleazy Tiger
Director: James Ley, UK, 15 Minutes Hopeless but horny romantic Alan thinks vegan hottie Blair might be husband material. But when a jar of homemade kimchi sends him spiraling into Horny Hell, Alan must navigate fantasy, reality and his inner Alan Cumming to make it back to his date. I N D I A N A P O L I S LG B T F I L M F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 6
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STREAMING INFO
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I N D I A N A P O L I S LG B T F I L M F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 6
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POSTER GALLERY
Kiloran Bay
Before I Do
I N D I A N A P O L I S LG B T F I L M F E S T I VA L 2 0 2 6
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