FREE thanks to the Arts & Science Council’s Culture Blocks — a community partnership funded by Mecklenburg County

Mix-and-mingle with community members and indie film lovers. With popcorn and drinks in hand, take your seat in the screening room and your place as a judge for the annual LGBTQ Shorts Night. An eclectic mix of LGBTQ short films will grace the big screen, with audience members voting at the end of the night for Best Short. Shorts Night is one of the most popular and well-attended events of each year’s film festival. Don’t miss out — grab your free tickets today!

Our Annual LGBTQ+ Shorts Night is FREE to all attendees thanks to a generous grant by the Arts & Science Council’s Culture Blocks — a community partnership funded by Mecklenburg County.

PLEASE NOTE: Tickets are FREE but required for the Shorts Night. Guests without Shorts Night tickets will be granted entry at the door on a first-come-first-serve basis as night-of capacity allows.

Wednesday, May 15, 2024

Congratulations to our Shorts Night Winners!

PLEASE NOTE:
Short films are listed in the order in which they will screen on your paper Shorts Ballot.

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STONE
When Tess learns of her estranged father’s death, she travels to the funeral hoping for nothing more than some closure and the chance to meet the woman who stole him from her. Immediately blindsided by the revelation that her father was a transgender woman, Tess starts to wonder what else has been kept from her, turning to her mother for answers. Realising that nothing is as it seems, Tess must challenge not only everything she has been told about her childhood but, most importantly, her understanding of what it meant to be a father.
Director: Jake Graf, Hannah Graf
United Kingdom, 2023
Drama
Runtime: 13:00

ONE STORY AT A TIME: CELESTE LECESNE
In the docu-short One Story at a Time, Celeste Lecesne candidly shares how he not only escaped the confines of homophobia but combatted it by finding the courage to share his truth with the world. In a seemingly fateful chain of events, an off-broadway solo-show becomes an Academy Award-winning film that ultimately inspires The Trevor Project, the largest suicide prevention lifeline for LGBTQIA+ youth. Now, 25 years later, countless lives have been saved, and Celeste stays the course, inspiring the next generation to have the bravery to claim their truth and continue to change the world, one story at a time.
Directors: Eva Tenuto, Natalia Iyudin
United States, 2024
Documentary
Runtime: 10:06

LEE BABY
Lee, a trans man, and his wife Charlie are smack dab in the middle of creating a family. Insecurities, hormone imbalances, loss of bodily autonomy, and the exhaustion of new parenthood test the limits of this resilient queer couple.
Director: Leah Raidt
United States, 2023
Drama, Comedy
Runtime: 13:45

MOM(S)
The fact that Abi has two moms shouldn’t set her apart from any other teenage kid, but when the high school father-daughter dance posters start to go up all over school Abi can’t help but feel like an outsider. The mean crowd rubs it in her face, Abi’s friends don’t seem to get it, it’s all too much. Abi decides she doesn’t want to go to the stupid dance, but Abi’s best friend Lexi knows all too well what Abi wants. Lexi urges her to take a stand and show up to the dance with both her moms. When one of Abi’s moms, Sandra, finds the father-daughter poster crumpled among Abi’s things, she confronts her about it. With Sandra’s help, Abi makes it so everyone is welcome at the dance.
Director: Matt Pittenger
United States, 2023
Drama
Runtime: 08:22

SAFETY STATE
As rights are being rolled back and travel bans are going into effect, Shay and Quincy decide to leave their home in Ohio and travel East to a safety state where it is safe and legal to be queer. They meet up with another couple, Jacob and Michael, so together they can pose as straight married couples. Quincy takes an instant dislike to her new “husband”, Jacob, as she resents depending on the men and pretending to be straight. As they face different threats on their journey, they form an unlikely friendship.
Directors: Jeanette L. Buck
United States, 2024
Comedy, Drama
Runtime: 15:37

CATBOY
Marc, after receiving several racist and feather-phobic comments from a gay dating app, receives a message from his transexual friend Cacao inviting him to a Ballroom. Marc decides to go, there he is surprised by the freedom and diversity of the environment. Upon reaching the local bar, she exchanges glances with Leo, an attractive boy. After seeing her friend walk, the two have an intimate conversation where Cacao encourages Marc to walk that night. Once the Catboy Sex Siren category arrives, Leo goes for a walk while Marc watches the situation with a mixture of desire and doubt.
Director: Cristian Sitjas
Spain, 2023
Drama
Runtime: 13:16

UNNAMED
Zainab is a successful girl who supports her family financially, but considers herself a boy in spirit, and now she has decided to undergo gender transition, but in addition to her family’s opposition and the society’s inappropriate view of this issue, she has more difficulties There is something more important to come. She, who played in the country’s national volleyball team for a while and is now in the Bartar league, if she does this, she will be removed from professional volleyball forever due to her short stature compared to men, and not only will she lose her professional future, but also her livelihood and her family who are under her care will be in trouble.
Director: Iranmehr Salimi
Islamic Republic of Iran, 2022
Documentary
Runtime: 13:00

IT’S A MATCH
When a hearing bi-curious woman matches with a Deaf lesbian named “Leatherface” on a dating app, she has high hopes for the relationship, but she must contend with the fear that lurks beneath the surface.
Director: Michelle Mary Schaefer
United States, 2024
Horror
Runtime: 13:05