The 38th annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival presented by OutFilm is taking place at Cinestudio in Hartford June 20-28. For most of its history, except when it went online during the COVID pandemic or when it briefly moved to October, the festival has been seen as one of the most visible and community-building local events held during the Pride month.
The festival describes itself as holding “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.”
The most Connecticut-conscious film in this year’s festival is “A Culinary Uprising: The Story of Bloodroot,” a documentary about the feminist vegetarian restaurant that has been in Bridgeport for nearly half a century. Bloodroot’s co-founder Selma Miriam, who died in February at the age of 89, is a captivating presence in the film, talking about her feminist principles, her homeopathic health practice and her love of cooking and baking.
Some of the other fascinating new films being shown on a big screen at Cinestudio include, “Heightened Scrutiny,” Sam Feder’s documentary about ACLU attorney Chase Strangio as he prepares to argue a legal case about gender-affirming care before the Supreme Court. It screens June 25 at 7:30 p.m. The case went before the court in December and has not yet been ruled on, so “Heightened Scrutiny” could not be more timely. “Rains Over Babel,” a bright energetic modern cultural journey inspired by Dante’s “Inferno,” which is screening on June 27 at 9:30 p.m.; and the Australian animated science fiction comedy “Lesbian Space Princess,” also screening on June 27 at 7 p.m.
Courtesy of OutFilm
“Rains Over Babel,” a Brazilian social drama inspired by Dante’s “Inferno,” screens June 27 at 9:30 p.m. as part of the 38th annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival. (Courtesy of OutFilm)
Eleven features plus short opening films are on the Cinestudio schedule. Dozens more can be seen online, including separate groupings of short films in the following categories: Gay, Lesbian, BIPOC, Trans/Nonbinary, Documentary Shorts, International Shorts and a program called “Playing Favorites,” which showcases the shorts the festival committee felt most strongly about.
Shane Engstrom has been involved with the festival for 25 years, most of which he has served as the festival director and president. He and dozens of other film lovers serve on the selection committee. This year, the festival received a record number of submissions — over 700 —which led to an expansion of the festival to over 90 films being screened. Many of those are short films. Two new program slots were created to accommodate all the worthiest entries.
It’s an especially big year for the LGBTQ Film Festival. Last year, the event had less time to organize because it was moved back to June after a 2023 attempt to try holding it in October when a lot of other state Pride events happen.
“There are minor changes in terms of the festival, but much more programming,” Engstrom said. “There’s a wealth of great documentaries this year. There are a lot of historical figures through which LGBTQ+ history is being told.”
Courtesy of Cinestudio
The Australian animated feature “Lesbian Space Princess” screens on June 27 at 7 p.m. at Cinestudio as part of the 38th annual Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival. (Courtesy of Cinestudio)
A good amount of the festival can be accessed virtually, but a key attraction of the LGBTQ Film Festival has always been the ability to see films in a theater setting with others
“It’s a great opportunity for the community to come together in a safe space and see their lives together on a big screen,” Engstrom said.
That’s how Engstrom’s quarter-century long involvement with the festival began. “I had recently come out of the closet, so I went to the festival and ended up joining the selection committee.” He now calls the festival “my second job, the one I don’t get paid for.” His “first” job is in banking.
“It’s also an opportunity to hear from the filmmakers,” Engstroms said. The directors of the films that open and close the festival, the generational clash “Four Mothers” on June 20 and “Perfect Endings,” a celebration of filmmaking about a director who throws himself into his work following a break-up, on June 28, will be in attendance at the screenings. Other screenings will feature appearances by directors, producers or other artists involved with them. In the case of “A Culinary Uprising,” which screens June 22 at 4 p.m., the showing was scheduled so that the staff of Bloodroot, who don’t have to work at the restaurant on Sundays, are able to attend. That screening will feature a reception with food, naturally including vegetarian options.
The 38th Connecticut LGBTQ Film Festival, presented by OutFilm CT, will be held June 20-28 with in-theater screenings June 20-27 at Cinestudio on the campus of Trinity College at 300 Summit St. in Hartford. The closing day screening of “Perfect Endings” on June 28 at 7 p.m. is at the Connecticut Science Center, 250 Columbus Blvd, Hartford. Tickets for the in-person screenings are generally $13, $11 for seniors. The opening night and closing night screenings, which feature receptions, are $30, $25 for seniors. Students can attend for free with student ID. Five-show passes (including virtual and in-person showings but not the opening or closing night events) are $50 per person or $90 per household. “All Access” passes are $125 per person or $200 per household. More information is available at www.outfilmct.org/2025-festival.
Originally Published: June 15, 2025 at 6:00 AM EDT
