This year, Reel Out Charlotte (the Queen City’s Annual LGBT film festival) will kick off with a special opening event and free movie screening at Bar Argon on May 13, 2026 at 7 p.m. For this article, two Reel Out Charlotte organizers gave QNotes some additional insight into what this year’s film screening has to offer.
Meredith Thompson is a Charlotte Pride board member and provides a high level of oversight for the film festival where she also serves on the event’s Film Selection Committee. This year, Reel Out celebrates its 18th birthday and Thompson is enthusiastic about what the festival has to offer.
“We’ve gone from having it on a stage in Camp North End to a more permanent home at Independent Picture House (IPH),” she explains. “It’s been really nice to offer our guests a true movie theater viewing experience. There’s a nice reception area to take advantage of and a 144-seat theater to host our Annual Shorts Night.”
Reflecting on the time she’s spent working with Reel Out she continued, “During my four years with the festival I’ve seen a very diverse and robust group of committee members who love movies while also being intentional about a range of identities and stories to feature on the screen.”
That diversity is also what Thompson feels is so important about the festival. “It’s about representation. We had a volunteer [who had just come from seeing one of the films we featured] – I thought they were laughing but they were actually crying. They had seen a film where their life had played out on screen but [unlike historically depicted LGBTQ characters] had a happy ending. You never know the impact a film will have, especially when someone has the opportunity to see themselves. Fun and engaging is so important – but being able to see ourselves on screen is empowering and it also heightens understanding for others.
Fellow Charlotte Pride Board Member and Reel Out’s Short Films Coordinator Lupe Silva couldn’t agree more on the importance of the LGBTQ+ community’s need for representation in film.
“People should go to Reel Out because it’s a great event that tries to represent everyone in the community. There are not too many opportunities for us to be able to relate to what’s on screen so it’s very important that the community comes out to participate and support.”
Silva goes on to talk about his involvement with the short film selection process. “Over several months myself and a very dedicated panel of volunteers review and discuss which films create an opportunity for our audience to say, I can see myself. Near the end of the selection process, we have a ‘duke it out meeting’ – where we voice very strongly – our selection votes and build a short films line up at that time. This year we had 27 films to view – with the task of having to narrow that down to seven great short films.”
Listed below is the lineup of films we can look forward to in the upcoming festival. It includes shorts, medium shorts and feature films. The Independent Film House is located at 4237 Raleigh Street. For more details on screening times, check out social media and visit the festival’s website at https://www.charlottefilm.com/events/film/reel-out-charlotte-2.
Wednesday, May 13, 7 p.m. at Bar Argon, followed by drag performances and cocktails
Body Blow (2025) – Director Dean Francis
Aiden, a young cop, embarks on a risky undercover mission where he meets Cody, a captivating male sex worker controlled by a drug lord drag queen. Aiden dives into a perilous world, getting entangled in a deadly police conspiracy.
SHORT FILMS
Friday, May 15. 5/15/26 at Independent Picture House
My Dear Watson (2026) – Director Jacob McKee
When he receives a mysterious love note, a teenage Sherlock Holmes must step outside of his comfort zone in order to uncover the identity of his secret admirer.
Ripple (2025) – Director Jacob Norris
Daniel leaves home for the summer to work as a camp counselor, unaware of the societal norms that will soon threaten his own happiness. His mother, Katherine, works as a compassionate palliative nurse during the height of the AIDS epidemic.
Cat Sitters (2025) – Director Claren Grosz
Four friends reunite to watch scary movies while cat sitting, but an unexplained power outage and the nagging suspicion that they’re not alone threatens to kill the vibe. One thing is for sure: They aren’t splitting up. Cat Sitters is a queer comedy-horror that celebrates queer friendship, plot twists and a gorgeous hissy cat.
Mean Goals (2025) – Director Ahuatl Amaro
An adorkable gay Latino joins an LGBTQ soccer team to bond with his father struggling with Alzheimer’s over their shared passion for the sport.
Lienzo (2025) – Director César Saldívar
Through his daily activities and profession, Vito presents us with an emblematic view of Mexico City. One morning, he heads to a hospital and makes a decision that will change his life and circumstances forever.
Just Between Us (2025) – Director Zac Hug
Sam and Dustin’s open marriage works… until a nosy friend asks if they ever have sex just the two of them. Sam spirals. Cue one pool, one himbo, and several bad decisions. As lines blur and intentions backfire, Sam is forced to reckon with what intimacy looks like when love isn’t so black and white.
Ronita Rambo (2026) – Director Michael Doshier
Ronita Rambo, the sharp-tongued waitress of a rural Missouri diner, has everyone’s order memorized – but not a clue how to text her new crush. Enlisting the help of two gay teens, she takes an unexpected leap toward love and authenticity.
FEATURE FILMS
Friday, May 15 at Independent Picture House
Pillion (2025) – Director Harry Lighton
A directionless man is swept off his feet when an enigmatic, impossibly handsome biker takes him on as his submissive.
Saturday, May 16 at Independent Picture House
Starwalker (2025) – Cory Payette
Star, an Indigi-Queer Two-Spirit call boy, has become newly entranced by The House of Borealis, a popular drag house in East Vancouver. Blending drag performance with their grounded cultural spirit, a new, powerful persona emerges on stage in this musical feature film.
Eva (2025) – Director William Reyes
Eva, a trans woman, takes on the care of her granddaughter after the sudden death of her daughter-in-law. While processing her grief, she tries to help her son connect emotionally with the baby. Amid tensions, reproaches and silence, mother and son embark on a path toward mutual understanding and the reconstruction of their family bond.
Summer’s Camera (2025) – Director Divine Sung
Summer won’t use her late father’s unfinished camera film until she meets Yeonwoo, her school’s football star. The developed photos reveal her father’s past with Maru, a hairdresser, as Summer navigates first love and loss.
Moonlight (2016; Tenth Anniversary Showing) – Director Barry Jenkins
A young African American man grapples with his identity and sexuality while experiencing the everyday struggles of childhood, adolescence and burgeoning adulthood.
Sunday, May 17 at Independent Picture House
State of Firsts (2025) – Director Chase Joynt
Sarah McBride’s groundbreaking campaign becomes the first transgender congressional victory amid anti-trans political tension; a documentary.
Submerged Queer Spaces (2012) – Director Jack Curtis Dubowsky
This special selection feature film is a documentary feature that explores San Francisco’s evolving queer history through the lens of urban archaeology and architectural remains. The film utilizes firsthand accounts from eight interview subjects to uncover personal stories of displacement, cruising culture and systemic racism within the city’s lost communal hubs.
MEDIUM SHORTS NIGHT
Sunday, May 17 at Independent Picture House
The Reel Out Charlotte Film Festival will close with a selection of five longer short films.
Never, Never, Never (2025) – Director John Sheedy
In a quaint Welsh fishing village, a young Shirley Bassey impersonator and a fisherman are swept into a secret romance, battling the tides of family and tradition as they search for the courage to claim their own happiness.
Pakka (2025) – Director Iniyavan Elumalai
Four gay Indian friends share an unbreakable bond on a Dutch cricket field. But when one agrees to an arranged marriage in India, their chosen family begins to unravel.
First Date (2025) – Director Hailey Vest
When the new kid gets asked out on his first date, he must navigate how to stay true to himself amidst the pressure to fit in.
You’re Doing Great (2026) – Directed by Vita Mei Hewitt and Julie Lindsey
A short surreal comedy that follows a middle-aged queer maid’s journey as she revisits her past regrets while cleaning a house on her birthday. With the help of her spirit guides, she reflects on love, relationships and her life trajectory in this bittersweet story.
DEMON TWINK (2025) – Director Steven George
In 1991, a lonely man trades his soul to a demon for youth, only to discover he must commit monthly murders to maintain his beauty. His dark path is complicated when he develops genuine feelings for his next intended victim.