In a year with a growing number of film festivals set to kick out the red carpet in Charlotte, one of the city’s original screening weekends makes its return to the Independent Picture House. The Reel Out Charlotte LGBTQ Film Festival brings a queer-centric set of feature-length and short films to the city for a week of thought, critique and discovery. From domestic to international creators, viewers will get a taste of LGBTQ culture, perspective and nuance that normally may not be seen.
The genres this year range from romance dramas (300 Letters & I Don’t Know If I’ll Have to Say Everything Again) to the comedic (Sisters & Scattered), and with a great offering of documentary stories about the people in our own world (Light Up & I’m Your Venus).
Many of the nights will also feature commentary from some of the feature creators who will pay a visit to Charlotte for the festival, along with some of Charlotte’s community leaders. Set to run from Wed., May 14 to Sun., May 18, each night will have themes designed and explored by creators and commentators and enjoyed by the viewing audience.
While the dates and times of each screening and film commentary talk are still being finalized, here is what attendees can expect the rough schedule to look like:
Wed., May 14
5:30 p.m. – Opening Event
7:30 p.m. – FREE Annual LGBTQ Shorts Night
Thurs., May 15
6 p.m. – Feature Film & Talkback
Fri. to Sun., May 16 to 18
Feature Films & Talkbacks (TBD)
A description of most of the films coming to Reel Out Charlotte 2025 is included here, with more to be added soon to the list:
Features
300 Letters (300 Cartas)
Release Year: 2025
Director: Lucas Santa Ana
Description: Jero (25) and Tom (25) are the perfect couple everyone wants to be. Jero takes care of his aesthetics and his cryptocurrencies. Tom is alternative and loves poetry. On the day of their first anniversary, Tom abandons Jero and, as his only explanation, leaves a box with 300 letters. Jero, reading them, discovers a different Tom and the great love story they were living collapses under the title of “The Jero Project.” But all pain has an end and the hope of a new love could be the cure for their suffering.
Duino
Release Year: 2024
Director: Juan Pablo Di Pace & Andres Pepe Estrada
Description: Actor and co-director Juan Pablo Di Pace (The Mattachine Family, Mamma Mia, TV’s Fuller House) draws on his own life for this film about the universal aching nostalgia of first love. Through flashback and meta-narrative, DUINO breathes fresh life into a classic gay coming-of-age tale by exploring the passionate memories of a just-out-of-reach lover that audiences will find both tender and crowd pleasing. Executive produced by the late TV legend Norman Lear.
I’m Your Venus
Release Year: 2024
Director: Kimberly Reed
Description: This moving and timely documentary sets the stage for the investigation of the unsolved murder of Venus Xtravaganza, one of the iconic stars of Paris Is Burning, the legendary 1990 documentary about the ballroom scene of New York City. Venus died during that film’s shoot and now, 35 years later, the spotlight is back on Venus as her two families, biological and ballroom, stand united to discover the truth, challenge the system and honor the legacy of their sister. The road for justice is a difficult one as they revisit old wounds, examining every event and detail to find a path toward healing and positive change.
Light Up
Release Year: 2024
Director: Ryan Ashley Lowery
Description: In this documentary, Director Ryan Lowery breaks barriers and tells a universal story of queer men and transgender women. It only covers a minimum side of the diverse LGBTQ+ community that has found a voice in today’s times. Nevertheless, the testimonies he addresses are enough to offer the audience an intimate glance at a world that’s often been overshadowed by prejudice and hatred, out of the underrepresented LGBTQ+ community in Atlanta.
Sisters
Release Year: 2024
Director: Susie Yankou
Description: Sisters is an American comedy film, directed by Susie Yankou and released in 2024. Best friends Lou (Yankou) and Esther (Sarah Khasrovi) are each other’s “chosen sisters,” friends whose close sisterly relationship knows no bounds. However, Lou discovers at her father’s funeral that she has a real half-sister named Priya (Kausar Mohammed) whom she never knew, and begins to prioritize getting to know Priya over her friendship with Esther.
The Rebrand
Release Year: 2025
Director: Kaye Adelaide
Description: Nicole, an eight months-pregnant bisexual videographer, is hired by a lesbian lifestyle influencer couple to film a redemption documentary after they’ve been publicly cancelled, but Nicole quickly discovers that the couple have nefarious ulterior motives.
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Short Films
Circle
Release Year: 2024
Director: Joung Yumi
Description: A young girl draws a circle on the sidewalk. Strangers curiously step inside it, crowding together. The circle fills with a community of diverse people.
Clementine
Release Year: 2022
Director: Zachary Ramelan
Description: When a rebellious girl is trapped in her secure smart home, she attempts to break out, only when the power is disconnected and intruders break in, she must rely on her own skills to protect herself.
Dragfox
Release Year: 2024
Director: Lisa Ott
Description: Struggling with their gender identity, eleven-year-old Sam feels alone and confused, not quite sure how to express the way they feel. That is, until a mischievous neighbourhood fox (voiced by Ian McKellen) jumps through their window late one night, taking Sam on an all-singing, all-dancing journey of self-discovery and acceptance.
I Don’t Know If I’ll Have to Say Everything Again (Eu Não Sei Se Vou Ter que Falar Tudo de Novo)
Release Year: 2024
Director: Vitoria Fallavena & Thassilo Weber
Description: When Fernando meets his mom at their favourite cafe in Rio to tell her he’s going to marry Raphael, is her forgetfulness down to her Alzheimer’s, or deliberate?
Parallel Lines
Release Year: 2018
Director: Phuong Nguyen
Description: Parallel Lines is a modern day love story dealing with obstacles of tradition that break a bond shared between two people. Connie (Christine Virata) and Rahul (Issa Kabeer) are best friends who never expressed their true feelings.
Scattered
Release Year: 2024
Director: Neil Fennell
Description: Patrick’s estranged father’s ashes are delivered in the mail. Now, Patrick has to figure out where to scatter this man who turned his back on him. With the help of his friends and a wild trip around New York City, he finds grief, love, laughter and the peace to move on.
That’s Family
Release Year: 2022
Director: Puppett
Description: Lynne and Gloria’s “special date night” is thrown for a loop when dad drops in unexpectedly with some surprising news.
Yellow Inside
Release Year: 2024
Director: Jade Jenise Dixon
Description: In a quaint coffee shop, Josephine finds solace in her poetry, her fingers dancing across the keyboard. Unexpectedly, her verses catch the attention of Sydney, an old high school acquaintance Josie once admired from afar.
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Each of these films are slated to screen at this year’s Reel Out Film Festival, with more to be added running up to the starting day. Keep an eye on https://charlottepride.org/reeloutclt/ for what’s to come, including show dates and times.
Individual screening tickets are $10 plus a processing fee, and returning attendees are encouraged to purchase the All-Access passes, which allows entry into all festival screenings, both paid and free.
Tickets will be up for sale soon on the Independent Picture House website, https://independentpicturehouse.org/, after this article is published. The Reel Out Charlotte Film Festival will run from Wed., May 14, to Sun., May 18.