The last weekend of May will see the return of the Silver Pride Cinema Festival to Wilmington, NC, for the second year. The two-day celebration of queer film will be held at Jengo’s Playhouse, located at 815 Princess Street in Wilmington.
It is a partnership between the Cucalorus Film Foundation and the Silver Pride Circle of Cape Fear. Cucalorus, a Wilmington-based multi-disciplinary media organization, is committed to supporting artistic endeavors and broadening access to the arts. The Silver Pride Circle of the Cape Fear is an organization dedicated to serving the 50+ queer community through social events, educational opportunities, and community service.
Opening night is a Red Carpet “Gay-La” featuring the classic, ground-breaking, and iconic film, “The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.” The 1994 film was written and directed by Stephan Elliott, who publicly came out in 2012 at the AACTA Awards. It stars well-known and respected British actors, Hugo Weaving of The Hobbit trilogy fame, Guy Pearce of “The Brutalist,” and the late Terence Stamp, whose 60+ year career garnered him numerous awards and nominations.
Attendees at the Gay-La, which begins at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 29, are encouraged to arrive in drag and be ready to party. General Admission tickets are $20.
On Saturday, May 30, several short films will be screened. Among them are:
“Big Bass” (2025), a documentary exploration by Drew Dickler, is a 14-minute short in which she revisits a 1997 dream as a part of her growing awareness of her queerness.
“Buscando Alma,” a short film by Melissa Fisher and Mair Flores, explores the life of a transgender Honduran-American woman. The Sundance award-winning “Barbara Forever” (2026), directed by Brydie O’Connor, provides an insightful look at the life of pioneer lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer.
The festival concludes with a screening of the 2026 full-length film, “Jimpa,” written by Matthew Cormack and Sophie Hyde and starring uber-talented Olivia Colman and the magnificent John Lithgow. The story revolves around a visit to Amsterdam by Hannah and her nonbinary teen Frances to see Hannah’s gay father. Frances wants to stay with their grandfather for an extended visit, which forces Hannah to confront her notions of parenting and past issues.
Festival attendees will have an opportunity to attend a 90-minute directing workshop with Ingrid Jungermann, whose impressive directing career has included “Women Who Kill” and the recent “Murdaugh: Murder in the Family” series.
Tickets for individual screenings and the workshop are $15