Films

In the early years of the AIDS pandemic, HIV-positive activists - literally fighting for their lives - took on Washington and Big Pharma by forming ACT UP (The AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power) and TAG (Treatment Action Group). Combining theatrical protests with self-taught scientific training, these heroic groups both gave a sense of purpose to the dying and shook up the medical and governmental bureaucracies.

Tired of being invisible in a bland marriage, Emma moves in with her son Elliot, a gay chef at a lackluster Chinese restaurant facing foreclosure. Emma’s distaste and denial over this has made strangers of mother and son. But the two need each other now more than ever, and as Emma indulges herself with the encouragement of a saucy new friend, and Elliot confronts his fears of intimacy, the pair find ways to communicate with food where words fail.

Shirin is struggling to become an ideal Persian daughter, politically correct bisexual and hip young Brooklynite. But she’s not quite anything enough. After being dumped by her girlfriend Maxine, Shirin faces an unimaginable task: trading the idyllic lesbian haven of Park Slope for a shared artist’s loft in Bushwick. Unable to let go of the memories of their excruciating highs and lows, the endearingly superficial narcissist finds herself plotting to win back her ex.

Set in the bustling streets of Cuba, Reinier works as a callboy in order to support his wife and child, but he ends up gambling most of his money away. Sex with men is strictly business until he befriends a cute soccer player named Yosvani, who works for his girlfriend’s father, a corrupt debt collector. When Reinier’s gambling habit gets him in serious trouble, Yosvani tries to convince Reinier to run away with him.

This documentary examines how the nation of Uganda has thrown open its arms to discredited and oblivious ministers who appear completely unaware of how their teachings have induced politicians to put forward the country’s infamous“kill the gays” legislation. But the film also introduces us to Ugandan clergy who, both at home and abroad, are risking excommunication and even death to defend the unpopular cause of LGBT equality.

A panoramic look at the best transgender shorts from around the world.