NewFest: The New York LGBT Film Festival celebrates 30th anniversary

NewFest: The New York LGBT Film Festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary. Stretched over one week, the festival entails 144 films from 32 countries as well as discussions with directors and selected cast members, bringing together a vibrant ensemble of talented filmmakers, artists and activists alike.

NewFest, New York’s largest media organization of LGBTQ film and media, offers year-round screenings, volunteer programs and partnerships in addition to its signature festival.

“We were founded in 1988, in the height of the AIDS crisis," NewFest’s Nick McCarthy told amNewYork. "We were able to write our narrative and witness so much evolution within the community.”

The festival opened on Wednesday evening with "1985." With a similar historical backdrop, the film concerns Adrian (Cory Michael Smith) who keeps secret his HIV status as he returns home to Texas for Christmas. In black and white, director Yen Tan portrays the intricate power dynamics of a traditional family so as to craft a modern queer classic.

Another one of the highlighted events of the week, "Boy Erased" (directed by Joel Edgerton) stars Academy Award-nominee Lucas Hedges ("Manchester By the Sea," "Lady Bird") as a young gay man sent to a religious organization that converts and “cures” homosexuality by request of his stringent parents (Academy Award-winners Russell Crowe and Nicole Kidman). Primarily based on Garrard Conley’s memoir of the same title, the screenplay was adapted by Edgerton to produce a compelling cinematic bildungsroman against a chaotic backdrop of cultural conflicts.

In addition to numerous premieres, there will also be an opportunity to see legacy pieces such as director Lisa Cholodenko’s "High Art," a 20th anniversary screening in 35 mm.

For something lighter, the festival features shorts series such as "Hip to be Queer: Youth Shorts" (Oct. 25, 26 and 29), "Drawn This Way 2.0: Queer Animation" (Oct. 25 & 26) and "Trans and Nonbinary Shorts" (Oct. 27 & 28). This year, NewFest has teamed up with New York’s Department of Education and the Mayor’s Office of Media & Entertainment (MOME) to dedicate "Hip to be Queer: Youth Shorts" toward high school students for promotions of media literacy and self-expression.

The last night will be marked with Robert Clift’s vibrant new portrait film of his uncle, iconic Hollywood star Montgomery Clift, featuring unheard-of audio archives and unseen-before footage released by the family for reappraisal. Codirected by Hillary Demmon, "Making Montgomery Clift" will be followed by a Q&A session and a closing party.

NewFest is on through Oct. 30 at a number of NYC cinemas. For schedule details and tickets visit newfest.org