Denver Film screens LGBTQ+ movies during 18th Cinema Q Film Festival

For 18-years, Denver Film has been elevating LGBTQ+ voices during its Cinema Q Film Festival. This year the three-day festival has an exciting line-up with includes a psychological horror feature, a North American premiere, and a curated shorts series. 

"If you don't have the attention span for a 2-hour movie, you have the attention span for 10-minutes. Short films are some of the greatest things because that is the goal, how do you tell an entire story from beginning, middle, end in 15-10 minutes or less," said Keith Garcia, programmer of the Cinema Q Film Festival for Denver Film.

The opening night movie is Leviticus which follows two teenage boys who must escape a violent entity that takes the form of the person they most desire, which is each other. 

"[Leviticus] takes on the subtext of conversion therapy which is, of course, a very hot topic in Colorado right now. It is already a horrific topic, but puts it into a unique scary tale that i think audiences will really respond to," Garcia explained.

The opening night After Dark presentation is Lady Champagne, about a notorious San Francisco performer who is framed for her husband's death. This will be the movie's North American premiere. Writer, director, and store D'Arcy Drollinger will be in Denver for the premiere. 

"We also have an author, Scott Heim. He wrote a novel called Mysterious Skin that was adapted into a great film by director Gregg Araki. So we'll have Scott Heim to talk about the creation of his novel and adapting it into a move that people have grown to love," Garcia said. 

The festival closes with a screening of Maddie's Secret, about a rising content creator whose carefully curated persona begins to fracture in the midst of viral success. 

In between the opening and closing nights, there will be screenings of 9 feature length films, the shorts series, and several Q&A sessions. The festival will also host a community conversation about conversion therapy. The fan favorite, SaturGAY Morning Cartoons + Cereal will be back on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Festival goers can also support local businesses at the Cinema Q marketplace. 

LINK: For Tickets & Information for the Cinema Q Film Festival

Cinema Q runs from May 29 - 31, 2026 at the Sie FilmCenter.