Silence = Death (2025)

On May 21, 1990, roughly 1,000 activists and members of the AIDS Coalition to Unleash Power (ACT UP) marched on the Bethesda, Maryland campus of the National Institute of Health to protest the lack of available drugs to treat HIV/AIDS. Dr. Anthony Fauci, then director of the NIAID (the AIDS arm of the NIH), watches as the activists march around his building, demanding inclusion in his clinical research committees. Meanwhile, a young gay filmmaker captures the events of the protest while attempting to deliver a package to Fauci. As the demonstrations threaten to upend the scientists' work, both men are forced to reckon with the meaning of power and responsibility.

Two Black Boys in Paradise (2025)

Eden (19) and Dula (18) are two Black boys on a journey of self-acceptance. Their love for each other, and their refusal to hide it, lands them in a paradise free from shame and judgement. Based on the poem by Dean Atta.

not sure why this #NewFest37 #ShortsProgram was titled #LaughRiot since it wasn’t that funny
https://mastodon.social/@filmfreak75/115380329433074974
She Raised Me (2025)

Louie plans to break up with his boyfriend but is thrown off when he discovers his boyfriend’s mother is Marilyn Muff, a gay icon he idolized. Louie clings to Marilyn, but how far will he go to keep her?

Baba I'm Fine (2025)

When Sama’s girlfriend blows off their Friday plans, the teen copes with romantic rejection by blasting music in her room. When her dad suggests hanging out, she agrees. Their evening takes an unexpected turn as a message forces her to choose between authenticity and keeping up appearances.

Orion's Quest (2025)

Before a powerful eclipse occurs, an extraterrestrial being must finalize his mission to comprehend love, by exploring the romantic relationships between black gay men.