Film Reviews: Utah Queer Film Festival 2024

Since its first iteration during 2003 Pride Week, the annual Utah Queer Film Festival (formerly known as Damn These Heels) has showcased international and independent films that about LGBTQ+ experiences, history and perspectives. This year’s festival includes 18 feature films and three shorts programs, hosted in-person at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center from October 25–27 and online until November 3. SLUG Contributing Film Writers Alex Dawson and Yonni Uribe reviewed six films, from poignant documentaries to coming-of-age dramedies, to give you a taste of what the the Utah Queer Film Festival has to offer. Explore even more films and purchase tickets for select virtual screenings at utahqueerfilmfestival.org! 

All Shall Be Well
Director: Ray Yeung
New Voice Film Productions
Originally Released: 02.16.2024

Many queer people understand all too well the drastic difference between being tolerated rather than being embraced. Naturally, we all wish for the former, but unfortunately—at some point in life—everybody either has encountered or will encounter the feeling of just being tolerated. Although this topic has been illustrated through many mediums, independent film director Ray Yeung dissects this concept in a new light, focusing on how one might navigate life when under the impression they were being embraced by the ones they love, only to find out they were simply being tolerated. This harsh reality is lived by Angie (Patra Au, Twilight’s Kiss) once her beloved partner Pat (Lin Lin Li, The Iron Super Man) unexpectedly passes away. While the two have been inseparable for decades and seemingly embraced by Pat’s family, once she is no longer around and the couple’s wealth and belongings come into the conversation, it becomes easier for her alleged family to feel less guilty about masking their true feelings. However, regardless of reasoning, the switch up is quite sinister. While the overall theme is heavy and uncomfortable, Yeung offsets this with not only his short and sweet depiction of how beautiful love can be in the later stages of life—something rarely seen on screen for queer and non-queer couples alike—but also his depiction of the life-saving importance of chosen family. –Alex Dawson

Break The Game
Director: Jane M. Wagner
Originally Released: 05.10.2023
Now Streaming at Utah Queer Film Festival Through: 11.03.2024

Gaming legend Narcissa Wright‘s life unfolds before the viewer’s eyes in this unique documentary. We watch as she copes with the loss of her community and livelihood as they are stripped away from her due to something uncontrollable and although innately beautiful, also innately difficult: being transgender. Coming to terms with how so much love can be traded for so much hate and rediscovering the community that is still very much there for her would be difficult for anybody, but especially for someone whose existence is under the calculated microscope that is the internet. Wagner’s use of primarily Twitch streaming footage to create an emotionally transparent environment for the viewer is more than just unique; it’s also something almost everybody in the 21st century can relate to. Much of current life, whether it be emotional decisions, connections or gained knowledge, happens behind a screen now, but that doesn’t change how much it can hurt. In the end, even a lack of follow up on Wright and some deeply disturbing imagery don’t shake how impactful trans resilience in the face of oppression is, as well as how meaningful online connections can sometimes shift into our offline lives. –Alex Dawson

Camila Comes Out Tonight
Director: Inés María Barrionuevo
Aeroplano, Gale Cine
Originally Released: 05.26.2022
Now Streaming on Plex

Who doesn’t love a good foreign film? Especially a good queer foreign film. Hailing from Argentina, Camila Comes Out Tonight is a queer coming-of-age movie that’ll have you laughing, crying and feeling every emotion in between. Camila Comes Out Tonight follows our 17-year-old protagonist named Camila (Nina Dziembrowski, Emila) as she’s forced to move to Buenos Aires when her grandmother falls deathly ill. There, she’s placed into a traditional private school where tensions brew as Camila is the epitome of the outspoken liberal teen. While challenges arise at school and in her family life, Camila becomes more interested in taking control in the one way she knows how: her sexuality. Camila comes to terms with her sexuality, her family and her personal politics during the film’s 103-minute runtime and the audience gets the experience of growing with her. Andrés Aloi and Barrionuevo are incredibly talented writers who balance the tone perfectly for a movie that has a lot to say. Pair that with Constanza Sandoval’s gorgeously framed cinematography that encapsulates Buenos Aires nightlife, and you have yourself a recipe for a queer masterpiece. –Yonni Uribe

Chasing Chasing Amy
Director: Sav Rodgers
Professional Amateur Productions
Originally Released: 06.08.2023
In Select Theaters: 11.01.2024

The “obsession with Chasing Amy to queer-identifying person” pipeline (one that I feel most Gen-Z queers can relate to) is all too real in the documentary Chasing Chasing Amy. Following a viral TED Residency Talk about the impact that Chasing Amy had on his life, Sav Rodgers sets out to make a documentary about the film and its divisiveness in the LGBTQIA+ community. We watch as Rodgers not only gets to meet his heroes who created Chasing Amy, but he experiences his own growth as a queer individual. From getting engaged to transitioning to hearing Joey Lauren Adams‘ side of the Chasing Amy saga, we watch Rodgers come of age. He learns that while there is importance to what Chasing Amy did for him when he needed it, not all that glittered was gold. It’s a growing experience for all of us. I also have to say—as SLUG’s resident contributing film nerd—that while Rodgers and his charisma are too hard to ignore, Sharika Ajaikumar’s editing is so well thought out and intentionally structured that to call it impressive would be an understatement of Ajaikumar’s skill. It gives the film its perfect timing and full-fledged storyline. Whatever Rodgers and company decide to do next, I can’t wait to grow with them and challenge our heroes further. –Yonni Uribe

Summer Qamp
Director: Jen Markowitz
Bright West Entertainment, Cineflix Productions, Hello Friend Media
Originally Released: 10.08.2023
Now Streaming on Peacock

The idea of “third spaces,” social settings outside of home and work where people can find community, has been a hot topic in recent years. Summer Qamp not only argues in their favor, but also highlights the importance of third spaces for queer youth. This documentary follows a plethora of LGBTQIA+ teens as they embark to a queer haven, Camp fYrefly. From lesbian and gay to transgender and nonbinary teens, we watch as these kids are afforded a simple luxury: getting to be kids. We hear heartbreaking stories from kids like Ghoul, Spider, Grayson and Mia detailing accounts of horrific forced outings and severe bullying. As we watch these youths participate in events like a clothing swap, arts and crafts, archery and obligatory drag lessons, we see each child slowly come out of their shell and become more accepting of their true selves and feelings. Not only do we get to see these kids blossom into their beautiful selves, we also get to see full-grown adults from the LGBTQIA+ community share their own stories and brilliance as they act as counselors for these youths. Make sure to bring your tissues for this one, as the ending is a true explosion of queer joy and acceptance that’ll melt your cold heart in one viewing. –Yonni Uribe 

Wigstock: The Movie
Director: Barry Shils
The Samuel Goldwyn Company
Originally Released: 06.09.1995
Now Streaming on Prime Video

Bring. Back. Wigstock (again). The annual festival held in NYC, started by the international drag icon Lady Bunny, was a celebration of drag and a safe space for the LGBTQIA+ community during the ‘80s and ‘90s. This film ebbs and flows from documentary to musical very fluidly, subconsciously reproducing the nature of what the queer experience is like: you can’t enjoy the highs without also experiencing the lows. Witnessing what the humans in Barry Shils’ film felt and said—about topics such as passability within the trans community, backlash faced by people who are gender non-conforming and why drag is popular within the queer community—is extremely eye opening in many ways. It’s liberating to know you’re not alone nor have you ever been alone in your experiences; however, getting to know those who have passionately fought for something in the past, knowing the fight is still being fought decades later,  is somewhat disheartening. Thankfully, the energy and beauty of this documentary is heavily felt through the screen, not only because these living legends helped pave the way for the queer people of today, but also because they express their lived experiences and opinions on topics that, 30 years later, are unfortunately still very relevant. Progress is never easy, but as seen in this documentary, community and shared experiences make this life not just worth fighting for, but worth living to the fullest. –Alex Dawson

Read more past coverage of Damn These Heels: 
A Celebration of Queer Cinema: Damn These Heels Film Festival
Damn These Heels 2021: Utah’s Top LGBTQ+ Film Festival