Cinema St. Louis is proud to present the 18th Annual QFest St. Louis, our annual celebration of LGBTQ+ film and queer culture, which runs from May 27 – June 1. 

This year’s theme, Rebels and Revolutionaries, celebrates bold voices and defiant stories that have shattered norms, challenged systems, and redefined queer visibility across generations. From underground movements to personal acts of defiance, the festival showcases a powerful lineup of films that honor those who dared to live and love on their own terms. QFest invites audiences to reflect on the legacy of queer resistance and the ever-evolving fight for liberation. 

The festival opens on Tuesday, May 27 with the documentary, Sally. Sally is the story of astronaut Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, whose groundbreaking achievements and quiet courage as a gay woman helped redefine what heroism looks like. 

The festival closes on Sunday, June 1 with the 1995 independent classic Party Girl, starring Parker Posey as a hipster turned librarian. In a partnership with the St. Louis County Library, movie-goers will be able to apply for a library card and learn about everything our local libraries offer at the screening. In addition, the bookstore Novel Neighbor will be selling LGBTQ+ books in the lobby before and after the film. 

“At a time when LGBTQ+ rights are being challenged around the world, QFest and this year’s theme – Rebels and Revolutionaries –  reminds us that visibility itself is an act of defiance,” said Cinema St. Louis Festival Curator, Emmett Williams. “This festival honors the storytellers and trailblazers who’ve refused to stay silent—and invites a new generation to continue pushing boundaries through the power of film.”

Another festival highlight is the film 1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture. This documentary tells the story of the origins of the anti-gay movement within Christianity. Following the film, a panel of St. Louis religious leaders will discuss the issue, moderated by Rev. Lauren Bennett, Lead Pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church of Greater Saint Louis. 

The two QFest Shorts programs are free again through our Gay-It-Forward program. One of the programs will feature shorts from the United States, while the other is a collection of films from around the world. To help sustain free programming at QFest, please consider making a contribution at