With More Than 20 International, North American And East Coast Premieres From October 15 – 25; Celebrating 28 Years Of Film Diversity In South Florida
Award-winning historical drama La Bola Negra opens the internationally acclaimed LGBTQ+ Cultural Festival
The wait is over as the OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival unveils its full film lineup for this year’s Fall Edition running October 15 – 25 in South Florida. This edition brings more than 20 new international, North American, East Coast and Florida premieres from 20 countries to Broward and Miami-Dade counties! Buckle down for the return of the intriguing OUTshine After Dark, a thrilling Halloween-themed Centerpiece Film and afterparty, a locally produced documentary sneak preview and more special events, filmmaker panels and surprises created to unite South Florida cinephiles. Tickets are on sale now.
Internationally acclaimed as one of the largest LGBTQ+ cultural festivals in the world, this season’s OUTshine line-up reinforces the festival team’s commitment to artistic and cultural solidarity by offering vibrant, thought-provoking, entertaining and educational star-studded features, documentaries and shorts.
“The joy of OUTshine has always been that we are a comfortable place to experience films together – to join old friends and make new ones. This fall, we’ve filled our OUTshine program with the brightest stars, the most talented international filmmakers and seasonal surprises designed to delight, chill and thrill,” said Mark Gilbert, executive director, OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. “When our stories were being pushed off screens, out of libraries, and off stages. Telling them wasn’t just bold. It was necessary. For 28 years, we have kept the lights on for LGBTQ stories in South Florida and we will continue to stand strong, proud and united. We are not going anywhere.”
The festivities kick off in Broward on Thursday, October 15, at 7 p.m., with a screening of the award-winning historical drama La Bola Negra (Spain, France 2026) at Regal Dania Pointe. La Bola Negra, directed, co-written and produced by Cannes-winning directors Javier Calvo and Javier Ambrossi (Los Javis) weaves a tale of three gay men living across three generations who find their lives linked by love, loss, and an unfinished work by Federico García Lorca that echoes through Spain’s queer history. Calvo and Ambrossi’s La Bola Negra stars Spanish music sensation Guitarricadelafuente, Miguel Bernardeau, Carlos González, Milo Quifes, Lola Dueñas, Julio Torres, Penélope Cruz and Glenn Close. This ambitious drama is both a tribute to Lorca’s artistic legacy and a powerful celebration of resilience and self-expression. An afterparty will follow at Dania Pointe’s 14 North Daiquiri Bar.
On Saturday, October 17, beginning at 7:15 p.m., OUTshine’s Men’s & Ladies Spotlight Films debut at Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale (1820 E Sunrise Blvd). For the ladies, the tender, funny, and beautifully observed coming-of-age story about friendship, first love, grief, and the courage to embrace your authentic self are portrayed in Mouse (United States, 2026). For the men, the narrative drama Flesh & Fuel (Du Fioul dans les artères) (France, Poland, 2026) focuses on a lonely French truck driver who finds unexpected love with a Polish colleague, forcing both men to navigate the challenges of distance, work, and the possibility of a future together. An afterparty will follow at J.MARK’S RESTAURANT
OUTshine’s popular Cocktails & Cinema invites theatergoers to gather for drinks and camaraderie in both Fort Lauderdale and Miami! On Monday, October 19, Fort Lauderdale’s Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale will screen the Florida premiere of Loves Company (United States, 2026) and O Cinema South Beach (1130 Washington Ave #200, Miami Beach) will screen the local film, The Old Man and The Parrot (USA, 2026), and the locally produced short films Hogar, Brackish, and Duke. On Tuesday, October 20, at 7:15 p.m., Fort Lauderdale viewers will be treated to a sneak preview of the hometown feature The Drive (USA, 2026), a matter-of-fact documentary about the vibrant community of Wilton Manors which faces an uncertain future as Florida’s political climate grows increasingly hostile toward LGBTQ+ people. Through personal stories, colorful characters, and life along Wilton Drive, the film celebrates a resilient queer community determined to protect its home and identity. Simultaneously, Miami audiences will spend the evening with Bea Arthur: The Documentary (USA, 2026) chronicling the life and career of Bea Arthur – the LGBTQ+ ally behind some of television and theater’s most unforgettable characters.
Get ready for a chilling Centerpiece Film when the Florida premiere of the folk horror story No Rest for the Wicked (Faroe Islands, 2026) invades Savor Cinema (503 SE 6th St, Fort Lauderdale) on October 21, at 7:30 p.m. In the remote Faroe Islands, a young fisherman falls for a mysterious whaler, but their forbidden romance takes a dark turn when tragedy awakens a vampire curse that threatens to separate them forever. This haunting film will be followed by a spirited Halloween afterparty.
Latin films continue to share the spotlight as OUTshine presents Noche CineMundo at Silverspot Cinema Downtown Miami (300 SE 3rd St #100, Miami) on Friday, October 23, at 7 p.m., with the international premiere of Love on a Tightrope (Tal Vez) (Spain, 2026). Inspired by the real encounter between legendary trapeze artist Pinito del Oro and poet Natalia Sosa Ayala, the film shares the story of the intense emotional and creative bond between the women in 1960s Spain, blurring the line between memory, desire, and what might have been. For the men, the Florida premiere of Narciso (Paraguay, Brazil, Portugal, Germany, Spain, France, Uruguay, 2026) dramatizes the mysterious death of a charismatic rock star in 1959 Paraguay exposing the devastating cost of living openly under a brutal military dictatorship. The films are followed by the return of Outshine After Dark featuring the Southeast premiere of the horror film Corpus (USA, 2026), in which a young photographer follows the man he secretly loves to a remote estate, where an alluring invitation becomes a seductive nightmare of terror and survival.
Other festival highlights this season include the world premieres of The Mirror (Argentina, 2026) and The Fixation (La Fijación) (Argentina, United Kingdom, 2026), plus international premieres of Ballroom (France, 2026), Whispering Trees (Germany, 2026), and The Last Routine (Šampión) (Slovakia, Czech Republic, 2026). Heir to Secrets (L’Héritier des secrets) (Morocco, Canada, 2025) will make its U.S. premiere while East Coast premieres include the animated sci-fi romp Jim Queen (France, Belgium, 2026), The Golden Age (L’Âge d’Or) (France, Italy, 2026), A Good Child (好孩子) (Singapore, 2025), The Arrangement (L’Arrangement) (France, 2025), and Chica Checa (Czech Republic, France, Slovakia, 2026). I Am Mario (Soy Mario) (Mexico, 2026), a Southeast premiere, takes the Trans Spotlight slot while Labrador or the Autopsy of Silence (Labrador or Autopsie du silence) (Canada, 2026), Downtown (Netherlands, 2026), I Come Home (Canada, 2026), and Mineshaft: The Cruising Murders (United States, 2026) add to the regional Florida premieres.
Closing out this fall’s edition will be the Florida premiere of Before I Do (United States, 2026), a heartwarming romantic comedy, on Sunday, October 25, at 6 p.m., at the Little Haiti Cultural Complex (212 NE 59th Terrace, Miami). A groom-to-be’s bachelor weekend is thrown into disarray when unresolved feelings for his best man resurface, forcing everyone to reconsider what—and who—they’re celebrating. An all-out afterparty will follow the screening.
“We are proud to return with another impressive festival featuring LGBTQ films that deserve the spotlight; films in a wide variety of genres – from dramas, to comedies to science fiction and beyond – that speak to our shared human experiences,” said Joe Bilancio, director of programming, OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival. “We’re especially thrilled to showcase our local filmmakers and personal stories such as The Drive which document real people and real struggles in our own backyard. As South Florida is a true melting pot, we’re pleased offer creative and inspiring films that bridge cultural and generational divides. Bring your family. Bring your friends and join us in celebrating solidarity and belonging.
The festival continues with select films available for OUTshine At-Home viewing from October 26 – November 1.
This year’s OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Fall Edition is made possible with the support of Miami-Dade County Tourist Development Council, the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, the Cultural Affairs Council, the Miami-Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners as well with the support of the City of Miami Beach, Cultural Affairs Program, Cultural Arts Council. Support has also been provided from the Broward County Cultural Division, who is supported by the Broward County Board of County Commissioners. This program was also made possible by a joint grant from The Our Fund Foundation and support from FAB! Funding Arts Broward.
It is presented by CAN Community Health and HotSpots! Media/It’s Happening Out. The Premiere sponsor is Gilead and Grand sponsors are Google, Wilton River Suites, and Paradigm Cinemas: Gateway Fort Lauderdale. Major sponsors are PreventionX, QCare+, Delta, Tito’s and AHF. Supporting sponsors are Latino Salud, Fast Printz and Planet Printers. Media partners include Culture Owl, The Bulletin, I Love Gay Movies, EDGE Media, Miami Herald, El Nuevo Herald, MOCHEE, TampaBayGay.com, OUT SFL, OutClique, queerguru.com, Wire magazine, Skirt South Florida and GPR| Goodman Public Relations. Screening and Community sponsors are J. Mark’s Restaurant, Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau, Total Wine & More and Broward Arts Calendar.
Ticket subscription packages and individual tickets start at $17. OUTshine passholders and Producer Circle members receive priority advance ticket purchase opportunities. For a full listing of films, parties, special events and more and to purchase tickets, visit outshinefilm.com.
About OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival
The OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival, celebrating its 28th year and 46th edition, is a bi-annual film festival with a mission to inspire, entertain, and educate; encouraging a sense of community through international and culturally diverse film, video and other media that offer historical, contemporary and entertaining perspectives on the LGBTQ+ experience. Launched separately – in 1998, as The Miami Gay & Lesbian Film Festival, and in 2008, as the Fort Lauderdale Gay & Lesbian Film Festival – both were brought together under one brand to become OUTshine Film Festival, underscoring its brightness, broad appeal and dynamic multicultural locations, the nonprofit festival is critically and internationally acclaimed as one of the largest LGBTQ+ cultural arts happenings in the world. OUTrageous. OUTspoken. And OUTstanding in what we deliver. For more information and tickets, visit outshinefilm.com and follow us on Facebook @OUTshineFilmFestival, on Twitter @OUTshineFilm and on Instagram @OUTshineFilm.
The OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival Fall Edition returns to South Florida October 15 – 25, with At-Home viewing available beginning October 26.
Internationally acclaimed as one of the largest LGBTQ+ cultural festivals in the world, this season’s OUTshine line-up hits Broward and Miami-Dade counties with vibrant thought-provoking, entertaining and educational star-studded features, documentaries and shorts. This year’s festival poster was designed by Miami artist Brian Butler.
All film stills are courtesy of their respective productions. | Content courtesy of The OUTshine LGBTQ+ Film Festival
