Film Fest comes to Chicago

QUEER EXPRESSION FILM FEST announces two premieres at FACETS, and 11 new films as BEST OF THE FEST for Spring 2025.

• BLOCK PASS from France screens at FACETS on March 25,

• CHERUB from Canada screens at FACETS on April 29.

• QUEER EXPRESSION FILM FEST selected 11 films as BEST OF THE FEST. with four programs streaming between April 9 and May 13.

Screeners available on request

Find Best of Fest Posters, Stills, Directors, and Trailers

CHICAGO – QUEER EXPRESSION FILM FEST and has announced its slate of LGBT-themed feature, mid-length, and short films in March, April and May, with both in person and streaming events. The films come from eight countries: France, Canada, Iran, Bangladesh, Mexico, Denmark. Serbia and the United States.

QE Film Fest continues in-person screenings during the last week of each month with BLOCK PASS from France screens at FACETS on March 25, and CHERUB from Canada screens at FACETS on March 25.  Facets is at 1517 W Fullerton in Lincoln park. Both screenings are at 7 pm and are followed by a talk back in the Facets Lounge.

The QUEER EXPRESSION FILM FEST, now in its 12th year, announced 11 films as BEST OF THE FEST with four programs streaming between April 9 and May 13.

• BEST OF FEST SHORTS April 9 to 22

• BEST OF FEST MID-LENGTH FILMS April 16 to 29

• BEST OF FEST FEATURE WARM FILM April 23 to May 6

• BEST OF FEST FEATURE IT’S ALWAYS BEEN ME April 30 to May 13

QUEER EXPRESSION is sponsored by Open Space Arts, and tickets and details can be found at openspacearts.org. Tickets for in-person screenings are $15. Tickets for streaming events are $12

BLOCK PASS screens at FACETS on March 25 at 7 pm.

100 minutes, France, directed by Antoine Chevrollier

In this coming of age film from, Willy and Jojo are childhood friends who never leave each other’s side. Training at the motocross track is their way to beat boredom. One evening everything changes in this portrait of fathers and sons, and Best Friends Forever.

CHERUB screens at FACETS on March 25 at 7 pm.

74 minutes, Canada, directed by Devin Shears

This gentle character study has almost no dialogue. Rather, writer/director Devin Shears observes what to some is an ordinary life. But that life changes when Harvey makes a discovery at his local porn store. Recently featured in London’s BFI Film Fest.

BEST OF FEST SHORTS stream April 9 to 22

MASC FOR MASC, USA, 6 minutes, directed by Max Larsen

Jeremy, a lovable but insecure queer man, is going through a ritual for love with his gay ride or die besties when a knock sounds at the door. His impossibly hot and mysterious new neighbor, whose sexuality is up for debate, suddenly asks to hangout. In order to impress the neighbor, Jeremy adopts a hyper-masculine persona to win him over, enlisting his outspoken group of friends to help sell the act.. Masc for Masc is a hilarious and heartfelt 90s-style rom-com about love, friendship, and owning who you are.

PLAID SKIRTS, USA, 8 minutes, directed by Kat Durel

Plaid Skirts is a short film about a moment in time when a teenage boy, his younger sister, and his aunt go school uniform shopping one afternoon. The adolescent hormones run high as Mickey steps out of what may be expected of him. His aunt, struggling with her sense of responsibility with the kids, has a tendency to react fast and fiercely, creating more distance. But ultimately, the family bond is too strong, and sibling love reigns supreme with a heartwarming ending that may bring a smile to your face.

REGRET, Islamic Republic of Iran, 9 minutes, directed by Mostafa Shokouhi

A boy has to bring his father to school because of a fight with a classmate, but his mother prevents him from coming because his father is transgender.

SONDESH, Bangladesh, 10 minutes, directed by Humaira Hannan Snigdha

Farhana’s seemingly content marriage to her husband hides her longing for a deeper connection. A chance encounter with another woman, Nisha, ignites the spark within Farhana. She is forced to confront her true desires and navigate a world that is hostile of their identities. When Nisha’s sudden departure coincides with a life-changing revelation from Farhana’s husband, Farhana must deal with love, loss, and discouragement. She must face her authenticity in the face of societal pressure.

TAMPON, Mexico, 11 minutes, directed by Carla Adell

In a school’s bathroom, two young women will start a conversation triggered by a tampon. As they interact, they will share personal experiences, discuss what it means to be a woman, and the difficulty of acceptance regarding gender identity issues. The conversation highlights themes of personal acceptance, gender identity, and the importance of empathy and mutual support.

THE EXPIRATION OF PROMISES, USA,13 minutes, directed by Brooke Scott

In 1996, 12-year-old best friends Charlotte and Raven made a promise to each other. Years later, when a high school reunion reunites the two, a secret threatens to complicate their childhood commitment and forces Raven to reevaluate her increasingly complex feelings toward her friend.

BLACK PENDULUM, France, 12 minutes, directed by Mathilde Algans and Théo Michel

Shortly after a tragic accident that took the life of her girlfriend, Ambre, a young writer, has a coffee with Jade, her editor and childhood friend. All their lives, the two women were inseparable and full of ambition, but their friendship is now overwhelmed by resentment and guilt. To overcome their grief, they must give up what was once their greatest strength.

BEST OF FEST MID-LENGTH FILMS stream April 16 to 29

ARTISTS AT THE EDGE, USA, 37 minutes, directed by Patrick A Riviere

A short documentary film about “otherness” and two remarkable queer artists continuing to create at a moment when hard fought freedoms are being threatened in a polarized society. The heart of the film highlights the lives and works of these Provincetown artists who each found themselves six feet from stardom: Kenny Lockwood (a senior LGBTQ+ identifying painter, musician and herbalist) and Darlene Van Alstyne (a BIPOC LGBTQ+ identifying woman and singer, dancer and actress). The film, shot entirely in Provincetown, embraces creativity, equality and action at a time when our democracy stands on a precipice.

SUNFLOWERS AT NIGHT, France, 23 minutes, directed by Quentin Delcourt

Back in his hometown to celebrate the success of his latest book, David learns that his assistant and friend, Michael, is going to become a father. Shaken by this discovery, the young author must confront his truth and understand who he has become, especially when Sasha Cohen, a past love, suddenly reappears that same evening. Faced with these two surprises, David wonders: can he still fit into the mold he has built for himself?

BEST OF FEST FEATURE – WARM FILM streams April 23 to May 6

Serbia, 92 minutes, directed by Dragan Jovićević

Two young actors receive an offer to play in a movie with homosexual love scenes. Torn between the desire to become famous and the fear of being labeled, they begin to explore how this topic was portrayed throughout the history of Yugoslav cinema. What did the presence of queers in cinema, through the decades, actually mean?

BEST OF FEST FEATURE – ITS ALWAYS BEEN ME streams April 23 to May 6

Denmark, 72 minutes, directed by Julie Bezerra Madsen

A touching and modern story about two young people who don’t identify with the gender they were assigned at birth, and about the importance of having an understanding family when making choices that will change the rest of your life.