Frameline strikes gold to mark its fabulous rainbow-ready 50th anniversary festival, one that’s jam-packed with 140 films showcasing the best that LGBTQ+ movie-making has to offer.
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The San Francisco International LGBTQ+ Film Festival runs June 17-27 with screenings in San Francisco — including a triumphant return to the Castro Theatre — along with screenings in the East Bay. And fear not, North Bay queer cinema fans, you can join in on this Pride party. Frameline continues to be a co-presenter with the California Film Institute and gains early access to some of the fest choicest titles during the fourth annual CAFILM Pride event, running June 12-14 (more information is at rafaelfilm.cafilm.org/pride-2026).
Recognized for being the biggest and longest running film festival of its kind in the world, the programming offers many tempting titles that will bring filmmakers and actors to the Bay Area. In addition to the 14 films we’ve seen and recommend here, interest is on high for the romance “Girls Like Girls” and the already lauded closing night feature, director Jane Schoenbrun’s “Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma” with award-winning actors Hannah Einbinder (of “Hacks” fame) and Gillian Anderson.
Here are 14 to check out:
“Lady Champagne”: D’Arcy Drollinger uncorks a new bubbly, punch-drunk San Francisco-set drag confection and darling it’s funnier than her first wacky outing. Our heroine Champagne Horowitz Jones Dickerson White (Drollinger) confronts imminent peril and the unfathomable possibility about wearing orange (oh, the horror) when she gets framed for a murder she didn’t commit. Dollinger’s “Lady Champagne” made me laugh time and again, and is an ideal selection to kick off the fest. Screening: 7:30 p.m. June 17, the Castro.
“Sparks”: Queer cinephiles should expect to fall in love with Fergus Campbell’s wonderfully strange, snappy coming-of-age dramedy set in, of course, Sparks, Nev. A French-Wave-obsessed transplant from Arizona — played by Elsie Fisher (“Booksmart”) — chums around at a deserted drive-in with a group of bored-to-death teens who wish they were anywhere but in Sparks. (Never fear, San Francisco hot spots get featured as well). A portal that would please Boots Riley teleports one of them to the place of their dreams. “Sparks” is quite a ride and quite a find from talented newcomer Campbell, who grew up in Mill Valley for a bit. Screening: 8:30 p.m. June 15, the Roxie.
“Adam’s Apple”: Amy Jenkins’ DIY documentary warms the heart, as if you stumbled upon a chest stuffed with cherished family snapshots and memorabilia. It captures with tenderness the love Jenkins shares with her son as he grows from child to adult. Shot over eight years in the rural New Hampshire town where the Jenkins family lives, it chronicles Adam’s gender transition along with the everyday joys Amy experiences from being a parent, along with the struggles inherent of being a teen as well a parent of a teen. It’s a caring film that celebrates the quiet yet steely resiliency of LGBTQ families, and is one of the best documentaries of 2026. Screening: 5:30 p.m. June 19, the Roxie.
“Leviticus”: Two teens (Joe Bird and Stacy Clausen, both giving breakout performances) find themselves stuck in a rural and sanctimonious Australian town and sneak away to a rundown mill where they wrestle, fool around a bit and find a deep connection. In a moment of jealousy one outs the other, and that serves as a catalyst for one of the most novel concepts in a horror film of late — the appearance of a homicidal doppelganger who is a dead ringer for the person they desire. Director/writer Adrian Chiarella’s scary, sexy and unforgettable debut clocks in at under 90 minutes, but says so much and works on every level, including as a scorching-hot romance. Screening: 9 p.m. June 17, the Roxie.
“Test”: Brock Yurich not only wrote the tear-your-heart-out screenplay but gives a crusher of a performance as closeted amateur Ohio bodybuilder and part-time camboy Eddie Owens. First-time director Sam McConnell’s gritty sports-themed character study gives us a lonely and likable guy trying to grab a rung in the tough world of amateur bodybuilding. Eddie is in dire need of a better life, one that will distance him from the clutches of his controlling, religious mom (Tammy Blanchard) and perhaps thrust him into the chiseled arms of his coach (Mike Edward). Nothing rings false here. Nothing. Screening: 2:30 p.m. June 25, the Roxie.
“Drunken Noodles”: Lucio Castro’ erotic summer drama plays around with time and adds in some unexpected helpings of magical realism, and it doesn’t hold back with the sexy stuff either. Elliptical but pleasing, it drops in on horny art student Adnan (Laith Khalifeh, in his white underpants much of the time) as he goes through various encounters during two summers — from hookups in the park to group sex and on to no sex with a person he’s partnered with. Castro’s followup to fest fave “End of the Century” bathes in esotericism and often comes off like a contemporary “A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream.” It captivated me throughout. Screening: 6:30 p.m. June 21, the Castro.
“Hunky Jesus”: Ever wonder what goes down during San Francisco’s annual queer tradition — the Hunky Jesus contest? Jennifer M. Kroot’s saucy documentary reserves us a spot on the lawn at Mission Dolores Park, where Jesus wannabes of all stripes compete for the coveted title. In between, we hear from queer treasures such as Sister Roma talking about the history behind this outrageous, jubilant Bay Area occasion. Screening: 6 p.m. June 26, Castro Theatre.
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“The Dads”: For three years running, a group of fathers with trans or nonbinary children gather for companionship and to share their feelings about their love and fear for their children under the Trump Administration. In between, they go fishing and just hang out. Director Luchina Fisher expands on her short Netflix doc and introduces us to a number of devoted dads — including the Bay Area’s Wayne Maines, of Stanford University — as well as their families. All are dealing with blow after blow from anti-trans legislation sweeping across America. “The Dads” is an incisive, timely documentary that illustrates how important it is to find a community that supports and advocates for a better way — even when you have to move to another country to keep your child safe. Screenings: 4 p.m. June 14 at Smith Rafael Film Center, San Rafael; 4 p.m. June 19 at the Castro.
“I Want Your Sex”: Gregg Araki is back to his sexy, ribald hijinks again with a hilarious raunchfest built around a HR nightmare of a relationship between a highly inappropriate and sexual artist gallery owner (Olivia Wilde) and her sexually repressed new hire (Cooper Hoffman). Oakland native Daveed Diggs has a grand time too in this wild celebration of kinky head and body games. A perfect pick for Pride. Screening: 6:15 p.m. June 19, the Castro.
“Barbara Forever”: Groundbreaking filmmaker Barbara Hammer was a fixture in the Bay Area — namely Sonoma County — for a short stint, and her influence extends now throughout the world. She was one of the few prolific creators of experimental films, short and long, that sensually and poetically honored the lesbian community. This astonishingly edited feature from Brydie O’Connor teems with clips and videos and pays tribute to the late trailblazer to which current and future generations owe a debt of gratitude. Screening: 8:45 p.m. June 25, the Castro.
“Downtown”: A trio of friends who partied and hooked up at an Amsterdam bar called Downtown in the mid-’80s awkwardly reunite in 2021 and reflect — via flashback — on their youthful selves and their present guilt about having survived the AIDS plague. Director Michiel Van Erp draws memorable performances from his cast while screenwriter Frank Houtappels’ wistful story reminds us of a bygone era and how reconciling with your past can sometimes be the hardest thing to do. Screening: 1:15 p.m. June 21, the Castro.
“Maddie’s Secret”: The multitalented John Early not only writes and directs but stars as climbing-up-the-ladder food influencer Maddie Ralph, who’s harboring a secret in this daring melodrama. Early walks a precarious tightrope here, chiding message-themed movies and specials of yore while plumbing Maddie’s psyche, one that’s been shaken to bits by the acts of an abrasive, horrible mom (also played by Early). Actors Kate Berlant and Eric Rahill lend Early strong support. Screening: 3 p.m. June 25, the Castro.
“Strange River”: An idyllic family biking vacation unfolds over one mysterious summer along a German river and it opens a door for 15-year-old Didac (Jan Monter) to explore his sexuality with another enigmatic teen. Like “Drunken Noodles,” director Jaume Claret Muxart’s atmospheric, surreal-tinged coming-out story dabbles in some puzzling moments. It also includes a beautiful piano-playing sequence that is flat-out transcendent. Give this one a shot, it’s quite good. Screening: 5:30 p.m. June 24, the Vogue, San Francisco.
“Loves Company”: Jason Laurits takes a Stephen King “Misery” scenario — an endearing wackadoodle (“Saturday Night Live’s” Rachel Dratch) in the Everglades saves her fading game-show idol (Jack Plotnick) after a car accident — and milks it for all the laughs you’d expect when you have these two great comedians as your stars. While the comparisons to “Misery” are sort of apt, “Loves Company” reminded me a lot of Del Shores cult fave “Sordid Lives.” If you liked that one, you’re in for a treat here. Be on the lookout for San Francisco drag queen Lady Camden in a small role. Screening: 3 p.m. June 27, the Castro.
Contact Randy Myers at [email protected].
FRAMELINE50
When: June 17-27
Where: Various Bay Area theaters, including The Castro, Roxie and Vogue in San Francisco; Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (BAMPFA) in Berkeley, and New Parkway Theater in Oakland.
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Tickets, more information: www.frameline.org
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