Queer Movies To Watch In Seattle

It’s Pride Month and if you actually like GOING out to a cinema to see a film, there’s a bunch of LGBTQ+ programming going on in the next few weeks.

In the University District, hit up the Grand Illusion to check out this great new documentary, QUEENDOM about a performance artist dragging it up in Russia, a country not very hospitable to LGBTQ+ life.

In defiance of Russia’s anti-LGTBQ laws, a queer, 21-year-old artist risks her life performing in surreal costumes throughout Moscow. Jenna Marvin’s radical public performances blend artistry and activism in this acclaimed new documentary.

• Friday, Jun 14, 2024, 7:00pm
• Saturday, Jun 15, 2024, 3:30pm
• Sunday, Jun 16, 2024, 7:15pm
• Monday, Jun 17, 2024, 7:30pm
• Wednesday, Jun 19, 2024, 7:30pm
• Saturday, Jun 22, 2024, 2:15pm

https://grandillusioncinema.org/film/queendom

Meanwhile, the Northwest Film Forum on Capitol Hill has several special events to choose from:

June 15 at 4:30pm
Moving History – The Queercrow Archive vol. 2 [In-Person Only]
A presentation of Scarecrow Video, Moving Image Preservation of Puget Sound, and NWFF

Among Scarecrow Video’s vast physical media archive one will find shelves loaded with VHS-only treasures: analog releases of feature films, instructional videos, DIY presentations, and all manner of cultural ephemera that never made the leap to digital formats. With the archivists at Moving Image Preservation of Puget Sound, Scarecrow has been working to digitize these releases and preserve these irreplaceable objects of our cultural heritage.

Seattle’s queer roots run deep, and in its 35 years, Scarecrow has absorbed a share of that history. Come prepared to be enchanted and enlightened as we dive into this newly digitized treasure trove and present some highlights of queer culture from Seattle and around the globe! • TICKETS + INFO

There’s also TIME (DIS)ORIENTED: RADICAL QUEER PASTS, PRESENTS, AND FUTURES, a series of three screenings co-produced with the Fruitbowl Podcast. They’ll be taking a look at two classic queer films from the past and one very current film:

This June, the Forum presents TIME (DIS)ORIENTED: RADICAL QUEER PASTS, PRESENTS, AND FUTURES, a series of three queer films from across time and space that present radical understandings of the ways we create identities and connection with others in hopes of becoming our fully-realized selves. From vintage gay erotica to neon-soaked coming-of-age stories, each of these films forges new paths for thinking of our collective growth towards liberation.

• PASSING STRANGERS (1974, dir. Arthur J. Bressan, Jr.) June 5-9
• I SAW THE TV GLOW (2024, dir. Jane Schoenbrun) June 12-16
• BORN IN FLAMES (1983, dir. Lizzie Borden) June 22-23

What do roving gangs of women on bikes, TV-obsessed teens, and an intergenerational gay couple all have in common? QUEER RADICALISM!

There’s even more fun gay film events at the Forum this month…including a benefit screening for Lambert House, a retrospective of queer films from Barbara Hammer, and a Super Secret Pride Screening:

June 21 at 6pm
Giving and Glam: A Fundraiser Supporting Lambert House [In-Person Only]

The queer youth advocates at Lambert invite you to rub elbows with local activists and allies as we enjoy live music together, featuring a mix of Pride anthems and original songs from The Wandering Now, followed by a screening of Hedwig and the Angry Inch! • TICKETS + INFO

and:

June 22 at 7pm
Hammer Me Queer [In-Person Only]
Presented by Interbay Cinema Society, on 16mm film. 18+ only!

Curated by local filmmaker Hogan Seidel, this special screening series offers a unique opportunity to experience three of pioneering filmmaker Barbara Hammer’s most influential films projected on 16mm: Nitrate Kisses, Endangered, and Multiple Orgasm.

Hammer, known for her innovative and experimental approach to filmmaking, has left an indelible mark on the world of queer cinema. Her work delves into the intricate relationship between queerness and art-making, exploring how the tools and integrity of analog film embody both fragility and monumentality of queer existence. “Hammer Me Queer” is sure to inspire, challenge, and titillate everyone who attends! • TICKETS + INFO

and:

June 27 at 7pm | Secret Pride Screening 2024 [In-Person Only] After last year’s inter-gay-lactic adventure, we’re back with another SECRET screening to kick off Pride Weekend! As always, we can’t say much about the movie, but this is an electrifyingly queer story unlike any you’ve seen before. You’ll laugh, cry, and never answer the phone the same way again.