Opening Night “Magical Fantastical” bestows the night with sparkling delight, from the sorcery of stereotypes that threaten a bisexual Chicana and the loving allure of femme friends to the rites of queer community through Cumbia, these charming films summon the fanstastic.

Film builds power. It can either reinforce bias, or amplify the voices of the unheard and the forcibly silenced. It is also the most expensive art form in the world. Costs for Hollywood films are at $1 million per finished minute, and rising. The high costs of filmmaking equate to de facto censorship. Join independent queer women of color and transgender people of color filmmakers as they talk about the impact of money and the magic they invoke to create authentic images of our vulnerable communities.

“Wages of Injustice” reveals the sleight of hand it takes to live and love amidst poverty and income inequality. From a young man without money to honor his imprisoned father’s death, to the toxic harbingers of maqulidoras, from the sparkle of nail salons to queer & trans sex workers, these films reveal the smoke and mirrors of work, and wages.

“Encuentros Con Amor” is a remarkable international program of queer & trans films from Latin America that includes QWOCMAP Films from Tijuana, Mexico. From a Trans Latina’s promising dream to a chance encounter with an inner child, from the summoning of liberation from gender roles, to powerful incantations of self, these films manifest encounters with love.

“Haven Bound,” summons the blessings of family from an Asian mother and daughter facing loss to safe havens for Black women, from the grace of Lebanese-Palestinian families to the adoption of all kinds of kids, these films invoke the blessing of wholeness.