q29 second annual film festival

SLAY ALL DAY: QUEER HORROR (OPENING GALA)  Do you know what loves to go bump in the night?  Blood-thirsty oranges, killer drag  queens, and a Crab Man!  You’ll find that and much more in this queer horror block.   Gala hosted by Mr. Her.  Performances by Obsidienne Obsurd, Darren Wave, and Beautox Rocks.  Free Rocky’s Pizza (first come, first served).  Raffle with prizes from  Desert Rat Roasters, Very Very, and JT Distilling Co - and more!  

Blood Oranges  Dir. Steve Flavin (USA) TRT: 5 min  An unsuspecting shopper brings home a bag of carnivorous fruit.   

SCRUMPTIOUS   Dir. Paul Jacob Presley (USA) TRT: 8 min  A foxy thief gets more than she bargained for when a routine money drop turns to terror.  

Dry January Dir. C.J. Arellano  (USA) TRT: 19 min  When Maya commits to a month of sobriety and takes up sculpting as a hobby, her crab  sculptures terrorize her former drinking buddy, her brother Toby.

The Last Story on Earth   Dir. Aaron Immediato (USA) TRT: 18 min  Facing angry protesters, a determined drag queen does her best to finish a fairy tale reading at the local library. But when an alien invasion upends Earth’s existence, the  queen encounters new challenges that carry terrifying outcomes for humanity. Trapped  within the library, her storytelling skills are suddenly put to extraordinary tests,  jeopardizing the lives of the last humans on Earth — the families who’ve cherished her  stories and the protesters who’ve scorned them. Ultimately, it is the supreme power of  imagination that holds the key to both the queen’s survival and the invaders’  domination. 

Minister Chucky - California Premiere  Dir. Graham Kolbeins & Jonathan Andre Culliton (Canada/USA) TRT: 11 min  As the specter of rising fascism looms, a queer couple celebrates their love with an  unconventional Vegas wedding—officiated by Chucky, the killer doll—before making  their escape to Canada. Filmmakers Graham Kolbeins and Jonathan Andre Culliton  document their wild, heartfelt journey, offering a uniquely trans and nonbinary  perspective on love, resistance, and the absurdity of our times.   

Butterfly Kiss  Dir. Zohar Dvir (Germany) TRT: 10 min  Carol panics and argues with her girlfriend Ray after an unexpected proposal. The  situation gets worse when she wakes up in an apocalyptic reality and terribly discovers  that Ray has transformed into a butterfly. Ray's transformation, the invasion of the  outside world into their home, and the growing tension between the two threaten their  relationship. Carol is afraid of losing Ray... but devoting yourself to your girlfriend could come at a price.   

QUEENS OF DRAMA (FEATURE)  Dir. Alexis Langlois (France) TRT: 114 min  Pop diva Mimi Madamour's career peaks in 2005 before spiraling downwards due to her  tumultuous love affair with punk icon Billie Kohler, their passionate and rage-fueled  relationship playing out on stage for half a century.   

WIGGING OUT:  COMEDY, CAMP, AND DRAG  The finest collection of B movies, dramatic drag, and twisted animated visions coalesce  into a strange stew that must be seen to be believed.  

Lipsync Assassin  Dir. Jon Galvez (Philippines) TRT:  21 min  Sampaguita, a fabulous drag queen, moonlights as a hired killer to earn extra money  and provide a good life for her talented daughter and sickly mother. Just when she  thought she could handle any contract killing mission, her new target tests how far she  can go to support her loved ones.   

The 2007 Miss Southern Diva Pageant  Dir. Levi Maxine Johnson (USA) TRT:  4 min  On the night of the 2007 Miss Southern Diva Pageant, Sasha Cunt & her best friend Balls are RUNNING LATE! One dead deer, a car chase, and a gay singalong later can  the two drag artists make it on time for the pageant?  

Just Girlythings   Dir. Veda Sage Simone Fuller (USA) TRT:  1 min  As girls we are told becoming a woman is the most important thing that will ever happen  to us we all sit there excited to get our periods feeling left out watching our friends bleed. FUCK THAT. As an intersex person assigned female at birth my period HURT all  it ever did for me was make me bleed for month at a time. This film is an artistic rendition of the time my period sent me to the hospital.  

Rent, Please!   Dir. Jaanan Mirza Pandya (USA) TRT:  3 min  While living together, two drag-performing roommates struggle to find balance with one  another until they're forced to team up and work together in order to take down their evil  landlord, who is trying to evict them.  

When I Run  Dir. Mauricio Momo Meneses (USA) TRT:  9 min  When I Run is a magical realism short film that blends humor, surreal moments, and  quiet reflection to explore the struggle of getting out of bed and moving forward  physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Set in the quiet, open landscapes of rural Raton,  in Northeast New Mexico, Mario, a hesitant early-morning runner, grapples with  self-doubt, internal contradictions, and everyday temptations as he loops the track,  searching for meaning in motion.  Though absurd at times, the film invites viewers to  reflect on deeper questions of self-discovery, guilt, escapism, and the nature of  progress. Life, like running, isn’t always about speed, but about presence, pace, and the  people beside us.  

G L O R Y   Dir. Kai Kim (USA) TRT:  13 min  When Benji’s long-term boyfriend, Sam, dies suddenly in a freak hot dog cart accident,  Benji finds himself vacillating between grief-stricken catatonia and manic horniness. His  fixation on glory holes in particular leads him to Ari, an unconventional therapist, who  guides Benji on a psychedelic journey through his own queer consciousness via the  glory hole in his mind. Benji navigates shame, fear, piles of hot dogs, and a series of  queer supervillains, on the road to understanding himself and his sexuality outside the  context of his relationship with Sam.   

Man of God   Dir. Jon Hook (USA) TRT:  14 min  After losing his lover & his church, David, a closeted preacher in the 1980s Deep South,  comes to inherit his estranged father's Miami nightclub — pitting him against his  dangerous stepmother & plunging him into a world that could be his ruin or his rebirth.  

The King - World Premiere  Dir. Mirene Castelltort (New Zealand) TRT:  9 min  After attending a Drag King show, closeted Ramona embarks on a journey of  self-acceptance and performing on stage.  

After What Happened at the Library  Dir. Syra McCarthy, Kyle Casey Chu (USA) TRT:  15 min In the wake of a terrifying  encounter, an overwhelmed drag queen struggles under the weight of public attention.  Inspired by Kyle Casey Chu’s viral true story.  

UNDER THE JOSHUA TREES:  QUEER DESERT STORIES (GALA)  A collection of desert-based talent and stories, featuring the latest work from local  filmmakers and celebrating the cinematic landscape of the desert.  Performances by Mr.  Her, Darren Wave, and Obsidienne Obsurd.  Raffle with prizes by Very Very, Joshua  Tree Distilling Co., Vintage by Delilah - and more!  

Gummy Worms - World Premiere  Dir. Sophie Lee Bennett (USA) TRT: 10 min  Teenage Bunny confronts grief and looming danger as ze reckons with the loss of zir  other half in a post-apocalyptic world where gender no longer exists and nothing is as it  seems.   

Old Girl in a Tutu: Susan Rennie Disrupts Art History   Dir. Cheri Gaulke (USA) TRT: 8 min  Feminist scholar, Susan Rennie, seizes her iPhone and sneaks her queer, octogenarian  body into master works of art, disrupting the narrative of the male gaze.   

Thoughts and Prayers   Dir. Roxanne Manders, Ella Richie Teresa DeMaria (USA) TRT: 10 min  A transgender angel crash lands in the desert and finds her way to Las Vegas, where  she is exposed to earthly pleasures.   

Nova - World Premiere  Dir. Olivia Roberts (USA) TRT: 19 min  Miriam and JoJo, exes living in the same building, reconnect with only 27 hours left  before the end of the world. Accompanied by their neighbor's dog, they decide to search  for an abandoned military base, all while navigating their complicated feelings about  their relationship and the looming apocalypse.  

Outage   Dir. Graham Kolbeins (Canada/USA) TRT: 15 min  With the heat threatening a grid outage, a queer couple sets out on their “perfect desert  day.” There’s just one hitch: their bored pre-teen nephew is tagging along. But if  anything can get him out of his video game, maybe it’s an encounter with a visitor from  outer space.   

Roughing It   Dir. Michael D. Cohen (USA) TRT: 16 min  A trans teen and her mom must survive a night of winter camping after being challenged  by her politically incorrect uncle.  

SHOWGIRLS (FEATURE)  Dir. Paul Verhoeven (USA) TRT: 131 min  In this 1995 camp classic, a mysterious young drifter who calls herself Nomi Malone  hitches a ride to Las Vegas, where she finds work as a stripper and sets about clawing  her way to the top of the Vegas showgirls.

PONYBOI (FEATURE)  Dir. Esteban Arango (USA) TRT: 103 min  Unfolding over the course of Valentine's Day in New Jersey, a young intersex sex  worker must run from the mob after a drug deal goes sideways, forcing him to confront  his past. 103 minutes.

Preceded by:  Grace  Dir. Alexandra Grey (USA) TRT:  19 min  In 1986, a resilient black trans woman defies all odds by forging a music career during  the height of the AIDS epidemic.  

QUEER PLANET: INTERNATIONAL SHORTS  Travel the world of modern queer cinema as we celebrate stories from all over the  rainbow and across the globe.  Directors in this program hail from Thailand, Spain,  Russia, Iran and Palestine.  

My Endless Eclipse   Dir. Bijan Aarabi (Iran) TRT: 14 min  A transgender woman has hidden her gender identity all her life. To escape a forced  marriage, she is forced to flee her country. But she falls into the hands of human  traffickers.   

Palcorecore - US Premiere  Dir. Dana Dawud (Palestine) TRT: 6 min  Palcorecore by Dana Dawud is a chilling, mesmerizing series of dances and repurposed  archival footage that circulated on the internet in and around Palestine.   

For Sheyda - North American Premiere  Dir. Meysam Shamsi (Iran) TRT: 14 min  "For Sheyda" is a suspenseful coming-of-age story about a teenage girl determined to  escape the constraints of her society. In a daring plan to fund her migration and gender  transition, she decides to steal her grandmother’s gold. As the journey unfolds, Sheyda  faces choices that redefine courage, identity, and the meaning of family in a delicate  balance between dreams and reality.   

Abby Stein   Dir. Yulia Starostina (Russia/USA) TRT: 6 min  Through thoughtful storytelling and striking visuals, Yulia Starostina captures Abby  Stein’s journey as a transgender woman and Congregational Rabbi, shedding light on  the intersection of gender, faith, and personal freedom. Her work invites viewers to  reflect on the courage it takes to live one’s truth and the importance of creating space  for everyone to be seen and heard.   

Ethereal Creature   Dir. Tinshine Mont (Thailand) TRT: 19 min  Gene persuades her close friend, Tien, to go to the mythical forest to return the stolen Naripon fruit to the God of Naripon.   

A Ghosting Story - US Premiere  Dir. Iñaki Goldaracena (Spain/Chile) TRT: 8 min  An interior monologue mourns a past relationship. In the present, the revenge plan of a  broken heart. 8 mins.  

Intervention - International Premiere  Dir. Kamonkarn Samutratanakul (Thailand) TRT: 30 min  Lin sits alone at a bar, where she meets Jane, an alluring but unpredictable woman.  They decide to spend the night together. As the night progresses, their forgotten  problems and insecurities threaten to ruin the blossoming relationship.   

The Golden Coyote Awards (Gala)  A variety award show of epic proportions!  Hosted for the second year by Obsidienne Obsurd with special honoree Brian Michael Smith. Featuring performances from Mr. Her, Obsidienne Obsurd, and Darren Wave, a selection of music videos, and Brian  Michael Smith’s short film “Deep Dish Dimples.” Free cake from Joshua Tree Cakery  (first come, first served). Raffle with prizes from Habitat, Scorpion Lollipop and 29 Loaves - and more! 

Born Again   Dir. Mary Evans (USA) TRT:  5 min  The official music video for Freak Daddy's "Born 

Again" featured on his debut album  S.G.S.M. (Sorry, god. Sorry, mom).  

Cocksure  Dir. Lauren Wolpert (USA) TRT:  3 min  Gillie Dean (played by multi-media chicken artist) as Luke Warm in the PG 1X  “Cocksure.”  

Where Are You From? - International Premiere  Dir. Stevie Vickery (Australia) TRT:  6 min  A doco-style music film, introducing Melbourne-based musician and debut film maker Naavikaran and her South Asian futurist lore.

Corto y Libero   Dir. Matías "Lucho" Viera (Uruguay) TRT:  3 min  Corto y Libero - Andy Falcone Ft Fabik.  Drive - North American Premiere  Dir. Sam Sullivan, Taylor Hughes (USA) TRT:  4 min  A woman disappears into the city’s after‑hours glow, her guitar and suitcase crammed  into the backseat. The road becomes both refuge and reckoning — a dreamlike limbo  between what she’s leaving and where she’s headed.  

Super Smash Bros  Dir. Kai Kim (Norway) TRT:  4 min  Super Smash Bros, the latest music video from Oslo-based artist Sid Hart, is a tender  exploration of intimacy within the fast-paced world of hookup culture. Shot on hazy  16mm film, it blurs the line between memory and fantasy, unfolding through a series of  fleeting encounters.  

Deep Dish Dimples  Dir. Manuel Villareal (USA) TRT:  9 min  When Gio, a Black trans man, calls his best friend Lazette for help burying a body, the  two are pulled into an unexpected confrontation with the past. As whispers of family  wounds and unresolved trauma echo through the night, Gio must face a surreal  encounter with his pre-transitioned self.  What begins as a desperate mission  transforms into a journey of acceptance, love, and self-forgiveness, reminding us that  healing comes from embracing every part of who we are.   

About 29 Queer Film Festival  The 29 Queer Film Festival, held in the heart of the Mojave desert, is a celebration of  queer filmmakers from the high desert and across the globe.  The festival features an  innovative format, which combines film showcases, live entertainment, exhibits, and  culinary experiences in the foothills of Joshua Tree Park.  

29 Queer Film Festival is made possible by an event grant from The City of Twentynine Palms TBID.