BuzzFeed Is Hosting A Pride Film Festival, And You Can Watch These 5 Queer Movies For Free

Watch Kiki, Man Made, Gay USA, Rafiki, and Appropriate Behavior with BuzzFeed.

BuzzFeed is teaming up with NewFest and Facebook Groups to host a Pride Film Festival, and you can watch all five LGBTQ films FOR FREE!

VH1 / Via gph.is

We're celebrating Pride by showing a series of five queer films from June 27 through June 30.

POP / Via gph.is

There will also be a discussion between advocate and media personality Ashlee Marie Preston and the filmmakers on Facebook so you can get behind the scenes info on the movies. For more details and to reserve tickets (limited to 7,500 first-come first-served reservations), head on over the NewFest site.

And to whet your appetite, here are intros to the five magnificent films on the lineup!

Netflix / Via gph.is

1. Gay USA (1978)

Frameline

While of course celebrating Pride means wearing rainbows, riding on parade floats, and going to parties, it also means learning our queer past. This documentary, made entirely of footage from Pride events in 1977, is a time capsule of what it meant to be LGBTQ+ in the '70s. Directed by Arthur J. Bressan Jr. (who would tragically pass away 10 years after the film’s release in the AIDS epidemic), the film features interviews with dozens of individuals attending the Pride events, including everyone from drag queens, lesbians, and bisexuals to anti-gay rights activists, church leaders, and people just fascinated by all the hullabaloo. This pre-AIDS look at the queer community both highlights how far we’ve come as a society to accepting LGBTQ people (although not nearly far enough), while also showing how similar our gay ancestors were to us. And if that isn’t enough reason to watch, there is SO MUCH '70s gay fashion on display. You can’t miss that. 

2. Man Made (2018)

Frameline

Bodybuilding is an exacting sport that requires months of thankless precision in dieting and exercise. It’s difficult for the cis men who tackle the challenge, but for trans men, it’s even more daunting. T Cooper’s inspiring documentary follows four trans men as they prepare to compete in the only all-trans bodybuilding competition in the world. We follow these men through their daily lives, through their relationships, through their workouts, and through their transitions, becoming intimately aware of the daily struggles that affect those in the transgender community. But beneath the adversity, this is foremost a portrait of triumph as these four men push back against gender norms and stereotypes to do what they love most, find a new community, and be who they truly are.     

3. Kiki (2016)

Sundance Selects

In 1990, the LEGENDARY documentary Paris Is Burning introduced the world to New York’s ball culture and the bright queer cast of misfits who had created their own joyful family in a world that refused to accept them. Sara Jordeno’s 2016 documentary serves as a reintroduction for the next generation as it follows the members of the “kiki scene,” a new iteration of ball culture created by predominantly queer people of color in NYC. Intermixed with fabulous costumes and dazzling choreography, you’ll see how this community of vulnerable individuals find strength in each other and use that strength to fight for others. Dancer, actress, and activist Gia Love is center stage, and she is an awe-inspiring thrill to watch. If you don’t follow her on Instagram, you've really got to get your life together.     

4. Appropriate Behavior (2014)

Peccadillo Pictures/Gravitas Ventures

We’ve all seen a movie or two about gay trauma, and perhaps a gay romance, but what about a gay breakup movie? This comedy, written, directed by, and starring Desiree Akhavan follows her character Shirin, a bisexual Persian American woman as she maneuvers a breakup with her girlfriend Maxine. In flashbacks we watch their romance blossom in Brooklyn, while in real time we see Shirin and her dry wit spiral in the aftermath of the relationship. Often for queer people, their romantic relationships hold exaggerated meaning because lovers often take the place of family (as is the case with Shirin, who hasn’t come out to her conservative parents). Exploring the thorny bits of gay relationships with a large helping of awkward humor, the film will have you cringing, laughing, and crying all within a tight 90 minutes. 

5. Rafiki (2018)

Film Movement

It’s basically Romeo and Juliet if Romeo and Juliet were lesbians living in Kenya. The drama, directed by Kenyan female director Wanuri Kahiu and bouncing back and forth between English and Swahili, follows Kena (Samantha Mugatsia), the daughter of a convenience store owner turned political hopeful, as she falls in love with Ziki (Sheila Munyiva), the daughter of a rival politician. Not only are the two forbidden to interact because of local politics, but since homosexuality is illegal in Kenya, their love could have potentially dangerous repercussions. Thus begins a beautifully doomed covert love affair, captured elegantly on camera amidst the bright colors and sounds of Africa. The film also serves as a sharp reminder that while queer rights may be slowly expanding in some places, coming out is still punishable in many parts of the world. The fight continues on!    

And that's not all! You can also tune into conversations about the films hosted by Ashlee Marie Preston too.

BuzzFeed

Films will be available Sunday, June 27, at 12 a.m. EST through Wednesday, June 30, at 11:59 p.m. EST – streaming anywhere within the United States.

So, what are you waiting for? Sign up to watch all the films here, presented by BuzzFeed, Facebook, and NewFest here!