Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival

Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival Join us November 7-13, 2025 for the 25th Annual Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival! http://www.indylgbtfilmfest.com

PILLION—A24’s striking romantic psychodrama—brings Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård together in a story of connecti...
02/17/2026

PILLION—A24’s striking romantic psychodrama—brings Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård together in a story of connection, power, and self-discovery. Colin, a reserved Londoner trapped in routine, finds his world upended when he meets Ray, a charismatic biker. As he’s pulled into an unconventional relationship, Colin begins to question identity, desire, and self-worth.

Starts Friday, February 20
Kan-Kan Cinema
Use Film Festival code LEATHERCHAPS for $2 OFF your ticket!
https://www.goelevent.com/Kan-KanCinemaandBrasserie/e/PILLION

Take the ride!





Kan-Kan Cinema & Bar

Submissions are officially OPEN! The 26th Annual Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival is calling filmmakers from near and far...
02/17/2026

Submissions are officially OPEN!

The 26th Annual Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival is calling filmmakers from near and far. We can’t wait to see what you’ve been creating.

November 13–22, 2026
Kan-Kan Cinema & Bar
And by popular demand… streaming is back for 2026!

Get your film in early—the Earlybird deadline is July 17.
Submit now via FilmFreeway
https://filmfreeway.com/IndianapolisLGBTFilmFestival



This Giving Tuesday, we’re championing Kan-Kan Cinema, the cultural hub that hosts and uplifts the Indianapolis LGBT Fil...
12/02/2025

This Giving Tuesday, we’re championing Kan-Kan Cinema, the cultural hub that hosts and uplifts the Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival. 💛🌈

Kan-Kan, powered by the nonprofit Indianapolis Film Project (a 501c3), is dedicated to nurturing Indy’s culture through bold independent cinema, film education, and community connection.

If you love what the Kan-Kan brings to our city (and to this festival!), consider making a contribution today. Every gift—big or small—helps keep this space thriving for filmmakers, film lovers, and the q***r community we’re honored to serve.

💛 Donate via the link in our bio or at…
🔗 https://kankanindy.com/contribute/

Kan-Kan Cinema & Bar

Our final award of 2025 marks the start of a brand-new festival tradition: The Poppy.Named for our rainbow-striped popco...
11/23/2025

Our final award of 2025 marks the start of a brand-new festival tradition: The Poppy.

Named for our rainbow-striped popcorn-bucket mascot, this award celebrates a film the committee found especially meaningful, delightful, or downright unforgettable. It embodies the heart, spirit, and joy Poppy brings to the festival every year.

🌈🍿 The inaugural Poppy Award goes to TO THE MOON — directed by our friend Kevin Hartford! This charming Canadian comedy even features a very special cameo…Poppy’s pin cousin is a plot-point in the story. We’re obsessed! The audience laughed their way through every minute of the film—and honestly, we’ll never stop cheering for Kevin.

Congratulations to the entire TO THE MOON team!

Our final 2025 Audience Award winner is TWO BLACK BOYS IN PARADISE, taking home Favorite Animated Film! This tender stop...
11/21/2025

Our final 2025 Audience Award winner is TWO BLACK BOYS IN PARADISE, taking home Favorite Animated Film!

This tender stop-motion short brings Dean Atta’s beautiful poem to life, illuminating a powerful story of identity, intimacy, and hope.

Congratulations to director Baz Sells and the One6th team! 🌊💫

One6th Animation Studio

Our third 2025 Audience Award winner is AUTOEROTICA: WE BUY GAY STUFF, your pick for Favorite Documentary Short!Inside a...
11/21/2025

Our third 2025 Audience Award winner is AUTOEROTICA: WE BUY GAY STUFF, your pick for Favorite Documentary Short!

Inside an unassuming Castro storefront lives decades of q***r history—salvaged from shuttered bars, basements, and backrooms—and carefully protected by Patrick Batt. When the pandemic put it all at risk, customer Bradley Roberge launched a campaign that transformed this local secret into a global phenomenon.

Congrats to director Jeremy von Stilb for this powerful portrait of preservation and resilience! 🌈

Bradley Roberge

Our second 2025 Audience Award winner is JUST BETWEEN US, taking home Favorite Narrative Short! This witty, heartfelt fi...
11/20/2025

Our second 2025 Audience Award winner is JUST BETWEEN US, taking home Favorite Narrative Short!

This witty, heartfelt film explores open relationships, blurred lines, and the complicated work of finding closeness on your own terms.

Big thanks to the fabulous writer and star Ben Baur for being with us at the festival! 💫

Ben Baur

IT’S DOROTHY is our 2025 Audience Award winner for Favorite Feature Length Film!A vibrant, contemporary take on Dorothy’...
11/20/2025

IT’S DOROTHY is our 2025 Audience Award winner for Favorite Feature Length Film!

A vibrant, contemporary take on Dorothy’s enduring legacy—seen through the stories of women, q***r voices, and people of color—this film reminds us why her story still lights the way home.

We were honored to welcome director Jeffrey McHale for a magical screening that captivated the audience. 💖

It's Dorothy

🏆 2025 BEST OF FESTIVAL WINNERWe’re proud to announce that this year’s juried prize winner is Shelly’s Leg, the latest w...
11/19/2025

🏆 2025 BEST OF FESTIVAL WINNER
We’re proud to announce that this year’s juried prize winner is Shelly’s Leg, the latest work from director Wes Hurley.

Set in 1970 Seattle, the film tells the extraordinary true story of Shelly Baumann, an eccentric young stripper who loses her leg in a freak parade cannon accident—and then uses her settlement money to create something revolutionary: Shelly’s Leg, one of the nation’s first and most influential openly gay discos. Narrated by Kathleen Turner, the film beautifully captures the resilience, defiance, and spirit of a community finding its place in history.

Congratulations to Wes and the entire Shelly’s Leg team on this well-deserved win! 🌈✨

Wes Hurley

A HUGE thank-you to our fabulous 2025 Best of Festival Nominees for sharing such powerful, thoughtful, and beautifully c...
11/19/2025

A HUGE thank-you to our fabulous 2025 Best of Festival Nominees for sharing such powerful, thoughtful, and beautifully crafted films. Your work helped make this year’s festival truly unforgettable!

Two Black Boys in Paradise
Baz Sells, Director

Dragfox
Lisa Ott, Director

Thanks, Babs!
Jen Rainin and Rivkah Beth Medow, Directors

Girlfriend Girlfriend
Sara Werner, Director

Shelly’s Leg
Wes Hurley, Director

Just Between Us
Zac Hug, Director

We’re also deeply grateful to our special judges—former directors and longtime committee members whose leadership, fundraising, community building, education, and even mascot duties (!) continue to shape the spirit of the festival.

🏆 Stay tuned… our Best of Festival winner will be announced in the next post!

We’re honored to welcome three incredible guests to the 25th Annual Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival this weekend!🎬 Jeffr...
11/07/2025

We’re honored to welcome three incredible guests to the 25th Annual Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival this weekend!

🎬 Jeffrey McHale (Director of It’s Dorothy)
🎬 Ben Baur (Writer and Star of Just Between Us—A Best of Festival Nominee)
🎬 Kevin Hartford (Director of To The Moon)

Join them for Q&A sessions following their screenings! 🌈

Kan-Kan Cinema & Bar

Address

Indianapolis, IN

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Indianapolis LGBT Film Festival:

Shortcuts

Share

Category