Your Guide to OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival

Formerly the North Carolina Gay + Lesbian Film Festival, the OUTSOUTH Queer Film Festival is returning to the Carolina Theatre on August 14-17, 2025. This year's festival marks 30 years of embracing and celebrating the LGBTQIA community in Durham and worldwide.

The festival will feature over 130 shorts, documentaries and feature films that celebrate gay, lesbian and transgender life, including independent and mainstream productions.

The festival will be rolling out the red carpet to celebrate its its 30th anniversary this year.

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After the festival events are over, rub elbows with like-minded folks at queer-owned and queer-friendly local bars and restaurants like –

• The Pinhook – a community-forward bar and venue with live events like local and touring bands and drag shows.
• Velvet Hippo – a recently opened rooftop bar offering good vibes and drinks for everyone.
• Rubies on Five Points – a casual bar and venue with nightly events like live music and dance parties.
• Arcana – an intimate bar with a tarot theme & loungey decor known for draft cocktails and mocktails and a variety of artistic events.
• Queeny’s – a uniquely Durham gathering place with casual vibes, serving good food and drinks until late.

There will also be three invite-only events held over the course of the weekend.

• Thursday, August 14 – VIP Rooftop Party at The Durham Hotel
• Friday, August 15 – 30th Anniversary Celebration
• Saturday, August 16 – Annual Filmmakers Brunch (partnering with Flying Bull)

Learn more about LGBTQIA-owned businesses in Durham and find out how Durham celebrates queer culture all year round.

This incredible festival dates back to 1995 when it debuted as the QFest. That was the same year the NC Pride Parade approached the Carolina Theatre with the idea of hosting a gay and lesbian film festival in conjunction with Pride’s annual parade and festival.

Regarding the festival held the following year, now the NCGLFF, the Carolina Theatre proclaimed:

The festival attracted a few hundred people in its first year, but now it attracts over 15,000. “The lobbies are packed. The screenings are packed,” said Jim Carl, the Senior Director of Programming at the Carolina Theatre.

In 2023, the festival hosted filmmakers from New York and L.A. as well as international filmmakers from Estonia, Chile, Mexico and Canada. The 2024 festival welcomed international artists from Italy, Canada, Mexico and Romania.

"Coming Together as a community is powerful." says Carolina Theatre CEO Randy Mckay. "It's a political statement and a stand. In a world more emboldened than ever to marginalize, to minimize, to say that different voices should not be heard, OUTSOUTH is a welcoming space and a reminder that we each deserve the rights guaranteed to all Americans."

Chuck Wheeler, Festival Coordinator since its inception in 1996, was recognized in 2024 by Out Magazine's OUT100 list of artists, disruptors, educators, groundbreakers, innovators and storytellers making the world a better place for the LGBTQIA community.

Special Events

OUTSOUTH allows visitors to see a variety of films they most likely won't find in a theater elsewhere. Screenings range from programs of short films and international films to screwball comedies, dramas, and more.

Don't miss out on the special events OUTSOUTH will host this year:

• Saturday Morning Panel (Aug 16) – “Made in NC”: This panel, hosted by filmmakers from Chicago and San Francisco, will feature local panelists. At Fletcher Hall, the panelists will discuss how film making and post production is increasing in the region.
• Drag Story Hour at Cinema One: Head to Cinema One for a Drag Story Hour, complete with local performers.

Special Events

OUTSOUTH allows visitors to see a variety of films they most likely won't find in a theater elsewhere. Screenings range from programs of short films and international films to screwball comedies, dramas, and more.

Here's a list of this year's big films:

• UNSUALLY NORMAL: A moving and inspirational documentary about three generations of gay women in one family. They are a family who have normal relationships in a lesbian household. We come to understand how their lesbian family endured obstacles that came with being LGBTQ+, family loss, clandestine love and finally happiness when they allowed themselves to live freely by outing themselves.
• CLOCKED: Adolfo Rivera is an 18-year-old, undefeated boxer from a conservative Catholic family in Miami Florida. His love for his tight-knit family is apparent; not just in their time spent together, but also in the bruises and broken bones he’s willing to endure time and time again, to help them pay the bills. Adolfo may be remarkably talented in the ring, but his family’s dreams for his profession are far different from what Adolfo has in mind. Adolfo is secretly saving his winnings for the biggest fight of his life: self-acceptance in his desire to transition into a woman.
• THE QUEEN OF MY DREAMS: In 1999, the sudden death of her father sends queer Muslim grad student Azra flying back to her ancestral home in Pakistan, where her stern mother Mariam demands she play the role of the perfect grieving daughter. But through flashbacks to Mariam's own life in Karachi 30 years before, we see the connections uniting mother and daughter, starting with their shared love of the Bollywood star Sharmila Tagore.
• DREAMS SUCH AS OURS: The long-awaited, much-anticipated sequel to one of NCGLFF's biggest hits "Evening Shadows." Kartik & Aman's relationship is tested when one of them has a fling that leads to a domestic spat. Simultaneously Kartik's parents' relationship falls apart when Damodar and Vasudha have a tiff. Will this family and the two beloved couples resolve their differences, and will their relationships stand the test of time? This Centerpiece Film will be a world premiere!

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Where to Stay

When you come to OUTSOUTH, don't forget that the Carolina Theatre is situated in the heart of downtown Durham, a walkable district with plenty of new things to see and do. There are five hotels within walking distance of the Carolina Theatre:

• Durham Marriott City Center Marriott City Center is connected to the Carolina Theatre, offering easy access to festival activities.
• 21c Museum Hotel Explore the hotel’s art collection and snag a selfie with the 21c mascot – a hot magenta penguin (.2 miles from the Carolina Theatre).
• The Durham Hotel A mid-century boutique hotel with a celebrated restaurant and rooftop bar (.2 miles from the Carolina Theatre).
• Aloft Durham Downtown Located near the American Tobacco Campus, Aloft offers a modern aesthetic, heated pool, and proximity to plenty of dining and entertainment options (.5 miles from the Carolina Theatre).
• Residence Inn Durham McPherson/Duke University Medical Center Area The newly constructed Residence Inn has apartment-style suites, heated pool, and fitness center near the Brightleaf District (.6 miles from the Carolina Theatre).
• Unscripted Durham An eclectic hotel with a rooftop deck, pool and unique cocktail and cuisine options. (.1 miles from the Carolina Theatre).
  
• Springhill Suites by Marriott City View A stylish, all-suite hotel with modern amenities and sustainable practices. Enjoy free breakfast and bring along the pup for a pet-friendly stay. (.8 miles from the Carolina Theatre).

What to Eat

You’ll also find various restaurants and bars in downtown Durham, ranging from grab-and-go options to snag between films to celebrated hot spots where you can unwind after a film-filled day. (Check out our comprehensive list of downtown restaurants.)

• Mothers & Sons Trattoria Specializing in handmade pasta, antipasti, and traditional Italian dishes. Dinner only (.2 miles from the Carolina Theatre).

• M Sushi An upscale sushi restaurant that offers an authentic Omakase dining experience (.2 miles from the Carolina Theatre).

• Bulldega A neighborhood grocery that offers the essentials alongside grab-and-go meal options (.2 miles from the Carolina Theatre).

• Remy's Lounge This casual cocktail bar serves food from Lady Gold Tacos like tacos, burritos, quesadillas, bowls and more.

• NanaSteak A modern steakhouse in a chic space with abundant natural light (.4 miles from the Carolina Theatre).

Between the films, the special events, and a great location downtown, OUTSOUTH is an excellent opportunity to experience Durham!