Utah Film Center has announced the Utah Queer Film Festival program for its 22nd year, bringing a mix of documentaries, narratives, and shorts collections to the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City. The festival, formerly known as Damn These Heels, remains the Mountain West’s longest-running LGBTQIA+ film festival and continues its mission to showcase diverse queer voices on screen. The Festival will be presented October 24–26 at Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center.
Festival Programming Director Cat Palmer, an award-winning artist and advocate, returns to lead the curation of this year’s event with the support of more than 30 volunteer programmers. Together, they have assembled a slate of films that explore identity, activism, resilience, and creativity from a wide range of perspectives.
“This year’s lineup is a true labor of love. I’m incredibly proud of our programming committee — they brought passion, thoughtfulness, and bold vision to every decision. We’ve curated a selection of films that reflect the diversity, depth, and joy of the queer experience, and I truly believe there’s something here for everyone. Whether you’re looking to laugh, cry, reflect, or celebrate, this year’s festival has it,” Palmer said.
In all, the festival will show six feature films and 40 shorts in its lineup.
The feature films include Row of Life, which tells the story of Angela Madsen, a Marine Corps veteran, Paralympian, and world-record-holding rower who set out on a daring solo journey across the Pacific Ocean. Just Kids follows three teenagers living in states that have restricted gender-affirming care, highlighting the ways their families navigate both political pressure and deeply personal challenges.
In Assembly, multidisciplinary artist Rashaad Newsome transforms a decommissioned military relic into a Black queer utopia, blending performance, artificial intelligence, and community engagement to create a striking meditation on freedom and solidarity. Join the Club offers a historical portrait of Dennis Peron, the San Francisco cannabis dealer who, in the midst of the AIDS epidemic, created the Cannabis Buyers’ Club, a space that combined marijuana access with drag shows, murals, and medical support.
The documentary Sally! explores the life and legacy of Sally Gearhart, a lesbian activist, author, and academic who became a groundbreaking figure in the 1970s and 1980s. Rounding out the feature selections is It’s Dorothy!, which examines the cultural legacy of Dorothy Gale, tracing her journey from the pages of L. Frank Baum’s classic through decades of reinvention as a symbol of resilience for marginalized communities.
Complementing the features are several shorts collections. The Avant-Garde Shorts Collection showcases experimental filmmaking that pushes the limits of cinematic form and narrative. The Intimate Stories Shorts Collection gathers films that reflect on relationships, vulnerability, and personal discovery. The Spooky Shorts Collection presents horror and thriller-inspired work with a distinctly queer perspective. The Inspiring Stories Shorts Collection highlights affirming stories about strength, self-acceptance, and perseverance. Finally, the Utah Filmmaker Showcase offers a platform for local queer filmmakers to share their work, placing Utah’s creative community at the center of the festival.
With films that span deeply personal stories, historical documentaries, experimental art, and homegrown creativity, the Utah Queer Film Festival’s 2025 lineup underscores the power of cinema to celebrate LGBTQIA+ life in all its complexity.
Festival passes are on sale now. A discounted rate of $40 is good through August 29. The price increases to $60 on August 30. An optional party pass add-on is an additional $20.
More information at utahqueerfilmfestival.org
