Touted as the Caribbean’s first and biggest LGBTQ cinematic celebration, the Puerto Rico Queer Filmfest is rolling out the red carpet for the 13th time since 2009. Though each iteration has been exciting, this year is exceptionally crucial considering the US has passed 100 anti-trans bills since narcissist nightmare Trump’s second term started. His is a full-fledged and unhinged dictatorial rule.

Dedicated to “creating inclusive spaces of expression and discussion as a platform for local queer cinema,” the nonprofit festival is a vehicle for continued dialogue on the island. Which is much needed, when you consider that between 2019 and 2021, six trans persons were murdered here. After all, in our society, we are force-fed patriarchy, religious fanaticism, and colonial oppression on a daily basis.

In 2021, Joanna Cifredo, Executive Director of True Self Foundation, an organization founded in 2017 to promote equity and inclusivity for gender identity diverse communities, highlighted the dire situation. During an interview with El Vocero, she stated “In Puerto Rico, a culture of hatred, exclusion, and violence against trans people is fostered – we’ve even heard it discussed at the Legislature’s public hearings. Therefore, the increase in violence against trans people on the island is not surprising.” True Self is among the Festival’s nearly dozen sponsors, including Flamboyán Foundation For the Arts, DDB Latina Puerto Rico, Coa – Colectivo Orgullo Arcoiris, Diversxs – Amnesty International Puerto Rico, Waves Ahead, and Young Collective.

So, what can cinema aficionadxs and allies of our vibrant LGBTQ comunidad expect to experience at Caribbean Cinemas, Fine Arts Miramar weeklong screenings? From May 22-28 the international selection spans 14 countries across four continents.

Here’s a taste of the 22 shorts. Guava from Puerto Rico, Mexico, and the U.S. is an experimental musical at the intersection of childhood and belonging. The DR’s Las Casas del Ballroom: Draguéalo is a dance documentary series spotlighting iconic local dance halls. The homegrown, La Espera is a comedic reality check following a pregnant woman as her loved ones give absurd excuses for their absence, leaving her to deliver in the birthing pool alone. PR’s Hustleween paints a colorful portrait of EspicyNipples’ annual event celebrating the euphoric trans negrx. And Cuba’s 30 Agujas (Una Carta al Pasado) is a commemoration of a trans man’s first year on testosterone.

The full-length reels also range. There’s the documentary Si Je Meurs, Ce Sera de Joie / If I Die, It’ll Be of Joy from France that reimagines love and sexuality among the elderly. From Brazil, Baby examines the trials of a troubled youth seeking to rebuild his life amidst an exploitative / protective liaison with an older man. The Italian and French gender identity piece, L’immensità is set in 1970’s Rome and follows a mother (played by Penélope Cruz) working to escape from a miserable marriage while bonding with a daughter who starts to identify as a boy.

Other intriguing projects include: the gay Argentinian drama 300 Cartas which explores the truth behind the breakup of social media “ideal couple,” Jero and Tom. From Turkey and Georgia, the trans film Geçiş (Crossing) follows a retired teacher’s journey across cultures and continents to find Tekla, her missing trans niece. And the Greek documentary Lesvia, which delves into the 40-year collective memory of the residents of Eressos where cultural identity and queer and lesbian community collide.

Then there’s the timely documentary Heightened Scrutiny following civil rights attorney and Co-Director of the ACLU’s LGBTQ & HIV Project, Chase Strangio. They are the first transgender person to argue before the U.S. Supreme Court – in a case against a 2023 Tennessee law that banned gender-affirming care for minors.

Alliance for Justice recaps the significance of the historic case, “Approximately 1.6 million Americans identify as transgender, and this case could have enormous repercussions for their ability to access medically necessary care.” Then from the American Nurses Association, “The legislative intent and medical claims behind these laws are not grounded in reputable science and conflict with the nurse’s obligation to promote, advocate, and protect the rights, health, and safety of patients.”

While we wait for the Supreme Court’s ruling in the Skrmetti case, we know we need the Puerto Rico Queer Filmfest and their mission of nurturing spaces for discussion around LGBTQ issues. Because this is about much more than entertaining audiences, it’s about seeing, hearing, validating, and pro-actively supporting our diverse communities. It’s about saying to them, “Oye, your lives matter,” and genuinely meaning it.