Atlanta’s preeminent, Oscar®-qualifying film festival Out On Film brings five of 2025’s most anticipated queer films and documentaries to Southern audiences with its “Spring Mini-Fest’25,” taking place over three consecutive evenings (March 17-19) at the historic Landmark’s Midtown Arts Cinema. Back for a third year, Spring Mini-Fest kicks off on Monday, March 17, 7 p.m. ET with the joyful comedy-of-errors film “The Wedding Banquet,” starring Bowen Yang (“SNL,” “Wicked”) and Golden Globe Award winner Lily Gladstone (“Killers of the Flower Moon”).
The evening of March 18th showcases two documentaries: “Sally,” a rich portrait of the first woman in space and her 27-year secret romance, and “Speaking Out,” featuring three men’s gripping stories of sexual trauma and recovery. Finally, Spring Mini-Fest’25 wraps up March 19th with “An Unexpected Community,” a star-studded look at the popular pandemic-era female/queer Zoom group “Women On The Net”; and the sweeping post-WWII romantic drama “On Swift Horses,” starring Daisy Edgar-Jones (“Twisters,” “Normal People”), Jacob Elordi (“Saltburn,” “Euphoria”) and Will Poulter (“The Bear”).
Tickets for all films are on sale now at outonfilm.org.
“As we embark into Out on Film’s 38th year during these contentious times, I remain resolved in our commitment to bring exciting, moving and diverse LGBTQIA+ stories to the community and celebrate our collective love of film in Georgia, as an international entertainment production hub,” said Out On Film Festival Director Jim Farmer. “This year’s Spring Mini-Fest line-up is exceptionally strong and star-packed, with two films that had splashy premieres at Sundance, another that launched successfully at the Toronto Film Festival last fall, and two more excellent documentaries making their Southeastern debuts here.”
The full three-evening schedule is as follows:
Monday, March 17
7:00 p.m. – The Wedding Banquet (102 minutes)
From director Andrew Ahn comes a joyful comedy of errors about a chosen family navigating cultural identity, queerness, and family expectations. Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris and running out of time, Min makes a proposal: a green-card marriage with their friend Angela in exchange for her partner Lee’s expensive IVF. Elopement plans are upended, however, when Min’s grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet. Starring Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Kelly Marie Tran, Han Gi-chan, Joan Chen, and Youn Yuh-jung, “The Wedding Banquet” is a poignant and heartfelt reminder that being part of a family means learning to both accept and forgive.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/
Tuesday, March 18
6:30 p.m. – Sally (103 minutes)
Sally Ride became the first American woman to blast off into space, but beneath her unflappable composure was a secret. Sally’s life partner, Tam O’Shaughnessy, reveals their hidden romance and the sacrifices that accompanied their 27 years together.
Cristina Costantini’s rich portrait of astronaut Sally Ride brings a fullness to her life that goes beyond the headlines of her trailblazing voyage past Earth’s atmosphere. “Sally” skillfully weaves together the dual threads of Ride’s story: the private romance she shared with her partner and the professional trajectory of her time in the space program that saw her contend with overt sexism and homophobia, prompting her secrecy. Rare archival footage brings the viewer behind the scenes to witness NASA training and missions, while press appearances reflect the media frenzy Ride was subjected to both before and after her historic first flight. O’Shaughnessy takes a fitting central role in recounting her beloved Ride’s story and the legacy she left behind that inspires countless women and girls to dream for the stars.
Sundance 2025/Meet the Artist: https://youtu.be/
8:30 p.m. – Speaking Out (85 minutes)
Three gay men, Jose, Charlie, and Rigg, plagued by trauma of their own, undergo an emotional journey toward healing to become resilient, overcome their past, and finally speak out in director John Solis’ gripping, excellent documentary.
Trailer: https://mubi.com/en/
Wednesday, March 19
6:30 p.m. – An Unexpected Community (90 minutes)
In the early days of the pandemic, Andrea Meyerson, founder of Women On A Roll, launched an online platform for lesbians and queer women. She called it Women On The Net. Five nights a week, Meyerson provided a place for women all over the world to gather and share a wide range of entertaining programming. Feelings of isolation and loneliness were replaced with joy, laughter, and new friends – all via Zoom. An Unexpected Community captures the magic these women shared during one of the most challenging events in our lifetime. Featuring: Lily Tomlin, Kate Clinton, Meredith Baxter, Vickie Shaw, Suzanne Westenhoefer and more. Directed by Kathryn L. Beranich. Executive Produced by Andrea Meyerson.
Trailer: https://m.imdb.com/
8:30 p.m. – On Swift Horses (117 minutes)
Muriel and her husband Lee are beginning a bright new life in California when he returns from the Korean War. But their newfound stability is upended by the arrival of Lee’s charismatic brother, Julius, a wayward gambler with a secret past. A dangerous love triangle quickly forms. When Julius takes off in search of the young card cheat he’s fallen for, Muriel’s longing for something more propels her into a secret life of her own, gambling on racehorses and exploring a love she never dreamed possible. Directed by Daniel Minhan, the film stars Daisy Edgar-Jones, Jacob Elordi, Will Poulter, Diego Calva and Sasha Calle.
Trailer: https://youtu.be/
The main Out on Film festival celebrates its 38th year this September. More information will be announced later in the year.
