One of America’s preeminent LGBTQ+ film festivals, the Oscar®-qualifying and USA TODAY “10Best” Out On Film” (#OOF26) invites the community to be part of “The World We’re Making” as the nonprofit festival kicks off its 39th year of bringing the best in LGBTQ+ films, documentaries, and shorts to local, national, and international audiences — in person and via the festival’s virtual platform. Presented by GILEAD, all festival screenings, Q&As, and panels will take place at the historic Landmark Midtown Art Cinema. Passes and tickets are on sale now at festival.outonfilm.org.
Every ticket helps create spaces where LGBTQ+ stories can be seen, celebrated, and shared, and helps build “The World We’re Making.” This year’s theme reflects the power of queer cinema to not only tell our stories, but to help shape the world around us. Every screening, filmmaker, volunteer, audience member, sponsor, and conversation contributes to building a more connected, visible, and inclusive future.
This 39th festival offers a diverse selection that includes 38 features (26 narrative films and 12 documentaries, four of which are streaming-only films); an episode of an upcoming TV series; 108 shorts; three music videos; and five episodics for a total of 155 films. In all, Out On Film will host 10 world premieres, five international premieres, 11 U.S. premieres and more than 20 regional premieres as part of the 2026 festival.
“Coming off of a record-breaking 2025, we are extraordinarily proud to present our largest festival ever, one that shines a spotlight on cinema and voices around the world,” said Out On Film Festival Director Jim Farmer. “It’s also wonderful to be able to offer so many Atlanta-area films and filmmakers, including some exciting world premieres.”
“’The World We’re Making’ feels especially meaningful and empowering right now,” said new Out On Film Executive Director Cindy L. Abel. “We’re not waiting for a better world to be handed to us, we’re building it, frame by frame and story by story, together. There’s something powerful about experiencing these films in a room full of people and discovering the conversations and connections that begin when the credits roll. We hope audiences leave a little more hopeful, a little more connected, and certain that the world worth making is already under construction — right here, right now.”
Out On Film continues to build on its national recognition. Earlier this year, “Two People Exchanging Saliva,” directed by Natalie Musteata and Alexandre Singh (France/USA), which qualified for Oscar® consideration through Out On Film in 2025, tied for the Academy Award® for Best Live Action Short. The 2025 festival also welcomed more than 17,000 attendees across in-person and virtual programming, featured 155 films, hosted 43 filmmaker conversations and special events, and reached audiences in 254 cities across 13 countries through its virtual platform.
Seven films awarded grants from Out On Film’s Filmmaker Fund are in the line-up, including Charlene Fisk’s “Call and Response” and Hannah Alline’s “Scissors.” Reel Resistance Fellowship (a six-month in partnership with Atlanta Pride) recipient films include Carlo Velayo’s “The Center” and “Beyond The Doors of Club 708.”
