Instructional Media Center
LGBTQIA+ films
Check out our LGBTQIA+ films that span decades of queer cinema, from groundbreaking early works like Kenneth Anger's "Scorpio Rising" and Cheryl Dunye's "The Watermelon Woman" to contemporary masterpieces such as "Moonlight," "Tár," and "Aftersun.” This film guide includes diverse voices and experiences, exploring various queer identities, and works that range from tender coming-of-age narratives to experimental cinema. Have a suggestion for the catalog? Email Jim Holmes
The Watermelon Woman - PN1995.9.L48 W38 Cheryl Dunye’s landmark film follows a young black lesbian filmmaker uncovering the erased history of black actresses in early Hollywood, while navigating her own romance and identity. Both playful and political, Watermelon Woman is celebrated as the first feature directed by a Black lesbian.
Cruising - PN1997 .C884 2010 DVD Al Pacino stars as an undercover cop infiltrating New York's gay leather bars to track a serial killer. A controversial thriller, it provoked protest upon release but endures as a provocative snapshot of queer subcultures and anxieties around representation.
Mala Noche - PN1995.9.S7 M35 2007 DVD On Portland's rainy streets, a restless convenience store worker falls for a young Mexican immigrant who doesn't return his affection. Shot in a stark black and white, Gus Van Sant's first film captures longing in its rawest form
High Art - PN1997.H455 A1 2004D DVD A rising editor stumbles into the orbit of her reclusive upstairs neighbor, once a famous photographer now lost in heroin haze. Their attraction sparks both inspiration and destruction,
Poison - PN1995.9.H67 P658 1999 DVD Three stories unfold: a “boy who flew” in a faux-documentary, a prison love affair, and a gothic horror tale of mutation. Together, they form a kaleidoscope of fear, desire, and taboo.
Carol - PN1997.2 .C37 2016 DVD Christmas, 1952. A chance meeting between an aspiring photographer and a glamorous housewife turns into a secret romance that defies convention, risked in every stolen glance.
Funeral Parade of Roses (Bara no sôretsu) - PN1995.9.J36 F864 2006 DVD Eddie, a dazzling drag queen, vies for love and power in Tokyo’s underground gay bars. A hallucinatory remix of Oedipus Rex and pop culture, the film slips between fiction and reality with dizzying style.
Portrait of Jason - HQ75.8.H649 P67 2014 DVD One night. One man. One endless performance. Jason Holliday tells his story, slipping between comedy and confessions, until the line between truth and theater dissolves.
The Children’s Hour - PN1997 .C537 2002 DVD Two women, one lie, and a scandal that unravels their lives. Shirley MAcLaine and Aubrey Hepburn star in this haunting drama where rumor proves more dangerous than reality
Tomboy - PN1995.9.F7 T65 2012 DVD Laure moves to a new neighborhood, and one small introduction changes everything. Celine Sciamma captures the fragile summers of childhood, where gender, friendship, and discovery blur together under the long dusk light
Tongues Untied - HQ76.27.A37 T66 2006 DVD PArt documentary, part poem, part revolution. Marlon Riggs fuses spoken word, dance, and testimony to give to black gay men in America. Fierce, tender, and unapologetically alive.
Sorry Angel (Plaire, aimer et courir vite) - PN1995.9.F7 S677 2019 DVD Paris, 1993: AIDS is everywhere and time is short. When a young student meets a novelist in his 30s, what unfolds isn't a typical romance. It's tender, funny, fleeting and devastating all at once. Christophe Honore's film feels like a love letter written in disappearing ink
Stranger By the Lake (L'inconnu du lac) - PN1995.9.F7 S773 2014 DVD A summer cruising spot, the French countryside, endless sunshine. Also: voyeurism, desire, and murder. Alain Guiraudie takes a setting of leisure and turns into a thriller where every glance might kill.
The Ornithologist (O Ornitólogo)- PN1995.9.F67 O76 2017 DVD A bird watcher gets lost in Portugal and stumbles into visions straight out of myth. Bound strangers, mysterious twins, saints, and rivers all lead him deeper into transformation. Call it queer mysticism or surreal adventure either way, it's unlike anything you've seen.
Safe - PN1997 .S119 2001 DVD Julianne Moore plays a housewife who develops mysterious allergies: to her home, her family, her world. Is she sick, hysterical, or prophetically sensitive to a poisoned environment? Tod Haynes directs a horror movie without monsters just dread, emptiness, and too much air.
The Duke of Burgundy - PN1997.2 .D854 2015 DVD Two women, one relationship: Lepidopterist meets Lepidopterist’s lover , and their days unfold in a dream of silk, roleplay, and discipline. A movie about S&M that feels like a chamber opera, with moth wings fluttering in the dark. Think: Fifty Shades of Grey but with class, velvet, and better lighting.
Handmaiden [Ah-ga-ssi] - PN1997.2 .H36 2017 DVD Park Chan-wook adapts Sarah Waters Fingersmith into a Korean tale of trickery, inheritance, and erotic betrayal. A conwoman schemes to swindle an heiress, only to fall for her mark. Each twist opens another hidden drawer, and every drawer is filled with secrets.
Pride - PN1997.2 .P753 2014 DVD in 1984, a group of LGBTQ+ activist bands together to support striking miners in Thatcher's Britain. What begins as an unlikely alliance turns into a deeply moving story of solidarity, humor, and resilience. Full of heart and sharp wit, Pride is a reminder that movements are strongest when they find common ground.
Querelle - PN1997 .Q47 2024 DVD Rainer Werner Fassbinder’s final film, adapted from Jean Genet's novel, drips with stylized decadence. Sailor Querelle navigates a world of desire, betrayal, and shifting power in port town where masculinity itself is up for negotiation. A fever dream of neon, bodies and longing.
My Beautiful Laundrette - PN1995.9.B75 M9 2003 DVD Set in 1980s London, a young Pakistani entrepreneur and his old friend, now a street punk, revive a rundown laundrette. Their business becomes a place of reinvention, defiance, and love, even as racism and family expectations press in. Both Tender and biting, its a landmark of queer British cinema.
Scorpio Rising (The films of Kenneth Anger. Volume two) - PN1995.9.E96 F553 2007 DVD Kenneth Angers underground classic fuses biker culture, pop music, and homoerotic imagery into a pulsing, provocative collage. More than just experimental film, its icon of queer aesthetics and rebellion. leather , chrome, and Elvis set against visions of power and devotion.
Fireworks (Stranizza d'amuri) - PN1995.9.I8 S77 2024 DVD A lush Sicilian tale of forbidden love, Stranizza D’amuri follows two teenage boys who fall for each other in a time and place where such desire carries danger. Their romance burns with youthful intensity capturing both sweetness and tragedy. Sunlight, secrecy, and a spark that changes everything.
Princess Cyd - PN1997.2 .P7563 2017 DVD A teenage athlete spends the summer with her novelist aunt in Chicago, and what starts as a clash of personalities becomes a gentle story of discovery. Conversations, quiet moments, and unexpected romance shape a tender coming-of-age. Princess Cyd finds beauty in both rebellion and stillness.
Moonlight - PN1997.2 .M66 2017 DVD Told in three acts, Moonlight follows Chiron as he grows from a shy child into a man navigating identity, desire, and survival in Miami. Visually stunning and emotionally raw, the film captures Black queer life with rare intimacy. A story about finding tenderness where the world offers none.
Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) - PN1995.9.F7 .P67 2020 DVD on an isolated island in 18th -century France, an artist is hired to paint a reluctant bride-to-be. As they spend time together, their shared gaze grows into a love both inevitable and fleeting. Every frame feels like a painting, every silence charged with fire.
Ammonite - PN1997.2 .A46 2021 DVD Inspired by the life of fossil hunter Mary Anning, Ammonite imagines an unexpected romance between her and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea. With windswept landscape and quiet intensity, the film unearths desire hidden beneath restraint. A slow burning love story carved in stone.
Aftersun - PN1997.2 .A38 2022 DVD A father and daughter’s summer holiday is remembered through fragments, half formed memories, and home video footage. Tender and melancholic, aftersun captures the weight of love, loss, and the impossibility of fully knowing those closest to us, a film that lingers like a dream.
The adventures of Priscilla, queen of the desert - PN1995.9.C55 A28 2025 DVD Two drag queens and a transgender woman set out on a cross-country road trip in a glammed up bus named Priscilla. Along the way , they clash with prejudice, share outrageous performances, and discover family in unexpected places. A cult classic that's equal parts fabulous, heartfelt, and definitely bold.
To Wong Foo, thanks for everything, Julie Newmar - PN1995.9.C55 T6 2002 DVD Pstrick Swayze, Wesley Snipes, and John Leguizamo star as drag queens who end up stranded in a small town. Their presence shakes up the locals, challenging norms and spreading joy with sequins, sass, and solidarity. A charming, feel good comedy with real heart under the glitter.
Femme - PN1995.9.S7 F466 2024 DVD After a brutal homophobic attack, Jules swears off vulnerability until he encounters one of his attackers in an unexpected context. What follows is a dangerous game of desire, rage, and shifting power. A tense and stylish thriller that ask how far forgiveness or revenge can go.
The Incredibly True Adventure of Two Girls in Love - PN1997 .I48 2022 DVD Randy, a scrappy working-class teen, falls head-over-heels for Evie, a polished honor student. Their whirlwind romance unfolds with awkward sweetness, rebellious energy, and the messy joy of first love. A 90s indie gem that captures the tender chaos of being young and queer.
Pariah - PN1997.2 .P372 2021 DVD Alike, a Brooklyn teenager, quietly embraces her lesbian identity while navigating strict parents and shifting friendships. Through poetry, nightlife, and secret crushes, she learns the cost and the necessity of living authentically. A raw, luminous coming-of-age story from Dee Rees
Kajillionaire - PN1997.2 .K35 2020 DVD Raised by con-artist parents, Old Dolio has never known Intimacy or real affection. When a stranger joins their hustling schemes, everything she thought she understood about love and survival is upended. Surreal, tender, and darkly funny, Miranda July’s film is about finding connection in the unlikeliest places
Elisa & Marcela (Elisa y Marcela) - PN1995.9.S7 E457 2019 DVD Based on a true story, this spanish drama follows two young women in 1901 who fall in love and defy the church by secretly marrying one disguised as a man. Their bond faces persecution, betrayal, and exile. A daring, Historical romance that proves love has always found a way.
My First Summer - PN1997 .F577 2022 DVD Sixteen-year-old Claudia lives in isolation until she meets Grace, a vibrant outsider who stumbles into her world. Together, they build a fragile bubble of joy, trust, and discovery. A tender Australian indie about grief, first love, and the fragile beauty of girlhood.
Disobedience - PN1997.2 .D57 2018 DVD When Ronit returns to her Orthodox Jewish community after her fathers death, she rekindles a forbidden love with Eesti, now married to a respected rabbi. Desire collides with duty as the women confront faith, tradition, and freedom. A smoldering, emotional drama starring Rachel Weisz and Rachel McAdams
Monster - PN1997.2 .M68 2009 DVD Charlize Theron delivers a transformative performance as Aileen Wuornos, A woman whose desperate quest for love and survival spirals into violence. Based on a true story, the film examines her humanity without excusing her crimes. Both harrowing and deeply empathetic, it is a modern classic of queer cinema.
Drive Away Dolls - PN1997.2 .D75 2024 DVD Two best friends set out on a road trip to Florida, chasing freedom, fun, and maybe a little chaos. But when they cross paths with bumbling criminals, their wild detour becomes even more outrageous. A Coen-brothers-style caper, full of sharp energy and queer energy.
Shiva Baby - PN1997.2 .S55 2021 DVD At a tense family shiva, a young bisexual woman runs into her sugar daddy and her ex-girlfriend. While stuck in a room full of nosy relatives. What follows is a hilarious, claustrophobic spiral of awkwardness. Sharp, witty, and brutally relatable.
Saving Face - HV6250.4.W65 S28 2011 DVD a dutiful Chinese-American daughter juggles her budding romance with a female dancer and her mothers unexpected pregnancy. Secrets, cultural clashes, and heartwarming humor collide in this romantic comedy. Celebration of family, love, and finding courage.
Show me love (Fucking Åmål) - PN1995.9.F67 S56 2000 DVD In a small Swedish town, shy Agnes pines for popular Elin, convinced her love is hopeless. But Elin isn't as untouchable as she seems. Honest, awkward and achingly real, this coming-of-age romance has become a queer classic.
Rafiki (Friend) - PN1995.9.F7 R34 2019 DVD In Nairobi, Two young women fall in love despite political rivalry between their families and the harsh judgment of their community. Their romance glows with vibrancy, music, and defiance. A bold banned-then-celebrated Kenyan Film that radiates joy and resistance.
Dating Amber - PN1997.2 .D38 2020 DVD set in 90s Ireland, Eddie and Amber pretend to date to deflect suspicion about their sexuality. Their fake romance blossoms into real friendship , carrying them through teenage awkwardness and small-town pressure. Both funny and bittersweet, its a love letter to queer friendship.
DEBS - PN1997 .D445 2005 DVD Behind their plaid skirts and perfect GPAs, a team of schoolgirl spies fight crime and one of them falls for the stylish supervillain they're supposed to stop. Campy, witty, and unapologetically fun. D.E.B.S. its queer action comedy at its finest.
Egghead and Twinkie - PN1997.2 .E34 2025 DVD Twinkie, a queer Asian-American teen, runs away with her best friend Egghead to meet a girl she connected with online. Along the road trip, they find laughter, mishaps, and truths about themselves. A colorful indie comedy about friendship, identity and first love.
Bound - PN1997 .B6854 2000 DVD In this slick neo-noir, ex-con Corky and mobster’s girlfriend Violet hatch a plan to steal millions from the mafia. Their scheme is tangled with lust, betrayal, and high tension. Stylish, sultry, and razor-sharp. Wachowskis’ debut remains a landmark lesbian thriller.
Tár - PN1997.2 .T37 2022 DVD Cate Blanchett stars as Lydia Tar, a world-renowned conductor whose career begins to unravel under scrutiny, power struggles, and her own destructive flaws. Both intimate and epic, the film dissects genius ambition and abuse with chilling precision. A powerhouse performance anchors this psychological drama