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The Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival returns for another year of showcasing true stories from the LGBTQ+ community’s full spectrum, with three nights of movies Nov. 15–17. For nearly 20 years, QDoc has guaranteed screen time for queer-oriented documentaries on just about any subject. Focuses range from historical figures and social movements of the distant past to modern people making a difference in today’s world.
Gazing ahead at five of QDoc’s 13 documentaries, festival organizers Molly King and Deb Kemp have curated a selection that looks as far off as the Middle East and as close to home as Eugene. Some have never been screened before, while others are picking up steam on the film festival circuit. Whether the people on QDoc’s program lived in obscurity or wrote some of the world’s most famous songs, their stories enrich history. Their experiences left a profound impact on the people around them and can affect anyone in the audience, regardless of who they are.
I’m Your Venus (2024, dir. Kimberly Reed)
Making its West Coast premiere, I’m Your Venus picks up on the cold case of Venus Xtravaganza, a star of the 1991 ballroom documentary Paris Is Burning who was murdered during filmmaking. The film follows both her biological and ballroom families as they unite seeking justice while honoring her legacy, showing the importance of acceptance and finding common ground. I’m Your Venus features never-before-seen footage and outtakes of Xtravaganza from Paris. Executive producer Jonovia Chase engages in a post-screening Q&A with editor Michael Palmieri and assistant editor Donal Mosher, while Kiki Flora, mother of the House of Flora, produced an accompanying ballroom community performance. Alok, Alex Hedison’s mini-doc on nonbinary multihyphenate Alok Vaid-Menon, shows in a double feature. 7 pm Friday, Nov. 15.
Outliers and Outlaws (2024, dir. Courtney Hermann)
The Eugene Lesbian Project shares the town’s midcentury history in this documentary’s world premiere. Outliers and Outlaws presents tales of lesbian world-builders who migrated to the college town in the 1960s–'80s, narrated by Team Dresch vocalist Jody Bleyle. Featuring intimate portraits set back then and now, viewers are treated to candid stories of hope, hard times, humor and a commitment to social change. Outliers and Outlaws features an archive of images of this groundbreaking community, as well as the Dolly Parton deep cut “Eugene Oregon.” Hermann hosts a post-screening Q&A with featured documentary subjects. Emily Clark’s short 2023 documentary Is Gay Marriage Next, examining the still-relevant threats to marriage equality, shows in a double feature. Noon Saturday, Nov. 16.
A House Is Not a Disco (2024, dir. Brian J. Smith)
Set 50 miles from New York City in Fire Island Pines, A House Is Not a Disco documents a year in the life of residents in one of the world’s most iconic gay communities. The film puts a spotlight on how the arrival of millennial homeowners ushers in a more inclusive era for the town. We also witness one of the Pines’ biggest challenges since the AIDS crisis: rising ocean water due to climate change. Smith, who fans may remember as Sense8 cluster cop Will Gorski, named his directorial debut after anti-disco noise control ordinance signs posted in the late ‘60s. 8:45 pm Saturday, Nov. 16.
Sabbath Queen (2024, dir. Sandi Dubowski)
Sabbath Queen follows rabbi Amichai Lau-Lavie over a 21 year journey as a 39th-generation rabbi in his family—the first to be openly queer. Lau-Lavie is torn between rejecting and embracing his destiny. Along the way, he becomes a drag queen, a queer father, and the founder of an all-welcoming, God-optional, artist-driven pop-up experimental congregation. Sabbath Queen presents Lau-Lavie’s lifelong quest to radically reinvent religion and ritual, challenge patriarchy and supremacy, while standing up for peace, cease-fire and the end of Israeli occupation in Palestine, all while presenting what Jewish survival means in the rapidly changing 21st century. Executive producer Adrian Salpeter hosts a post-screening Q&A. Noon Sunday, Nov. 17.
Linda Perry: Let It Die Here (2024, dir. Don Hardy)
Probably one of the most recognizable artists of the past 30 years, Linda Perry is more than her signature hat, the countless classics she’s written for pop’s biggest stars, or even her own hit single “What’s Up” with 4 Non Blondes. Linda Perry: Let It Die Here takes a peek behind the curtain to capture her moments of vulnerability, her struggles with identity, and how she defines her purpose and legacy. More than a career retrospective, director Don Hardy promises an unfiltered look at a woman who faces the same inner battles as anyone else. Perry offers an open invitation not only to see her as an artist, but as a human being searching for meaning. Perry closes out QDoc with a post-screening Q&A and live performance. 7 pm Sunday, Nov. 17.
SEE IT: Portland Queer Documentary Film Festival at Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Blvd., 503-493-1128, qdocfilmfest.org. Friday–Sunday, Nov. 15–17. $12, $80 festival pass.