From the restrictive Hays Code that constructed a celluloid closet, to the queer indie explosion of the mid-90s, to our contemporary conversations about representation, both independent and mainstream cinema have struggled with the way they portray LGBTQ2S people and stories. And while representation has obviously bettered over the last century of cinema, the question now turns to what queer stories get told. Queerwest celebrates not only the stories of queer life on the coasts, but the lives, adventures, and pain of LGBTQ2S people living under the majesty, power, and complicated history of the American West.


A selection of some of the best shorts on offer at this year's Queerwest Film Festival.