Rami Malek's new AIDS drama The Man I Love will close NewFest 2026

Rami Malek is set to star in The Man I Love, a new drama about a gay actor living with AIDS in late-1980s New York, which has been selected as the closing-night film for NewFest's 2026 LGBTQ+ film festival. Directed by Ira Sachs, the film follows an actor navigating love, work and the search for affirmation as the AIDS crisis casts a shadow over the city's artistic community.

The film will close the 38th annual New York LGBTQ+ Film Festival on 25 October, following a programme running from 15 to 25 October. Malek plays Jimmy, an actor struggling to remember his lines for an upcoming performance while trying to hold together his relationships with his partner Dennis, played by Tom Sturridge, and those around him.

A personal story set during the AIDS crisis

Rather than approaching the period solely through the wider political and medical history of AIDS, the film centres on an individual's everyday life. Rehearsals, domestic moments and dinner parties provide the backdrop for a story about affection, ambition and the need for connection during a time when gay men faced profound uncertainty.

That focus is important because stories about the AIDS crisis can sometimes reduce the people who lived through it to their illness or the tragedy surrounding their deaths. By placing Jimmy's relationships and artistic ambitions at the centre, The Man I Love appears to offer a more intimate portrait of life during that period.

The film also features Rebecca Hall as Jimmy's sister Brenda and Luther Ford as Vincent, a new neighbour whose arrival adds another relationship to Jimmy's already complicated life. Its ensemble and musical atmosphere are intended to capture the energy of New York's downtown arts scene while acknowledging the crisis unfolding around it.

When can UK viewers watch The Man I Love?

The film is scheduled to screen at NewFest in New York on 25 October 2026, but UK viewers will have to wait for further distribution announcements.

As of 10 October 2026, no confirmed UK cinema release date or UK streaming platform has been announced. Its NewFest screening does not mean a British release will follow immediately, and there is currently no confirmed date for when audiences in the UK will be able to watch it.

For LGBTQ+ viewers interested in stories about the AIDS crisis, The Man I Love is one to keep on the radar. Its focus on a gay man's relationships, work and personal life offers a perspective on the period that extends beyond the tragedy itself, although UK audiences will need to wait for confirmation of when and where they can see it.