Utah Queer Film Festival Brings 35 LGBTQ+ Films to Salt Lake City
Utah Queer Film Festival returns to Salt Lake City from 6 to 8 November 2026, presenting 35 independent LGBTQ+ films and stories.
The Utah Queer Film Festival returns to Salt Lake City from 6 to 8 November 2026, bringing 35 independent LGBTQ+ films to the Utah Film Center.
The festival’s 2026 programme brings together local, national and international filmmakers, with a focus on stories that explore LGBTQ+ lives, identities and imagined futures. Its theme, “Queer Films, Queer Futures”, places an emphasis on storytelling that looks beyond familiar narratives and considers the worlds people might build.
The event is part of the Utah Film Center’s wider work supporting independent cinema and bringing different perspectives to audiences. It also provides a space for LGBTQ+ filmmakers to present work that may not receive the same visibility through mainstream theatrical distribution.
The festival’s 35-film selection offers audiences the chance to encounter a range of approaches and experiences, rather than a single version of LGBTQ+ life. Independent festivals can be particularly important for short films, emerging directors and stories that fall outside the commercial priorities of larger distributors.
In-person screenings are scheduled at the Utah Film Center, at 375 West 400 North in Salt Lake City, from Friday 6 November through Sunday 8 November. The festival has also announced online access to selected films beginning on 9 November, allowing some of the programme to reach viewers beyond those able to attend in person.
Tickets and passes are available through the festival’s official channels, with a pay-what-you-can-afford approach intended to make screenings more accessible. Audiences should check the published schedule for individual film times, online availability and any accompanying events.
The festival continues a history that began in 2003, when it was known as Damn These Heels. Its return in 2026 gives filmmakers and audiences another opportunity to connect through independent cinema and stories that place LGBTQ+ characters and perspectives at the centre.
For Salt Lake City’s film community, the event is also a reminder that LGBTQ+ cinema is not limited to major studio releases: local and independent screenings can give emerging voices a platform and bring different generations of viewers together.
