NewFest has officially announced the lineup for NewFest Pride 2026, its annual Pride-season showcase of LGBTQ+ film, television, and live events taking place May 28 through June 1 in New York City and online.
While NewFest Pride functions as a concentrated celebration tied directly to Pride Month, the organization’s larger flagship event — the annual NewFest film festival — traditionally arrives in October with a broader and more expansive lineup of premieres, shorts, documentaries, episodic programming, filmmaker conversations, and awards contenders. The Pride edition acts as a seasonal spotlight, while the October festival remains one of the most influential LGBTQ+ film events in the world.
In Brave New Hollywood’s view, NewFest remains the most important LGBTQ+ film festival organization in the United States — not only because of its accessibility and visibility, but because of the intelligence and care behind its programming. NewFest consistently balances prestige titles, emerging voices, experimental work, documentaries, crowd-pleasers, and socially urgent storytelling without losing its sense of audience connection. Few festivals have cultivated a reputation that feels simultaneously hip, welcoming, culturally tuned-in, and genuinely filmmaker-focused.
Its programmers have developed a sharp instinct for identifying which queer stories deserve broader visibility long before many mainstream outlets catch on, while still maintaining events that feel community-driven rather than overly industry-centered.
Top 5 Most Anticipated Films at NewFest Pride 2026
I Want Your Sex
Gregg Araki’s provocative new thriller arrives as one of the festival’s major centerpiece selections. Starring Olivia Wilde, Cooper Hoffman, Mason Gooding, and Charli xcx, the film reportedly dives into the excesses of the art world through Araki’s signature blend of dark humor, erotic tension, and psychological chaos.
Teenage Sex and Death at Camp Miasma
The latest feature from Jane Schoenbrun comes directly from Cannes and already carries major buzz within queer genre-film circles. Schoenbrun continues exploring identity, adolescence, and horror imagery in what appears to be another highly stylized and emotionally unsettling work.
The Brittney Griner Story
This documentary feature examines WNBA star Brittney Griner’s imprisonment in Russia and the international efforts surrounding her release. Given the continuing political and cultural conversations around queer visibility in sports, the film is positioned to become one of the lineup’s major discussion points.
Barbara Forever
A documentary centered on the life and legacy of groundbreaking lesbian filmmaker Barbara Hammer, Barbara Forever highlights NewFest’s ongoing commitment to queer film history and preservation while introducing Hammer’s influence to newer audiences.
Leviticus
One of the more intriguing crossover titles in the lineup, Leviticus blends queer romance and horror elements into a psychologically charged coming-of-age story about desire, repression, and fear. Early festival reactions suggest it could become a breakout genre favorite.
Other Notable Films in the Lineup
Outerlands
This intimate character-driven drama explores loneliness, chosen family, and emotional survival within San Francisco’s queer nightlife scene, anchored by a quietly powerful central performance.
ACLU lawyer Chase Strangio, veteran journalists, and unwavering activists show strength and resistance in the face of an actively unfolding story around anti-trans legislation.
Screening at NewFest Pride 2026
Heightened Scrutiny
This urgent documentary examines the legal and media attacks surrounding transgender rights in America, focusing on the broader cultural consequences of misinformation and political targeting.
Plainclothes
Set against the backdrop of undercover policing tactics used to target gay men decades ago, Plainclothes combines historical drama with emotional tension, revisiting a painful but important chapter of queer history.
Why NewFest Continues to Matter
At a moment when LGBTQ+ stories continue to face political resistance and cultural pushback across parts of the United States, NewFest’s role feels increasingly significant. More than simply a festival brand, it operates as a cultural platform helping determine which queer filmmakers, narratives, and documentaries break through into broader public conversation.
That curatorial influence — combined with its accessible, welcoming atmosphere — is precisely why NewFest continues to occupy such an important place in the American independent film landscape.
Find the full festival lineup HERE.
